NHL Buzz: Tkachuk practices with Senators, expected ready for start of playoffs
Quinn Hutson signs with Oilers; Spurgeon could return for Wild on Tuesday
© André Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images
Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk will be ready for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, coach Travis Green said Monday.
When asked if he believed Tkachuk would be on the ice when the playoffs start April 19, Green said, "I do."
Tkachuk, who leads the Senators with 29 goals and is tied for third with 55 points in 71 games, practiced with the team Monday for the first time since the forward sustained an upper-body injury on a hit from Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves on March 30.
He wore a noncontact jersey and took line rushes alongside Tim Stutzle and Fabian Zetterlund. The Ottawa captain will miss his eighth consecutive game when Ottawa plays the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, CHSN) .
"He has to [practice]," Green said. "If you want to be on top of your game after you've been out ... he's no different than any other player, you've got to come back and get some practice time. He's skated on his own for a bit now and it's good to get him with the group. I thought he looked sharp. And I'm sure he'll skate again tomorrow."
It’s unclear whether Tkachuk will play in the Senators’ final regular-season game, against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Ottawa (44-30-6) has clinched the first wild card in the Eastern Conference and will play the Toronto Maple Leafs (50-26-4) or the Tampa Bay Lightning (46-26-8) in the first round of the playoffs, which start April 19. -- Callum Fraser
Edmonton Oilers
Quinn Hutson signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Oilers on Monday.
The 23-year-old forward, who was a college free agent, was then minus-1 in 14:27 of ice time in his NHL debut in a 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings later that day. He is the older brother of Montreal Canadiens rookie defenseman Lane Hutson.
"I think it's just a great spot, great opportunity here," Quinn said. "I think there's a lot of opportunities to develop here; obviously, it's a great setup. I'm just excited to get started."
Quinn led Boston University this season with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games, helping it reach the Frozen Four national championship game, a 6-2 loss to Western Michigan on Saturday.
He played three seasons at BU, getting 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 39 games as a freshman and 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) in 40 games last season.
Edmonton (47-29-5) will finish third in the Pacific Division with the loss to Los Angeles, which will have home-ice advantage in the Western Conference First Round.
Quinn and Lane’s younger brother, Washington Capitals prospect Cole Hutson, also played for BU this season. The 18-year-old freshman defenseman had 48 points (14 goals, 34 assists) in 39 games. He was selected by Washington in the second round (No. 43) of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Lane Hutson leads NHL rookies this season with 65 points (six goals, 59 assists) in 81 games.
Vancouver Canucks
Thatcher Demko will not play in Vancouver's final game of the season because of an illness that also kept the Canucks goalie out of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
Demko, who did not practice Sunday, also did not play in a 2-1 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Vancouver (38-29-14) has been eliminated from playoff contention.
“He's feeling OK, but he's not feeling that great. I'm not going to throw him in,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “There's two games left. I don't think I'm going to play him. There's no reason to.”
It’s the fourth time this season Demko, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the NHL last season, has missed time because of injury or illness. He missed training camp and the first 24 games while recovering from a knee injury he sustained during the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 21, not making his season debut until Dec. 10.
Demko also left a 4-3 shootout win at the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 2 because of back spasms and missed the next two games. He then sustained a lower-body injury during the first period of a 2-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8 that kept him out for 15 games over six weeks before returning to defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in a shootout March 24.
The 29-year-old was 10-8-3 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 23 games this season.
“He does feel great bodywise,” Tocchet said. “I think this is the first summer he's going to go in without having to do a surgery. I think it's all positive with Thatcher. He's at a good place mentally [and] he’s got a good team going for his training.”
Derek Forbort also did not play on Monday and will miss the regular-season finale after the defenseman’s orbital bone was fractured during a fight with Wild forward Yakov Trenin on Saturday. Trenin received an aggressor misconduct for punching Forbort after he was already down on the ice.
“You don’t want a guy like that starting the summer like that,” Tocchet said of Forbort, who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. “He’s a big part of our team.”
Filip Chytil skated in a noncontact jersey Sunday for the first time since the center sustained a concussion in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 15. Chytil won’t play again this season. -- Kevin Woodley
Minnesota Wild
Wild captain Jared Spurgeon could return to play the Anaheim Ducks at Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, Victory+, KCOP-13).
The defenseman missed a 4-3 overtime win at the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday after taking a puck in the throat during a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Friday.
"'Spurge' is feeling a lot better, so we'll see," coach John Hynes said. "Maintenance day for him again today, and then we'll see where he's at."
Jake Middleton is also possible to play after missing four games with an upper-body injury sustained on a hit from New York Islanders center Bo Horvat during a 3-1 loss April 4. The defenseman took part in an optional practice Monday.
"We'll see where he's at after today, so a possibility for him as well," Hynes said.
The Wild (44-30-7) hold the first wild card in the West, one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues and three in front of the Flames, who have a game in hand. -- Jessi Pierce
Tampa Bay Lightning
Oliver Bjorkstrand is week to week because of a lower-body injury and unlikely to be available for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Lightning forward was injured during a 4-3 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.
Bjorkstrand was acquired from the Seattle Kraken, along with forward Yanni Gourde, prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7 for forward Michael Eyssimont, two conditional first-round picks (2026, 2027 NHL Draft) and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft as part of a three-team deal also involving the Red Wings.
He has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 18 games with the Lightning and 46 points (21 goals, 25 assists) in 79 games this season.
“It's tough because he's really grown into his role with us, and hopefully we'll have him back for the playoffs at some point," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said.
The Lightning (46-26-8) are second in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. They clinched home-ice advantage in the Eastern Conference First Round with the Florida Panthers losing 5-3 to the New York Rangers on Monday.
Forward Conor Geekie was recalled from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Sunday. The No. 11 pick by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 NHL Draft has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 50 games with the Lightning this season.
Geekie has 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 24 AHL games.
'He's excelled down there," Cooper said. "The bottom line is when you start getting injuries, it's great to have somebody of his talent level to be able to bring back up." -- Corey Long
Calgary Flames
Carter King signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames on Monday.
The 23-year-old forward and Calgary native was captain for the University of Denver this season and had 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 44 games, helping his team qualify for the NCAA Frozen Four for the third time in four seasons.
The Flames (39-27-14) are 4-0-2 in their past six games and trail the St. Louis Blues by two points for the second wild card in the West. Calgary hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, SCRIPPS).
