NHL Buzz: Hischier week to week for Devils with upper-body injury
Guhle out indefinitely for Canadiens; Pacioretty back for Maple Leafs; McAvoy nearing return for Bruins
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New Jersey Devils
Nico Hischier is week to week for the Devils because of an upper-body injury.
"It's something I think they'll evaluate again next week and then take it from there," coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday. "But he won't be available this week for sure."
Hischier, a center and New Jersey's captain, took a cross-check up high late in the second period of a 4-3 overtime win at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and did not play the remaining 2:10 of the period. He returned to the bench to begin the third period and was on the ice for a 36-second shift before returning to the locker room.
He missed his second straight game when the Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on Wednesday.
"Nico is a guy we lean on for so much, whether it's power play, penalty-kill, 4-on-4, end of the game, start of the game, who to go to for a voice ... it's Nico," forward Nathan Bastian said. "When he's gone you need a collection of guys to step up, probably everyone, so hopefully we can come together and show that we can miss our top guys and still be the team we are."
Hischier leads New Jersey with 24 goals in 51 games and is second among forwards with an average ice time of 20:21.
The Devils are already without goalie Jacob Markstrom, who was injured in a 5-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 22; he will be out 4-6 weeks because of a sprained MCL in his knee. -- Mike G. Morreale
Montreal Canadiens
Kaiden Guhle sustained a lacerated quadricep muscle and will be out indefinitely after surgery.
The defenseman, who was released from the hospital, left a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in the third period and had to be helped to the locker room after an awkward fall into the boards.
"Where are we going to feel 'Guhls?' I think all over," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said after practice Wednesday. "He plays a lot of minutes 5-on-5, he kills penalties. I don't think it's one specific (area) but his presence is going to be felt, that he's not here, but it's not one guy that's going to replace him."
Guhle has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 44 games. His 100 blocked shots are second on Montreal behind David Savard (109).
Jayden Struble practiced Wednesday after the defenseman was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League. Struble has five points (two goals, three assists) in 26 games with Montreal this season.
The Canadiens next play Thursday against the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, FDSNNO, FDSNWI). -- Sean Farrell
Toronto Maple Leafs
Max Pacioretty returned in a 3-1 loss against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday and had five shots in 14:17 of ice time.
The forward had missed the previous three games after taking a puck to the head in the Maple Leafs' 7-3 win against the Canadiens on Jan. 18. Pacioretty 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 Tuesday. "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 did 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," coach Craig Berube said.
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.
Stolarz said he has no target date for a return. 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. -- Dave McCarthy
Calgary Flames
Kevin Bahl is week to week because of an upper-body injury.
The Flames defenseman sustained the injury on a hit by Jakub Lauko in the second period of a 5-4 win at Minnesota on Saturday. Lauko was assessed a boarding minor on the play.
"He's been a big, big piece for the back end this year," Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said of Bahl. "He's one of those guys that's shown he's almost irreplaceable for us. He's a big body (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) with a big reach who's playing shutdown minutes against top lines in the league."
Bahl, who will miss his third straight game Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks (9 p.m. ET; SNW, KCOP-13, Victory+), has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 47 games this season, and is third on the Flames in ice time per game (21:18).
"He's very good at kind of being in the way," coach Ryan Huska said. "His stick is very good. He disrupts a lot. Sometimes you think he's beat but here comes that big, long stick. He's been a very good defender for us and there's no doubt we'll miss him when he's out, but opportunity again... other guys have to raise their level collectively to try to make up for his absence.” -- Aaron Vickers
Boston Bruins
Charlie McAvoy could return for the Bruins against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NESN, TSN3).
The defenseman has missed the past seven games with an upper-body injury.
"Yeah, we're hoping," McAvoy said. "Another good day today and then tomorrow pregame skate in the morning, and then go from there."
McAvoy has 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 45 games this season while averaging 23:41of ice time. He has been skating every day since his injury, so he said he did not anticipate a lack of conditioning or issue with his timing.
The news is less clear for defenseman Hampus Lindholm, who has been out with a lower-body injury since taking a puck off the knee in a game against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 12.
Lindholm said it's unlikely he'd return Thursday.
"I don't think tomorrow," he said. "I'll take it day by day here. It’s been a long time since I played, so you just want to make sure when I get out there I can really make a different for the team. ... I want to be smart. Obviously we have the (4 Nations Face-Off) break coming up here, so it’s like a few games? I’ll take it day by day how it feels. I focus more on being really smart. I want to play a long time. Coming back two games too early or two games too late, feeling better, it’s probably smarter sometimes being a little cautious."
The Bruins were also without defenseman Brandon Carlo on Tuesday in a 7-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He has not been ruled out for Thursday. -- Amalie Benjamin
Ottawa Senators
Linus Ullmark could make his return from a tweaked back this week, coach Travis Green said Wednesday.
Ullmark, a goaltender who was a full participant in practice Wednesday, has not played since leaving after the first period of a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 22. He could dress in the final two games of the Senators home stand, either against the Washington Capitals on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, MNMT2) or against the Wild on Saturday.
Green would not say whether Ullmark was ready to at least back up Thursday.
"Linus had another day on the ice. He's coming along nicely," Green said after practice.
Defenseman Nick Jensen, who has missed two games with an undisclosed injury, is questionable for Thursday. He skated Wednesday, but not with the team. Defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, who hasn’t played since Dec. 28 because of a high ankle sprain, is "probably another week and a half, two weeks from skating," Green said.
Forward Nick Cousins, who left a 2-1 win against the Maple Leafs on Saturday after a knee-on-knee collision with Jacob Quillan, will be out 6-8 weeks. -- Callum Fraser
Utah Hockey Club
Dylan Guenther and defenseman Sean Durzi were each on the ice in noncontact jerseys Wednesday.
Guenther, a forward, has missed nine games with an undisclosed injury. He is second on the team in goals (18) and fourth in points (34). Coach Andre Tourigny said he is "still day to day."
Durzi, a defenseman, has been limited to five games this season because of shoulder surgery. Tourigny said he will practice, "until the 4 Nations and we'll reevaluate then."-- Matt Komma
