NHL Buzz: Nichushkin cleared to practice with Avalanche, will return Nov. 15

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Colorado Avalanche

Valeri Nichushkin has been cleared to practice with the Avalanche and will play Nov. 15 when they host the Washington Capitals at Ball Arena, coach Jared Bednar said Monday.

The 29-year-old forward has been in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Player Assistance Program since May 13. He set NHL career highs in goals (28) and points (53) in 54 games last season and was tied with Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers for the League lead in Stanley Cup Playoff goals (nine) before being suspended without pay for a minimum of six months.

"It's good, it's great,” Bednar said. “Need all the help we can get, so add in a quality player like Val back, even if it's just for practice, then we know when he gets cleared to join the team then he'll be ready to go.

“I talked to a handful of guys. I mean, they know how much we need him. They know what he means to our team, and they're excited to have him back. They've seen him around here now for a couple weeks, but now to be able to join the team, it's starting to get real."

The Avalanche (5-7-0) activated forward Artturi Lehkonen off injured reserve Sunday; he could be available against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; KHN, KONG, ALT, SN1). Forwards Ivan Ivan, Nikolai Kovalenko and Nikita Prishchepov were recalled from Colorado of the American Hockey League on Monday.

"It's good having more bodies back, and between 'Lehky' now, 'Drou' (Jonathan Drouin) getting close, and Val out there, it's huge to see,” defenseman Cale Makar said. “So I think Val, in his own right, his effectiveness is being probably the best power forward in the League, there's not really anyone that can replicate that, in my opinion. So, it's good having him back out there.

“I think you see the work ethic he put in this summer. He looks to be in really good shape. He'll obviously be coming back in a couple weeks here, and it'll be awesome to get him back as well." -- Ryan Boulding

St. Louis Blues

Philip Broberg will miss 4-6 weeks because of a lower-body injury.

The defenseman was injured at 7:02 of the second period of a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday when Toronto forward Mitch Marner fell on Broberg along the boards.

Broberg, who has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 12 games and is tied with Ryan Suter for first with a plus-6 rating, was clutching his right leg and limped to the dressing room after the injury.

"We got the news on 'Broby' yesterday; for us it's good news when you look at what happened and how the play happened," St. Louis coach Drew Bannister said after practice Monday.

Broberg was playing on the second defense pair with Justin Faulk, which now will be occupied at least for the time being by Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

"You hate to see a guy go down like that," Joseph said of Broberg. "He's been unbelievable for us, but everyone needs to step up. Everyone's got to step up and find a new role. That's what I'm trying to do."

Defenseman Nick Leddy and forward Mathieu Joseph, each sidelined because of a lower-body injury, remain unavailable. Neither skated Monday and are not expected to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNSUN). -- Lou Korac

Winnipeg Jets

Kyle Connor practiced Monday after the forward left during the third period of the Jets' 7-4 win against the Lightning on Sunday.

An NHL concussion spotter pulled Connor from the game after he received a high hit to the upper back from Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov.

Connor, who has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) this season and extended his franchise-record season-opening point streak to 12 games with an assist Sunday, did not return.

“He looked good,” Winnipeg associate coach Marty Johnston said following practice. “He was quick, he was fast, and he was ‘K.C.,’ so it didn't look any different to me."

Jets defenseman Ville Heinola (ankle infection) and forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan (broken foot) each practiced in noncontact jerseys and remain on injured reserve.

Johnston also said forward Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Logan Stanley did not practice on Monday because of maintenance. They are expected to play when Winnipeg hosts the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, Utah16). -- Darrin Bauming

Boston Bruins

Tyler Johnson signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Bruins on Monday.

The 34-year-old forward had 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 67 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

A two-time Stanley Cup winner with Tampa Bay (2020, 2021), Johnson has 431 points (193 goals, 238 assists) in 738 regular-season games with the Lightning and Blackhawks and 65 points (32 goals, 33 assists) in 116 playoff games.

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson practiced fully Monday and could return for the Sabres when they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, TSN5, RDS2).

The forward has missed five games because of a lower-body injury he’d been playing through since the Sabres were in Prague for the 2024 Global Series Czechia presented by Fastenal.

“Possibility,” coach Lindy Ruff said Monday. “We’ll see how he got through today, his first full practice.”

Benson skated Monday at left wing with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, the line he’d primarily been on before he was shut down Oct. 22 to help his injury heal. He rejoined the Sabres for the first time Friday at their morning skate.

Benson, who had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 71 games as a rookie in 2023-24, has been held without a point in six games this season.

“It definitely weighs on you a bit mentally,” Benson said Friday. “Everyone wants to play their game, especially early on. So it definitely was frustrating, but that’s the past now. I’m excited to get back out there and play my game.” -- Heather Engel

Ottawa Senators

Artem Zub and Shane Pinto each practiced with the Senators on Monday for the first time since being injured.

Zub, a defenseman who has missed eight games because of a concussion, was on the first pair with Jake Sanderson. He could return when Ottawa (6-5-0) visits Buffalo on Tuesday.

"We'll see how the day goes today,” Zub said. We'll see."

"’Zuby’ made it through the whole practice, so that's a good sign,” coach Travis Green said. “I haven't talked to the trainers after practice yet, so we'll see where it goes.

"I expect him to be in sooner than later, but we just got off the ice."

Pinto, a forward who has missed five games because of an undisclosed injury, left practice early, but Green wasn’t concerned.

"We were kind of just expecting that he would just stay out for the beginning of it,” Green said. -- Callum Fraser

New York Islanders

Alexander Romanov and Mike Reilly remain day to day and are questionable to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSGSN).

The defensemen did not practice Monday after being unavailable when the Islanders lost 5-2 at the New York Rangers on Sunday because of upper-body injuries. Reilly was helped off the ice following a hit by Sabres forward Jordan Greenway during a 4-3 win Friday.

Romanov has missed three of the past four games.

New York (4-6-2) has lost four of five, all in regulation. The Islanders also are missing defenseman Adam Pelech and forward Mathew Barzal for 4-6 weeks because of upper-body injuries. Forward Anthony Duclair also is out because of a lower-body injury sustained Oct. 19.

The Islanders recalled defensemen Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc from Bridgeport of the AHL prior to the game Sunday.

Ryan Pulock played 29:24 against the Rangers, while Noah Dobson played 25:21 and Scott Mayfield 23:00. Hutton played 14:14, Dennis Cholowski played 13:53 and Bolduc, who was returned to Bridgeport on Monday, 5:56.

“When we won the Cup [with the Avalanche] in 2001, we played four defensemen,” coach Patrick Roy said Monday. “It was [Ray] Bourque, [Rob] Blake, it was [Adam] Foote, and it was [Martin] Skoula, and we had [Greg] De Vries and [Jon] Klemm that were playing 5-6 minutes a night. We're a little bit in the same boat right now, and these guys are capable of handling those minutes. So I'm comfortable with that.” -- Stefen Rosner