NHL Buzz: Pietrangelo expected to return for Golden Knights

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Vegas Golden Knights

Alex Pietrangelo is expected to return for the Golden Knights against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN3).

The defenseman hasn't played since he was a late scratch for a 5-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on March 25 because of a lower-body injury. He has missed the past four games.

"It's good to be back," Pietrangelo said. "It's only a week, but it feels like a lot longer when you're not playing and watching the games. Luckily enough, my time is occupied by my four kids, so it goes by pretty quickly. But you kind of miss being out there with the group."

Pietrangelo has 32 points (four goals, 28 assists) and is plus-11 in 67 games. He also leads the Golden Knights in average ice time per game (22:29).

"'Petro's' going back to being one of the best defensemen in the National Hockey League. It's nice to have him back," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He's ready to go. He goes in. He helps us be better, so it's that simple for me."

Tomas Hertl participated in an optional practice on Wednesday wearing a noncontact jersey.

The forward has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury during a 4-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 23.

"He wants to be around his teammates; he's been putting the work in," Cassidy said Wednesday. "We weren't sure how it was going to come along, but good to see him back out there. That's the medical team's return-to-play protocol. It's always step one, [to] get around your teammates, so we'll see how he progresses from there, how he reacts to today. Having him out on the ice, obviously, is a positive."

Hertl ranks second on Vegas with 31 goals and is third with 59 points in 70 games this season. He has eight goals in his past 10 games.

The Golden Knights (45-21-8) are first in the Pacific Division, five points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings. -- Paul Delos Santos

Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk (upper body) missed his second straight game for the Senators against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

Coach Travis Green said on Tuesday that Tkachuk would "hopefully" only miss one game, but after the morning skate on Thursday, he had no update on the forward's status.

"The thing about Brady is, he wants to play more than I want him to play, and that's a lot," Green said. "So, he'll play as soon as he's ready. ... It's just that he's not ready to play."

Ottawa (39-29-6) lost 5-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday without its captain. Tkachuk leads the Senators with 29 goals and has 55 points in 71 games.

Forward Nick Cousins, who has missed 26 games since sustaining a knee injury following a collision with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jacob Quillan on Jan. 25, practiced on Thursday for the first time since having surgery Feb. 1. Cousins wore a noncontact jersey and was an extra during line rushes.

"It's been a long process for him, but great to see him on the ice," Green said. "Any time a guy is hurt with that type of injury and that amount of time, people don't see what the players go through to get back and play. It's been a grind for him. He brings a lot of energy to our group, so it was good to see him out there."

The Senators hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. -- Callum Fraser

New York Islanders

Anthony Duclair will be taking some time away from the team.

"Obviously, you saw that Anthony [Duclair] was not at the practice today," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "This morning, Anthony and I had a very good conversation, a very positive one, and Anthony asked me to take some time off and reflect. So, obviously, I agreed to that, and we'll give him all the time that he needs."

Following a 4-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, Roy said he was not happy with Duclair's game after only playing the forward 12:15 minutes.

"He was god-awful," Roy said. "He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That's why I didn't play him a lot. And he's lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that's how I feel."

After Duclair signed a four-year contract with the Islanders on July 1, reuniting with Roy, who was his junior coach with Quebec of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League, the 29-year-old sustained a lower-body injury in the fifth game of the season. Duclair missed the next 28 games and has struggled since returning with just eight points (five goals, three assists) in his past 39 games.

He was a healthy scratch in a 4-0 loss at the New York Rangers on March 3.

"It can't be easy. I've never had a groin injury, so I don't know what it's like, but everybody I talked to says it's one of the hardest things to come back from," Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. "Obviously, when you have an injury like that it [stinks], and you definitely don't feel like yourself, but he's definitely put in work on and off the ice to try to get back to his level. And he's definitely going to get back there."

Duclair has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 44 games and is averaging 15:03 of ice time per game.

The Islanders (32-32-10), who trail the Montreal Canadiens by five points for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, host the Minnesota Wild on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, MSGSN, SN360). -- Stefen Rosner

Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov is day to day for the Panthers with an upper-body injury.

The captain was a late scratch prior to a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.

"I don't think it's a long-term thing," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the game.

Barkov has 67 points (19 goals, 48 assists) in 64 games this season.

The Panthers next play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, SCRIPPS).

Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin traveled with the Penguins on a three-game road trip but will not play at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, SN-PIT).

The 38-year-old center will miss his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury. In his 19th NHL season, Malkin is fifth on the Penguins with 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) in 62 games.

Malkin and defenseman P.O Joseph, who has been out since March 1 with an upper-body injury, skated on an individual basis Wednesday. Forward Tommy Novak, labeled as day to day since sustaining a lower-body injury March 9, did not skate.

Rickard Rakell practiced at second-line center, Malkin's usual spot. He could play a second straight game there after leading Pittsburgh with 32 goals mostly at left wing on the first line. -- Wes Crosby