With a first-round matchup against the Nashville Predators locked up, the Vancouver Canucks will rest several players against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
According to TSN's John Lu, Brock Boeser, J.T. Miller, Filip Hronek, and Ian Cole will be out of the lineup for the team's season finale.
Phillip Di Giuseppe, Nils Aman, Mark Friedman and Noah Juulsen will draw in.
Thatcher Demko will get the start in net, his second since returning from a 14-game absence due to a knee injury. He stopped 30-of-40 shots in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames in his previous start.
#Canucks Boeser, Miller, Hronek and Cole will sit tonight.
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) April 18, 2024
Demko will start vs #NHLJets.@TSN_Edge
Chibrikov, Lambert to make NHL debuts
With their own matchup against the Colorado Avalanche set, head coach Rick Bowness confirmed that forwards Nikita Chibrokov and Brad Lambert will make their NHL debuts against the Canucks.
Chibrokov, 21, has 17 goals and 46 points with the AHL's Manitoba Moose this season. He was originally selected 50th overall by the club in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Lambert, 20, was drafted 30th overall in 2022 and has 20 goals and 34 assists in 63 games with the Moose this season.
Coach Bones confirms Nikita Chibrikov and Brad Lambert will make their @NHL DEBUT tonight! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/u30z9sMFGT
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) April 18, 2024
Forward Morgan Barron will be out at least a week after sustaining a lower-body injury on Tuesday.
The Jets projected lineup against the Canucks:
Ehlers - Monahan - Toffoli
Iafallo - Lambert* - Vilardi
Niederreiter - Gustafsson - Chibrikov**
Perfetti - Kupari - Appleton
Schmidt - DeMelo
Samberg - Pionk
Stanley - Miller
Brossoit
Collin Delia
