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Toronto Maple Leafs
John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are each expected to play for the Maple Leafs against the Philadelphia Flyers at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, NBCSP).
"They look like they're good to go, so that's how we are approaching it right now," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Tavares and Marner each missed a 4-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday because of illness and did not practice Wednesday. Nylander had a goal and three shots in 19:38, but an illness also prevented him from practicing.
Each forward took part in the morning skate.
"I was pretty under the weather," Tavares said. "Always difficult when it puts you to the point where you are unable to suit up, but you do what you can to recover as quickly as possible and cheer on the guys from afar and they had a great game the other night."
Forwards Alex Steeves and Ryan Reaves are expected healthy scratches. -- Dave McCarthy
New Jersey Devils
Vitek Vanecek is unlikely to play for the Devils against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS2) because of a lower-body injury.
The goalie is expected to miss at least the next two games. Nico Daws will start against the Los Angeles Kings at Prudential Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSW).
Vanecek has missed the previous two games after making 31 saves in a 1-0 overtime loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
"No real update yet, but we'll get you one to you as soon as we can," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said after the morning skate.
Daws is 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .950 save percentage in two straight starts.
Goalie Akira Schmidwas recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League on Monday. -- Mike G. Morreale
Los Angeles Kings
Viktor Arvidsson was activated from long-term injured reserve and the Kings forward is expected to make his season debut against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSW).
Arvidsson was out because of a back injury that required surgery. He returned to practice last week, including an optional skate Saturday, but was not available for a 4-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers and a 7-0 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
"He's getting closer," Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller said Monday. "You saw him in a regular jersey yesterday. He actually took some contact in the drills."
Arvidsson had 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 77 games for the Kings last season.
Forwards Carl Grundstrom and Blake Lizotte were placed on LTIR. Grundstrom did not travel to New Jersey after he was injured in the second period Tuesday. Lizotte resumed skating on his own after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 15, but has not returned to practice. He has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 34 games. -- Dan Greenspan
Philadelphia Flyers
Tyson Foerster (lower body) and Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) remain questionable for the Stadium Series.
They're doubtful to play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. Neither practiced Wednesday nor played a 5-3 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.
Ristolainen's injury is considered minor, but the Flyers have no timetable for when the defenseman could return.
"He's played well," coach John Tortorella said Tuesday. "Someone else fills in. That's the way it works. We have eight [defensemen]. It gives other guys other opportunities for ice time, and we just go about it. Injuries are part of it."
Foerster has not played since blocking a shot by Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak in the third period of a 3-2 win in Philadelphia on Saturday.
"I certainly miss him on the bench, and quite honestly not the offensive part of the game," Tortorella said of the forward. "He's probably one of our stronger defensive players, and probably the strongest with his stick as far as puck battles. I thought that line was playing really well [with Noah Cates and Ryan Poehling]."
Forward Owen Tippett and defenseman Jamie Drysdale also missed practice Wednesday because of maintenance. -- Adam Kimelman
Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen worked with a full group during Hurricanes practice for the first time since the goalie was diagnosed with a blood clotting issue in early November.
The 34-year-old has been out since Nov. 2. He's 4-1-0 with a 2.87 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in six games this season.
Carolina is 24-13-5 without Andersen, with rookie Pyotr Kochetkov going 13-6-3 with a 2.31 GAA, .910 save percentage and one shutout in 24 games (23 starts). Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets each has played one game.
Antti Raantais out at least a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury sustained playing in relief of Kochetkov on Feb. 8, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said two days later. Raanta is 10-6-2 with a 2.97 GAA and .873 save percentage in 20 games (17 starts) since Andersen's injury and played with Chicago of the American Hockey League from Dec. 17-26 after clearing waivers.
The Hurricanes (30-17-5) visit the Arizona Coyotes on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSSO, NHLN, SN, TVAS).
Detroit Red Wings
Ville Husso is out week to week with a lower-body injury the Detroit goalie sustained early in an 8-4 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Husso made six saves but was injured shortly before Leon Draisaitl scored to make it 1-0 at 8:48 of the first period. It was his first start since he was helped off the ice with 2:37 left in the opening period of a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 18 and missed 20 games with a lower-body injury.
"Different lower body, but lower body and week to week, unfortunately," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.
Alex Lyon replaced Husso in Edmonton, giving up seven goals on 29 shots in what was his 16th appearance in 17 games.
Lyon will start against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNP, BSDET). James Reimer, already with the Red Wings as a third goalie, will back up.
"With 31 games left, we have to be smart in how we manage it," Lalonde said.
Lyon is 14-7-2 with a 2.76 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and two shutouts. Husso is 9-5-2 with a 3.55 GAA and .892 save percentage. Reimer is 4-6-2 with a 3.22 GAA, .894 save percentage and one shutout. He made 28 saves in a 4-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 14, his first game in 2 1/2 weeks, and six saves in relief of Lyon after the second period of a 5-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Jan. 23.
"Confident in all three," Lalonde said. "We've been fortunate to have all three. It's saved our season, carrying three goalies and here we are again. You lean on that depth and Reimer's last time out was a quality win, so full confidence." -- Kevin Woodley
