Krejci (lower-body) will not play against the Stars on Thursday.
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Boston Bruins News
Pitlick (wrist) has been cleared and will play Friday vs. the Blackhawks.
Pitlick was questionable for the opener due to a wrist injury that he suffered in the preseason. With Pitlick being cleared, Joel Farabee has been sent back to the AHL.
Goalie Start
Korpisalo will start Friday’s season opener vs. the Maple Leafs.
With Sergei Bobrovsky bolting for Florida in free agency, Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins as Columbus’ goaltending tandem. In 38 starts (45 games) over the last two seasons, Korpisalo has gone 18-15-4 with an ugly 3.11 GAA and .897 SV%. It could be a tough season for Korpisalo and the Blue Jackets and an opening night matchup with Toronto should force him to your fantasy benches.
Johnson (undisclosed) will play Thursday vs. the Panthers.
Johnson will get a huge opportunity early in the season, as he’s set to centre Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on Thursday. Johnson skated between the dynamic duo on Wednesday and will also skate on the top power-play unit while Brayden Point is sidelined.
Krejci (lower-body) will be a game-time decision on Thursday.
Krejci was a full participant at practice on Wednesday, which is a great sign for his availability for Thursday’s season opener. Monitor his status during tomorrow’s morning skate, but things are trending in the right direction for the veteran pivot.
Johnson (undisclosed) is day-to-day but expected to play in the season opener.
Johnson missed Monday’s practice with the undisclosed injury that he suffered in Saturday’s preseason game, but head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” that he will play on Thursday. Monitor Johnson’s status over the next few days, but the sudden return of Brayden Point decreases Johnson’s fantasy value.
Goalie Start
Rask will start Opening Night in Dallas.
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said that Rask is pencilled in for 50-to-55 starts this season and that will start in Dallas on Thursday. Rask was 27-13-5 with a 2.48 GAA, .912 SV% and four shutouts in 46 games last season, including going 1-0-1 with a 0.95 GAA and .968 SV% in two games vs. Dallas.
Krejci (lower-body) is expected to be “good to go” for the Bruins season opener.
Krejci suffered a lower-body injury in last Monday’s preseason game but skated lightly on Saturday. It was a step in the right direction for the veteran centre and head coach Bruce Cassidy believes Krejci will be good to go for Opening Night (Thursday @ Dallas). Krejci is set to centre the Bruins second-line with Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman on his wings.
Krejci (lower-body) will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
Krejci left Monday’s preseason game following a collision with Shayne Gostisbehere and did not return or practice on Tuesday. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said that he will be “re-evaluated on Wednesday” and added that they are going to “take [their] time with it.” With the Bruins season set to start in just over one week, Krejci’s status for the season-opener is in jeopardy.
Pitlick (wrist) is questionable for the Flyers season opener.
Pitlick recently joined Flyers practice in a non-contact capacity but his status for the season opener remains cloudy. If Pitlick is out, look for Carsen Twarnyski to make the team and start the year on the Flyers fourth-line.
The Bruins have re-signed Charlie McAvoy to a three-year deal worth $14.7M ($4.9M AAV).
Through two seasons, McAvoy’s production has been solid, averaging 10 goals and 32 assists per 82-games—the issue is that he’s played in just 71.3 percent of the games. McAvoy is somewhat limited because of Torey Krug’s role on the top PP-unit, but he has 40-point upside if he can stay healthy in 2020.
The Devils have re-signed Pavel Zacha to a three-year contract worth $6.75M ($2.25M AAV).
Zacha set a new career-high in goals (13) while matching his career-high in points (25) while playing just 61 games last season. Zacha is a player that the Devils use in all situations. He was third among New Jersey forwards in SH TOI/gm (2:11), ninth in PP TOI/gm (1:41) and 11th in EV TOI/gm (12:13).
The Rangers have re-sign Vinni Lettieri to a one-year contract.
Lettieri spent most of the 2019 season in the AHL, ranking fourth among Hartford skaters with 48 points (23G / 25A) in 48 games. He played sparingly with the Rangers, picking up just three points (1G / 2A) in 27 games. The Rangers added some big names up front this offseason, likely pushing Lettieri back to the AHL to start 2020.
The Sabres have acquired Henri Jokiharju from the Blackhawks for Alex Nylander.
The Bruins have re-signed Peter Cehlarik for one-year, $700K.
The Avalanche have re-signed Nikita Zadorov to a one-year extension worth $3.2 million.
The Panthers have signed Anton Stralman to a three-year contract worth $16.5M ($5.5M AAV)
The Golden Knights have signed Patrick Brown to a two-year, two-way contract.
The Blue Jackets have signed Joonas Korpisalo to a one-year deal.
With Sergei Bobrovsky likely heading to Florida, Korpisalo becomes the No.1 netminder in Columbus with Elvis Merzilkins likely serving as his backup. Korpisalo will need to be better than he was in 2018-19, when he ranked 38th in the NHL in GAA (2.95) and tied for 48th in SV% (.897).
The Flyers have acquired Tyler Pitlick from the Stars for Ryan Hartman.
Pitlick has one-year left on his three-year contract that carries a $1.0M cap-hit. During his second season with the Stars, Pitlick scored eight goals with four assists (12 points) in 47 games. He will replace Hartman in the Flyers’ bottom-6.
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