NHL Buzz: Barrie to return for Oilers against Capitals

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Throughout the 2021-22 season, NHL.com will have you covered with the latest news.

Edmonton Oilers

Tyson Barrie will return to the lineup when the Oilers visit the Washington Capitals on Wednesday (TNT, SN, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
The defenseman has missed five games with upper- and lower-body injuries. He has scored 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in 35 games this season.
"He's a puck mover. He jumps in there," Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. "He's feeling better. (Defenseman) Kris Russell's dinged up a little bit, so he can come out. Hopefully Barrie jumps back in there and gets it going for us."
Mike Smith will remain out for the Oilers but should be ready to return when they play their first game after the break at home against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 8. The goalie has not played since Jan. 5 because of a thumb injury. He is 2-2-1 with a 3.76 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in six games.
"[Smith is] close to playing but we kind of went back and forth today to see if [Smith] would come in, but just with the break here we decided against putting him in one game and maybe risking setting things back," Tippett said. "He should be ready after the break. [Mikko Koskinen] will get one more game here and hope he can give us another solid game."

Washington Capitals

Vitek Vanecek will not play when the Capitals host the Edmonton Oilers (TNT, SN, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
The goalie left with an upper-body injury in the first period of a 4-3 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
"Right now, it's precautionary and still being evaluated," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "He'll just check in tonight with some people at the arena here. We've got one game left before the [All-Star] break and we just didn't see any need (for him to dress). So [Pheonix] Copley will back up. Copley's playing well down (with Hershey of the American Hockey League). Hopefully, it doesn't get to that, but we've got two good goaltenders in the lineup and we're doing what's best for Vitek."
Vanecek sustained the injury when Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen slid into him. He remained in the game, allowed a goal to Evgeni Malkin at 6:26 and was replaced by Ilya Samsonov at 6:43.
Samsonov, who made 43 saves Tuesday, will start against the Oilers. -- Tom Gulitti

Minnesota Wild

Marcus Foligno and Matt Dumba will not play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
Foligno, a forward, will miss his second game with an upper-body injury sustained Jan. 28 crashing into the boards in a 3-2 win at the New York Rangers.
Dumba, a defenseman, is out with an upper-body injury. He had two assists in a 4-3 win at New York Islanders on Sunday.
Each is day to day.
"(Foligno) probably could [play] tomorrow if push comes to shove, with [his] attitude, but we're going to be extra cautious and keep him out of tomorrow night's game," Wild coach Dean Evason said Tuesday. "Obviously both are very big pieces for us, but we want to try and do the right thing and get them 100 percent. With the (All-Star) break coming, we can hopefully get to that point."
Defenseman Jon Merrill and forward Nico Sturm were cleared from NHL COVID-19 protocol and will play.
Matt Boldy will remain with the Wild for the rest of the season, general manager Bill Guerin said Monday.
The 20-year-old forward scored nine points (four goals, five assists) in his first nine NHL games, tying Ryan Donato for the Wild record for most after nine games. Minnesota is 8-0-1 since Boldy scored in his NHL debut that helped end a 0-4-1 slide with a 3-2 win at the Boston Bruins on Jan. 6.
"Matt's here to stay," Guerin said. "He's been told that, and he's earned his way on the team, and he's played real well for us. He's done the right things. He's a really good kid. He's a good teammate." -- Jessi Pierce

Columbus Blue Jackets

Eric Robinson is expected to be out six weeks because of a sprained MCL in his right knee.
The forward left the Blue Jackets' 8-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Monday at 11:38 of the first period because of a lower-body injury.
Robinson has scored 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 42 games this season. He's one point from his NHL best of 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 56 games last season.
The Blue Jackets return from the All-Star break to play at the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, the start of a five-game road trip.

Boston Bruins

Goalie Tuukka Rask will be out at least through the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.
Goalie Jeremy Swayman backed up Linus Ullmark against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, the Bruins' final game before the All-Star break. Swayman was recalled from Providence of the American Hockey League on Jan. 30.
Rask is 2-2-0 with a 4.28 goals-against average and .844 save percentage in four starts since returning from July surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. He signed with the Bruins as a free agent Jan. 11.
"It's dragged out," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday. "Once he missed time on the road, we did not figure he'd be practicing today or ready to play [tonight], that would be a big ask after missing that amount of time. So you might as well take the break and get it sorted out.
"My guess is maybe there's some lingering effects from the surgery that are creeping in now after he played, more than maybe practicing for that stretch. Only he knows how much it's preventing him from being 100 percent athletic or comfortable in the net. That's what's happened the last little stretch here.
"That's where Tuukka is at. We'll have a much better idea coming out of the break." -- Amalie Benjamin