Clifton has been a healthy scratch for the last three games but will replace John Moore, who is out with an illness. Clifton has two goals on 19 shots (10.5 SH%) and a plus-4 rating in 25 games this season.
Moore was in the lineup for the last three games but will miss tonight's game vs. the Islanders due to an illness. Moore has had one goal and one assist in six games since making his season debut on December 5th. Connor Clifton will replace him on the third pair.
Andersen allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Maple Leafs win over the Sabres on Tuesday. Andersen has won four of his last five starts (4-1-0) while posting a 2.23 GAA and .930 SV%. Tonight he faces a Rangers team that has lost three of their last four (1-2-1) while scoring 3.00 goals per game.
Khudobin stopped 37 of 38 shots in the Stars win in Nashville last Saturday. Ben Bishop has started five of the last six games but Khudobin will start the front-end of the back-to-back tonight in Tampa Bay. The 33-year-old has gone 4-4-1 with a 2.56 GAA and .924 SV% in nine road appearances this season but will be in tough vs. a Tampa Bay team that has won three of their last four.
Czarnik has been squeezed out in Calgary but they catch a break with him clearing waivers on Thursday. He returns to the AHL, where he has three points (1G / 2A) in three games this year.
Noesen started the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) where he had 22 points (14G / 8A) in 22 games and then signed an NHL deal with the Penguins. He appeared in just six games with Pittsburgh before being waived on Wednesday. He was claimed by the Sharks, in an attempt to boost their fourth line. He has 46 points (25G / 21A) in 165 career NHL games with the Ducks, Devils and Penguins.
The 2019-20 season has been a roller coaster for Comrie. He was in training camp with the Jets but was claimed off of waivers by the Coyotes on October 1st, then traded to Detroit on November 30th. Comrie appeared in three games with Detroit (2 starts), going 0-2-0 with a 4.28 GAA and .864 SV% and was waived on Wednesday. Now he returns to the Jets where it all started.
Zaitsev was moved to IR earlier in the week and will be out until late-December/mid-January due to a lower-body injury he suffered vs. the Blue Jackets last Saturday. With Zaitsev and Dylan DeMelo out, Erik Brannstrom has played a larger role and Thomas Chabot is playing absolutely monstrous minutes.
Hutton gave up six goals on 30 shots in the Sabres' loss in Vancouver on December 7th. Linus Ullmark started the last five games but head coach Ralph Krueger said that "it just feels like the right time to bring him back in." Hutton still hasn't won a game since October 22nd, losing nine in a row (0-5-4) while posting a 3.99 GAA and .875 SV%. Tonight he'll face a Flyers team that has won five of their last six home games while scoring 3.83 goals per game.
Saros allowed two goals on 41 shots in the Predators win in New York on Monday. Pekka Rinne won Tuesday but they'll come back to Saros, who was excellent vs. the Rangers. Saros has gone 4-2-1 with a 2.54 GAA and .913 SV% in his last seven starts and should be a decent option in Ottawa but the Senators have won seven of their last eight home games while scoring 3.50 goals per game.
Harkins was a second-round pick (No.47 overall) in 2015 and has played in 156 AHL games since. This year the 22-year-old winger leads the Manitoba Moose with 31 points (7G / 24A) in 30 games. He could make his NHL debut before the Christmas break with Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp both going on IR on Wednesday.
Appleton was recently assigned to Manitoba after returning to full health but was called up on Wednesday with Andrew Copp going on IR. Appleton has one assist in four AHL games and no points in nine NHL games this season. He is expected to skate on the third line with Adam Lowry and Gabriel Bourque on Thursday.
Perreault is out indefinitely with a concussion, so his move to IR opened up a roster spot so they could recall Jansen Harkins from Manitoba (AHL).
Winnipeg head coach Paul Maurice announced on Wednesday that Copp is week-to-week and isn't expected to play before the Christmas break, so his move to IR opens up a roster spot for Mason Appleton to be called-up from Manitoba (AHL).
Samsonov allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Capitals win in Tampa Bay last Saturday. The 22-year-old doesn't play often but has been great when he's in the crease, going 8-2-1 with a 2.38 GAA and .918 SV% in 10 starts and one relief appearances. Of those 10 starts, six of them have come on the road where he is 6-0-0.
Varlamov allowed three goals on nine shots after replacing Thomas Greiss in the Islanders 8-3 loss to the Predators on Tuesday. The Islanders goalie rotation will remain intact and Varlamov enters play at 4-0-0 with 2.02 GAA and .936 SV% in December. He has gone 5-1-1 with a 1.70 GAA, .943 SV% and one shutout on the road this season but has a tough assignment in Boston, where the Bruins are 12-1-6.
