Dahlin out with back spasms for Sabres; Talbot, Lyon remain sidelined for Red Wings
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Nikita Kucherov could return from an undisclosed injury when the Lightning visit the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday (4 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, FDSNSUN).
The forward, who has missed two games, fully practiced Saturday for the first time since last playing Nov. 29.
Kucherov leads Tampa Bay with 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 34 games this season.
Mitchell Chaffee (undisclosed) also could return Sunday after missing four games. The forward has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 20 games.
Rasmus Dahlin did not play in a 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday because of back spasms and “is still being evaluated,” coach Lindy Ruff said.
The defenseman played one shift in the third period of a 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday before leaving the game and did not play in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
The injury is related to one Dahlin had during training camp, when he left practice early on the first day. He didn’t skate with the team for five days before rejoining them at practice, and played in a preseason game Sept. 27 in Munich, Germany, as part of the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal.
Dahlin is third on the Sabres with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists).
Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson each is getting closer to a return from injury but did not play Saturday.
Samuelsson, a defenseman, sustained a lower-body injury Nov. 11 against the Montreal Canadiens and has missed 11 games; Greenway has missed 10 because of a middle-body injury. The forward left practice early Nov. 15 because of the injury, which he had been playing through. He had a procedure last week to help it heal. — Heather Engel
Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon and will miss at least one more game for the Red Wings with each out because of a lower-body injury.
Neither goalie played against the Avalanche on Saturday, a 2-1 loss, and both will be out at Buffalo on Monday.
Ville Husso made 23 saves in his third straight start Saturday. Husso, who began the season as the Red Wings’ starter, is 0-4-2 with a 3.39 goals-against average and .884 save percentage in six games (five starts) this season.
Sebastian Cossa, who has yet to make his NHL debut since being recalled from Grand Rapids of the Americna Hockey League on Dec. 2, was the backup. He was a first-round pick (No. 15) by Detroit at the 2021 NHL Draft. — Dave Hogg
Brendan Lemieux had his contract terminated by the Hurricanes on Saturday.
The move came one day after the 28-year-old forward cleared waivers. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Carolina on March 11.
Lemieux has not played in the NHL this season after having five points (three goals, two assists) in 32 games last season, his first with the Hurricanes. He had two goals in 12 games for Chicago of the AHL this season.
“Brendan asked to be released from his contract so he could pursue a new opportunity,” Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky told the Hurricanes website Friday. “We wish him nothing but the best in the next stage of his career.”
Selected by the Sabres in the second round (No. 31) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Lemieux has 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists) in 307 NHL regular-season games for the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Hurricanes, and one goal in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Prior to their 4-3 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday, the Hurricanes assigned defenseman Riley Stillman to Chicago of the AHL.
