Kerfoot played just 7:41 TOI before leaving last night’s game in Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury. With the Avalanche back in action on Tuesday, Kerfoot should be considered questionable at best. Expect the Avalanche to update Kerfoot’s status closer to game-time.
Maatta missed the Penguins morning skate and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight's game vs. the Blackhawks. Maatta has had a solid campaign to date, having picked up two goals and nine assists (11 points) in 21 games.
Kerfoot has averaged 12:57 TOI/GM in his first 14 games of the season, but played 20:49 TOI after Duchene was traded mid-game in Brooklyn. The rookie centre has five goals and four assists (nine points) to start his NHL career and will have even more opportunities now that he takes Duchene’s spot on the second line.
Yamamoto was this summers No.22 overall selection in 2017 and appeared in nine games with the Oilers but has been sent back to Spokane before the first year of his entry-level kicks in. Yamamoto got some great experience and recorded three assists in those nine games. He goes back to Spokane where he amassed 99 points (42G / 57A) in 65 games last season.
Cole has missed the last three games after taking a puck to the mouth vs. the Predators on October 7th. Cole has been cleared to play tonight, but it remains to be seen if he will actually draw into the lineup. The Penguins have listed him as a game-time decision so monitor his status as they hit the ice for warmups.
Schmaltz missed the Blackhawks last four games with an upper-body injury, but it looks like he might return Wednesday vs. the Blues. Schmaltz had two goals and one assist in the season opener before getting hurt in his first shift of game No.2. The 2014 second-round pick was back on a line with Patrick Kane at Monday’s practice.
Cole has missed the last three games with a mouth injury, but it looks like he could draw back into the lineup on Tuesday. Cole’s return will help the Penguins’ blueline, but he doesn’t have a lot of fantasy relevance.
Connauton recorded a goal on 16:20 TOI in the Coyotes’ loss in Vegas on Tuesday, but must have suffered an injury in the contest. With Connauton sidelined on Thursday, Adam Clendening will draw into the lineup for his season debut.
Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville col WGN Radio that Schmaltz is “unlikely” to play tonight vs. Minnesota, but is hopeful he’ll be back on Saturday. This is good news for those who picked Schmaltz up after a great season opener as he’s not expected to miss too much time.
Cole was smashed in the face by a Roman Josi slapshot on Saturday, resulting in some lost teeth and a mangled mouth. Cole obviously has some discomfort after the gruesome shot block, so look for Chad Ruhwedel to replace him on the blueline tomorrow.
Schmaltz collected two goals and one assist while playing on a line with Patrick Kane in the season opener, but lasted just one shift vs. the Blue Jackets on Saturday. With Schmaltz out, Artem Anisimov will re-claim his spot as the second-line centre and Tanner Kero will draw back into the lineup.
During the first few days of training camp, Schmaltz has taken Artem Anisimov’s spot on the Blackhawks’ second line next to Patrick Kane. Anisimov, who has been very successful in that spot in year’s past, is skating on the third line with Ryan Hartman and Patrick Sharp. Head coach Joel Quenneville likes the chemistry between Schmaltz and Kane, which bodes extremely well for Schmaltz’s potential heading into 2017-18. The 21-year-old is coming off of 28 points (6G / 22A) in 61 games during his rookie season.
Yamamoto is undersized (5-foot-8/153 lbs.) but makes up for it with exceptional speed and elusiveness. In his third season with the Spokane Chiefs (WHL), Yamamoto led the team in goals (42), assists (57) and points (99).
