NHL Projected Lineups - Game Day
By IceHockeyMan Newsroom
Pittsburgh Penguins vs Vegas Golden Knights
Faceoff: 19:00 CET
Penguins - Projected lineup
Forwards
Egor Chinakhov - Tommy Novak - Evgeni Malkin
Avery Hayes - Rickard Rakell - Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha - Ben Kindel - Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar - Blake Lizotte - Noel Acciari
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson
Samuel Girard - Kris Letang
Ryan Shea - Connor Clifton
Goalies
Arturs Silovs
Stuart Skinner
IHM Lineup Note: Pittsburgh’s puck movement flows through Karlsson and Letang. Without Crosby, offensive structure shifts toward layered support and slot rotations rather than individual zone entries.
Golden Knights - Projected lineup
Forwards
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev - Mitch Marner - Reilly Smith
Braeden Bowman - Tomas Hertl - Keegan Kolesar
Brandon Saad - Colton Sissons - Alexander Holtz
Defense
Jeremy Lauzon - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Brayden McNabb - Kaedan Korczak
Goalies
Akira Schmid
Adin Hill
IHM Lineup Note: Vegas remains transition-driven through Eichel. Defensive activation from Theodore and Hanifin supports controlled exits and offensive blue-line pressure.
Utah Mammoth vs Chicago Blackhawks
Faceoff: 22:00 CET
Mammoth - Projected lineup
Forwards
Clayton Keller - Nick Schmaltz - Lawson Crouse
Jack McBain - Logan Cooley - Dylan Guenther
JJ Peterka - Barrett Hayton - Kailer Yamamoto
Alexander Kerfoot - Kevin Stenlund - Michael Carcone
Defense
Mikhail Sergachev - Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt - John Marino
Ian Cole - Olli Maatta
Goalies
Karel Vejmelka
Vitek Vanecek
IHM Lineup Note: Utah plays structured middle-lane defense with controlled breakouts. Keller line drives offensive tempo through high-slot support positioning.
Blackhawks - Projected lineup
Forwards
Ryan Greene - Connor Bedard - Andre Burakovsky
Oliver Moore - Frank Nazar - Teuvo Teravainen
Tyler Bertuzzi - Jason Dickinson - Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato - Nick Foligno - Colton Dach
Defense
Alex Vlasic - Louis Crevier
Matt Grzelcyk - Artyom Levshunov
Connor Murphy - Kevin Korchinski
Goalies
Arvid Soderblom
Spencer Knight
IHM Lineup Note: Chicago’s scoring chances depend heavily on Bedard’s puck touches and controlled entries. Defensive gaps must remain tight against Utah’s balanced top-six.
San Jose Sharks vs Winnipeg Jets
Faceoff: 22:00 CET
Sharks - Projected lineup
Forwards
Will Smith - Macklin Celebrini - Kiefer Sherwood
Philipp Kurashev - Alexander Wennberg - Collin Graf
William Eklund - Michael Misa - Tyler Toffoli
Barclay Goodrow - Zack Ostapchuk - Pavol Regenda
Defense
Dmitry Orlov - John Klingberg
Mario Ferraro - Shakir Mukhamadullin
Sam Dickinson - Vincent Desharnais
Goalies
Alex Nedeljkovic
Yaroslav Askarov
IHM Lineup Note: Sharks rely on youth speed and quick-strike transitions. Defensive structure must hold inside positioning against Winnipeg’s heavy cycle.
Jets - Projected lineup
Forwards
Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Gabriel Vilardi
Cole Perfetti - Adam Lowry - Alex Iafallo
Gustav Nyquist - Jonathan Toews - Walker Duehr
Cole Koepke - Morgan Barron - Tanner Pearson
Defense
Dylan Samberg - Elias Salomonsson
Logan Stanley - Dylan DeMelo
Haydn Fleury - Luke Schenn
Goalies
Connor Hellebuyck
Eric Comrie
IHM Lineup Note: Winnipeg’s strength remains layered forecheck and net-front presence. If Hellebuyck controls rebounds, Jets can dictate game flow.
