After being a full participant at practice since Tuesday, Beniers will return from a five-game absence on Friday against the St. Louis Blues. Before his injury, Beniers had been held to one point (1G / 0A) in his last seven games.
Perry hasn't played a game since his contract was terminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in late November. Before having his contract terminated, Perry was amid a somewhat resurgent start to the season, scoring nine points (4G / 5A) in 16 games. It is unlikely that Perry will continue his 0.56 point-per-game pace with the Oilers, as he is expected to skate on the third line with Dylan Holloway and Ryan McLeod.
Schwartz has played eight straight games, recording five points (2G / 3A), after returning from a 16-game absence due to a lower-body injury. He has been playing on a line with Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand and will be a game-time decision ahead of Friday's game.
With consecutive wins under his belt, Samsonov will start for the third straight game on Saturday. Samsonov has been tremendous in his last two outings, saving 48 of 49 shots (.979 SV%), including a heroic 32-save shutout against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. Samsonov's current streak marks the first time he has had consecutive wins since mid-November.
Cousins was the recipient of a controversial hit from Arizona's Jason Zucker, which led to a three-game suspension. The 30-year-old scrappy centre has struggled to produce offensively in 2023-24 with only two goals, three assists, 20 PIMs, 63 SOG and a -10 plus/minus in 37 games. With Cousins cleared from concussion protocol after missing 10 games, his return to the lineup is now just a matter of conditioning.
Vilardi has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury but could return to the lineup on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 24-year-old Vilardi has three goals and has fired 15 shots on goal in his last five games.
Morrissey exited the Jets' last games with only 7:17 time-on-ice after blocking a shot but appears to be on the mend for a quick recovery after participating at practice on Friday. If Morrissey is unable to play on Saturday, the Jets' next game is not for another nine days. Neal Pionk replaced Morrissey on the top powerplay unit after Morrissey left the game.
Jarnkrok was not able to finish practice on Friday, leaving early with an apparent hand injury. The 32-year-old Jarnkrok has played all 46 games for the Maple Leafs this season, scoring 19 points (10G / 9A) while averaging 15:18 time-on-ice. The Maple Leafs next game is on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.
McMann has been dealing with a nagging injury and will be out of the lineup for at least a week after being placed on injured reserve. The 27-year-old McMann has three points (1G / 2A) in his last seven games while averaging less than 10 minutes per night. He is being assessed and should have a more concrete timeline in the upcoming days.
Lockwood has finished serving his three-game suspension for goaltender interference but will remain out of the lineup as he is in concussion protocol. Through 23 games this season, Lockwood has one point (0G / 1A), 42 hits, and 14 penalty minutes while averaging 8:22 time-on-ice.
Tippett has become one of the main offensive cogs in Philadelphia and has been rewarded with an eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension. The 24-year-old broke out last season with 49 points (27G / 22A) in 77 games and, despite currently being on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, is producing at a higher pace this season with 30 points (18G / 12A) in 46 games. This season, Tippett has established himself as a skilled power-forward, evident by his 168 shots on goals and 68 hits.
Malinski has played in eight straight games and has scored four points (1G / 3A) in his last four, but will be a healthy scratch on Friday to allow Jack Johnson to draw back into the lineup. Malinski has been effective in limited time this season, scoring 10 points (3G / 7A) in 22 games while averaging only 14:19 time-on-ice.
Sam Malinski will be a healthy scratch on Friday, allowing Johson to draw back into the lineup after a one-game absence due to a lower-body injury. Johnson has been held without a point in eight straight games and will likely play on the third defensive pair with Bowen Byram.
Giordano did not play the last two games but will likely re-enter the lineup on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 40-year-old Giordano has zero points in his last nine games while registering 12 shots and six hits.
Bobrovsky will return to the crease for the Panthers on Friday as they look to extend their two-game winning streak. In his last outing, Bobrovsky saved 31 of 33 shots (.939 SV%) in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Before that, Bobrovsky lost three straight, allowing three or more goals in each, posting an ugly .846 SV%. The Panthers are -132 road favourites against a Pittsburgh Penguins club riding a two-game losing streak.
Georgiev will start for the fourth straight game on Wednesday evening and attempt to extend Colorado's winning streak to three games. Georgiev has allowed three or more goals in eight of his last 10 games, and despite posting an ugly .888 SV%, he has salvaged an impressive 7-3-0 record. The 27-year-old Georgiev has not been consistently reliable at keeping the puck out of the net this season but has been successful at accumulating wins, a trend likely to continue on Friday as the Avalanche are -146 home favourites against a Los Angeles Kings club that has lost four of their last five (1-3-1).
Hill played his first full game in nearly two months on Tuesday and will return to the crease on Friday night against the New York Rangers. Hill was terrific on Tuesday, saving 40 of 42 shots (.952 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders, picking up where he left off before his injury in a terrific 2023-24 campaign. The Golden Knights are +137 road underdogs against a Rangers club that has struggled lately, losing three of their last four (1-2-1).
Hill played his first full game in nearly two months on Tuesday and will likely return to the crease on Friday night against the New York Rangers. Hill was terrific on Tuesday, saving 40 of 42 shots (.952 SV%) in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders, picking up where he left off before his injury in a terrific 2023-24 campaign. The Golden Knights are +137 road underdogs against a Rangers club that has struggled lately, losing three of their last four (1-2-1).
Morrissey exited the Jets' last games with only 7:17 time-on-ice after blocking a shot but appears to be on the mend for a quick recovery after participating at practice on Friday. The Jets' next game is on Saturday, followed by a nine-day break. Neal Pionk replaced Morrissey on the top powerplay unit after Morrissey left the game.
After playing only once in a span of eight games, Allen will return to the crease for the second time in the last three games on Saturday. Allen allowed three goals on 27 shots (.889 SV%) in his last outing, a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens will face off against a Penguins club that defeated them 4-3 last month and is playing on the back end of a back-to-back.
