Demko out for Canucks; Chatfield sidelined indefinitely for Hurricanes
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Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.
Dougie Hamilton will be out at least a week for the Devils because of a lower-body injury. The defenseman was injured in the second period of a 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. “Minor injury, it will be probably a minimum of a week for him, and then from that point it will just be a matter of how he’s feeling in terms of when he will come back,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said prior to their 2-1 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Colton White, who hasn’t played in the NHL since 2022-23 with the Anaheim Ducks, entered the lineup in Hamilton’s absence and had one shot on goal in 9:55 of ice time.
Vincent Trocheck missed his 14th straight game when the Rangers played the New York Islanders on Saturday. The center, who has been practicing with the team, sustained an upper-body injury in the second game of the season against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 9. He is on long-term injured reserve, but is eligible to come off having already missed at least 10 games and 24 days.
Thatcher Demko will not dress for the Canucks when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CITY, SNP, FDSNOH) because of preventative maintenance, according to coach Adam Foote. Demko, who is also questionable for Vancouver’s game against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, is 5-4-0 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in nine starts this season. “[Demko] won’t be playing tonight. He won’t be backing up tonight, but he went out this morning, and he’s still doing his thing, preparing for next time he plays,” Foote said Saturday. Goalie Jiri Patera was recalled from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions on Friday and will back up Kevin Lankinen.
Charlie McAvoy did not play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday because of personal reasons. The defenseman leads Boston in time on ice per game (24:10). … Casey Mittelstadt also did not play after the forward sustained a lower-body injury during a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Forward Alex Steeves was recalled from Providence of the AHL and made his season debut.
Filip Hallander will miss a minimum of three months after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg. The forward, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday, has four points (one goal, three assists) in 13 games this season. He played in a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Hallander will rehab with the team and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center staff. “I feel awful, you know?” Penguins coach Dan Muse said Friday. “Filip is off to a really good start here. … I think we’re all very thankful and grateful that the medical staff here was able to figure this out as quickly as they did. And now they can start to do everything they need to just get him back on track and take care of him. But this goes beyond hockey. It’s about the person and I’m just happy that they know it now and they can start to work on things.” … Forward Kevin Hayes made his season debut in a 2-1 shootout loss Devils on Saturday after missing the first 15 games because of an upper-body injury. He had no shots on goal in 11:10 of ice time.
Jalen Chatfield is out indefinitely for the Hurricanes because of an upper-body injury. The defenseman, who was placed on injured reserve Saturday, left in the first period of a 4-3 win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday after a hit to the head by Tyler Pitlick. “Obviously, he got a hit to the head and [the training staff] always takes precaution on that,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday. … Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere skated in a regular jersey at the morning skate but missed his fifth straight game against the Buffalo Sabres. Charles Alexis Legault is back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Thursday. … Forwards William Carrier (lower body) and Eric Robinson (upper body) each returned to the lineup after missing six games. … Defenseman Gavin Bayreuther was recalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
Joey Daccord did not travel with the Kraken for their game at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. The goalie allowed five goals on 20 shots before he was pulled in the third period of a 6-1 loss against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Daccord is 6-2-3 with a 2.83 GAA and .900 save percentage in 11 games. The Kraken had been carrying three goalies, with Philipp Grubauer and Matt Murray also on the roster.
Michael Misa was placed on injured reserve Friday because of a lower-body injury and is considered week to week. The forward missed his second straight game when the Sharks defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 2-1, on Friday. He did not play in a 6-1 win against the Kraken on Wednesday after leaving the morning skate early. The No. 2 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Misa has three points (one goal, two assists) in seven games and was a healthy scratch for a 3-2 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Forward William Eklund (lower body) was placed on injured reserve, and forward Zack Ostapchuk was recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League. The Sharks host the Florida Panthers on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, NBCSCA).
Anthony Cirelli did not play against the Washington Capitals on Saturday because of an upper-body injury. The forward left a 6-3 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, and coach Jon Cooper said he hopes Cirelli can play in their next game at the New York Rangers on Wednesday. Cirelli has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 14 games this season.
Chris Tanev skated on his own prior to the Maple Leafs’ optional morning skate Saturday, but there is no timeline for the defenseman’s return. It was the first time Tanev skated since being taken from the ice on a stretcher in the third period of a 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1. He remained in a Philadelphia hospital overnight before being discharged the following day. “Just progressing in the right direction, I’d say, more than anything,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “First time on the ice. Just by himself.” Tanev, who was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 1, missed his third straight game when the Maple Leafs hosted the Bruins on Saturday.
Zach Hyman will not play against the Avalanche on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW, ALT2, KTVD) but could make his season debut next week, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday. The forward has not played since dislocating his wrist during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars on May 27 last season. “Whether he gets back in on Monday (against the Blue Jackets) or later on, on that (seven-game) road trip … we expect him back within one week,” Knoblauch said. Hyman had 44 points (27 goals, 17 assists) in 73 regular-season games last season. He has been practicing with the Oilers since Oct. 22. … Knoblauch also said Mattias Janmark is expected to return “within the next couple of days.” The forward has yet to play this season because of an undisclosed injury.
Warren Foegele will return to the lineup for the Kings against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday (2 p.m. ET; FDSNW, SN-PIT, SN1, TVAS). The forward has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. Foegele likely will play on the fourth line with Alex Turcotte and Corey Perry.
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