The Predators and Ducks meet Monday night in Anaheim at 10:30 p.m. ET, with the game available on FDSNSO, Victory+, and KCOP-13. Pavel Mintyukov is set to return to the Ducks lineup after missing the past three games and four of five with a lower-body injury, while Cutter Gauthier will miss his fourth straight game and remains day to day.
For Anaheim, the lineup picture is still unsettled. Olen Zellweger will be a healthy scratch for the third time this season, and the Ducks also returned Nathan Gaucher to San Diego of the American Hockey League on Monday. Gauthier is listed with an upper-body injury, and Jansen Harkins, Ross Johnston, and Radko Gudas are also out.
Nashville comes in without a morning skate after its 3-2 shootout loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, which leaves less clarity on the Predators’ side before puck drop. Jordan Oesterle and Ozzy Wiesblatt are listed as scratched for Nashville, and that is the sort of roster churn that can matter in a game where both teams are working through injuries and lineup questions.
The Ducks get one of their key young defenders back, but they are still carrying a long injury list and leaning on a projected lineup that could shift again before the opening faceoff. For the Predators, the short turnaround after Monday night and the lack of a morning skate make this a late-read game, with the details likely to settle only when the lineups are posted closer to start time.
