Training Camp Buzz: Zibanejad day to day for Rangers

Welcome to the 2020-21 NHL training camp buzz. The seven teams that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season began training camp on Thursday. The other 24 teams will begin on Sunday.
Here's a look around the League at the latest from training camps:

New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad will not practice when the Rangers begin their on-ice sessions Monday and is day to day, general manager Jeff Gorton said.
The center led the Rangers with 41 goals last season, an NHL-career-high, and scored 75 points in 57 games to help New York advance to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. He was second on the team in points behind forward Artemi Panarin (95).
Gorton said forward Justin Richards and goalie Keith Kinkaid will also not be available Monday.
"Right now, we'll just list them as day to day and hopefully none of it is long term and that we'll get them back on the ice as soon as possible," Gorton said. "Any time we can give you an update on these guys, we will." -- Dan Rosen

New Jersey Devils

Jesper Bratt
remains without a contract, but the Devils are optimistic that they will be able to sign the restricted free agent forward.
"We believe Jesper Bratt will be part of our team," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Saturday. "When that is, I don't know. I'd like it to be sooner rather than later and I'm sure he does too. … We see Jesper Bratt as a big part of our future."
Bratt, who scored 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 60 games with the Devils last season, is in Sweden and cannot travel to the United States without a work visa.
Fitzgerald said Bratt could miss the start of the regular season; the Devils first game is against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 14.
"I think there's a lot of urgency to get him in here because of some potential obstacles of the delay in getting his work visa," Fitzgerald said. "He'll have to quarantine once he gets to New Jersey, so there's a lot of urgency to get this deal done.
"[Bratt's] agent and I have been in constant communication. Right now, we're trying to find a common ground on their thoughts on how a deal should be structured versus how we think a deal should be structured." -- Mike G. Morreale

Buffalo Sabres

Jack Eichel did not practice with the Sabres on Saturday for the second straight day because of an upper-body injury sustained during training.
"I would say it still remains day to day, but I'll give you a heads up that my initial assessment would be that we will give Jack another day at least and the same with (goalie) Linus (Ullmark)," coach Ralph Krueger said. "We just don't want to force anything. You can know that we're keeping them physically fit and that they've put in the work, they've put in the work to have a foundation where if they step in here in a couple days we're going to be fine. But again, I am not at all worried by it and know that they will be ready (for the Sabres first game) on the 14th."
Eichel led the Sabres in goals (36), assists (42) and points (78) in 68 games last season. The center has scored at least 24 goals and 56 points in each of his five NHL seasons.
Ullmark, who is quarantining because of an immigration issue, is expected to be available in a few days.
Victor Olofsson will not practice Sunday. The forward is day to day with an upper-body injury sustained when he crashed into the net during practice Saturday.
"We're assessing it at the moment, so I do not have an update," Krueger said following practice on Saturday. "We'll let you know as soon as we have finished the assessment." -- Tom Gulitti

Nashville Predators

Yannick Weber
will attend camp on a professional tryout contract.
The 32-year-old defenseman scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 41 games with the Predators last season and played in four postseason games. He has played 12 NHL seasons including the past four with Nashville.
Forwards Mikael Granlund (immigration) and Erik Haula (birth of child) will not be with the team to start camp Sunday.

Florida Panthers

Henrik Borgstrom
and
Aleksi Saarela
will remain in Finland for the rest of the SM-liiga season before a decision is made if either will return to North America, Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.
Borgstrom, the No. 23 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, signed with HIFK in October and doesn't have an NHL contract this season.
"We had a lot of discussions about what might be the best for [Borgstrom] to jumpstart his career, get a restart and a positive focus moving forward," Zito said. "We had even discussed possibly having play the whole year there, maybe even the World Championships, build up and have hockey be a real positive experience for him and come in on his terms and make a return."
Borgstrom played in four games for the Panthers last season before he was assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League.
"He could [join the team later this season], we're not closing the door on anything," Zito said. "… when the time is right to come back let's do that."
Saarela, who is a restricted free agent, signed with Luuko in August.
"We had talked to him a little bit about coming back (to North America) and it didn't really get a lot of traction," Zito said. "He was having a good year (18 points in 19 games) so that kind of ended that discussion." -- Dan Rosen

Ottawa Senators

Thomas Chabot, Erik Gudbranson and Brady Tkachuk were named alternate captains for the Senators.
The Senators have not had a captain for the past two seasons after trading defenseman Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks on Sept. 13, 2018.
Chabot, a defenseman who served as an alternate captain in 2019-20, is entering his fifth season with the Senators; Tkachuk, a forward who is entering his third season, severed as alternate several times last season; Gudbranson, a defenseman, was acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 8, 2020.
There are six other NHL teams that do not have a captain: the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Vegas Golden Knights.

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood sustained an undisclosed injury on Friday and is day to day.
"It's a tweak ... he skated [Saturday] morning with our goalie coach (Dave Rogalski), did some exercise drills, some shooting drills, and felt good," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "As far as what's the next step for him, obviously long term is the most important thing. If it means giving him another short day tomorrow, so be it. The most important thing is he's ready by January 14."
Blackwood led NHL rookies in wins last season, when he was 22-14-8 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .915 save percentage in 47 games (43 starts).
"Mackenzie is going to be one of the key young, core pieces for this organization for a long time," Fitzgerald said after the signing. "He's obviously shown that he can be a No. 1 goalie, and the sky's the limit for him." -- Mike G. Morreale