by Toronto Maple Leafs
TJ Brodie is expected to return for the Maple Leafs when they face the Washington Capitals on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN4, NBCSWA, SN NOW, ESPN+).
The defenseman has missed the past 10 games with a rib injury suffered in a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 7. He skated in practice on Saturday in a pair of med Morgan Rielly.
“I felt good,” Brodie said after practice. “It’s just a matter of seeing how it feels the rest of the day and tomorrow. I took a couple of bumps which was nice and I felt good. I hope so (to be in). It’s not up to me but I would like to.”
Toronto has two more games before the All-Star break.
“We get the final say from [Brodie] and the medical team later today or in the morning, but he adds a lot to our depth, an important part of our defensive corps, gives everyone else space and allows us to spread out the minutes,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Definitely a welcome addition. of course.”
Brodie, who has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 28 games, missed 12 games earlier this season after suffering an oblique injury on Nov. 11.
“It’s definitely not fun,” Brodie said. “I think this is probably the most number of games I’ve missed in my career, so it’s new for me and it’s definitely something you don’t want to do. Just mentally coming back from the last one, I felt pretty good physically. and to play a couple of games and have it happen again and be out, that’s tough.”
Matt Murraywho did not practice Saturday, is undergoing further testing to determine the extent of an ankle injury that Keefe said “flare up on him” before his expected start Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Ilya Samsonov started and allowed six goals on 34 shots in a 6-2 loss.
“It’s been something he’s been working on for a while and had settled into,” Keefe said of Murray. “He had been going through his training fine but it flared up on him a bit, he didn’t feel comfortable playing, the medical team kept him out and we’ll have more information later today.”
Keefe said it remains unclear whether Murray will back up Samsonov on Sunday or if a goaltender will have to be recalled from Toronto in the American Hockey League. — Dave McCarthy
Washington capitals
Tom Wilson will not play in the Capitals’ final two games before the All-Star break, coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday.
The forward did not play in a 3-2 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday one game after blocking a shot from his right leg in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
After playing at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN4, NBCSWA, SN NOW) and at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Washington does not play again until visiting the Boston Bruins on Feb. 11.
“He won’t be available until the break here, and then I think we’ll just evaluate everything when we come back from the break,” Laviolette said.
Forward Nic Dowdwho has missed the last five games with a lower-body injury, is also out at least until after the break.
“We’ll evaluate him just like we probably will the other players when we come back after the break,” Laviolette said. — Tom Gulitti
Seattle Kraken
Matty Beniers will not play for the Kraken against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday (10 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW) due to an upper-body injury.
The forward was injured in the second period of a 6-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. He was knocked down by the Canucks defender Tyler Myers, who received an interference penalty. Beniers did not play in the third period and did not play in a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Friday.
“He will not be available for our games today or tomorrow,” coach Dave Hakstol said Friday. “I can put whatever label you want in terms of day to day, but he won’t be available.”
After the game on Saturday, the Kraken won’t play until after the All-Star break, when they visit the New York Islanders on February 7.
Beniers, who leads NHL rookies in goals (17) and points (36), was scheduled to play in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4. Hakstol would not comment on Beniers’ availability for that game. — Andy Eide
St. Louis Blues
Robert Thomas is day-to-day and questionable when the Blues visit the Colorado Avalanche (3 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN, TVAS).
Thomas suffered a lower-body injury for St. Louis early in the second period of their third straight loss, 5-0 at the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, after he was hit with a deflected puck on a shot by a Blues defenseman Torey Krug. Thomas was down on the ice before he skated straight to the locker room.
Thomas, who leads the Blues with 31 assists and is second in points with 43 in 47 games, did not practice Friday.
St. Louis coach Craig Berube said that Thomas is sore and that “he will join us on the trip and see when he can be available.” The Blues finish their three-game road trip Monday at the Winnipeg Jets.
Forward Nikita Alexandrov was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League. St. Louis assigned defenseman Tyler Tucker to the AHL.
Alexandrov (22) has four points (two goals, two assists) in 16 NHL games this season.
“We need a center [after] to lose a guy in “Robby,” Berube said.[Alexandrov] played pretty well with us when he was up here, has played pretty detailed, gets pretty involved physically and decent puck skills.” — Lou Korac
Ottawa Senators
Cam Talbot will be out until after the All-Star break for the Senators with a lower-body injury.
The goaltender was injured in the second period of a 2-1 win against the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
Talbot, who missed the first nine games of the season with a rib injury, is 12-13-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 28 games (25 starts). He was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on July 12.
Anton Forsberg started for the Senators in a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. He is 9-10-2 with a 3.24 GAA and .903 save percentage in 25 games (22 starts). Forsberg made 21 saves in relief for Talbot on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Kevin Mandolese was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Thursday and was the backup Friday.
The Senators host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP, ESPN+, SN NOW) and visit them on Tuesday, then have the day off until they host the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 11. — Dave McCarthy
Columbus Blue Jackets
Gustav Nyquist is out indefinitely for the Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury.
The forward was injured at 17:12 of the first period of a 3-2 overtime win at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
“He has more of a voice than people think [locker] room, but his best asset is he leads by example,” coach Brad Larsen said Friday. “He doesn’t have to say a lot because he’s always prepared, he comes in good shape, his competitiveness is always there. All the qualities you want in a player, he has them.”
Nyquist has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 48 games this season. He is one of two players on Columbus averaging more than a minute per game on the power play (1:42) and penalty kill (1:44) this season (center Jack Roslovic; 2:18 and 1:47).
“He’s a guy I’ve really leaned on, so we’re going to miss him,” Larsen said. “He’s in every situation. He’s kind of a stabilizer for me. He’s so consistent in what he gives, the effort and the pace he can play at.”
The Blue Jackets visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW). – Kevin Woodley
