NHL Buzz: Scheifele returns for Jets against Penguins
Smith hired as Kings assistant coach; Pacioretty in lineup for Capitals
© Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images
Winnipeg Jets
Mark Scheifele returned for the Jets against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
The forward had missed six games with a lower-body injury he sustained in a 2-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan 11. He leads Winnipeg with 42 points and is tied for third on the team in goals (14) with Cole Perfetti.
"All good now," Scheifele said after practice Sunday. "The (All-Star) break came at a good time, so it was nice to get some rest and be ready to rock come Tuesday."
The Jets have lost three straight games and went 2-3-1 without Scheifele.
"It's great to have him back because clearly we missed him," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said.
To make room on the roster for Schiefele, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby was placed on waivers.
Los Angeles Kings
D.J. Smith was hired as an assistant coach on Jim Hiller's staff Tuesday.
Smith had been fired as coach of the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 18. In five seasons in Ottawa, he was 131-154-32.
He fills an open spot on the Kings staff after Todd McLellan was fired as Kings coach Feb. 2 and replaced by Hiller.
Smith joins assistants Trent Yawney and Derik Johnson, goaltending coach Mike Buckley and video coordinator Samson Lee on Hiller's staff.
The Kings (23-15-10) next play the Edmonton Oilers at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Vegas Golden Knights
William Karlsson is expected to return to the lineup when the Golden Knights host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, SN, TVAS).
The forward has missed 12 games with a lower-body injury sustained Jan. 1. Vegas has gone 7-4-1 without him.
"Being with the guys is the best part [of being back]," Karlsson said Sunday. "It's been a long month. It feels good to be back."
Karlsson, who has practiced on the third line with Jonas Rondbjerg and Michael Amadio, has 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games this season. -- Paul Delos Santos
Washington Capitals
Max Pacioretty played for the Capitals against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Pacioretty, who was a full participant at practice Monday, left Washington’s final game before the break for All-Star Weekend on Jan. 27 because of a lower-body injury. The forward was limited to one shift in the third period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, but the injury was not related to his right Achilles tendon, which he tore for the second time in five months on Jan. 19, 2023. That injury that sidelined him until Jan. 3 of this season.
The 35-year-old left wing has seven points (one goal, six assists) in 12 games this season.
Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, who did not practice Monday for personal reasons, is out indefinitely while he receives care from the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. Under the terms of the joint program, he will return to Washington when cleared for on-ice competition by program administrators. -- Tom Gulitti
Carolina Hurricanes
Pyotr Kochetkov made his first start in eight games for the Hurricanes against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old goalie sustained a concussion in the second period of a 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 11. He left at 12:55 following a collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.
Antti Raanta was the backup goalie for Carolina.
Kochetkov is 11-7-3 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 23 games (21 starts) this season. In 10 starts prior to the injury, he was 7-1-2 with a .924 save percentage.
Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, who has not played since being diagnosed with a blood clotting issue in early November, recently returned to individual on-ice workouts.
Carolina claimed Spencer Martin off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 19. In his only game, he made 26 saves in a 3-2 win at the Boston Bruins on Jan. 24. -- Kurt Dusterberg
Buffalo Sabres
Erik Johnson and Zemgus Girgensons each returned for the Sabres against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
"They are ready to go, and I expect both of them in," coach Don Granato said before the game. "The lines today is how we've planned it out for tomorrow, and the pairs as well."
Johnson had missed four games since sustaining an upper-body injury late in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 18. The defenseman rejoined the Sabres for practice on Jan. 26, was cleared by team doctors Monday and was paired with Ryan Johnson at practice after rotating in during drills Sunday. He has three goals in 41 games.
Girgensons returned to practice Sunday and skated at left wing with center Peyton Krebs and right wing Victor Olofsson. The forward was injured early in a 5-3 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 24, playing three shifts totaling 1:01, and missed the next game, a 5-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 27.
He's scored four goals in 31 games. -- Heather Engel
Vancouver Canucks
Elias Lindholm made his Canucks debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
The forward, who was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 31, has 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 49 games this season.
Lindholm, who did not take part in an optional morning skate Tuesday, started the game on a line with Ilya Mikheyev and Elias Pettersson.
New Jersey Devils
Tomas Nosek returned to the lineup for the Devils against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
The forward hadn't played since Nov. 18, when he broke his foot during a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers. He returned to practice Sunday for the first time.
Signed by New Jersey as a free agent July 19, Nosek has no points in six games this season.
"Just a veteran guy that's familiar with how you play, has years of experience playing against good lines and good teams, so he's going to add [for] us that veteran leadership," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. -- Michael Morreale
Florida Panthers
Nick Cousins returned to the lineup for the Panthers against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
The forward had been out since Jan. 2, when he sustained a concussion on a hit from Arizona Coyotes forward Jason Zucker during a 4-1 win. Zucker was suspended three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Cousins has five points (two goals, three assists) in 37 games this season.
Chicago Blackhawks
Tyler Johnson is expected to play when the Blackhawks host the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN360, TVAS).
The forward practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining an injury to his right foot during the second period of an 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 31. He was placed on injured reserve the next day.
Johnson has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 35 games this season.
"With an injury, probably could have come back maybe a little bit right before the (All-Star) break, but because you have that week off, kind of makes more sense to wait," Johnson said Tuesday. "The season's a marathon, it's a grind, it's a lot of things going on. So anytime you can recover and get away and have some fun, it's always huge.
Johnson is expected to play on a line with Lukas Reichel and MacKenzie Entwistle.
"It's exciting for him and we're excited to have him back," Blackhawks coach Luke Richarson said. "… He's a versatile guy. He can go in anywhere, and if we need to change things up and spark something, he can play a little bit of center. … The guys are happy to have him back. He's just a good, smart, heads-up player that makes good plays and plays hard." -- Tracey Myers
