The Blues sit at the bottom of the league with a 4-8-2 record through 14 games, and hope to shake things up by benching one of their star players, Jordy Kyrou, on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 27-year-old Kyrou has eight points (4G / 4A) and a -8 plus/minus through 14 games this season. He has been held off the scoresheet in four straight. Alexandre Texier will draw into the lineup as Kyrou's replacement.

Daemon Hunt will make his season debut on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes, sending Jiricek to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 21-year-old Jiricek has yet to score a point in 10 games this season, but has seen sheltered minutes, averaging only 12:40 time-on-ice while playing on Minnesota's bottom defensive pair.

David Jiricek will be a healthy scratch on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes, allowing Hunt to enter the lineup for his season debut. The 23-year-old Hunt spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, where he scored 14 points (2G / 12A) in 48 games with the Cleveland Monsters.

Koppanen split his 2024-25 season between the NHL and AHL, but spent most of the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), where he had 23 points (8G / 15A) in 56 games. Koppanen has just one goal and one assist in 20 career NHL games since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NHL Draft.

Connor Clifton will draw back into Pittsburgh's lineup on Thursday against the Washington Capitals, sending Brunicke to the sidelines as a healthy scratch. The 19-year-old Brunicke is averaging 15:43 time-on-ice and has one point (1G / 0A) through nine games in his first NHL season.

Clifton has been limited to only three games this season, last playing on October 25th, and will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Washington Capitals. The 30-year-old defenseman is averaging 17:34 time-on-ice, recording zero points, nine blocks, and 16 hits.

Graves started the season in the AHL, scoring seven points (1G / 6A) in 10 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but will suit up for his season debut with Pittsburgh on Thursday. The 30-year-old defenseman has 118 points (32G / 86A) in 433 career NHL games.

Pettersson will take a seat on Wednesday after being limited to under 12 minutes of ice time in Monday's game in Nashville. Pierre-Olivier Joseph will draw into the lineup in his place.

Joseph will slot in for Elias Nils Pettersson, who is a healthy scratch on Wednesday. Joseph has appeared in seven games this season and is yet to register a point.

Mermis will slot in for Simon Benoit, who was a surprise scratch on Wednesday. It will be just the second appearance of the season for Mermis.

Macelli did not play in Monday's 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, his first time as a healthy scratch this season, but he will re-enter the lineup on Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth. The 25-year-old Finnish forward is averaging 13:40 time-on-ice, recording five points (2G / 3A) and 11 shots in 12 games.

Cowan has played 10 straight games for the Maple Leafs, but will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Utah Mammoth. The 20-year-old first-year NHLer is averaging 12:33 time-on-ice and has four points (1G / 3A) in 10 games.

Blais made his season debut with the Maple Leafs last week and has been productive in a bottom-six role, recording two points (1G / 1A) and 11 hits while averaging 9:56 time-on-ice. The 29-year-old Blais spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, but is no stranger to the NHL, with 73 points (28G / 45A) in 260 career games.

Denton Mateychuk suffered an injury in the Blue Jackets' most recent game, and will not play on Wednesday, allowing Mayo to suit up against the Calgary Flames. The 29-year-old Mayo has four points (0G / 4A) in five games with Cleveland this season.

Zayne Parekh and Jake Bean will be healthy scratches on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to draw into Calgary's lineup. Kuznetsov was drafted 50th-overall by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut in 2023-24, playing one game with the Flames, but has otherwise exclusively been in the AHL for the previous four seasons.

Parekh just played his 10th game of the season for the Flames, burning the first year of his entry-level contract, and ensuring he will spend the season in the NHL. That said, he returns to a familiar spot on Wednesday as a healthy scratch, joining Jake Bean on the sidelines, as Brayden Pachal and Yan Kutznetsov will draw into the Flames' lineup. The 19-year-old Parekh has not had the opportunity to fully showcase his talents in his first NHL season, scoring only one point (0G / 1A) through 10 games in a sheltered role.

Jake Bean joins Zayne Parekh as healthy scratches from Calgary's blueline for Wednesday's contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to enter the lineup. The 27-year-old Bean has played 10 games this season, recording 18 blocks and on assist.

Zayne Parekh and Jake Bean will be healthy scratches on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, allowing Brayden Pachal and Yan Kuznetsov to draw into Calgary's lineup. The 26-year-old Pachal is averaging 12:40 time-on-ice, recording 14 hits and one assist in seven games this season.

Mathieu Joseph will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, allowing Walker to re-enter the Blues' lineup. The 31-year-old Walker has been effective in a bottom-six role for the Blues this season, scoring four points (1G / 3A) and recording a monstrous 42 hits.

Matthew Kessel will be a healthy scratch on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, allowing Mailloux to re-enter the Blues' lineup. The 22-year-old Mailloux has struggled this season, recording zero points and a -9 plus/minus in eight games.