Andersen allowed three goals on 26 shots in the Maple Leafs 5-3 win over the Senators on opening night. Getting the ‘W’ is all that matters, but Andersen will be hoping for better performances in the future. He is a great option against a Blue Jackets team that lost a few key pieces this offseason.
Kase is on the non-roster injured list but could be activated ahead of Thursday’s season opener, with a corresponding move. The Ducks did not hold a morning skate so there is no indication on who will be in the lineup vs. Arizona.
It originally looked like Dzingel would miss the first few games of the season with a lower-body injury that he suffered in the preseason. However, Dzingel was back at practice on Wednesday and is skating on the third line prior to Thursday’s season opener. He had 26 goals and 30 assists (56 points) last year and will skate with Erik Haula and Jordan Martinook in his Hurricanes debut.
Andersen has been a model of consistency during his tenure in Toronto. The Dane has averaged 64 starts and 36 wins while posting a 2.75 GAA and .918 SV%. The Maple Leafs want to scale back his workload in 2019-20, but he remains a high-end fantasy option. His opening night matchup is outstanding, but Andersen was 1-1-0 with a 4.11 GAA and .881 SV% in two games vs. Ottawa last season.
Rantanen missed training camp because of a contract holdout but was back on the ice with the Avalanche on Monday. After his first practice session, head coach Jared Bednar said that his star right-winger will play Thursday. Rantanen is scheduled to skate on the top-line with Nathan Mackinnon and Gabriel Landeskog and should have no issues topping 80 points for the third consecutive season.
Kase has not been on the ice since last Monday when he took an elbow to the head from Kings forward Jeff Carter. Kase finished the game and the Ducks haven’t pinpointed what is ailing the oft-injured winger, but he is “close” according to head coach Dallas Eakins. The only way Kase plays in the season opener is if he gets onto the ice over the next few days, so monitor his status leading up to Thursday’s opener.
Rantanen and the Avalanche came down to the wire but finally came to terms on a six-year deal. The soon-to-be 23-year old has posted back-to-back 80-plus point seasons, including 31 goals and 56 assists last year. He is expected to re-join the Avalanche and should be available for their season opener on Thursday.
Bokk was the No.25 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and is set to play in his second full season with Rögle BK (Swedish Hockey League). Bokk has tremendous speed and hands and is coming off of 23 points (8G / 15A) in 47 games last year.
Suzuki was selected with the No.28 overall pick in this summer’s draft after scoring 25 goals with 50 assists (75 points) in 65 games with the Barrie Colts (OHL).
Lemieux was traded to the Rangers last season and finished the season with six points (3G / 3A) in 19 games with New York. Adding Kaapo Kakko, Artemi Panarin and potentially Vitali Kravtsov upfront this offseason is going to make it very difficult for Lemieux to crack the opening night lineup in 2020.
Gardiner had to sit and wait a long time as a free agent but finally got signed on Friday. Gardiner spent eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs but is coming off of a disappointing 30 points (3G / 27A) in 62 games in 2019. Now the 29-year-old joins Carolina, who already has a loaded blueline, but he could slot onto the second-pair with Brett Pesce and play on the second power-play unit with either Justin Faulk or Dougie Hamilton.
Robinson split the 2018-19 season between the NHL and AHL but failed to register a point in 13 games with the Blue Jackets. During his time in the AHL, Robinson had 12 goals and 12 assists (24 points) in 45 games. He is expected to be a member of the Blue Jackets bottom-6 to start 2019-20.
Martinook continues to battle a lower-body injury and is a game-time decision for Game 4 after missing Game 3. "I hope so, but I'm not sure. We'll find out tonight,” Rod Brind’Amour told reporters about Martinook’s availability for Game 4.
Martinook continues to battle a lingering lower-body issue and will not play in Game 3 vs. the Bruins. Saku Maenalanen will draw into the lineup to replace Martinook on the Hurricanes’ fourth line.
