Panthers at Sharks

PANTHERS (40-13-6) at SHARKS (26-25-7)

Panthers projected lineup
Joe Thornton -- Aleksander Barkov -- Carter Verhaeghe
Jonathan Huberdeau -- Sam Bennett -- Sam Reinhart
Mason Marchment -- Eetu Luostarinen -- Anthony Duclair
Frank Vatrano -- Noel Acciari -- Patric Hornqvist
MacKenzie Weegar -- Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling -- Radko Gudas
Petteri Lindbohm -- Brandon Montour
Sergei Bobrovsky
Spencer Knight
Scratched: Lucas Carlsson, Maxim Mamin
Injured: Markus Nutivaara (lower body), (undisclosed), Ryan Lomberg (undisclosed), Anton Lundell (lower body)
Sharks projected lineup
Alexander Barabanov -- Tomas Hertl -- John Leonard
Jonathan Dahlen -- Logan Couture -- Timo Meier
Rudolfs Balcers -- Nick Bonino -- Matt Nieto
Andrew Cogliano -- Scott Reedy -- Jonah Gadjovich
Jake Middleton -- Brent Burns
Erik Karlsson -- Jaycob Megna
Marc-Edouard Vlasic -- Nicolas Meloche
James Reimer
Zach Sawchenko
Scratched: Ryan Merkley , Noah Gregor, Jeffrey Viel
Injured: Radim Simek (undisclosed), Mario Ferraro (lower body), Kevin Labanc (upper body), Adin Hill (lower body)
Status report
Each team held an optional morning skate Tuesday. ... Thornton will return and face his former team as a visitor for the first time after missing 12 games with an undisclosed injury. ... Bobrovsky will start after Knight made 35 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. ... Reimer will start after missing four games with a lower-body injury. ... Hill, a goalie, is day to day. ... Leonard was recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League on Monday and will replace Viel, a forward, in the lineup.