NHL Buzz: Stolarz practices in full with Maple Leafs for 1st time since injury

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Toronto Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz participated in his first full practice for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday since having a knee procedure Dec. 18.

The goalie has missed the past 21 games after sustaining the injury in a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 12.

"It's probably just about getting my conditioning back where it is. I feel really good," Stolarz said. "The training staff has done a great job of taking care of me and the strength and conditions coaches have done a great job of creating a plan to be able to strength it and get everything back up. You lose some muscle so you have to get some of that back, but there's no cardio like playing hockey in a full 60-minute game, especially as a goalie.

"But I feel good. It's just about getting that cardio back."

Stolarz said he has no target date for a return. Toronto coach Craig Berube said he's not putting any pressure on Stolarz to return. However, Berube said it's possible Stolarz could play prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off (Feb. 12-20).

Stolarz, who is in his first season with the Maple Leafs, is 9-5-2 and was leading the NHL in save percentage (.927) and was second in goals-against average (2.15) at the time of the injury.

Forward Max Pacioretty will return against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

Pacioretty has missed the previous three games after taking a puck to the head in a 7-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18. He practiced at left wing Tuesday on a line with center Fraser Minten and right wing Nicholas Robertson.

"It's one of those things where you need to make sure you feel really, really good when you come in because there is no point at this time of the year with where the team is at, where I'm at, to come in and not feel great," Pacioretty said. "Got my first practice out of the way and I feel up to speed. It was a tough one but a good one, in the sense that I feel ready for a game."

Center John Tavares (lower body, five games missed) and left wing Matthew Knies (upper body, one game missed) each skated prior to practice. They will not play Wednesday but will travel on Toronto's upcoming four-game road trip.

"I think (Knies) is close. It's improving every day. He was out there today doing more and more," Berube said. -- Dave McCarthy

St. Louis Blues

Brandon Saad was placed on waivers Tuesday.

The forward, who signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) July 29, 2021, has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 43 games this season, and has bounced in and out of the lineup.

"Obviously the production's not there," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Wednesday. "… There's been a group that's been here for a while that things don't seem to be changing. Collectively, you have to start chipping further and further up."

Saad, who has two seasons remaining on his contract, will report to Springfield of the American Hockey League if unclaimed by 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

"'Saader' has been a very productive Blue for a long time," coach Jim Montgomery said. "Today's not an easy day on him and his family. I have a lot of empathy for him because it's not easy. It's a result-oriented league. He hasn't been producing at the levels that he has been in the past, but that doesn't take away what he's done for us as a Blue.

"I think if you look at a lot of players on our team individually, it's been similar to our team, the inconsistency of our team has been inconsistent because a lot of individuals have been inconsistent. Not only with production but with their impact from game to game."

Saad has scored at least 20 goals seven times in his career but has scored in just three games this season, two two-goal games, and most recently, a hat trick against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 3.

The Blues (23-24-4) have lost three straight and trail the Calgary Flames by five points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

"At the end of the day, we all need to play better, every individual, every guy," captain Brayden Schenn said. "Obviously, it's been up and down for Saader. He's a heck of a player that can still score goals, that can still play in this league. Obviously, hopefully he finds a fit somewhere else. He's a good teammate. As players, you put it on yourself because you don't want to see guys in these positions continuously get traded or waived, or whatever it may be. That's obviously a problem that we have to fix internally to help each other out more."

Armstrong indicated he's tried to accommodate Saad in trading the 32-year-old but has been unsuccessful.

Saad has a full no-trade clause this year and a 12-team modified no-trade clause for 2025-26.

"Right now, the cap is tight," Armstrong said. "Statistically, he's not having a great year and he's got another year left. If we could find a match, we would try. We don't make these decisions, wake up one day and not try and cultivate the best … I'd like to put the players in the best situations and also get the best return for the Blues … We don't try and not get the best assets that we can. The market speaks and then you just react."

In four seasons with St. Louis, Saad has 144 points (76 goals, 68 assists) in 274 games. -- Lou Korac

Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin is week to week with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve by the Penguins on Monday.

The center sustained the injury during a 4-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Malkin has 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 47 games this season.

"He's an important player for us," coach Mike Sullivan said prior to Pittsburgh's 2-1 loss at the San Jose Sharks on Monday. "He's a top-two center, he's dynamic with the puck. He's not an easy guy to replace."

The Penguins recalled forwards Bokondji Imama and Jesse Puljujarvi from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. Owen Pickering, a defenseman, was sent to the AHL. -- Max Miller

New York Islanders

Ryan Pulock and Marcus Hogberg are out indefinitely with upper-body injuries sustained during a 3-2 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.

Pulock, a defenseman, left 15 seconds into his first shift after he got tangled up with Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake behind the Islanders net. He has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) and is plus-7 in 48 games while averaging 21:55 of ice time.

Hogberg was replaced in goal by Ilya Sorokin for overtime after he made 24 saves. It appeared he injured his right hand following a save on a slap shot from Shayne Gostisbehere before the two collided just outside of the crease. Hogberg is 2-2-0 with a 1.45 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in seven games (five starts).

"You don't like losing players -- there's no doubt about it, especially the way they both were playing," coach Patrick Roy said Monday. "They were playing really well for us. So, I mean, they’re bad losses and important ones, but at the same time, it gives opportunities to other guys to take advantage of it."

With Semyon Varlamov (lower body) still on long-term injured reserve, goalie Jakub Skarek was recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL on Monday. Skarek is 5-11-1 with a 3.22 GAA and .895 save percentage in 20 AHL games.

Noah Dobson, who sustained a lower-body injury in a 3-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 20, is week to week and also on LTIR. Dobson leads Islanders defensemen in goals (six), assists (18), points (24) and average time on ice (24:01). Defenseman Tony DeAngelo was signed for the remainder of the season and made his Islanders debut Saturday.

The Islanders also acquired defenseman Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues after practice Monday for a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

"It's honestly laughable at this point," forward Mathew Barzal said. "It's just, like, when's it going to stop? But at the end of the day, we've banded together throughout every injury this season. [Pulock and Hogberg] are two real key guys for us. We'll just have to find a way." -- Stefen Rosner

New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier is being evaluated for an undisclosed injury and did not play in a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

The center and Devils captain left a 4-3 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday after playing the first shift of the third period. Hischier was cross-checked by Canadiens center Nick Suzuki late in the second period.

"He's doing OK," coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He's gone back to Jersey to get evaluated, and we'll have more information once we get that figured out."

Hischier leads New Jersey with 24 goals in 51 games and is second among forwards with an average ice time of 20:21.

Dawson Mercer moved into Hischier's spot as second-line center between Timo Meier and Stefan Noesen.

"Nico means a great deal to our team," Keefe said. "He just takes on so much. He might have the hardest job in hockey right now, in terms of level of competition he plays against, the face-offs he has to take in both dots and all three zones. Power play, face-offs, penalty kill. He means a great deal to our team, so if you take him out, then there's opportunities there for others to step up.

"I think for someone like Mercer, you're wanting those opportunities, you're wanting to be leaned on, you're wanting to be counted on. And to me, he was outstanding in the third period the other night in Montreal when we asked him to step into that role, and that's what you need."

The Devils host the Flyers on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT). -- Adam Kimelman