McMann was a healthy scratch for Toronto's season opener on Wednesday but finds himself in the lineup for Ryan Reaves on Thursday in New Jersey. The 28-year-old had a surprise breakout season in 2023-24, with 15 goals, 24 points, 52 PIMs and a +13 plus/minus in 56 games played.
Schmidt was a healthy scratch in the season opener for the Panthers but will draw into the lineup with Adam Boqvist temporarily sidelined due to an upper-body injury. Schmidt had 14 points (2G / 12A) in 63 games while also racking up 66 hits and 76 blocked shots in the 2023-24 season.
Thompson has been away from the team since Monday due to personal reasons but will return to practice on Friday ahead of their season opener on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils. Thompson is expected to share the crease with Charlie Lindgren this season, his first with the Capitals.
Liam O'Brien will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Carcone to make his season debut. Carcone was a regular for the Arizona Coyotes last season, playing 74 games, but had a tale of two very different seasons. In his first 26 games, Carcone had 17 points (14G / 3A), before tailing off for his final 48 games when he scored only 12 points (7G / 5A).
Michael Carcone will make his season debut on Thursday, resulting in O'Brien being a healthy scratch. On Tuesday, O'Brien played 10:30 time-on-ice, recording a +1 plus/minus, one shot on goal, and seven hits. He had 14 points (5G / 9A), 153 penalty minutes, and 229 hits in 75 games last season.
Oliver Kapanen will draw into the Canadiens lineup for his NHL debut on Thursday, resulting in Heineman being a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Heineman playing 9:40 time-on-ice in his season debut last night, recording two shots and two penalty minutes.
Emil Heineman will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Kapanen to make his NHL debut. Kapanen was the second-round pick (64 overall) of the Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old spent last season with KalPa Kuopio (SM-liiga), where he scored 34 points (14G / 20A) in 51 games.
Jones will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Riley Tufte to draw into the lineup. Jones was held without a point or shot on goal while registering a -1 plus/minus in 9:42 of ice time in the Bruins' season-opening 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Max Jones will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Tufte to make his Bruins debut. The 26-year-old Tufte spent most of the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, tallying 45 points (23G / 22A) in 67 games with the Colorado Eagles. He has three points (1G / 2A) in 18 career NHL games.
Mason Lohrei will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Wotherspoon to make his season debut for the Bruins. The 27-year-old Wotherspoon has 53 games of NHL experience, all over the last two seasons, tallying nine points (0G / 9A), 74 blocks, and 92 hits.
Lohrei will draw out of the lineup on Thursday, allowing Parker Wotherspoon to make his season debut. The 23-year-old Lohrei suffered a -3 plus/minus in 16:16 time-on-ice in his season debut earlier this week.
Stecher will be a healthy scratch in the season opener for the Oilers, allowing Travis Dermott to make his debut with the team. The 30-year-old Stecher joined the Oilers late last season and tallied two points (0G / 2A), a +4 plus/minus, 10 blocks, and 15 hits in seven games.
Dermott signed with Oilers earlier this week after a successful PTO and will make his debut in their season-opener on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Dermott has 329 games of NHL experience and spent the 2023-24 campaign with the Arizona Coyotes, tallying seven points (2G / 5A), a -14 plus/minus, 64 blocks, and 52 hits. He will line up on the third defensive pair alongside Brett Kulak.
Palat was away from the team for several days to attend to the birth of his child and should be ready for their next contest on Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 33-year-old Palat is in his third season with the Devils and is coming off his lowest full-season production campaign, scoring only 31 points (11G / 20A) in 71 games.
Schmidt signed with the Panthers in the offseason but will begin his tenure with his new club as a healthy scratch in their season opener. Schmidt had 14 points (2G / 12A) in 63 games while also racking up 66 hits and 76 blocked shots in the 2023-24 season. Uvis Balinskis will draw in on the third defensive pair for the Panthers.
Stastney was absent from Nashville's training camp due to personal reasons and will begin the season on the Injured/Non-Roster list. The 24-year-old signed a two-year, $3.3 million contract extension ($1,650,000 AAV) in the offseason after putting up two goals, four points and a +9 plus/minus in 20 games played in 2023-24.
Saad is expected to miss the Blues' first road trip of the season as he awaits the birth of his third child and has been placed on the Injured/Non-Roster list to begin 2024-25. The Blues will hope to have their veteran 31-year-old left-winger back soon after he finished 2023-24 fourth in team goals (26) and fifth in points (42).
Hellebuyck is away from the team due to a personal family issue but is expected to play in the Jets' season opener on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 31-year-old American netminder was tremendous last season, winning his second Vezina trophy with a 2.39 GAA and .921 SV% in 60 games (37-19-4).
Kulich will get the chance to make his season debut in his home country of Czechia after it was announced Zach Benson would be out on Saturday vs. New Jersey. The 20-year-old centre is only making his second NHL appearance ever after making it into one game in 2023-24. He is expected to take Benson's spot in Buffalo's top-six.
