Johnson was forced to leave Thursday’s game in Vegas, after scoring a goal in just 5:32 TOI, due to a leg injury and it will keep him out of Saturday’s game in Arizona. Connor Brown will replace him on the Maple Leafs’ third line and Tyler Ennis will replace him in the lineup.
Karlsson will not play Monday in Vancouver but head coach Pete DeBoer said that he is “really close” and that they don’t want to risk re-aggravating the injury.
Carter will miss his fourth straight game on Monday but could be ready for Thursday’s game vs. the Canucks. With Nate Thompson getting traded to Montreal and Carter still out, Austin Wagner will draw into the Kings lineup on Monday.
Malkin has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury but is set to play Monday in Philadelphia. Malkin centered the Penguins’ second-line with Phil Kessel and Nick Bjugstad on his wings. Malkin has registered 55 points (14G / 41A) in 50 games this season.
Grzelycyk will likely be held out of the lineup on Saturday afternoon, which means that John Moore will draw back into the lineup. Grzelcyk should be considered day-to-day.
Matt Murray is day-to-day with an upper-body injury so Jarry is expected to serve as Casey DeSmith’s backup on Thursday. Murray is on the road-trip with the Penguins, so it doesn’t appear like Jarry’s stay with the big club will be an extended one.
Heinen was a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace David Backes on the Bruins third line on Wednesday. It has been a tough season for Heinen, who has six goals and seven assists (13 points) in 49 games this season.
Carter did not return for the third period of Monday’s game in New York and is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Devils. Carter has had a tough offensive season so he shouldn’t be active in season-long leagues on a such a busy night in the NHL, especially on a back-to-back.
Despite taking part in the All-Star weekend festivities, Karlsson is not ready to play on Saturday. Tim Heed will dress in Karlsson’s place.
The Sharks returned to the ice on Friday but Karlsson did not participate and remains a question mark for tonight’s game. The All-Star defenseman has been excellent for the Sharks this season and the team has gone 2-2-1 in the five games he’s missed due to injury or suspension his season. Fortunately for San Jose, it looks like they will at least get Marc-Edouard Vlasic back and Karlsson’s return seems just around the corner.
Hayes has missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury but will replace Mats Zuccarello, who is sidelined with a foot infection. Hayes has had a solid campaign, scoring 10 goals with 23 assists (33 points) in 39 games and will skate on the second-line with Jimmy Vesey and Vladislav Namestnikov.
Graves, 21, has scored twice in eight games with the Avalanche this season and has collected eight points (2G / 6A) in 29 AHL contests. Graves will replace Mark Barberio in the lineup vs. Minnesota.
Karlsson will miss Monday’s game in Florida and Tuesday’s game in Washington, at the very least. The Sharks’ first game after the break is Saturday, February 2nd vs. the Coyotes. Look for Kevin Labanc to play on the top power-play for a second straight game.
Karlsson was on the ice for warmups but the lower-body ailment that he has been dealing with will force him to miss Saturday’s game vs. the Lightning.
Nedeljkovic has gone 20-5-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .903 SV% in 30 games with the Checkers this season. With Curtis McElhinney dealing with a knee injury, Nedeljkovic will back Mrazek up on Friday.
