Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Boston Bruins
Matt Grzelcyk will return for the Bruins against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday (7:00 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NESN) after missing the past three games with an upper-body injury.
“[Grzelcyk will be] in the game tonight, partnering with [Kevin] Shattenkirk,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the morning’s optional skate.
The 29-year-old defenseman returned to practice Thursday. He briefly exited Boston’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 19 following a big hit from Wild forward Marcus Foligno in the first period. Grzelcyk returned to finish the game, but has not played since.
Grzelcyk has one point (a goal) in 20 games this season. He’s spent most of his time playing on the first defense pair with Charlie McAvoy, but will replace Parker Wotherspoon on the Bruins third pair Saturday. Boston was 1-2-0 in his absence. -- Joe Pohoryles
Washington Capitals
Ethan Bear will make his Capitals debut when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSSO).
The 26-year-old defenseman signed a two-year, $4.125 million contract Thursday after rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Bear had 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 61 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season.
Max Pacioretty will not make his Capitals debut Saturday, however. There was a chance that the forward could play for the first time this season after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.
"Not quite there yet but getting close," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said.
Pacioretty took line rushes with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Matthew Phillips on Thursday but didn’t play in a 5-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Friday.
"We'll see what happens. One day at a time," Pacioretty said Friday. "We're heading in the right direction, so I'm excited about that. … This is what I've done for 30 years of my life. So, when I wasn't doing it, I was missing it. It makes you realize how much you love the game, and I'm definitely enjoying it right now, even just being a part of practices and even bag skates and whatnot. You realize that this is what I was born to do, so I'm just enjoying it."
Pacioretty signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals on July 1. He scored three goals in five games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season when he sustained his first torn Achilles. -- Harvey Valentine
St. Louis Blues
Justin Faulk will not play for the Blues at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSMW) because of a lower-body injury.
The defenseman was injured in the final minute of the third period of a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, and did not travel for the game Saturday.
"I can't give you the timeline, but I can tell you it's better than we originally thought it was," coach Drew Bannister told the Blues website. "I don't think it's day to day. Until we get back and see over the next two days how he recovers, and possibly at that point, get him possibly on the ice and see how feels when he skates."
Faulk has 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) playing in all 35 games for the Blues this season.
Following the game Saturday, St. Louis (18-16-1) next hosts the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Chicago Blackhawks
Taylor Raddysh was placed on injured reserve Saturday after the forward sustained a groin strain in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday.
The 25-year-old played 0:58 in the game, exiting at 4:59 of the first period. He has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 35 games this season and is averaging 16:12 in ice time per game.
Raddysh will miss a minimum of seven days, with Jan. 5 the earliest he could return.
Boris Katchouk was recalled from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Saturday. The 25-year-old forward has four points (two goals, two assists) in 17 games with the Blackhawks this season. -- Taylor Baird
Buffalo Sabres
Coach Don Granato was unavailable Saturday for the Sabres game against the Columbus Blue Jackets because of illness.
Seth Appert, coach of Rochester in the American Hockey League, filled in for him behind the bench.
Granato is in his fourth season as Sabres coach. Buffalo, which is 14-18-4 through 36 games this season, is 97-106-25 since Granato took over as interim coach March 17, 2021, when he replaced Ralph Krueger. He was named the coach June 29, 2021.
The Sabres are 2-4-1 in their past seven games. -- Heather Engel
New York Rangers
Filip Chytil has returned home to Czechia for a "reset" in his recovery from an upper-body injury, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday.
The 24-year-old forward has been out since sustaining the injury Nov. 2 in a 2-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. The native of Kromeriz, Czechia has six assists in 10 games.
“Fil’s progressing slowly,” Laviolette said. “It’s an opportunity for him to head home, reset, continue to move forward and when he comes back, we’ll welcome him back with open arms. I think just from the progression standpoint and things not moving quick, it was just a different avenue to try and push things along.”
Chytil had an NHL career-high 22 goals, 23 assists and 45 points in 74 games last season.
“I think we’re hopeful that he will be back,” Laviolette said. “Just where things were at here, we’re trying a different approach, a different avenue. This is more just a reset to go home and take a different look at it.” -- Derek Van Diest
New York Islanders
Ryan Pulock was transferred from injured reserve to long-term injured reserve Saturday.
The 29-year-old defenseman sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of a 7-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 7 after he blocked a Zach Werenski point shot off the right ankle at 18:05.
Pulock took six shifts in the third period before leaving the game at 11:46.
This transaction is retroactive to the date of the injury. Pulock has already missed 10 games and will miss his 24th day on Dec. 31. He is eligible to be activated on Jan. 1.
Pulock has yet to join the team for practice, and per Islanders coach Lane Lambert on Dec. 18, had yet to resume skating on his own.
He joins defenseman Adam Pelech, who has been on long-term injured reserve since Nov. 24 due to an upper-body injury. -- Stefen Rosner
Ottawa Senators
Mathieu Joseph, Thomas Chabot and Rourke Chartier each is expected to return from his injury on an upcoming road trip, which begins Tuesday.
"As far as the [return] dates, I don't have the dates exactly," coach Jacques Martin said. "I think they need to get in some practice time, get their timing [back], especially the ones that have been out for an extended period of time. But I think it's encouraging to see them on the ice and be part of the team. So, I would expect that hopefully they're back at some point during our road trip."
Joseph, a forward, practiced in a no-contact jersey Friday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in a 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 15. Chabot, a defenseman who has missed 11 games with a leg injury, and Chartier, a forward who has missed five games with a concussion, each continued to practice in no-contact jerseys.
"I think [Chartier] is a concussion issue, so I don't have as much information," Martin said, "but the other two, I think Chabot would probably be closer than Joseph."
The Senators (13-17-0) host the Sabres on Sunday before a five-game road trip that begins at the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. -- Callum Fraser
