Blankenburg last played on Nov.10th due to an ankle injury but was activated off the injured reserve Thursday. The 24-year-old had two goals, one assist, 13 SOG, and four PIMs through seven games prior to his injury.
Barron has been a healthy scratch for the previous three Montreal games but will draw back into the Canadiens' lineup as they take on the Predators Thursday. The 21-year-old defenseman has yet to pick up a point while collecting two SOG and a -4 plus/minus through four games.
Oesterle was a healthy scratch for the Red Wings' previous game Wednesday but will draw back into the lineup Thursday for Gustav Lindstrom vs. Toronto. The 30-year-old has two goals, one assist, 26 SOG and six PIMs through 27 games played this year.
Saros set the Nashville Franchise save record in his previous start with his 64-save performance (.955 SV%) in a win over Carolina in regular time. The 27-year-old has been Nashville's best player yet again this season, with his 14-10-5 record, 2.77 GAA, and .918 SV%. He will face the Ottawa Senators, who will be looking for better fortunes after an 8-4 loss to Seattle snapped their three-game winning streak.
Oesterle has two goals, one assist, 26 PIMs and a +1 plus/minus through 26 games but will be a healthy scratch vs. Florida.
Saros allowed three goals on 27 shots (.889 SV%) but still picked up his second straight win in a victory over Montreal in his last start. The 27-year-old has drastically improved his numbers over the last month, and now has a respectable 13-10-5 record, 2.76 GAA and .915 SV%. He faces the league's hottest team in the Carolina Hurricanes, who just snapped an 11-game winning streak with a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers last game.
Smith has eight assists, 37 SOG and 32 PIMs through 34 games but will miss Tuesday's game vs. Montreal as he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Mark Jankowski will be taking his spot in the Predators' lineup.
Perbix has fit into the Lightning's lineup admirably in his rookie season earning himself a two-year contract extension worth an AAV of $1.125 million. The 24-year-old has three goals, five assists, 47 SOG and a +8 plus/minus through 29 games so far in 2022-23.
The Blues placed O'Reilly on IR with a broken foot and said he would be re-evaluated in six weeks. Not only does O'Reilly's injury hurt this team in the short-term, but he's also one of St. Louis' big trade chips as we head into the second half of the season. In addition to O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko is expected to miss four weeks with a hand injury.
Marchessault missed the Golden Knights' game Tuesday due to a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision Thursday as they take on the Anaheim Ducks. Not having Marchessault in the lineup has been a massive blow, as he has 14 goals, 13 assists, 121 SOG, and nine PIMs through 35 games prior to the injury.
Barron has seven goals, nine assists, six PIMS and is a -3 plus/minus with the Laval Rockets (AHL) before being promoted to the Canadiens. The 21-year-old played in seven NHL games prior to this season, with a goal and an assist. He will draw into the Canadiens' lineup Wednesday.
Saros allowed three goals on 46 shots (.935 SV%) as he snapped a two-game winning streak with an overtime loss vs. Colorado in his last start. The 27-year-old has been solid this season, with his 11-9-5 record, .914 SV% and 2.81 GAA. He will face the Dallas Stars, who lead the Central Division and are fifth in the NHL in goals per game (3.57).
Barron has seven goals, nine assists, six PIMS and is a -3 plus/minus with the Laval Rockets (AHL) before being promoted to the Canadiens. The 21-year-old played in seven NHL games prior to this season, with a goal and an assist.
Lucchini has seven goals, 16 assists, two PIMs and a -12 plus/minus through 25 games with Belleville (AHL) so far in 2022-23. but will be recalled to the big club for the second time this season. In his previous stint, he had a short one-game stint where he failed to pick up a point.
