Aston-Reese missed the first two games of the regular season but it appears as if he will make his season debut on Saturday. Aston-Reese, who will skate on the third line, had nine goals and six assists (15 points) in 45 games last season.
Severson is dealing with a lower-body injury that landed him on IR on Monday but he is eligible to come off and play on Friday. With Severson and Ty Smith both questionable, PK Subban could see additional usage at 5v5 and on PP2.
Aston-Reese missed some of the preseason after a positive COVID-19 test in late September and will not be available for the season opener on Tuesday. However, Aston-Reese did travel to Florida and will be re-evaluated ahead of Thursday's game vs. the Panthers.
Johnson didn't play a lot in 2021, registering just one goal in 13 games with the Rangers. This preseason, he was in Avalanche camp on a PTO and earned a one-year deal to be their No.6 defenseman to open the season. With Devon Toews out, Johnson should be a fixture on the blueline in the early part of the season but will likely fall back into a reserve role once Toews is healthy enough to play.
Merzlikins missed some time with injuries in 2021 but the Blue Jackets are committed to him as their No.1 option on Tuesday, signing him to a five-year deal. Merzlikins greatly outperformed Joonas Korpisalo last year, posting a .916 SV% in 28 appearances and has breakout potential for 2022.
Gambrell was a second-round pick of the Sharks in 2016 and has turned into a decent bottom-6 option for them over the last two season. He has compiled 10 goals and 13 assists (23 points) in 99 games over that stretch and will likely centre the third or fourth line when 2021-22 starts.
