Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov will be a game-time decision against the Minnesota Wild (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNNO, MAX, TNT) at Xcel Energy Center because of illness.
Barkov missed the past two games but the forward was a full participant at the morning skate Wednesday, playing center on a line with left wing Carter Verhaeghe and right wing Matthew Tkachuk.
"He got through the morning skate, felt pretty good," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "We'll get some more food into him and make that decision."
Center Sam Bennett will not play because of illness.
"He was significantly under the weather in the Edmonton game [6-5 win Monday], but knew that Barkov couldn't play so kind of gutted it out for us," Maurice said. "But the cost of that probably is that he doesn't play tonight. We've got to get him rested." -- Jessi Pierce
Detroit Red Wings
Alex Lyon will play for the Red Wings against the Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT) at Little Cesars Arena after missing nine games because of a lower-body injury.
"I feel good," Lyon said after practicing Tuesday. "Happy and healthy and just excited to get back and contribute. It's a good feeling."
Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said Wednesday that Cam Talbot could play this weekend. The goalie has missed six of the past seven games because of a lower-body injury.
Detroit has back-to-back games against the Montreal Canadiens at home Friday and in Montreal on Saturday.
"Hoping to have [Talbot] for the weekend," Lalonde said. "He’s progressed well over the last two days." -- Dave Hogg
Toronto Maple Leafs
David Kampf will be in the lineup against the Dallas Stars (7:30 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN, TVAS) after missing 12 games because of a lower-body injury.
The forward practiced Tuesday at center on a line with Steven Lorentz at left wing and Ryan Reaves at right wing. Kampf also likely will play on the penalty kill.
"He's a big body there," Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Tuesday. "He did a real good job with us [penalty] killing with [Mitch] Marner because [Auston] Matthews was out. Thought they were really good together. Gives us more flexibility for sure. I like his size down the middle and he moves well. He has his job to do and he’s been doing it well."
To make room, the Maple Leafs sent rookie forward Fraser Minten to Toronto of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. The 20-year-old has four points (two goals, two assists) in 11 games and was scratched for a 5-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
"I thought he was good," Berube said. "I thought maybe dropped off a bit. He missed [training] camp, hasn’t played a whole lot, and we don’t want him sitting out up here and not playing every game. I don’t think that helps his development. I think he’s going to be a real good player. We really like him."
San Jose Sharks
Vitek Vanecek is expected to miss several weeks because of an upper-body injury the goalie sustained when he was hit in the head with a puck while sitting on the bench during the second period of the Sharks' 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
"Terrible luck. Feel for the kid," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Wednesday. "We got a stick on a puck, and it goes flying into a bench and he takes one up high. It's unfortunate.
"He's going to be out here a little bit ... [a] couple weeks for sure."
Vanecek is 3-8-1 with a 3.84 goals-against average and .885 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts) this season. He missed six games earlier this season because of a different upper-body injury sustained Nov. 16.
Goalie Yaroslav Askarov was recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
"It's an opportunity," Warsofsky said. "Unfortunate circumstances with Vitek going down, but it's an opportunity for him to play some games, probably consistently."
The 22-year-old is 1-0-1 with a .927 save percentage in two NHL games this season.
The Sharks next play the Colorado Avalanche at SAP Center on Thursday. -- Max Miller
