Noesen will join Martin Necas (upper-body) on the sidelines for this one as the Hurricanes will be forced to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Noesen has ten goals and 13 assists in 38 games this season.
Rodrigues left after blocking a shot with his lower leg and did not return. In addition to Rodrigues, the Panthers also lost Aleksander Barkov in the first period, so they could be short-handed for Saturday's game in Colorado. Head coach Paul Maurice said he expects to have an update on Rodrigues on Friday.
Allen will start for the first time since allowing three goals on 25 shots (.880 SV%) on December 30th in a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers. Allen will attempt to start 2024 better than he ended 2023, winning only one of his last nine contests (1-7-1), posting a subpar .887 SV%. The Canadiens are coming off an impressive 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday but are +128 home underdogs against the Buffalo Sabres, who have lost three of their last four (1-2-1), being outscored 15-8.
Daws played well and collected a win in his season debut last week, saving 25 of 27 saved (.926 SV%) in a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Daws' performance in his debut marked only the second time in the last eight games that a Devils goalie allowed fewer than three goals. Given the well-documented struggles of New Jersey's goaltending tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, another strong performance for Daws on Wednesday could go a long way in securing him more playing time down the stretch. The Devils have lost both contests against the Washington Capitals this season (0-2-0), being outscored 10-6, but are -181 road favourites on Wednesday.
Daws played well and collected a win in his season debut last week, saving 25 of 27 saved (.926 SV%) in a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Daws' performance in his debut marked only the second time in the last eight games that a Devils goalie allowed fewer than three goals. Given the well-documented struggles of New Jersey's goaltending tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, another strong performance for Daws on Wednesday could go a long way in securing him more playing time down the stretch. The Devils have lost both contests against the Washington Capitals this season (0-2-0), being outscored 10-6, but are -181 road favourites on Wednesday.
Meier will be unavailable for the Devils on Wednesday, January 3rd after he exited Saturday's contest against the Boston Bruins in the third period, playing only 12:30 time-on-ice. Before his injury, Meier had four points (4G / 0A) in four games after being held without a point in nine straight.
Meier's status for the Devil's next game on Wednesday, January 3rd is up in the air after he exited Saturday's contest against the Boston Bruins in the third period, playing only 12:30 time-on-ice. Before his injury, Meier had four points (4G / 0A) in four games after being held without a point in nine straight.
Daws will make his season debut and his first appearance since the 2021-22 season when the Devils travel to Ottawa on Friday. Daws spent the entirety of last season with Utica (AHL), registering a .904 SV% across 33 appearances. He's made three starts in Utica this season since returning from off-season hip surgery, posting a .929 SV% across those three games. He'll have his hands full in Ottawa on Friday as he takes on a Senators' team that appears to be finding their stride after a dreadful start to the season.
Kovacevic will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Jordan Harris (lower-body) to make his return to the lineup from a 15-game absence. The 26-year-old Kovacevic has been a regular in the Canadiens lineup this season, scoring five points (4G / 1A), blocking 45 shots, and taking 28 hits while averaging 17:48 time-on-ice.
Glass will re-enter the lineup for the Predators in favour of Yakov Trenin, who will be a healthy scratch. Glass last played on December 19th, scoring one point (1G / 0A) and two shots on goal in 12:23 time-on-ice.
Daws is no stranger to the NHL either, playing 25 games (10-11-1) with the Devils as a rookie, posting a 3.11 GAA and .893 SV%, but has yet to play for the Devils this season. The 22-year-old netminder debuted with the Utica Comets (AHL) earlier this month after returning from an injury, posting a 2.39 GAA and .929 SV% in three games (1-2-0). Daws could be an option at the NHL level at some point this season, perhaps sooner than later, especially if the goaltending tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid continues to falter.
Glass will take a seat on Thursday as the Predators are opting to dress seven defensemen in Philadelphia. Glass has registered just two points in 14 games this season.
New Jersey was dealt a huge blow Tuesday as it was announced Dougie Hamilton is expected to be out until the playoffs after being placed on long-term Injured Reserve. The Devils will now be without their top defensemen until at least the playoffs who had five goals, 11 assists, 61 SOG, 20 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus in 20 games this season prior to getting hurt. The move opens up $9 million in cap space for the Devils.
Brown has failed to materialize as a contributor to the Oilers' offence this season and will likely serve as a healthy scratch on Thursday against the New Jersey Devils. While averaging 14:26 time-on-ice, Brown has scored only one point (0G / 1A) through 23 games, including occasional deployment in the Oilers' top six.
Daws played his first games of the season last week with the Utica Comets (AHL), posting a 2.04 GAA and .937 SV% in two games (1-1-0), making his season debut after being activated from long-term injured reserve. Last season with the Comets, Daws posted a 2.70 GAA and .904 SV% in 33 games (16-14-3). The 22-year-old netminder is no stranger to the NHL, playing 25 games (10-11-1) with the Devils as a rookie, posting a 3.11 GAA and .893 SV%. Depending on how he fares with the Comets, Daws could be an option at the NHL level at some point this season, especially if the goaltending tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid continues to falter.
Allen has only started once in the last two weeks but will return to the crease on Monday against the Winnipeg Jets. Allen played well in a 2-1 losing effort to the Nashville Predators in his last outing on December 10th, saving 30 of 32 shots (.938 SV%). That said, Allen has struggled with consistency this season. After recording at least a point for his team in his first four outings (3-0-1), Allen has failed to record a victory in seven consecutive games (0-6-1), posting a .881 SV% in the process. As a result, the Canadiens are +220 road favourites against a Jets team that is among the hottest in the NHL, winning six of their last seven contests (6-1-0).
