Luca Del Bel Belluz will draw back into the Blue Jackets' lineup on Thursday, resulting in Aston-Reese being a healthy scratch. The 31-year-old Aston-Reese has three assists and 41 hits in 17 games this season.
York exited Wednesday's game in the second period after only 10:37 time-on-ice due to an undisclosed injury. The 24-year-old York is averaging a career-high 23:31 time-on-ice and is pacing for career-high offensive totals, with 12 points (1G / 11A) through 23 games this season.
Acciari has been out since November 3rd due to an upper-body injury and returned to Pittsburgh's practice in a regular jersey on Wednesday. It is a good indicator that the 34-year-old may be ready to return in the upcoming days. In 13 games this season, he has three assists, 12 PIMs and 11 SOG.
Ristolainen's 2024-25 season was cut short due to a ruptured right triceps tendon, but he is making progress after skating with the team for the first time on Wednesday. The 30-year-old is entering his 13th NHL season and has not completed a full 82-game season since 2015-16. Before his injury last season, he had four goals, 19 points, and 100 SOG across 63 games played. At the end of October, he was given a 4-6 week recovery timeline, meaning he could still be targeting mid-December for his season debut.
Foerster missed four games due to an injury earlier this season, and struggled getting up to speed, but was finally hitting his stride with six goals in his last seven outings. The 23-year-old Foerster had 13 points (10G / 3A) in 21 games before his injury.
With several injuries on Toronto's blueline, Benoit has been thrust into a larger role lately. The 27-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:02 time-on-ice and has two assists in 23 games this season. Dakota Mermis will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Benoit's return from a one-game absence.
The Maple Leafs' struggles continue this season, as they sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference with an 11-11-3 record. Struggles aside, they have received adequate netminding from Joseph Woll lately. The 27-year-old Woll has played only six games (2-3-1) since making his season debut earlier in November, but has given the team a chance most nights he has tended the twine, posting a 2.80 GAA and .914 SV%. The Maple Leafs enter Tuesday's contest as +143 road underdogs against a Florida Panthers team on a two-game losing streak (0-2-0).
After playing a career-high 47 games with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season, Studnicka has only played 22 games since. The 26-year-old forward has predominantly been an AHL player, and has six points (1G / 5A) in eight games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) this season.
Foerster missed four games due to an injury earlier this season, and could be sidelined once again after exiting Monday's game in the second period. The 23-year-old Foerster has been effective when in the lineup, with 13 points (10G / 3A) in 21 games. He has six goals in his last seven outings.
After playing a career-high 47 games with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022-23 season, Studnicka has only played 22 games since. The 26-year-old forward has predominantly been an AHL player, and has six points (1G / 5A) in eight games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL) this season.
With several injuries on Toronto's blueline, Benoit has been thrust into a larger role lately. The 27-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:02 time-on-ice and has two assists in 23 games this season. The Maple Leafs return to action on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
The Flyers are on a three-game winning streak and turn to Vladar, who has a personal four-game winning streak, on Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 28-year-old Vladar has been excellent in his first season with the Flyers, exceeding expectations with a solid 2.43 GAA and .912 SV% in 15 games (10-4-1). In five previous NHL seasons, Vladar has had a save percentage above .900 only once. The Flyers enter Monday's contest as -132 home favorites against a Penguins team they defeated 3-2 earlier this season.
The Flyers are on a three-game winning streak and turn to Vladar, who has a personal four-game winning streak, on Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 28-year-old Vladar has been excellent in his first season with the Flyers, exceeding expectations with a solid 2.43 GAA and .912 SV% in 15 games (10-4-1). In five previous NHL seasons, Vladar has had a save percentage above .900 only once. The Flyers enter Monday's contest as -132 home favorites against a Penguins team they defeated 3-2 earlier this season.
Woll is coming off his best performance of the season, saving 35 of 36 shots (.972 SV%) in a 2-1 overtime win over the Blue Jackets. He returns to the crease on Friday against a Washington Capitals team on a two-game winning streak, looking to get his record above .500 for the first time this season. The 27-year-old netminder has a 2.74 GAA and .914 SV% in five games this season (2-2-1).
With Anthony Stolarz currently injured, Joseph Woll will make a fifth consecutive start on Wednesday as Toronto heads to Columbus. The 27-year-old returned to the Maple Leafs on November 15th and has experienced an up-and-down week since returning, with his 1-2-1 record, 3.27 GAA, and .905 SV%. He will take on Columbus on the road on Wednesday, who had lost their last two games and are ranked 24th in the NHL in goals per game (2.87).
Nicolas Deslauriers will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers, allowing Grebenkin to re-enter the lineup. The 22-year-old Grebenkin has three points (1G / 2A) through 12 games in a bottom-six role this season.
The Flyers are off to a serviceable 11-7-3 start in an ultra-tight Eastern Conference, which they can largely credit to the solid play of Dan Vladar, who returns to the crease on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers. Vladar was excellent in his most recent outing, saving 32 of 35 shots (.914 SV%) in a 6-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. The 28-year-old Czech goalie is pacing for career-bests through 13 games this season (8-4-1), posting a solid 2.42 GAA and .912 SV%. The Flyers enter Wednesday's action as +157 road underdogs against a Panthers team they defeated 5-2 earlier this season.
