NHL Buzz: Kapanen makes Blues debut against Kraken

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St. Louis Blues

Kasperi Kapanen made his debut Blues debut against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.
The forward, claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, played on a line with Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas.
"There's a lot of potential there," St. Louis coach Craig Berube. "[Kapanen has] got all the talent and size (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) to be a good player. His speed, for sure, stands out. He's a well-built guy, pretty good size, good speed. Those are two things that stand out."
Kapanen had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 43 games with the Penguins.
"It didn't work out in Pittsburgh, but I couldn't be more excited to join these guys," Kapanen said Monday. "... I know what I'm capable of bringing to a team when I'm at my best. I haven't been doing that as of late, so I think a fresh start is exactly what I need and to kind of prove myself and show these guys that I'm a good hockey player. Hopefully I can just help the team out."

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tanner Jeannot made his debut with the Lightning against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, two days after the forward was acquired from the Nashville Predators for defenseman Cal Foote and five draft picks.
Jeannot had 14 points (five goals, nine assists) and 85 penalty minutes in 56 games with the Predators. He is playing on a line with forwards Nicholas Paul and Ross Colton.
"I got in this morning and got to meet all the guys," Jeannot said Tuesday. "It's a great group. Just looking forward to getting out there and getting on the ice and showing the organization and fans what I can bring. And get the win."
In making the trade, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said that Jeannot fit the mold of a tough, physical player that will fight for the puck and make Tampa Bay a more difficult team to play against.
"If I was describing myself I'd like to say that I'm a hard guy to play against," Jeannot said. "Heavy against the walls, win puck battles, physical, go to the net front. I work as hard as I can and will do everything I can to help the team win." -- Corey Long

Winnipeg Jets

Pierre-Luc Dubois was scratched for the Jets against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday after being a game-time decision.
The forward, who was centering a line with Nikolaj Ehlers and newly acquired forward Nino Niederreiter, left practice early Monday with what Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness described as a nagging lower-body issue.
Dubois has 55 points (24 goals, 31 assists) in 60 games this season, and leads the Jets with 71 penalty minutes.
With Dubois unavaiable, the Jets played 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Adam Lowry moved up to center a line with Ehlers and Niederreiter, who made his Jets debut. Niederreiter was traded to Winnipeg from the Nashville Predators on Saturday for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Winnipeg reassigned forward
Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
to Manitoba of the American Hockey League on Monday. The Jets would not be able to recall a player unless they placed another on injured reserve. -- Darrin Bauming

Chicago Blackhawks

Alex Stalock started for the Blackhawks when they visited the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.
The goalie hae not played since Jan. 14 because of a head injury (oculomotor dysfunction).
Stalock also missed 20 games after sustaining a concussion on Nov. 1.
"The symptoms we really dove into, what I was having trouble with, [suggested] it wasn't necessarily another concussion-type [injury], which is good," Stalock said Feb. 20. "You never want to be having multiple concussions."
The 35-year-old is 6-6-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 14 games this season. -- Alan Robinson

Philadelphia Flyers

Travis Konecny is expected to miss at least the next three weeks because of an upper-body injury.
The forward has been out three games because of the injury, which occurred on a hit by Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar on Feb. 20.
"I'd say week to week and we'll probably have a good update in three weeks' time," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Tuesday.
Fletcher is optimistic Konecny's injury will not be season ending.
"I don't think so at this point," he said. "[It] may be. I know he'll be in contact with the doctors here over the next 2-3 weeks. He's on the bike today, he feels pretty good. I think he's hopeful he can come back. Whether or not that's realistic, we'll see."
Konecny leads the Flyers in goals (27) and points (54).
Fletcher said Sean Couturier skated Tuesday but was unsure if the center would play this season. Couturier had back surgery Oct. 27. He also had back surgery Feb. 11, 2022. The 30-year-old last played Dec. 18, 2021.
"He looked pretty good," Fletcher said. "Off the ice he's ramping up his rehab. Is there runway for him to play this year? I don't know. The back is feeling great. He's missed a lot of time. Can we get him into hockey shape with the time remaining? I'm not sure."
Couturier is in the first season of an eight-year, $62 million contract ($7.75 million average annual value) he signed Aug. 26, 2021.
"I think we're really hopeful he'll be able to come back and play," Fletcher said. "I think we've seen through this there's a lot of things you can't control. The medical people are confident we can get him healthy. ... He's a smart player and a competitive player and certainly a guy that we really hope can get back to where he was."
The Flyers (23-28-10) have lost three straight games. They host the New York Rangers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS, MSG 2, SN NOW). -- Adam Kimelman

Vancouver Canucks

J.T. Miller is out week to week with a lower-body injury.
The 29-year-old forward is tied for third on the Canucks with 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists) in 59 games this season.
The Canucks previously announced Sunday that defenseman Ethan Bear was placed on injured reserve after he was hit in the face by a shot 37 seconds into a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
Defenseman Noah Juulsen was recalled from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League ahead of Vancouver's 5-4 overtime win against the Dallas Stars on Monday,

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 21, on Monday with a lower-body injury.
Blackwood has missed the past three games after he "tweaked something" during morning skate prior to a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 21, Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. He is 8-5-2 with a 3.04 GAA and .900 save percentage in 17 games (16 starts) this season.
"There's no timetable on his return, but I know he's progressing and doing better every day," Ruff said. "He's probably a week out from maybe practicing, but there is no set timetable. That's just a guess on my part."
Blackwood missed 39 games last season because of a recurring left heel injury.
The Devils recalled goalie Akira Schmid from Utica of the American Hockey League on Feb. 21. The 22-year-old made 23 saves to earn his first NHL shutout on Saturday, a 7-0 win against the Flyers. -- Mike G. Morreale