NHL Buzz: Edmundson cleared for contact, near season debut with Canadiens

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

Montreal Canadiens

Joel Edmundson was cleared for contact and practiced in full for the first time this season Monday, and will join the Canadiens for their four-game road trip beginning at the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
It is not known when the defenseman could make his season debut.
Edmundson has been out with a back injury and has not played since Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on July 7, 2021, when the Canadiens lost the best-of-7 series in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He returned to practice wearing a no-contact jersey last week.
"He's an amazing guy, on and off the ice," Montreal forward Josh Anderson said. "He's a true leader for all the guys in that locker room. With this year being tough, with the injury that he's had, he still feels a part of our team. He's in there every single day working hard, doing the things that he needs to do, and I know a lot of guys in that locker room look up to him."
Edmundson recently lost his father, who died from lung cancer in January.
Joel Armia practiced in a regular jersey and could return to the lineup against the Jets.
The forward sustained a facial cut against the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 17 and has missed four games. He has scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in 37 games this season.

Winnipeg Jets

Andrew Copp expects to return to the lineup when the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The forward has missed six games after sustaining a concussion when he was hit by Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway on Feb. 16.
Coach Dave Lowry said Sunday that Copp was close to returning after skating with Winnipeg last week.
"[I was] trying to make sure that there were no setbacks, and kind of take it slow, especially with last time coming back a little early and then had to miss some more time," Copp said Monday. "So I'm trying to make sure."
During the 2018-19 season, Copp missed three games (Nov. 24-29), returned for two but then missed 10 more (Dec. 4-22) with lingering concussion symptoms.
Copp has scored 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 47 games this season.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators cancelled practice Monday on the advice of their medical staff because of a flu bug going through the team.
Coach D.J. Smith said there will be players unavailable when Ottawa visits the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, TSN5, RDS2, ESPN+, NHL LIVE). The Senators last played Saturday, a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Canadian Tire Centre.
"We got eight or nine guys down with it, four or five played the other night and felt worse throughout the night, and a bunch yesterday," Smith said. "The guys that are healthy will do something active today and then we'll do a morning skate tomorrow and go."
Thomas Chabot missed the game Saturday with an illness unrelated to COVID-19. The defenseman returned to score three points (two goals, one assist) in a 4-3 win against the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 22 after an upper-body injury sidelined him for four games.
"Everything feels better this morning," Chabot said. "It's about getting some food and liquid back into me. It's not a great situation, but now that we're out of it, we're feeling good.
"I'm telling [teammates] it's not going to be great for the next couple of hours. Once you're out of it, you'll feel better, and you'll start eating again."
The Senators had three games from Nov. 16-20 postponed because of issues related to COVID-19, and 10 more from Dec. 19-31 and Jan. 3-10. The NHL used a Feb. 6-22 window originally contemplated to accommodate participation the 2022 Beijing Olympics to reschedule games after deciding NHL players would not travel to Beijing because of increasing COVID-19 cases and a rising number of postponed games.
Ottawa was 5-6-1 in February.
"I don't know the science behind it, but obviously something to do when you've been indoors as much as we have been and then you're starting to go back and get the regular viruses that guys haven't had over the years," Smith said. "We'll get back to normal. There can't be excuses. We'll be ready when that puck drops."