Karlsson has not played yet this season after being injured late in the preseason. He has miss the first seven games of the season, will miss an eighth, but should make his season debut in game nine on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks. The 31-year-old Karlsson had 30 goals and 60 points in 70 games played in 2023-24.
Kylington has been limited to two games this season and will miss a third straight on Thursday night. The 27-year-old Kylington has only played 35 games over the past three seasons due to various injuries.
Adam Klapka will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Rooney to return to action for the first time since suffering a concussion in the first game of the season. Last season, Rooney played 33 games with the Flames, tallying four points (3G / 1A), 29 blocks, and 65 hits
Barkov has missed the last six games due to a lower-body injury and will miss at least one more before a potential return to the lineup. The defending Stanley Cup Champions are off to a reasonable start to the 2024-25 season, posting a 4-3-1 record, but will be overjoyed to have their captain back in the lineup. Last season, Barkov had 80 points (23G / 57A) in 73 games.
Spurgeon will remain out of the lineup on Thursday but could return to action in one of the final three games of their seven-game road trip. After missing 66 games in 2023-24 due to injury, Jared Spurgeon has missed three straight games in the 2024-25 campaign due to a lower-body injury.
Pesce signed a six-year contract to join New Jersey in the offseason after nine successful seasons on Carolina's blueline and will finally make his Devils debut on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. In 70 games in 2023-24, he had three goals, 13 points, 20 PIMs, and a +10 plus/minus while averaging 20:17 TOI/GP.
Hughes will play his first game of the season on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings after suffering a shoulder injury in mid-September. The sophomore defenseman will play a key role in the Devils' back end upon his return. In 2023-24, he had nine goals, 47 points, 135 SOG, 28 PIMs, and a -25 plus/minus in 82 games, finishing third place in voting for the Calder trophy.
Sundqvist underwent surgery for a torn ACL towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign and, after a long recovery, was cleared for contact last week and will make his debut on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 30-year-old veteran enjoyed an average first season in St. Louis as far as personal production, with his six goals, 21 points, 68 SOG and 32 PIMs in 71 games played before the injury.
Toropchenko has not played the last two games due to a lower-body injury but will draw back into the Blues' lineup on Thursday. The 25-year-old has one point (0G / 1A) in five games this season. Zack Bolduc will draw out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.
Only five games into his tenure as a New York Islander, Duclair has suffered a lower-body injury that will keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. The 30-year-old Duclair was signed in the offseason to add an offensive punch to a typically low-scoring Islanders club and was off to a solid start, with three points (2G / 1A) in five games.
Pacioretty returned from a two-game absence on Monday, but then exited Tuesday's game after only 9:58 time-on-ice due to a lower-body injury. Pacioretty has two points (2G / 0A) in five games this season. The 35-year-old Pacioretty has six 30-goal seasons under his belt but has been limited to only 91 games over the past three seasons due to various injuries.
Woll was projected to be the opening night starter for the Maple Leafs but suffered a last-minute lower-body ailment, resulting in him missing the first seven games and pivoting the starting goalie role to Anthony Stolarz. That said, Stolarz has been terrific filling in this season, posting a 1.83 GAA and .938 SV% in five games (3-2-0), which could pose an obstacle for Woll's playing time when he returns to the lineup. In 25 games played in 2023-24, Woll had a 12-11-1 record with a 2.94 GAA and .907 SV%. Dennis Hildeby has been sent down to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) in a corresponding move.
Theodore was a late scratch ahead of Tuesday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings but returned to practice on Wednesday and should be ready to play on Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Noah Hanifin was on the top powerplay unit in Theodore's absence but will likely revert back to the secondary unit when Theodore returns to the lineup. The 29-year-old Theodore is off to a blistering start to the 2024-25 season, with seven points (1G / 6A), three on the powerplay, in six games.
Leddy suffered a lower-body injury last week and was been placed on Injured Reserve retroactive to October 16th, making him eligible to return at any point on their upcoming road trip. The 33-year-old Leddy has zero points and a -3 plus/minus through four games this season. Pierre-Olivier Joseph has draw in as Leddy's replacement in the last three games.
Sundqvist underwent surgery for a torn ACL towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign and, after a long recovery, was cleared for contact last week. The 30-year-old veteran enjoyed an average first season in St. Louis as far as personal production, with his six goals, 21 points, 68 SOG and 32 PIMs in 71 games played before the injury. Sundqvist could be an option to draw into the Blues' lineup on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, their first game without Roberto Thomas, who suffered a fractured ankle on Tuesday.
Hughes was given a 6-8 week timeline to return from a shoulder injury suffered in mid-September during training camp and appears to be on schedule to return. If he is unable to play on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe insisted that Hughes should be in the lineup this weekend. The sophomore defenseman will play a key role in the Devils' back end. In 2023-24, he had nine goals, 47 points, 135 SOG, 28 PIMs, and a -25 plus/minus in 82 games, finishing third place in voting for the Calder trophy.
With his presence at practice the last several days, Pesce's debut with the Devils seems to be on the immediate horizon. If he is not able to play on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, Devils' head coach Sheldon Keefe insisted that Pesce should be in the lineup this weekend. Pesce signed a six-year contract to join New Jersey in the offseason after nine successful seasons on Carolina's blueline. In 70 games in 2023-24, he had three goals, 13 points, 20 PIMs, and a +10 plus/minus while averaging 20:17 TOI/GP.
Thomas was amid an excellent outing on Tuesday, recording two assists in his first 17 shifts before blocking a shot and exiting after recording 15:19 time-on-ice. The 25-year-old Thomas underwent x-rays after the game and, unfortunately, will likely be out of the lineup until at least December after being diagnosed with a fractured ankle. At practice on Wednesday morning, Brayden Schenn occupied Thomas' spot in the center position on the Blues' top line.
Marino was acquired in a trade from the New Jersey Devils in the offseason but will not be able to make his debut with the Utah Hockey Club for another 3-4 months. The 27-year-old Marino was absent from training camp due to an upper-body injury and ultimately opted for surgery to address his lower-back injury. Marino is joining his third NHL franchise and had four goals, 25 points, 41 PIMs and 57 SOG in 75 games played with New Jersey in 2023-24. With Sean Durzi (shoulder) also sidelined for the next several months, Utah's decimated defensive core have welcomed Vladislav Kolyachonok and Robert Bortuzzo into the mix.
Durzi's absence from Utah HC will be a devasting blow for their blueline, but the talented defenseman could be back before the end of the season. The 26-year-old defenseman was off to a strong start to the season, with two points (0G / 2A), 11 blocks, and seven penalty minutes in three games. Mikhail Sergachev has emerged as the quarterback on Utah's top powerplay unit since Durzi has been out of the lineup.
