Welcome to the NHL Buzz. With the regular season underway, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Boston Bruins
Brandon Carlo and Matthew Poitras are each a game-time decision against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NESN, ALT, SNP, SN360).
Goalie Linus Ullmark will also be available, but will back up Jeremy Swayman.
Carlo skated on the second defense pair with Hampus Lindholm at practice Wednesday. He exited early in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Avalanche on Jan. 8 and has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.
Poitras (upper body) and Ullmark (lower body) each left a 4-3 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Jan. 9. Poitras participated in practice Wednesday, but did not take line rushes.
"If they do go through morning skate and everything's good, they're options," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Poitras and Carlo. -- Joe Pohoryles
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin will be a game-time decision for the Capitals when they host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSMW).
The 38-year-old left wing is feeling better after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury, Washington coach Spencer Carbery said.
Ovechkin participated in the morning skate Thursday after going through a full practice Wednesday.
"I think he'll be a game-time (decision), but we'll see how he feels tonight," Carbery said. "We've got some lineup things to work through today, so there will be a lot of sort of question marks for tonight."
Among the question marks are forward Beck Malenstyn (personal) and defenseman Joel Edmundson (undisclosed). Edmundson participated the morning skate after taking a maintenance day Wednesday. Malenstyn did not skate.
Defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who will miss his seventh straight game with an upper-body injury, was upgraded to a full-contact jersey and went through some battle drills Thursday after previously skating in a non-contact jersey. Forward Sonny Milano, who will miss his 18th consecutive game with an upper-body injury, continued to skate in a non-contact jersey. -- Tom Gulitti
Los Angeles Kings
Blake Lizotte is week to week because of a lower-body injury sustained in a 5-2 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.
"He'll be out, likely until after our All-Star break," coach Todd McLellan said Thursday, referring to the Kings' bye week, which ends Feb. 9
Lizotte has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 34 games. The fourth-line center is also one of the Kings' best penalty killers with two short-handed goals this season.
Viktor Arvidsson, a forward who has not played this season because of back surgery, has resumed individual on-ice workouts. He could begin practicing with the team around the All-Star break.
"Now 'integrate into the team' doesn't mean go play 25 minutes a night," McLellan said. "He's got a lot of work to do and a lot of catching up to do with feeling what it's like to be on the ice again."
Arvidsson had 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) in 77 games for Los Angeles last season.
Los Angeles, which hosts the Nashville Predators on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+), is 1-5-4 in its past 10 games. -- Dan Greenspan
Vegas Golden Knights
Adin Hill participated in the morning skate for the Golden Knights ahead of their game against the New York Rangers on Thursday (10 p.m. SCRIPPS, MSGSN).
Hill won't dress for the game but may make a return this weekend, pending if the medical staff clears him and he feels well enough to play.
"He didn't come off (the ice) so that to me tells me it's good news he is able to withstand whatever workload was thrown out today," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It's not going to affect tonight. We'll see tomorrow how it affects 24 hours, the recovery part, etc. We get through those steps as well. Good to have him back."
Hill has missed 19 games with a lower-body injury, including 12 consecutive. He is 10-2-2 with a 1.93 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage in 15 games this season. -- Paul Delos Santos
New Jersey Devils
Brendan Smith was placed on injured reserve Thursday, retroactive to Monday because of a sprained right knee.
The defenseman was injured exited at 6:06 of the first period in a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on Monday and did not play in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
Smith has five points (one goal, four assists) in 34 games this season.
Santeri Hatakka was recalled form Utica of the American Hockey League on Thursday and practiced with the Devils.
New Jersey plays at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, MSG).
Chicago Blackhawks
Nikita Zaitsev was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a knee injury.
The defenseman was injured last in the second period of a 2-1 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday and did not return. He has seven points (two goals, five assists) averaging 15:56 of ice time in 26 games.
Chicago will also be without Connor Murphy against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, MSG-B). The defenseman missed the game Tuesday with a lower-body injury.
"It's not a new injury, it's just something that's aggravating him," coach Luke Richardson said. "We just thought to miss a shorter period of time now is going to be more beneficial than kind of play through and maybe creating a bigger problem down the road."
Murphy has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 43 games.
The Blackhawks recalled defenseman Louis Crevier from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, although he is not expected to play Thursday.
In addition to Zaitsev, the Blackhawks have six other players currently on injured reserve; forwards Connor Bedard (jaw), Nick Foligno (finger), Anthony Beauvillier (left wrist), Tyler Johnson (right foot), Andreas Athanasiou (groin) and Taylor Hall (knee). -- Heather Engel
Buffalo Sabres
Dylan Cozens, Jeff Skinner and Mattias Samuelsson are each day to day with an upper-body injury.
Cozens, a forward, was injured in a 3-0 win against the San Jose Sharks on Monday. He played 11:25 in the game; his final shift ended with less than seven minutes remaining in the third period.
"It happened during the game, in the third period," Sabres coach Don Granato said of the injury.
Cozens has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 42 games this season.
Samuelsson has been sidelined since he was injured in the first minute of the second period against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 13 after a hit by defenseman Filip Hronek.
"Each day is a real positive direction," Granato said. "He is progressing very well."
The defenseman has seven points (one goal, six assists) in 39 games.
Buffalo hosts Chicago on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, MSG-B), but Granato said there is a chance that Samuelsson and Cozens could play Saturday when the Sabres host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Skinner had been week to week prior to Thursday. He was injured in a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 9.
"Jeff is going to jump into practice with us (Friday) based on his rehab skate this morning, so positive news there as well," Granato said.
The forward leads the Sabres with 17 goals and is third on the team with 33 points in 38 games. -- Heather Engel
