Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Kane will not play for the Red Wings on their current road trip because of a lower-body injury.
The forward left a 4-2 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday in the first period shortly after taking a hit along the boards from Pontus Holmberg.
Kane, who signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings on Nov. 28, had hip resurfacing surgery on June 1.
"It's a lower-body injury not related to his hip," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said Tuesday. "He is not going to be available for this trip. We will get back to Detroit and have a better feel and have an update after the trip."
The Red Wings play at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; BSFL, BSDET) and at the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday before returning home to host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Kane has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 19 games this season.
"Kane has been beyond our expectations," Lalonde said. "He is everything we hoped for and more. To be that healthy, if you will; to have that much jump in his game coming off that surgery has been pretty amazing. He has been a huge catalyst for our offense. It's disappointing we won't have him for a little bit because he is really start to take ownership of the group. He is a leader what with the success he has had in just career. Things have come along great with Patrick.''
With Kane out, Lalonde said Daniel Sprong, Robby Fabbri, and Klim Kostin would have the opportunity to slide up and play on the right side of the second line with center J.T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat.
Kostin was activated from injured reserve on Sunday and has missed the past 12 games with an upper-body injury. -- George Richards
Winnipeg Jets
Kyle Connor returned and scored for the Jets in a 4-2 win against the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
The forward leads Winnipeg with 18 goals and is fifth in points (29) despite missing five weeks (16 games) with a knee injury.
The Jets activated Connor from injured reserve Tuesday ahead of schedule from the 6-8 week recovery timeline the Jets provided following the injury sustained in a 4-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 10.
"It was never in my mind about the timeline, it's just all based on how I felt," Connor said Tuesday. "Obviously, those [timelines] are just kind of suggestions to first just kind of look at what it is. Every day just continue to get better. Obviously, a testament to the staff here with what they've been able to do. So I feel great, there's no discomfort or pain. I've been skating for quite a while and that was something that I was adamant about, let's get on the ice earlier than maybe the usual, but I think that's just a function of what we do. We skate, so any chance I can be on the ice, whether it’s just touching pucks, I want to get out there as early as I could."
Connor skated wearing a full-contact jersey for the first time Saturday.
"He's an elite player, an elite goal scorer," Jets coach Rick Bowness said. "So, he just gives us obviously another weapon. But listen, he's incredibly important to the success of this team moving forward so the sooner we get him back, the better. But we wouldn't rush him. He tells us he's good to go, when the doctors tell us he's good to go, then he's good to go."
Mark Scheifele, the No. 1 center and Winnipeg's leading scorer (41 points) missed a second straight game with a lower-body injury. Scheifele left following his first shift of the second period of a 2-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
Scheifele, who is day to day, was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 12 and is eligible to return to the lineup as early as Saturday when the Jets visit the Ottawa Senators. -- Darrin Bauming
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin missed his third straight game for the Capitals in their 2-0 win against the Ducks on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old left wing participated in the morning skate Tuesday but did not work with either power-play unit when Washington practiced that.
Ovechkin was injured when he clipped legs with Jordan Staal in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 5. He was able to play through it for two games before sitting out back-to-back games against the New York Rangers on Saturday and Sunday.
Ovechkin leads Washington with 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 39 games this season.
Defenseman Rasmus Sandin (upper body) and forward Sonny Milano (upper body) each skated in non-contact jerseys Tuesday morning and remain out. --Tom Gulitti
Calgary Flames
Jacob Markstrom is day to day with a lower-body injury and did not play for the Flames in their 3-2 overtime win against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday.
Markstrom had made three straight starts but left practice early Monday because of maintenance.
"No timetable," Calgary coach Ryan Huska said Tuesday. "We're not expecting it to be anything long-term, but no timetable. He just didn't respond to the way we or he would have hoped yesterday."
Markstrom is 13-11-2 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 26 starts this season. He has a 2.02 GAA and .936 save percentage in 10 games since returning after missing seven games with a fractured finger sustained in practice Dec. 4.
Markstrom also previously missed two games from Nov. 10-11 because of a lower-body injury, and a 2-1 overtime loss against the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 27 because of illness.
"I think we definitely know what a huge piece, an important piece of the team he is," Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin said. "He's been unbelievable for us this year. Anytime he's out with an injury you hope it's not too long just because of how important of a player he is to the team. I think it's a good opportunity for us to step up our game and everybody just to play a little bit better and a little bit harder and do what we can to get the win."
Dustin Wolf was recalled from Calgary of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and backed up Dan Vladar against Arizona. -- Aaron Vickers
