Minnesota has won four of their last five and will turn to Fluery for the third straight game on Thursday. Fleury has looked poised and motivated lately, riding a three-game winning streak, including saving 21 of 22 shots (.955 SV%) in his last outing, a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Minnesota enters action as sizeable -281 home favourites against the Anaheim Ducks.
Khusnutdinov was the 37th overall pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old will make his NHL debut on Thursday and his professional North American debut. He has exclusively played in the KHL this point and had 20 points (6G / 14A) in 49 games with Sochi HC this season.
Eriksson Ek exited Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes after playing 14:55 time-on-ice due to an undisclosed injury. Eriksson Ek has been tremendous for Minnesota this season and, although the severity of his injury seems minor, it creates a sizeable void down the middle in the lineup. Through 66 games this season, Eriksson Ek already has 60 points (29G / 31A), only one shy of his career-high set last season.
The team has not given an update about the undisclosed injury but it's been speculated that Eriksson Ek could be forced to miss a couple games. The Wild can ill afford to be without Eriksson Ek, who has been enjoying a career year. The Wild's number-one centreman has 29 goals and 31 assists in 66 games on the season while playing over 20 minutes a night.
Dermott will return to the Coyotes' lineup after an illness held him out of Sunday's game in Chicago. He has two goals and three assists in 38 games this season.
Gaunce will draw in for Kirill Marchenko, who is out with an illness. Gaunce has one goal and two assists in eight games this season.
Johansson hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury on March 2nd. He has 27 points (9G / 11A) in 61 games this season.
Foligno recently returned from a multi-week absence due to a lower-body injury, but has played the last two games for the Wild and will remain in the lineup on Tuesday despite missing the morning skate. The bruising forward has five penalty minutes and five shots in his last two games.
Fleury has won two straight and will return to the crease for the third time in the last four games. The veteran netminder saved 27 of 30 shots (.900 SV%) in his last outing, a 4-3 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators. Fleury and the Wild enter action as -192 home favourites against an Arizona Coyotes club they defeated 5-2 less than a week ago when Fleury saved 23 of 25 shots (.920 SV%).
Gaunce has not been in the Blue Jackets lineup since January 13th but was recalled on an emergency basis on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Gaunce has spent most of the season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, scoring 39 points (19G / 20A) in 46 games.
Middleton was a late scratch for Thursday's game and will be sidelined again on Friday after being a game-time decision. Middleton has seven goals and 13 assists in 62 games this season.
Dermott is considered day-to-day with an illness. Victor Soderstrom was recalled from Tucson (AHL) on emergency basis on Friday and could draw into the lineup in Dermott's place.
Foligno has not played since February 9th, missing 12 games, but will return to the lineup on Friday. In 47 games this season, Foligno has 20 points (9G / 11A) and 162 hits while averaging 14:35 time-on-ice.
Middleton was a late scratch for Thursday's game but has a chance to return to the lineup just one day later. Middleton has seven goals and 13 assists in 62 games this season.
Gustavsson will be back between the pipes for the Wild when they travel to Denver on Friday after Marc-Andre Fleury got the nod for Thursday's game in Arizona. Gustavsson saw light work his last time out, facing just 15 shots in a 4-3 victory over the Sharks on Sunday. He's had a disappointing follow up to his breakout campaign a year ago, registering a 17-15-3 record and just an .892 SV%. He draws as difficult of an assignment as you could imagine on Friday with the Wild being +190 underdogs in Colorado.
