O'Brien will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday in favor of Juuso Valimaki as Utah HC will go with an 11-forward, seven-defensemen formation. The 30-year-old O'Brien has zero points, five penalty minutes, and 13 hits in three games this season.
The Sharks will opt to give Mackenzie Blackwood the night off as Vanecek gets the nod in the tail-end of their back-to-back on Tuesday. Vanecek struggled his last time out, surrendering seven goals on 42 shots in a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Golden Knights. He owns an .869 SV% and has failed to record a victory in his first five appearances. He will be hard-pressed to pick up his first win of the season on Tuesday with the Sharks entering action as +260 underdogs.
Matthew Kessel will draw into the Blues' lineup on Tuesday, replacing Perunovich after playing two consecutive games. The 26-year-old Perunovich registered zero points and a -2 plus/minus while averaging 11:48 time-on-ice in his two contests this season.
Adam Klapka will be a healthy scratch on Monday, allowing Rooney to re-enter the lineup for the Flames. The 31-year-old Rooney has been limited to only two games so far this season, scoring zero points while averaging 4:36 time-on-ice.
After being sidelined for the last five games, O'Brien will draw into the lineup for his third game this season, replacing Josh Doan. The heavy-hitting O'Brien has been held off the scoresheet in two games this season but has tallied 10 hits.
Allard was a fifth-round pick of Utah HC in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old has spent the last four seasons in the OHL playing for the Soo Greyhounds, including a 44-point campaign last season (18G / 26A).
Due to a decimated defensive core, namely Sean Durzi (shoulder) and John Marino (lower-back) being sidelined for the next several months, Utah HC recalled Lamoureux from the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL) to make his NHL debut. The 20-year-old Lamoureux was drafted 29th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and is currently playing his first professional season, tallying three points (2G / 1A) in his first four games with Tuscon.
Adam Klapka will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Rooney to return to action for the first time since suffering a concussion in the first game of the season. Last season, Rooney played 33 games with the Flames, tallying four points (3G / 1A), 29 blocks, and 65 hits
After starting their season by winning three straight games, the Utah Hockey Club has lost three of their last four and will give Vejmelka his second start of the season on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche. Vejmelka entered Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators in relief of Connor Ingram and saved all 14 shots he faced. The 28-year-old Vejmelka has been limited to only 98 minutes of action through seven games this season but has been solid, posting a 1.83 GAA and .935 SV%. Utah HC enters the action on Thursday as +135 home underdogs against Colorado.
Matthew Kessel will exit the Blues' lineup on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, allowing Perunovich to enter the lineup for his season debut. The 26-year-old Perunovich has an offensive pedigree that has made him a near-point-per-game defenseman at every level other than the NHL. In 54 games with the Blues last season, Perunovich had 17 points (0G / 17A).
Due to a decimated defensive core, namely Sean Durzi (shoulder) and John Marino (lower-back) being sidelined for the next several months, Utah HC have opted to recall youngster Lamoureux from the Tuscon Roadrunners (AHL). The 20-year-old Lamoureux was drafted 29th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and is currently playing his first professional season, tallying three points (2G / 1A) in his first four games with Tuscon.
Marino was acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils in the offseason but will not be able to make his debut with the Utah Hockey Club for another 3-4 months. The 27-year-old Marino was absent from training camp due to an upper-body injury and ultimately opted for surgery to address his lower-back injury. Marino is joining his third NHL franchise and had four goals, 25 points, 41 PIMs and 57 SOG in 75 games played with New Jersey in 2023-24. With Sean Durzi (shoulder) also sidelined for the next several months, Utah's decimated defensive core have welcomed Vladislav Kolyachonok and Robert Bortuzzo into the mix.
Durzi's absence from Utah HC will be a devasting blow for their blueline, but the talented defenseman could be back before the end of the season. The 26-year-old defenseman was off to a strong start to the season, with two points (0G / 2A), 11 blocks, and seven penalty minutes in three games. Mikhail Sergachev has emerged as the quarterback on Utah's top powerplay unit since Durzi has been out of the lineup.
Goldsmith was a fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman is in his fifth season in the WHL. He had 15 points (3G / 12A) and 122 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) last season.
Through three games this season, the Sharks have alternated between Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood between the pipes, a trend that will continue on Thursday against the Chicago Blackhawks when Vanecek occupies the crease. Despite a 2-0 losing effort, Vanecek was terrific in his only start this season, saving 28 of 29 shots (.966 SV%) against the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks enter action on Thursday as +163 road underdogs against a Blackhawks club that has only scored nine times in their first four games (1-2-1).
