NHL Buzz: Backlund sidelined week to week for Flames

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund is week to week for the Flames with an upper-body injury.

The forward was injured in the first period of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.

"He does everything for us," forward Blake Coleman said Friday. "He plays in all situations and he's the leader of the team. I've played alongside him for a long time now, so I've got to find some chemistry with some guys here quick. We're going to miss him out there, but it's going to be one of those things where you have to fill the hole by committee and guys got to step up in some roles that maybe they haven't been put in throughout the year."

Backlund has 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 64 games this season. He averages 1:49 of power-play time per game and 2:23 of short-handed time per game, and had not missed a game in the past four seasons.

"I use [Backlund] in situations against top players all the time, so I haven't really had to second-guess who's going out there against a MacKinnon for a defensive-zone faceoff," Flames coach Ryan Huska said. "It's been Mikael. Other than that, I think the work that he's done is help bring along some other people in regards to the leadership and what we look for out of our players. I do expect our leadership group to be the strongest players for us tonight in his absence and I know everyone else will follow along."

The Flames (30-24-11) are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They recalled forward Dryden Hunt from Calgary of the American Hockey League on Friday.

"We've got not a lot of time left here to start climbing and winning some games," Coleman said. "It's on the guys that are in the locker room with that next man up, and we'll get them." -- Aaron Vickers

Winnipeg Jets

Neal Pionk will be out week to week for the Jets because of a lower-body injury.

The defenseman has 37 points (nine goals, 28 assists) in 66 games this season averaging 22:09 of ice time per game.

"(He) tried to get through it," Jets coach Scott Arniel said Friday. "We do need him for the long run here, so as much as he wants to play this is the right decision… If you have plans to play into June, you're going to need your roster. It's proven. There's injuries that happen, situations that happen, you're going to have to go deep (in the Stanley Cup Playoffs)."

Defenseman Luke Schenn, who was acquired prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, will move up in the lineup and take on Pionk's roles on the power-play and penalty-killing units.

"That's why we went out and got depth (and) somebody like Luke," Arniel said. "There's some roles there they're going to have to take on. It's part of what we've asked of everybody when we've had these injuries, things have happened. That next man up. Step up and do what you need to do… At the end of the day, we're glad we have Luke for it." -- Darrin Bauming

Buffalo Sabres

Josh Norris could be out with an undisclosed injury when the Sabres host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday (12:30 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSG-B, SN1, TVAS).

The center, acquired from the Ottawa Senators before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, did not practice Friday.

"He's just being evaluated by our medical staff today, so I don't have an update right now," coach Lindy Ruff said.

The injury is "something he's been dealing with," Ruff said.

Norris scored his first goal with Buffalo in a 7-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday and has two points in three games since the trade. He has 35 points (21 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games with Sabres and Senators.

JJ Peterka will miss his second straight game Saturday with a lingering lower-body injury. The forward has missed each of the past two practices and did not play against Detroit.

"I talked to JJ and he's feeling a lot better," Ruff said. "Won't play tomorrow but is making the trip so I would anticipate him playing."

Peterka has 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 61 games.

Buffalo begins a four-game road trip Monday at the Boston Bruins. -- Heather Engel

Carolina Hurricanes

Dmitry Orlov did not play for the Hurricanes in a 4-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday.

The defenseman has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury. He has 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 62 games this season.

Forward Andrei Svechnikov (undisclosed) also did not play against the Red Wings. He has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 63 games this season.

Dallas Stars

Roope Hintz could return against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, Stars coach Pete DeBoer said.

The forward has missed the past two games after he was hit in the face by a deflected puck during a 5-4 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

"He looks pretty good," DeBoer said after practice on Wednesday. "He can't get his heart rate up because of the blood flow for I think it was five days from the time of the injury. But I think once we clear that five-day hurdle, I would think he looks pretty good.

"I would call him possible for Sunday."

Hintz has 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) and is plus-13 in 59 games this season.