Fowler suffered what the Ducks described as a “complex right facial fracture involving the orbital bone, cheekbone and upper-jaw bone” when he was hit in the face by a puck on Monday. Fowler will undergo surgery on Friday and a more detailed timetable will be released when they know more.
Fowler was forced to leave Monday’s game after taking a puck to the face late in the third period. Moving Fowler to IR means that he’ll miss at least the next three games and Luke Schenn is expected to replace him on Wednesday.
Schenn will miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday, which means that Robert Thomas will continue to play an elevated role. Monitor Schenn’s status as he heads into the back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
Buchnevich, who has served as a healthy scratch a few times, started playing well right before getting hurt. Buchnevich picked up two goals and two assists in his last three games, but will miss at least one month after suffering a broken thumb on Saturday. This leaves the Rangers without two of their best right-wingers, Buchnevich and Mats Zuccarello.
Schenn will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury, which means Ryan O’Reilly will centre the top line and Robert Thomas and Robby Fabbri will play expanded roles.
Schenn missed Tuesday’s game vs. the Hurricanes, but was back on the ice for Thursday’s practice. Despite centring the second line today, Schenn remains questionable for Friday’s game vs. the Sharks.
Schenn suffered and upper-body injury on Saturday and missed Monday’s practice. Blues head coach Mike Yeo listed Schenn as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. the Hurricanes. Ryan O’Reilly moved up to the top line with Schenn not on the ice this morning.
Walker had one assist in three games with Washington this season but has been sent to Hershey to clear a roster spot for Travis Boyd (foot), who makes his season debut on Monday. Walker had 22 points (9G / 13A) in 40 AHL games last season.
Gunnarsson missed the first 10 games of the season, but will replace Jordan Schmaltz in the lineup on Thursday. Gunnarsson brings nearly no offence to the Blues lineup, so he’s best left on the waiver wire.
Gunnarsson’s activation means that he will be available to make his season debt on Thursday, but it remains to be seen if he will draw into the lineup or not. Over the last two seasons, Gunnarsson has just 15 points (5G / 10A) while averaging less than 15 minutes per game in 119 games with St. Louis.
Despite picking up one goal and one assist with a plus-3 rating in his last two games, it looks like Buchnevich will come out of the Rangers lineup on Tuesday. Vinni Lettieri is expected to replace the young winger.
Krug has missed the first 11 games of the season but will play tonight in Carolina. Krug will replace Matt Grzelcyk on the second pairing and top power-play unit.
Krug will likely replace Matt Grzelcyk, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Krug will be back on the top power-play unit and will look to build off of his 59-point (14G / 45A) campaign, that included 24 power-play points (5PPG / 19PPA).
Gunnarsson failed to pick up a point in two games with the Rampage during his conditioning stint. He returns to the Blues where he has failed to top 10 points for three straight years—just 24 points (8G / 16A) in his last 191 NHL games.
Thomas has been a healthy scratch for the last four games, but will centre the fourth line tonight. There’s no word on who will be scratched, but early indications are that it will be Jordan Kyrou.
The Bruins thought there was a chance that Krug would make his season debut on Saturday, but head coach Bruce Cassidy said that he is “looking good for Tuesday.” The Bruins will continue to roll out a patchwork bluline with Krug and three other defensemen injured.
Krug has missed the first 10 games of the regular season but could make his season debut on Saturday. Krug’s return would be a huge boost for the Bruins, who’s blueline is missing Charlie McAvoy, Kevan Miller and Urho Vaakanainen. Krug is coming off of the best season of his career, picking up 14 goals and 45 assists (59 points) in 76 games.
