Protas was a surprise scratch on Tuesday, with the Capitals not announcing his absence prior to warmups. We should get an update on his status ahead of Washington's game in Boston on Saturday.
Werenski is battling an illness and will miss a second straight game on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old defenseman had two assists in his most recent game, giving him 13 points (2G / 11A) during a nine-game point streak. He has 65 points (20G / 45A) in 54 games this season.
The Predators are on the tail-end of a back-to-back on Tuesday, so they will turn to backup netminder Justus Annunen between the pipes. Annunen turned in a solid performance in his last start, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced in a 4-2 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday. The 25-year-old carries a 6-7-2 record and an .885 SV% into Tuesday night's matchup, where the Preds enter action at +115 on the money line.
The Sabres have received excellent tandem goaltending from Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, aiding them to come out of the Olympic break with a three-game winning streak, looking to extend it to four with Lyon tending the twine on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 33-year-old Lyon was stellar in his previous outing, saving 27 of 29 shots (.931 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. He has been near-perfect in recent weeks, winning 12 of 14 games (12-2-0), posting an impressive 2.27 GAA and .925 SV%. The Sabres enter Tuesday's contest as -137 home favourites against a Golden Knights team coming off an embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Adin Hill has been among the league's least reliable goaltenders in recent weeks, and the Golden Knights have surprisingly had to rely on Schmid more than expected as a result. The 25-year-old Schmid has been far from stellar, but has still been far and away better than Hill. Schmid has a 2.60 GAA and .898 SV% in his last nine games (5-3-1). The Golden Knights enter Tuesday's contest as +131 road underdogs against a rolling Buffalo Sabres team that has outscored their opposition 11-5 during a three-game winning streak.
Markstrom has struggled with consistency this season, but is in the midst of his best streak so far. Dating back to before the Olympic break, the 36-year-old goalie has strung together four consecutive quality starts for the first time in 2025-26 (2-2-0), posting an impressive 2.02 GAA and .931 SV%. He saved 25 of 26 shots (.962 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. That said, the Devils enter Tuesday's action as slight +105 home underdogs against a Florida Panthers team on a two-game losing streak (0-2-0).
Vejmelka allowed four goals on 28 shots (.857 SV%) in his most recent outing, a 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, and has struggled since returning from the Olympic break, posting a 3.37 GAA and .870 SV% in three games (1-2-0). He will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, looking to return his form before the league stoppage, where he won 10 of 13 games (10-3-0) while posting a solid 2.20 GAA and .919 SV%. The Mammoth enter Tuesday's contest as +108 road underdogs against a Capitals team coming off a disappointing 6-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Hintz helped Finland capture a Bronze Medal at the Olympics, but has not played yet since the conclusion of the Olympic break and will miss a fourth consecutive game on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames. He is eligible to return to the lineup on Friday against the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Hintz has 44 points (15G / 29A) in 52 games this season and has seen his goal scoring decrease. Hintz has averaged 33 goals per 82 games over the past four seasons but is on pace for only 24 this season.
With Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body) on Injured Reserve, Vancouver has recalled Mancini from Abbotsford (AHL). The 23-year-old Mancini has 12 points (4G / 8A) in 33 games with Abbotsford this season.
Brisson was drafted 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but has yet to make his presence felt at the NHL level. He has spent most of the 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he has 23 points (13G / 10A) in 46 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He has one assist in three games with the Golden Knights this season.
Parssinen is no stranger to the NHL, with 56 points (22G / 34A) in 151 career games, but has been limited to only 14 games with the Rangers this season. The 25-year-old Finnish forward only has 31 points (16G / 15A) in his last 106 NHL games after scoring 25 points (6G / 19A) in his first 45.
Chmelar made his NHL debut earlier this season, going without a point in six games with the Rangers. The 22-year-old Czech forward has 25 points (8G / 17A) in 46 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) this season.
Morrow was a second-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old defenseman has spent most of the season with the Rangers, scoring six assists in 29 games, but has not been able to make a lasting impact and will spend some time in the AHL to work on his game.
The Blue Jackets have more heavily relied on Elvis Merzlikins in recent weeks, but they will turn to Greaves in the tail end of a back-to-back, on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old Greaves struggled in his return from the Olympic break, allowing four goals on 26 shots (.846 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. Greaves will hope to return to the form he was showcasing before the league stoppage, when he had a tremendous 2.10 GAA and .923 SV% during a six-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as -136 home favourites against a Predators team that lost 4-2 yesterday to the Detroit Red Wings.
Pulock played 22:12 time-on-ice and recorded an assist in the Islanders' previous game and was given the day off from practice on Tuesday for maintenance. That said, he is hopeful to play on Wednesday against the Anaheim Ducks. The 31-year-old defenseman has 24 points (3G / 21A) in 59 games this season.
Joseph suffered an upper-body injury in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Dallas Stars and will be sidelined for at least a week after surfacing on Injured Reserve. The 26-year-old defenseman is averaging 13:18 time-on-ice and has five points (1G / 4A) in 24 games this season.
Werenski is battling an illness and did not play on Monday, but could still be an option on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The 28-year-old defenseman had two assists in his most recent game, giving him 13 points (2G / 11A) during a nine-game point streak. He has 65 points (20G / 45A) in 54 games this season.
Wedgewood was excellent in his return from the Olympic break, saving 28 of 30 shots (.933 SV%) in a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth, and will return to the crease on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. Dating back to the beginning of January, the 33-year-old Wedgewood has faltered a bit in an otherwise tremendous season, posting a 2.80 GAA and .895 SV% in his last eight games (4-3-1). The Avalanche enter Tuesday's contest as -144 road favourites against a Ducks team on a five-game winning streak.
The Blue Jackets have more heavily relied on Elvis Merzlikins in recent weeks, but they will turn to Greaves in the tail end of a back-to-back, on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old Greaves struggled in his return from the Olympic break, allowing four goals on 26 shots (.846 SV%) in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. Greaves will hope to return to the form he was showcasing before the league stoppage, when he had a tremendous 2.10 GAA and .923 SV% during a six-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as -136 home favourites against a Predators team that lost 4-2 yesterday to the Detroit Red Wings.
