After being a healthy scratch in consecutive games, Viel will re-enter the lineup on Monday against the Florida Panthers. The 28-year-old Viel played 11:50 time-on-ice and recorded a +2 plus/minus in his only game this season.
Geekie made his NHL debut last season, scoring 14 points (8G / 6A) in 52 games with Tampa Bay. The 21-year-old, the 11th-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, has been assigned to Syracuse (AHL) after starting the 2025-26 campaign in the NHL, scoring one point (0G / 1A) in six games.
D'Astous is an undrafted 27-year-old defenseman that has yet to ply an NHL game. He spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season with Brynas IF Gavle (SweHL), where he scored 39 points (12G / 27A) in 49 games.
Kucherov was a surprise scratch on Friday, with the team not announcing his absence until the start of warmups. We should get an update on his status ahead of Tampa Bay's game in Columbus on Saturday.
Tampa Bay is off to a disappointing 1-2-1 start to the 2025-26 season and will turn to Vasilevskiy on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings as he searches for his first win this season. The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy has an ugly 4.08 GAA and .870 SV% in three games (0-2-1), but he played well in his most recent outing, saving 25 of 28 shots (.893 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay enters Friday's contest as -151 road favorites against a Red Wings team outscoring their opposition 13-6 during a three-game winning streak.
Sabourin is an undrafted 33-year-old forward with eight points (2G / 6A) in 47 career NHL games. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, where he scored 25 points (10G / 15A) in 68 games with the San Jose Barracuda.
Tampa Bay is off to a disappointing 1-2-1 start to the 2025-26 season and will turn to Vasilevskiy on Friday against the Detroit Red Wings as he searches for his first win this season. The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy has an ugly 4.08 GAA and .870 SV% in three games (0-2-1), but he played well in his most recent outing, saving 25 of 28 shots (.893 SV%) in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay enters Friday's contest as -151 road favorites against a Red Wings team outscoring their opposition 13-6 during a three-game winning streak.
Santini has had short stints in the NHL in nine of the last 10 seasons, but he has never been able to establish himself as a permanent fixture, limited to only 124 career games. The 30-year-old defenseman spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch, where he scored 17 points (6G / 11A).
Viel is an undrafted 28-year-old forward that has spent most of his career playing in the AHL. He played five games with Boston last season but spent most of the 2024-25 campaign with the Providence Bruins (AHL), where he scored 37 points (13G / 24A) in 68 games.
Crozier exited Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals due to an undisclosed injury and will be sidelined week-to-week, beginning with Friday's contest against the Minnesota Wild. The 25-year-old Crozier was off to a hot start in 2025-26, scoring three points (0G / 3A) in four games.
Moser was issued a two-game suspension for boarding Florida's Jesper Boqvist in the final game of the preseason, and will make his season debut on Monday against the Boston Bruins. The 25-year-old Moser scored 14 points (2G / 12A) in 54 games last season.
On the tail end of a back-to-back, after rolling with Jonas Johansson between the pipes in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay will turn to Vasilevskiy on Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay is off to a 1-2-0 start to the 2025-26 season and will look for Vasilevskiy to record his first victory. The 30-year-old Russian netminder has an ugly 4.67 GAA and .855 SV% through two games this season (0-2-0). He was excellent against Washington last season, posting a 2.02 GAA, .929 SV%, and one shutout in three contests (2-1-0). Tampa Bay enters the contest as slight -101 road underdogs.
