Andersen was originally expected to return from a five-game absence due to a groin injury but will not be available tonight because of the flu. With Andersen still sidelined, Michael Hutchinson will make his fifth consecutive start.

Carrier was believed to be a healthy scratch on Sunday but is dealing with an undisclosed ailment. Moving him to IR opened up a roster spot for Vegas to call-up Brandon Pirri from Chicago (AHL).

Staal has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury and was moved to IR to open up a roster spot for Greg McKegg to be called-up.

Andersen was already expected to miss Thursday’s game so moving him to IR was simply a formality to open up a roster spot. The Maple Leafs are also without Garret Sparks (concussion protocol) so Michael Hutchinson was recalled to start on Thursday afternoon.

Frederik Andersen was on the ice for Friday’s optional morning skate and stayed on late for extra work with Garret Sparks starting in Columbus. The Maple Leafs announced that their No.1 netminder is day-to-day with a groin injury and Kasimir Kaskisuo was recalled to serve as Sparks’ backup on Saturday. The Maple Leafs are not well equipped to deal with Andersen being sidelined long-term after losing Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard in training camp, so they are hoping this is a minor groin injury.

Andersen allowed one goal on 26 shots in the Maple Leafs win over the Panthers on Thursday. It was Andersen’s second win in a row, which is a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre December. He has not faced the Rangers this season but is a must-start against them at the Scotiabank Arena, where he is 8-5-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .938 SV%.

Staal has missed the last five games with a concussion but is set to return to the lineup Thursday vs. the Red Wings. Staal has 11 points (5G / 6A) in 27 games this season.

Andersen allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Maple Leafs win in New Jersey on Tuesday. Andersen snapped a brief two-game losing streak for Andersen, who is 4-2-1 with a 3.34 GAA and .897 SV%. It’s a bit of a tough month for the 29-year-old netminder, who faces the Panthers for the second time in a week—he allowed four goals on 33 shots in a 4-3 OT loss in Florida last Saturday.

Andersen gave up four goals on 21 shots in the Maple Leafs loss in Tampa Bay on Thursday. Andrei Vasilevskiy stood on his head at the other end, handing Andersen his ninth loss of the season. Andersen has not faced the Panthers this season but comes in at 10-4-0 with a 2.83 GAA and .915 SV% on the road.

Andersen gave up four goals on 21 shots in the Maple Leafs loss in Tampa Bay on Thursday. Andrei Vasilevskiy stood on his head at the other end, handing Andersen his ninth loss of the season. Andersen has not faced the Panthers this season but comes in at 10-4-0 with a 2.83 GAA and .915 SV% on the road.

Stastny will be back in the Golden Knights lineup for the first time since October 8th. Stastny will centre Alex Tuch and Oscar Lindberg in his return. Stastny had no points in his first three games with Vegas but had 16 goals and 37 assists (53 points) in 82 games last season.

Andersen allowed one goal on 30 shots in the Maple Leafs win in Carolina on Tuesday. Andersen bounced-back from a rough outing in Boston to earn his 17th win of the season, which ranks second in the NHL. He draws a tough matchup against the Lightning, who are 14-4-0 on home-ice. Andersen is 10-3-0 with a 2.74 GAA and .920 SV% on the road.

Stastny has been out since October 8th, missing the last 29 games with a lower-body injury. Stastny stayed on with the extras, which suggests that he won’t play tonight but Gerard Gallant will check with trainers and listed him as a game-time decision. Stastny is expected to skate with Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch when he returns to the Vegas lineup but that might not happen until the weekend.