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Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov returned for the Panthers when they hosted the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSFL).
The center missed three games with a lower-body injury after leaving late in the third period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 15.
With Barkov back in the lineup, forward Steven Lorentz was a healthy scratch. -- George Richards
Seattle Kraken
Philipp Grubauer was activated off injured reserve by the Kraken and will be available against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN1).
The 32-year-old hasn't played since leaving a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning on Dec. 9. Grubauer allowed two goals on 23 shots in two periods before being replaced by Joey Daccord. Grubauer is 5-9-1 with a 3.25 GAA and .884 save percentage in 17 games during his third season with Seattle. He signed a six-year contract with the Kraken ($5.9 million average annual value) on July 28, 2021.
Grubauer was named a finalist for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy given to the best goalie in the NHL. He was 30-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA, .922 save percentage and seven shutouts in 40 games (39 starts) for the Colorado Avalanche, finishing second in the League in wins behind Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay, 31) and tied Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders for the lead in shutouts.
Daccord is 13-8-8 with a 2.33 GAA, .922 save percentage and two shutouts in 30 games (27 starts) this season and 10-4-3 with a 1.88 GAA and an NHL-best .939 save percentage (minimum 10 starts) since Grubauer's injury. His GAA is third behind Connoy Hellebuyck (1.80) and Stuart Skinner (1.85).
Goalie Chris Driedger was reassigned to Coachella Valley of the AHL.
Colorado Avalanche
Artturi Lehkonen and Bowen Byram will each return for the Avalanche when they host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; MNMT2, ALT, SN360, TVAS).
Lehkonen, a forward, has missed the past 35 games with a neck injury after leaving in the second period of a 4-3 loss to the Kraken on Nov. 9.
"I thought I was going to be fine, but I wasn't. It is what it is," Lehkonen said. "It's for sure a scary injury, but it's just at high speed and basically an accident. Excited to be back. It's going to be fun."
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said he'll ease Lehkonen back into the lineup in the final two games before the All-Star break and their bye week.
"He's been taking contact for weeks now," Bednar said. "He's been on the ice. He's in great shape. I don't have any doubts about that. I'm sure he'll be a little nervous just because the nature of his injury, but as he starts playing, his confidence will come back and we'll see, I would say, the 'Lehky' that we're all used to."
Lehkonen has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 12 games this season.
Byram, a defenseman, returns after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. He has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 39 games. -- Ryan Boulding
Arizona Coyotes
Mathew Dumba is out week to week for the Coyotes with an upper-body injury, coach Andre Tourigny said Wednesday.
Dumba left a 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday early in the first period after going hard into the boards.
Tourigny said Dumba did not make the road trip, which began at Florida on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSFL). The Coyotes then visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday prior to their bye week and the All-Star break.
"He is not on the trip and then after, we're on the break so I can say it is week to week or whatever it is," Tourigny said. "He will not play before the break, for sure."
Arizona recalled defenseman Victor Soderstrom from Tucson of the AHL on Tuesday, but he did not play Wednesday.
The Coyotes used seven defensemen Monday, but forward Nick Schmaltz returned against the Panthers after missing three games with an injury. -- George Richards
Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Kane could return for the Red Wings in one of their next four games prior to the All-Star break.
The forward, has missed three games with a lower-body injury sustained in his second shift against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 14. He has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 19 games.
"I think he'll probably get on the ice sometime this week," Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. "I'm hoping to have him before the break; if not, I'm comfortable we'll have him after the break."
The Red Wings (24-18-5) lost 5-4 to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. They have three more games before their bye week from Feb. 1-9.
Defenseman Ben Chiarot did not play in a 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday because of an upper-body injury. He has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 45 games, and also could return before the break. -- Dave Hogg
Carolina Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov will not play for the Hurricanes against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, NESN, TVAS-D).
The forward missed a 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday with an upper-body injury.
"I wouldn't say it's day to day, but it's nothing major," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said after practice Tuesday. "I'm hopeful that he will be able to bounce back quickly."
Svechnikov has 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 29 games. He missed the first eight games of the season after having surgery to repair a torn ACL in March. He also missed six games in December with an upper-body injury.
Svechnikov had been playing on a line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen. Michael Bunting took his spot on that line Sunday.
"With Svechnikov out, it definitely leaves a big hole up in our top end," Brind'Amour said. "We need to have 'Bunts' or whoever we throw in there to fill it."
After Wednesday, the Hurricanes play the New Jersey Devils on Thursday and the Coyotes on Saturday before their bye week, a nine-day break. -- Kurt Dusterberg
