Bobrovsky has been ramping up his work in practice but the Panthers will be cautious with him and keep him out of Sunday’s game. Chris Driedger will start but the Panthers are hopeful that Bobrovsky will be available for Game 2 on Tuesday.
Bobrovsky had not been on the ice for the first two weeks of training camp but jumped right back between the pipes for Wednesday's practice. The start of the season for Florida has been pushed back to Sunday, so it looks like there's a chance that Bobrovsky could be ready for their season opener.
Bobrovsky has yet to take the ice for training camp and remains on the unfit to play list. With Bobrovsky still not on the ice, it seems highly unlikely that he will be available for Sunday's season opener vs. the Blackhawks. With Bobrovsky out, Chris Driedger and Samuel Montembeault will be the Panthers' goaltending duo.
Myers was elevated to the NHL full-time in 2020, tallying four goals with 12 assists (16 points) in 50 games. Myers has tremendous size (6-foot-5, 212 lbs.) and could be asked to step into a much larger role on the Flyers blueline in 2021 following Matt Niskanen's sudden retirement.
Stecher is an extremely mobile, puck-moving defenseman that will help the Red Wings' blueline immensely. Stecher set a new career-high in goals (5) last season but went from 19:55 ATOI to 15:21 as he was pushed down the Canucks' depth chart. Expect him to be back near 19:00 ATOI as he moves into the Red Wings' top-4.
Tanev is a stable defenseman that can play the tough minutes but offers very little in the way of offence. Tanev struggled when he wasn't paired with Quinn Hughes in 2020 but this addresses a big need after the departure of TJ Brodie. Expect Brodie to be paired with Mark Giordano at the top of the Flames' blueline.
Mermis is a hard-working defenseman but doesn't bring a lot of offence to the equation. He had four points in 10 games with the Coyotes last season but that was an outlier when you put it up against his AHL numbers. The Wild have a quality blueline, so it will be difficult for Mermis to crack that group to start 2021.
The Blue Jackets acquired Domi from the Canadiens on Tuesday and signed him to a two-year deal on Wednesday. Domi immediately becomes the Blue Jackets' second line centre and will likely play with Gustav Nyquist and Cam Atkinson and will see PP2 time. Through the first five years of his career, Domi has averaged 18 goals and 37 assists (55 points) per 82-games.
MacEwen split his 2020 campaign between the AHL and NHL, recording 11 points (5G / 6A) in 20 games with Utica and six points (5G / 1A) in 17 games with Vancouver. MacEwen is a big winger (6-foot-4, 211 lbs) who posted excellent numbers at lower-levels and should be a bottom-6 player for the Canucks in 2021.
Domi is coming off of a bit of a down year, scoring just 17 goals with 27 assists (44 points) in 71 games. That's down from his 28 goals and 44 assists in his debut season with Montreal but still would have been second on the Blue Jackets in points in 2020. Domi is exactly the type of player the Blue Jackets were in need of and pushes Boone Jenner to a third-line centre role, which is a much better fit for him. The acquisition of Domi, who will likely skate on a line with Gustav Nyquist and Cam Atkinson, signals that the Blue Jackets are likely done with Alexander Wennberg.
Muzzin had to be stretched off of the ice late in Tuesday's Game 2 win. Muzzin was brought to hospital immediately but returned to the NHL bubble on Wednesday and will have to quarantine. He has been ruled out of the rest of Qualifying Round but could play in the playoffs if the Maple Leafs advance.
Muzzin had to be stretchered off of the ice late in the Maple Leafs' 3-0 win over the Blue Jackets in Game 2 and was immediately taken to hospital. This situation gets even more murky with Muzzin having to leave the NHL bobble. Chris Johnston of SportsNet reported that "medical officials will make the call on how long he'd have to quarantine if and when he's ready to return. It will depend on where he goes, how long he's gone and how much risk he's exposed to."
