Chisholm was absent from Minnesota's final practice before their opener on Thursday vs. Columbus due to an illness and will not be ready for the game as well. The 24-year-old defensemen will be fighting to get into the Wild lineup nightly as he attempts to establish himself as an everyday player after three goals, eight points and 18 PIMs in 29 games played in 2023-24.
Ingram was solid in his season debut for the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, saving 24 of 26 shots (.923 SV%) in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old Ingram made his mark known in the 2023-24 season, posting an impressive 2.91 GAA, .907 SV%, and six shutouts in 50 games (23-21-3). Utah HC plays their first road game on Thursday and is a +132 underdog against a New York Islanders club playing their first game of the season.
Entwistle was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for the first four seasons of his NHL career and will likely begin his 2024-25 campaign with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) after being sent down on Wednesday. In 193 career games, all with the Blackhawks, Entwistle has 35 points (15G / 20A).
Driedger served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky in the Panther's 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday but will return to the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) with Spencer Knight being recalled to back up Bobrovsky. The 30-year-old Driedger spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, where he posted an excellent 2.26 GAA and .917 SV% in 39 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds (24-7-7).
Knight played 53 games for the Panthers between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons (28-17-6), posting a 2.95 GAA and .905 SV% but spent the entirety of last in the AHL. The 23-year-old Knight posted a 2.41 GAA and .905 SV% in 45 games with the Charlotte Checkers (25-14-5). He will likely see a more prominent NHL role this season, serving as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Peterka left Buffalo's Global Series game in Prague on Saturday after just 1:39 TOI in the first period due to a concussion. He returned to team practice on Wednesday but will remain out of the lineup on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings. The 22-year-old Peterka broke out last season with 50 points (28G / 22A) in 82 games and appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. The Sabres next game is at home on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.
Jones will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Riley Tufte to draw into the lineup. Jones was held without a point or shot on goal while registering a -1 plus/minus in 9:42 of ice time in the Bruins' season-opening 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Max Jones will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Tufte to make his Bruins debut. The 26-year-old Tufte spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, tallying 45 points (23G / 22A) in 67 games with the Colorado Eagles. He has three points (1G / 2A) in 18 career NHL games.
Benson played 17:23 TOI in Buffalo's season debut on Friday as part of the NHL Global Series in Prague but was unavailable for their contest on Saturday due to a lower-body injury. The 19-year-old Benson appeared in 71 games in 2023-24 and picked up 11 goals and 30 points.
Mason Lohrei will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Wotherspoon to make his season debut for the Bruins. The 27-year-old Wotherspoon has 53 games of NHL experience, all over the last two seasons, tallying nine points (0G / 9A), 74 blocks, and 92 hits.
Lohrei will draw out of the lineup on Thursday, allowing Parker Wotherspoon to make his season debut. The 23-year-old Lohrei suffered a -3 plus/minus in 16:16 time-on-ice in his season debut earlier this week.
Days after signing a freshly minted four-year, $33 million contract extension, Ullmark will debut for the Senators in their season opener on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Before being traded to the Senators, Ullmark enjoyed tremendous success in his three years in Boston, including a Vezina Trophy and William Jennings Trophy in 2023. He went 88-26-10 with a 2.28 GAA and .924 SV% in 130 games with the Bruins. The Senators enter action as +119 home underdogs against a Panthers club that defeated the Boston Bruins 6-4 in their season opener on Tuesday.
Markstrom was excellent in his first game as a New Jersey Devil, saving 30 of 31 shots (.968 SV%) in a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres as part of the NHL Global Series in Prague. The Devils will likely return to Markstrom in net for their first contest in North America on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils are -132 home favorites against a Maple Leafs squad that played their season opener last night and were shut out 1-0 against the Montreal Canadiens despite firing 48 shots on goal.
The Sabres alternated between Luukkonen and Devon Levi in their back-to-back set to open the season in Prague as part of the NHL Global Series and will return to Luukkonen between the pipes for their first contest in North America. Luukkonen struggled in his first game, allowing three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV%) but is coming off a splendid 2023-24 campaign where he posted an impressive 2.57 GAA and .910 SV% in 54 appearances (27-22-4). The Sabres enter action on Thursday as +100 home underdogs against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Avalanche will turn to Georgiev between the pipes on Wednesday night in their season opener against the Vegas Golden Knights. After posting a stellar 2.53 GAA and .918 SV% in the 2022-23 season, Georgiev fell off significantly last season, posting a pedestrian 3.02 GAA and .897 SV% in 63 games (38-18-5). Though his statistics may be inconsistent, he has impressively collected 38 and 40 wins in the last two seasons respectively, and should be a candidate to secure over 35 wins again this season. The Avalanche enter action on Wednesday with even -105 odds on the road against the Golden Knights.
Suter suffered an upper-body injury in a preseason matchup on October 1st and will miss the Canucks' season opener on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Suter provided much-needed depth offense for the Canucks last season, tallying 29 points (14G / 15A), 105 shots, and 54 hits in 67 games.
To no one's surprise, the Rangers will turn to Shesterkin, their All-Star netminder, for their season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Shesterkin finished fourth in voting for the Vezina trophy last season with a respectable 2.58 GAA and .912 SV% in 55 games (36-17-2). That said, Shesterkin was other-worldly in the latter portion of the season, allowing three or fewer goals in all but two of his final 20 contests (14-5-1), boasting an outstanding .930 SV% and three shutouts. The Rangers enter action as -140 road favorites against the Penguins.
Toronto will be without goaltender Joseph Woll until at least October 16th due to a lower-body injury after he was placed on the injured reserve earlier Wednesday. The 26-year-old netminder was expected to be the Maple Leafs' number one goaltender this season but will pass that duty on to Anthony Stolarz while he recovers. In 25 games played in 2023-24, Woll had a 12-11-1 record with a 2.94 GAA and .907 SV%.
Friedman was apart of Vancouver's final roster cuts on Tuesday and has cleared waivers and been assigned to Abbotsford (AHL) on Wednesday. The 28-year-old defenseman joined Vancouver in 2023-24 and had a disappointing first season which saw him collect only one assist, 21 PIMs and 16 SOG in 23 games played.
Yaroslav Askarov missed the entirety of training camp so he will begin the season with the San Jose Baracuda (AHL), leaving Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek to duel it out for the Sharks crease. Blackwood was serviceable last season, especially considering the Sharks ranked 31st offensively with 181 goals, posting a 3.45 GAA and .899 SV% in 44 games (10-25-4). After finishing dead last in the NHL last season, the Sharks should improve this season but still enter their opening night matchup as +140 home underdogs against the St. Louis Blues.
