The Boston Bruins are still awaiting updates on Charlie McAvoy's recovery timeline, while the Buffalo Sabres may see Jordan Greenway return after a lengthy absence due to surgery. Mattias Samuelsson is also set to come back from a broken foot. In a notable move, the Columbus Blue Jackets activated Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko from IR, though Kevin Labanc will miss the rest of the season after shoulder surgery. Furthermore, the Florida Panthers are uncertain about Matthew Tkachuk's status for tonight's game as they plan to give him some rest.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild will start their road trip without Jakub Lauko, who is dealing with a lower-body issue. Jared Spurgeon is back on the ice after illness. The Montreal Canadiens are re-evaluating Emil Heineman, while the Nashville Predators have activated Mark Jankowski from IR. In Philadelphia, the Flyers welcome back several forwards, including Owen Tippett. Pittsburgh expects Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust to return as well, adding much-needed firepower to the lineup.