Ekblad likely out for Panthers; Kaprizov hasn’t resumed skating for Wild; Rangers claim Kaliyev
© Jamie Sabau/NHLI
Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Quinn Hughes is a game-time decision for the Canucks when they begin a five-game road trip at the Montreal Canadiens on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, Prime).
Hughes, Vancouver’s top defenseman and captain, and Elias Pettersson, its No. 1 center, practiced Sunday for the first time in almost two weeks. They have missed four games since each last played Dec. 23 against the San Jose Sharks.
“Game-time on Quinn; I don’t think ‘Petey’s’ going to play tonight,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said after an optional morning skate at Bell Centre.
Hughes, who skated with the top power-play unit Sunday, leads Vancouver and is third among NHL defensemen with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 34 games. He was labeled as questionable going into the game Dec. 23. He played 24:45 and had two assists in a 4-3 win, but the Canucks have gone 1-2-1 in the four games he has missed.
“Nice to be back, obviously hate missing time,” Hughes said after practice Sunday. “The way we went about it and handled it, lucky with the medical group we have and support system we have here, I think everything we did is how we wanted it to play out. Now, I’m in a spot where I am on the up and up.”
Pettersson, who is tied with Jake DeBrusk for third on the Canucks with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 34 games, scored twice in the second period Dec. 23 but only played one shift in the third and hasn’t played and didn’t practice until Sunday.
Dakota Joshua was placed on injured reserve Monday retroactive to Jan. 3. The forward went to the dressing room in the second period of a 3-0 loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday after Canucks forward Teddy Blueger hit Predators defenseman Roman Josi into his legs, but he returned for the third and finished the game.
Thatcher Demko took part in the morning skate, and Tocchet didn’t not rule out the goalie potentially dressing as the backup for Kevin Lankinen. Demko sustained back spasms during a 4-3 shootout win at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, leaving in the second after getting spun around in a collision with teammate Noah Juulsen.
“He actually felt half-decent yesterday, so hopefully he has a good session today,” Tocchet said. “So, I can’t really make a decision until I talk to him today.” — Sean Farrell
Aaron Ekblad was on the ice after the morning skate Monday and is unlikely to play against the Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, ALT, TVAS).
Florida coach Paul Maurice said Sunday the defenseman would be a “morning-skate decision” and would not disclose Ekblad’s injury after he did not practice.
“General body,” Maurice said. “Let’s start a new one: General body, malaise.”
Maurice did say whatever Ekblad is dealing with “just cropped up” during a 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins on Friday. Ekblad was held out for the end of the third period and did not appear in overtime.
Niko Mikkola participated in the morning skate but is also unlikely to play; the defenseman has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.
The Panthers recalled defenseman Tobias Bjornfot from Charlotte of the American Hockey League on Sunday. — George Richards
Kirill Kaprizov has not resumed skating and remains day to day with a lower-body injury.
The 27-year-old forward has missed the Wild’s past five games since he last played Dec. 23, a 4-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Minnesota is 4-1-0 without Kaprizov.
Jake Middleton practiced Monday, and coach John Hynes said the defenseman’s return is “imminent.”
Middleton sustained an upper-body injury blocking a shot 37 seconds into the first period of a 7-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 12.
“We will see how he responded to this, whether he would be available for the next game (Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues) or two,” Hynes said. “ … Whether that’s tomorrow or not, not sure.”
Jakob Lauko also practiced for the first time since reaggravating a lower-body injury. The forward has been out since Dec. 14.
“I don’t know the exact timeline of him, other than he’s nearing pretty quick,” Hynes said.
Forwards Mats Zuccarello and Freddy Gaudreau did not practice due to illness. Hynes said he expects them to be able to play against the Blues on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNNO, FDSNWI).
Jared Spurgeon (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday, and defenseman Carson Lambos was recalled from Iowa of the AHL. Forwards Brendan Gaunce and Travis Boyd were also recalled under emergency conditions.
Spurgeon, a defenseman and the Wild captain, has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 32 games. He last played Dec. 31. — Jessi Pierce
Arthur Kaliyev was claimed by the Rangers off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.
The 23-year-old forward has yet to play in the NHL this season because of a fractured clavicle sustained on the second day of training camp. He was five games into a conditioning stint with Ontario of the American Hockey League (one goal, one assist).
Kaliyev signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the Kings on Sept. 18. He was a second-round pick (No. 33) in the 2019 NHL Draft, has 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists) in 188 regular-season games and is without a point in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Rangers play the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG).
Matt Rempe was assigned to Hartford of the AHL. The forward must serve the eighth and final game of a suspension for boarding and elbowing Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen on Dec. 20 if he gets recalled.
Erik Haula will be out several weeks with a sprained ankle, coach Sheldon Keefe said Monday.
The 33-year-old center was not on the ice for an optional morning skate Monday before the Devils faced the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena (10 p.m. ET; KHN, MSGSN, KONG).
“He’s going to miss some time,” Keefe said. “It’s going to be weeks, so in terms of the actual timeline, it will [depend] on how he recovers, but he’s got a sprain on his ankle. It’s going to take some time for sure.”
Justin Dowling will slot into Haula’s spot on the third line with Paul Cotter and Dawson Mercer on Monday.
New Jersey (24-15-3) has lost four in a row. — Darren Brown
Nicolas Roy returned to practice Monday in a noncontact jersey and will not play when the Golden Knights visit the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (10:30 p.m., SCRIPPS, NBCSCA, SN1).
The forward has missed the past eight games with an upper-body injury. He has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 31 games this season. Roy last played Dec. 15.
Victor Olofsson practiced Monday after the forward missed a 3-1 victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday due to illness. — Paul Delos Santos
Hockey News