Dumba won't play for Stars against Kraken; Nedeljkovic takes part in full practice with Penguins
© David Berding/Getty Images
Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2024-25 season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Joel Eriksson Ek did not travel with the Wild to play the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday (6 p.m. ET; TSN3, BSN, BSWI) because of a broken nose.
The forward is expected to be available when Minnesota visits the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. He left a 5-4 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday following an elbow by Adam Larsson at 7:07 of the second period.
Saturday was Eriksson Ek’s 500th NHL game (271 points; 123 goals, 148 assists). The 27-year-old has one goal in two games this season.
Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon will also not play. The captain is day to day with a lower-body injury.
Forward Liam Ohgren is expected to make his season debut. The 20-year-old, who was Minnesota’s first-round pick (No. 19) at the 2022 NHL Draft, had one goal and one assist in four games with the Wild last season.
Minnesota added forward Travis Boyd to the roster on emergency recall and reassigned goalie Jesper Wallstedt to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Matthew Dumba will not play when the Stars host the Kraken on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; KHN, Victory+, KONG).
The defenseman sustained a lower-body injury and missed the second and third periods of a 3-0 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
“He’s going to be evaluated on Monday, I think he’s going to get some pictures taken,” Dallas coach Pete DeBoer said. “I would call him day to day now until I know what those things say.”
Dumba, 30, is plus-2 in two games for the Stars while averaging 12:15 of ice time. He signed a two-year contract ($3.75 million average annual value) with Dallas on July 1. — Taylor Baird
Alex Nedeljkovic participated in a full practice Sunday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in a preseason game Sept. 30.
The goalie will not be available against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, Prime, SN-PIT). Nedeljkovic first joined the Penguins for a morning skate Saturday before a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“He’s obviously making real progress,” coach Mike Sullivan said.
Nedeljkovic, the expected backup when healthy, shared a net with 22-year-old prospect Joel Blomqvist. He signed a two-year, $5 million contract ($2.5 million average annual value) to stay in Pittsburgh on June 20 after starting 12 of the final 13 games last season.
“It’s always nice to stick around and have some consistency with where you’re at,” Nedeljkovic said Sept. 20, two days after training camp opened. “Not having to go to an entirely different locker room, where you only know 2-3 guys at best maybe, to stay here and have to meet only a few new faces, it makes it easier to feel comfortable in the room.”
Blomqvist has started two of the Penguins’ first three games this season. He made 29 saves in each, a 6-3 win in his NHL debut at the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and the loss to Toronto.
Goalie Tristan Jarry could start Monday for the first time since making 34 saves in a 6-0 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday. — Wes Crosby
Christian Fischer is day to day because of an upper-body injury and won’t be available when the Red Wings play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, NHLN, MSG).
The forward was injured in the second period of a 3-0 win against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Fischer does not have a point in two games this season. He had 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 79 games for Detroit in 2023-24.
Tyler Myers is day to day with a right leg injury, but the Canucks defenseman was expected to travel with them Sunday for a four-game road trip that begins at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
Myers left a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday after stepping up along the right boards to make a hit on Joel Farabee in the Flyers zone 1:46 into the game. He was on the ice for several minutes while being attended to by the Canucks medical staff before being helped off the ice by teammates without putting weight on his right leg.
“We might have dodged a bullet,” coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Saturday. “It looked worse. He was hurt, but I think talking to him today and after the game, we might have dodged a bullet. We’ll see what happens on day to day here.”
Vincent Desharnais, who was a healthy scratch Friday, took Myers’ place at practice on the second defense pair with Carson Soucy. Desharnais signed a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent July 1 but was minus-2 in his Canucks debut, a 6-5 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. — Kevin Woodley
JJ Peterka did not play for the Sabres in their 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday but could return when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
“Not ready yet,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said after the morning skate Saturday. “Obviously, he’s going to get in a good skate, good workout. I would anticipate next game.”
The forward has missed the past two games after sustaining a concussion in the first period against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 5. Peterka returned to practice Wednesday and has skated with his teammates each day since.
“I think almost back to normal,” Peterka said Wednesday. “From the other day, just better and better.”
Peterka has one assist in two games. He had a career-high 50 points (28 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games last season. –– Heather Engel
