NHL Buzz: Makar in concussion protocol, out for Avalanche

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Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar is in concussion protocol and will not be available to the Avalanche for their next two games, coach Jared Bednar told Altitude Sports Radio.
The Avalanche visit the Winnipeg Jets on Friday and host the Calgary Flames on Saturday. They have been off since a 6-5 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, a game Makar missed one day after playing 21:27 in a 4-1 win against the St. Louis Blues. The defenseman had been out four games with a head injury sustained in a 2-1 overtime loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 7.
"He got hit in Pittsburgh, felt fine, came back in the game, passed all the tests, had a delayed response to his symptoms, so he went under the protocol and had to miss the allotted time," Bednar said. "Everything was going great, and he comes back in St. Louis and then he gets hit again and has troubles with his nose. But he was feeling fine, so he came back and played. But he had a delayed response again on his symptoms, and that timetable automatically puts him out for this weekend."
Makar is third on the Avalanche with 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) in 46 games and leads the NHL average ice time (26:57).
"He understands it because he's been through it before," Bednar said. "We'll keep an eye on him and see how it goes. Unfortunately, it's not just a nose that kept him out this time. It was sort of a delayed response. We had him scheduled to play that game against Edmonton and he wasn't able to do it. We'll just monitor him and hope for a speedy return, but it won't be the two games this weekend."
Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson is out indefinitely with a broken ankle sustained while blocking a shot in the first period of a 5-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 11. Bednar said he wasn't sure if Johnson would return prior to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg likely will be out at least the next two games for the Predators because of an upper-body injury.
The forward has missed five games since sustaining an upper-body injury after taking a hit in the corner from Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen during a 2-1 overtime win on Feb. 11.
Nashville won 5-4 in a shootout against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The Predators will visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday and Arizona Coyotes on Sunday.
"Filip Forsberg is skating, not with the team, so no he's not going to play tonight," Predators general manager David Poile told "Robby & Rexrode" on 102.5 The Game. "I don't think he would play on this road trip. … But I think that he's getting better and maybe next week when we talk, I can have more of an exact update."
Forsberg has 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 50 games this season.

Detroit Red Wings

Jakub Vrana played his first NHL game in four months when the Red Wings won 3-1 at the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
The forward had a goal and an assist in two games before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program on Oct. 19. Vrana, who hadn't played since Oct. 15 against the New Jersey Devils, was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League on Feb. 14.
He was plus-1 and had two shots on goal in 11:31 of ice time Tuesday. Vrana played on a line with Joe Veleno and Robby Fabbri.
"Just want him to stay within structure. It's the ask we have of all of our guys," Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said before the game. "That's probably something Vrana has battled his whole career is just staying connected within structure. Hopefully he does what he can do, and that's finish when there's opportunity."
Vrana's return was also his first game against the Capitals, who selected him in the first round (No. 13) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Red Wings, along with forward Richard Panik and two draft picks, for forward Anthony Mantha on April 12, 2021. -- Harvey Valentine

St. Louis Blues

Marco Scandella made his season debut in the Blues' 4-1 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
The defenseman, who did not have a shot on goal in 15:43 of ice time, was removed from injured reserve Monday and hadn't played after having offseason hip surgery.
"I'm just ready to play hockey," Scandella said before the game. "I'm going out there and I'm going to compete. I'm going to try to get to holes and create. But the most important thing for me tonight is focusing on defending hard on 1-on-1 battles. You don't want to do too much in the first game or the first period. Just get in there, work hard and the game is just going to come."
Scandella had 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 70 games with the Blues last season.
Defenseman Scott Perunovich was also removed from injured reserve and was assigned to Springfield of the AHL. He hasn't played this season after offseason shoulder surgery and had six assists in 19 games with the Blues last season.
Forward Jake Neighbours will be out at least five weeks with an upper-body injury.
Neighbours sustained the injury in a 7-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday; he has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 30 games this season. -- Kurt Dusterberg

Winnipeg Jets

Cole Perfetti was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
The forward did not play in a 4-1 win against the New York Rangers on Monday after he was injured in a 4-2 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
He has 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 51 games this season.
Forward
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
was recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. he has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 45 games this season.

Philadelphia Flyers

Travis Konecny did not play for the Flyers when they lost 4-2 at the Oilers on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury.
The forward had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Monday before leaving after taking a hit from Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar at 6:22 of the second period.
Konecny, who leads Philadelphia in goals (27) and points (54) in 52 games this season, will be reevaluated when the team returns home. The Flyers next host the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.

Calgary Flames

Michael Stone was placed on injured reserve by the Flames with an undisclosed injury.
The defenseman did not play in a 4-3 loss to the Flyers on Monday.
Stone has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 46 games this season, averaging 13:14 of ice time.
Forward
Walker Duehr
was recalled from Calgary of the AHL. He has two goals in eight games with the Flames this season.
Calgary next plays at Arizona on Wednesday.