NHL Buzz: Hischier could return for Devils this weekend

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New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier returned to practice on Tuesday and could return to the lineup against the Dallas Stars on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; MSGSN, Victory+).

"I wouldn't say he's cleared at this point; it's his first day back, so doctors will play a role in it, and he'll get assessed," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. "But he knows how his body feels and it didn't seem like he was in any sort of discomfort today (during practice), so I suspect he'll be ready to go."

The Devils captain was placed on injured reserve Feb. 6 retroactive to Jan. 25 and has missed six games with an oblique injury. New Jersey has 3-3-0 without him.

"It obviously wasn't fun watching those games," Hischier said. "Nobody's having fun watching games; you always want to be out there helping, win or lose."

Hischier took a cross-check up high late in the second period of a 4-3 overtime win at the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 25 and did not play the remaining 2:10 of the period. He returned to the bench to begin the third and was on the ice for a 36-second shift before returning to the locker room.

"I feel better now. I had a great break and it felt good to be back out there with the guys," Hischier said Tuesday. "We recharged the battery and still got a few days to get into it, so I should be fine."

Hischier is tied for the team lead with 24 goals in 51 games and is second among forwards with an average ice time of 20:21. He ranks second in the NHL in face-off attempts (1,220) and wins (677) and is first on the Devils with a 55.5 face-off winning percentage.

Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler and goalie Jacob Markstrom were each placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.

Siegenthaler had a procedure done on Feb. 11 for an undisclosed injury and there is no timetable for his return.

"He'll be out for a bit here, for sure," Keefe said. "We'll have him evaluated over the next two or three weeks and have a greater idea of exactly what his recovery is going to look like."

Siegenthaler left a 3-2 shootout win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4 after falling along the boards at 8:45 of the first period and did not return.

Markstrom, who was injured in a 5-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 22, was expected to miss 4-6 weeks because of a sprained MCL in his knee. -- Mike G. Morreale

Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin was a full participant at practice on Tuesday and could return to the lineup when the Penguins host the Washington Capitals on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS).

The center took contact for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury in a 4-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 25. Malkin has been out 10 of the past 16 games, missing the past six and four from Jan. 7-12 with an upper-body injury.

Bryan Rust also took full contact in practice and could play Saturday. The first-line right wing was sidelined for a 3-2 loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 8 after suffering a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers the day before.

"I think the four practices (before the next game) are huge, especially after being off," Pittsburgh assistant coach Mike Vellucci said. "Then, when you're injured, they're two of our better players, obviously, so it's great to have them back. I thought, today, they looked really good, both of them.

"Their execution was pretty good today. I'm sure their lungs were hurting a little bit, but the rest of their game looked really good."

Malkin is fifth on the Penguins with 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 47 games. Rust is third with 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games. -- Wes Crosby

Nashville Predators

Jeremy Lauzon will be out for the remainder of the season because of a lower-body injury.

The defenseman last played on Dec. 31, logging 6:19 of ice time in a 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild. He was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 6 and his timeline was changed to 4-6 months on Tuesday.

Lauzon, who has one assist in 28 games this season, also missed 10 games earlier in the season because of a lower-body injury. He has 127 hits this season after setting the NHL single-season record with 383 last season.

New York Islanders

Scott Mayfield could return for the Islanders in their next game against the Dallas Stars on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSGSN).

Mayfield, who sustained a lower-body injury in a 3-2 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 1, missed the final four games before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. He has seven points (two goals, five assists) in 50 games this season.

"It's not fun to sit out and watch, but the timing of it with the time off, and the break and everything," he said. "I was able to get back to feeling good out there. Ready to go and excited to be back."

Mayfield, along with fellow defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper-body injury), each took part in practice on Tuesday.

Pulock, who was injured in a 3-2 overtime win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 25, practiced in a non-contact jersey. He has missed the past seven games and is currently on injured reserve.

Pulock has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 48 games this season.

"It was nice to see them on the ice today," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "I mean, I thought they looked good, but we'll see how the week progresses, and I'm sure we'll make some decisions at the time.

Defensemen Noah Dobson (upper body) and Mike Reilly (upper body), forward Mathew Barzal (lower body), and goaltenders Semyon Varlamov (lower body) and Marcus Hogberg (upper body) did not take part in the skate, and there was no update on their statuses. -- Stefen Rosner