NHL Buzz: Byfield could return for Kings against Flames

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Today is the last day of the NHL regular season, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Los Angeles Kings

Quinton Byfield could play against the Calgary Flames on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, SN).

The center sustained an upper-body injury during the Kings' 5-0 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Monday on a cross-check by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who received a one-game suspension after being assessed a major penalty and game misconduct.

"Starting to feel better, and hopefully get back in tonight and just move forward," said Byfield, who participated in the morning skate and will meet with the Kings' medical staff to determine if he can play.

Byfield, who is fourth on the team in points (54), goals (23) and assists (31), missed a 6-5 win at the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

"He's a warrior for us," defenseman Joel Edmundson said. "Unfortunately he had to miss that one game, but hopefully he'll be back."

Edmundson, who has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 72 games, will return after missing five games because of an upper-body injury.

Los Angeles will host Edmonton in Game 1 of their Western Conference First Round series Monday (10 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, TVAS 2, FDSNW). -- Dan Greenspan

Toronto Maple Leafs

Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and David Kampf did not play in the Maple Leafs' final regular-season game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday but are expected to be available for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Ottawa Senators.

"Fairly confident," coach Craig Berube said. "I think they're all in pretty good shape. I feel pretty good about it."

McCabe and Ekman-Larsson, each a defenseman, and Kampf, a forward, all took part in an optional morning skate. All three are out with an upper-body injury.

McCabe, who has 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 66 games, missed his seventh straight game and Ekman-Larsson, who has 29 points (four goals, 25 assists) in 77 games, missed his fourth straight game.

Kampf, who has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 59 games, missed his seventh straight game.

The Maple Leafs dressed the same 18 skaters from their 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday. -- Dave McCarthy

San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini will play for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship next month.

The center finished his rookie season with 25 goals and 38 assists, second among first-year players.

"With the Olympics coming up (next year), it's going to be a high-level tournament with a lot of NHL talent," Celebrini said. "A lot of other countries [are] bringing the best players that they are going to need for the Olympics. I can't wait. It's going to be some good hockey, and it's going to be a lot of fun."

Celebrini last played for Canada at the 2024 World Juniors, where he had four goals and four assists in eight games. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft said he views the Worlds as a potential audition for the Canada roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

Canada will be in Group A, the same as Sweden. Celebrini's Sharks teammates William Eklund and Alexander Wennberg will play for Sweden.

"We're going to have them in the group stage, so it's going to be fun to play against him," Wennberg said. "I've always played with him, [so I'm] excited to see how big of a pain he is on the ice." -- Max Miller

Winnipeg Jets

Nikolaj Ehlers is week to week for the Jets because of a lower-body injury.

The forward was injured late in the second period of a 5-4 shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday and did not return for the third. Ehlers was skating down the left boards when he collided with linesperson James Tobias, with Ehlers' right skate blade catching Tobias' skate.

He previously missed nine games because of a lower-body injury from Dec. 1-17.

"It's related to the first time," Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said Tuesday. "Obviously [he] got reinjured again when he ran into the [linesperson]."

Ehlers had 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 69 games this season, which was third on the Jets, behind forwards Kyle Connor (97 points) and Mark Scheifele (87).

Arniel also said forward Gabriel Vilardi, who has missed the past 11 games because of an upper-body injury, is day to day. Vilardi has NHL career highs in goals (27), assists (34) and points (61) in 71 games this season.

The Jets (56-22-4) won the Presidents' Trophy as the top team during the regular season and will face the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 is in Winnipeg on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, MAX, FDSNMW).