NHL Buzz: Penguins' Malkin, Canucks' Hughes in COVID protocol

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

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Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin
is out at least two games for the Penguins in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The forward, who entered protocol Monday, did not play at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday and will not play at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
"Obviously we are disappointed," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said Monday. "We feel like we are a better team with 'Geno' in our lineup. As far as the guys that we will put in the lineup, this isn't anything we haven't dealt with all year. We have a deep roster and versatility."
Malkin is on a nine-game point streak (three goals, seven assists) and scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 12 games since making his season debut against the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 11. He missed the first 34 games recovering from knee surgery he had in June.
The Penguins recalled forwards
Valterri Puustinen
and Michael Chaput from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday. Neither played Tuesday.
Puustinen led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 40 games and has not made his NHL debut. Chaput has played 182 NHL games, including 13 with the Arizona Coyotes last season.

Minnesota Wild

Marcus Foligno returned to play for the Wild against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
The forward missed two games with an upper-body injury sustained Jan. 28 during a 3-2 win at the New York Rangers.
"When I slipped in the boards there, something [hit] but I was able to play the rest of game," Foligno said Monday. "Then the next morning was tough to walk and just kind of a hip thing and just needed some time to quiet down after that collision. Obviously it was kind of a nice time [since] it was a break, and [I] was able to rest and [I'm] ready to get back at it now. ... I'm 100 percent good to go."
Matt Dumba was placed on injured reserve Monday.
The defenseman sustained an upper-body injury Jan. 30 during a fight with Anders Lee during the first period of a 4-3 win at the New York Islanders. Dumba finished that game and missed a 5-0 win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 2.
"We expect him back very shortly," Wild coach Dean Evason said Monday. "... We're very optimistic that he'll be in the next one (at the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday)."

Philadelphia Flyers

Derick Brassard is expected to return to the lineup for the Flyers against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, BSDET, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The forward has missed the past 11 games and has played two games since Nov. 23, because of a lower-body injury.
"It's been a long two months," Brassard said Tuesday. "Came back too quick like three times. … Hopefully I'm ready to go here. Probably take a few games to get back to normal. Try to keep everything simple and just have fun out there."
Brassard scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 19 games this season.
"Conditioning level is not where it would be for most players at this time of year," Flyers coach Mike Yeo said. "But the only way to get that back is to get in and start playing again. It'll be nice to see him in action again tomorrow."
Brassard practiced Tuesday at center on a line with Max Willman and Gerry Mayhew.
"Max is a really good skater, he's helped us this year, and same thing for Gerry," Brassard said. "He's a proven goal scorer in the [American Hockey League] and he's been scoring some key goals here for us. He's been relentless on pucks. … I'm not setting up any expectations, just try to be on the same page as those guys and do the best that I can."
Forward Kevin Hayes, who had surgery Jan. 18 to have fluid drained from the adductor region of his hip, skated before practice Tuesday but will not play Wednesday. He was expected to be out 3-4 weeks.-- Adam Kimelman

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Zemgus Girgensons were each downgraded to week to week for the Sabres.
Mittelstadt will rejoin the Sabres for practice Wednesday in a no-contact jersey. The center returned Jan. 25 after missing 16 games following surgery for an upper-body injury. He played two games before missing the Sabres' final game prior to the NHL All-Star break. Mittelstadt, who has one goal and one assist in seven games, missed 21 games with an upper-body injury sustained Oct. 14.
"The surgery was fine, but it was muscles around it," Sabres coach Don Granato said Tuesday. "It was some fluid; because of the intensity we ratcheted up to him a higher tempo, the body responded different, which was natural, according to the doctors. So he's got to go through and resolve that."
Girgensons has missed eight of the past nine games with a lower-body injury. He scored 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 34 games.
"I would expect him probably by the end of the week or early next week," Granato said. "This week is going to be a little more rehab. It should get him to the point where he'd be integrated with us by early next week."
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen practiced for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 11.
Vinnie Hinostroza also returned to practice wearing a no-contact jersey but left early with discomfort. The forward has been out since Jan. 18 with a lower-body injury.
The Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, BSOH, ESPN+, NHL LIVE). -- Heather Engel

Seattle Kraken

Austin Czarnik was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders.
The forward scored five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 games with New York. He last played Jan. 22 and was scratched the past five games.
In 136 NHL games with the Islanders, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins, Czarnik scored 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists).

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Winnipeg Jets

Defenseman Neal Pionk and forwards
Pierre-Luc Dubois
and Austin Poganski entered NHL COVID-19 protocol Monday.
Dubois is second on the Jets in goals (18) and points (33), behind forward Kyle Connor (25 goals, 45 points).
Winnipeg played the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
Forward Kristian Reichel and defensemen Declan Chisholm, Ville Heinola and
Johnathan Kovacevic
were recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League.

Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes
was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol Monday and is expected to miss the next three games.
The defenseman is second on Vancouver with 34 points (two goals, 32 assists) and leads them with an average ice time of 25:13 in 45 games.
Hughes is expected to miss Vancouver's homestand, which began against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSAZ+, ESPN+, NHL LIVE), but could meet it for the game at the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 17.
"If you look at the amount of goals he creates from the back end to a team that is somewhat offensively challenged, and he's the best creator of our offense from the back end, that's going to be the challenge," Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau said Monday. "I don't think we're ever going to replace Quinn Hughes, he's that good, but hopefully we can find some way to create more stuff on the power play without him. I don't think we can, but we'll try."
Forwards Elias Pettersson and Matthew Highmore, and defenseman Tucker Poolman also missed practice Monday.
Pettersson had "almost flulike symptoms, non-COVID related," but Boudreau said he hoped Pettersson would be able to play.
Highmore tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid test and was awaiting the results of a PCR test before being placed in protocol.
Poolman, who missed the final three games before the NHL All-Star break with an illness, is "still feeling under the weather," Boudreau said.

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Columbus Blue Jackets

Defenseman Jake Bean and forwards Eric Robinson and Alexandre Texier were placed on injured reserve Monday.
Bean is expected to be out four weeks with a groin strain sustained Jan. 30. Robinson is expected to be out six weeks because of sprained MCL in his right knee sustained Jan. 31. Texier is out four weeks with a fractured finger sustained Jan. 26.
Forward Emil Bemstrom was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol Monday.
Forward Brendan Gaunce was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League under emergency conditions and played at the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. It was his first NHL game since Nov. 27, 2019, with the Boston Bruins.