Minnesota Wild vs St. Louis Blues
Faceoff: 23:00 CET
Wild - Projected lineup
Forwards
Kirill Kaprizov - Ryan Hartman - Mats Zuccarello
Marcus Johansson - Joel Eriksson Ek - Matt Boldy
Yakov Trenin - Danila Yurov - Vladimir Tarasenko
Marcus Foligno - Nico Sturm - Vinnie Hinostroza
Defense
Quinn Hughes - Brock Faber
Jake Middleton - Jared Spurgeon
Daemon Hunt - Zach Bogosian
Goalies
Filip Gustavsson
Jesper Wallstedt
IHM Lineup Note: Minnesota controls pace through disciplined neutral-zone structure and strong low support in the defensive zone.
Blues - Projected lineup
Forwards
Brayden Schenn - Dalibor Dvorsky - Jimmy Snuggerud
Jake Neighbours - Pavel Buchnevich - Jordan Kyrou
Dylan Holloway - Pius Suter - Jonatan Berggren
Alexey Toropchenko - Jack Finley - Nathan Walker
Defense
Philip Broberg - Justin Faulk
Cam Fowler - Logan Mailloux
Tyler Tucker - Matthew Kessel
Goalies
Joel Hofer
Jordan Binnington
IHM Lineup Note: St. Louis must simplify exits and protect the slot. Defensive breakdowns against Kaprizov’s unit will be costly.
New York Islanders vs Florida Panthers
Faceoff: 00:30 CET
Islanders - Projected lineup
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal
Jonathan Drouin - Calum Ritchie - Emil Heineman
Anders Lee - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Simon Holmstrom
Kyle MacLean - Casey Cizikas - Marc Gatcomb
Defense
Matthew Schaefer - Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech - Tony DeAngelo
Carson Soucy - Scott Mayfield
Goalies
David Rittich
Ilya Sorokin
IHM Lineup Note: Islanders play compact five-man structure. Defensive layers and low-slot coverage are key against Florida’s cycle.
Panthers - Projected lineup
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe - Evan Rodrigues - Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer - Jesper Boqvist - Sandis Vilmanis
Defense
Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola - Dmitry Kulikov
Donovan Sebrango - Jeff Petry
Goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky
Daniil Tarasov
IHM Lineup Note: Florida thrives on aggressive forecheck pressure and offensive-zone cycling. Reinhart’s positioning in the slot remains central to their scoring efficiency.
Anaheim Ducks vs Calgary Flames
Faceoff: 02:00 CET
Ducks - Projected lineup
Forwards
Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Cutter Gauthier
Jeffrey Viel - Mason McTavish - Beckett Sennecke
Jansen Harkins - Ryan Poehling - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Tim Washe - Frank Vatrano
Defense
Jackson LaCombe - Jacob Trouba
Olen Zellweger - Radko Gudas
Pavel Mintyukov - Drew Helleson
Goalies
Lukas Dostal
Ville Husso
IHM Lineup Note: Anaheim plays physical down low with net-front traffic. Defensive gaps must remain tight against Calgary’s balanced top six.
Flames - Projected lineup
Forwards
Yegor Sharangovich - Mikael Backlund - Matt Coronato
Connor Zary - Nazem Kadri - Joel Farabee
Blake Coleman - Morgan Frost - Matvei Gridin
Martin Pospisil - John Beecher - Adam Klapka
Defense
Kevin Bahl - Mackenzie Weegar
Yan Kuznetsov - Zach Whitecloud
Joel Hanley - Zayne Parekh
Goalies
Devin Cooley
Dustin Wolf
IHM Lineup Note: Calgary’s defensive posture centers around Weegar’s puck management and strong middle-lane coverage.
Q&A: Projected Lineups and Starting Goalies
Why are projected lineups important?
They reflect expected tactical deployment and matchups before puck drop.
When are goalies confirmed?
Usually after morning skate or pregame media availability.
Can lineups change?
Yes. Always check for late scratches and game-time decisions.