Nashville Predators News

Kaapo Kahkonen left Thursday's game with an upper-body injury, so Chrona has been summoned from the AHL, most likely to serve as Mackenzie Blackwood's backup on Saturday. The 23-year-old netminder has gone 0-3-1 with a 4.82 GAA and .871 SV% in four AHL games this season.

Yvonne has a goal, seven SOG, two PIMs and a -1 plus/minus in eight games with Montreal but will be a healthy scratch Saturday as Michael Pezzetta returns to the lineup. The 24-year-old right winger is in his four NHL season and will hope to be back in the lineup if he hopes to surpass his 37 games played from 2022-23.

The Predators will turn back to Juuse Saros after giving him his first rest of the season, a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Saros will be starting for the ninth time in 10 games and should continue to be a workhorse for the Predators as Lankinen's first start on Tuesday likely did not instill much confidence from the coaching staff. Saros is performing right around his career averages this season, posting a 2.49 GAA and .915 SV% but has only been able to record a 4-4-0 record due to his team's inability to score consistently (2.78 GF / GP). The Predators visit the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, who have the 27th-ranked offence in the league (2.40 GF / GP).

Ylonen has been a healthy scratch the last two games and hasn't played since October 26th but will return to the Canadiens lineup on Thursday in Arizona. Michael Pezzetta will serve as a healthy scratch, allowing Pezetta, who has one point (1G / 0A) in seven games, to return to the lineup.

The Predators will likely turn back to Juuse Saros after giving him his first rest of the season, a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Saros will be starting for the ninth time in 10 games and should continue to be a workhorse for the Predators as Lankinen's first start on Tuesday likely did not instill much confidence from the coaching staff. Saros is performing right around his career averages this season, posting a 2.49 GAA and .915 SV% but has only been able to record a 4-4-0 record due to his team's inability to score consistently (2.78 GF / GP). The Predators visit the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, who have the 27th-ranked offence in the league (2.40 GF / GP).

Del Gazio has an assist and two PIMs in five games with Milwaukee (AHL) in 2023-24 so far and has earned his first career call-up to Nashville on Monday. The 24-year-old defenseman was the Predators' 2019 fourth-round pick (109th overall) and has played four seasons in the AHL prior to his promotion.

Ylonen has played all seven games for the Canadiens this season but has been held pointless after scoring a goal in the team's season-opener on October 11th. He will be a healthy scratch on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets to make room for Joel Armia's season debut.

Saros allowed three goals on 24 shots in the Predators' loss to the Canucks on Tuesday. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Saros, who is 3-4-0 with a 2.58 GAA, .910 SV% and one shutout in seven starts this season. Tonight he'll face a Maple Leafs team that is seventh in xGF/60 (3.54) this season.

Vrana has had a decent start to the season, registering three points (1G / 2A) while averaging 12:13 time-on-ice through five games but will be a healthy scratch for the Blues on Thursday. The Blues are opting to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Thursday as they welcome Scott Perunovich into the lineup.

Oesterle, who has zero points and a -2 plus/minus rating through three games this season, is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday. The Michigan-born defenseman, in his first season with the Flames, will be replaced by Ilya Solovyov, who is making his NHL debut.

Saros has started every game for the Predators this season, and he'll get the call again on Tuesday. He's led the league in starts in each of the last two seasons and continues to be a workhorse for the Predators to begin the 2023-24 campaign. One of the NHL's most consistent goaltenders is off to another fine start this season, registering a .915 SV% and a 2.49 GAA to along with a 3-3-0 record. He will have his hands full tonight against a Vancouver team that's averaging an even four goals per game to begin the season.

Friedman will make his Vancouver Canucks debut on Thursday after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday with Ty Glover in a trade for Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek. The 27-year-old Friedman has 65 NHL games under his belt, all with the Penguins, where he amassed 12 points (4G / 8A) along with 102 hits and 59 blocked shots. Akito Hirose was sent to Abbotsford (AHL) to make room for Friedman on the Canucks roster.

Stamkos returns to the Lightning lineup after missing two games due to the lower-body injury. The perennial all-star will be looking to regain the elite form he flashed prior to the injury. Stamkos has registered two goals and two assists with eights shots on goal in just two games so far this season.

Saros was pulled in his last start vs. Edmonton after allowing four goals on 11 shots against (.638 SV%) but will draw the start Thursday against the New York Rangers. The 28-year-old workhorse net-minder is 1-3-0 this season with a 3.41 GAA and an .887 SV%. He takes on the New York Rangers, who won their previous game 2-1 over Arizona but are seventh in the NHL in shots per game (33.7) and 11th in goals for (3.33).