NHL Buzz: Makar to return for Avalanche against Ducks

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Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar will return for the Avalanche against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, BSW, SN 360, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman missed four games with an undisclosed injury. Colorado went 4-0-0 and has won six in a row.
"That's kind of a tough thing for me," Makar said. "You watch your team go to battle, and you want to be with those guys. I love, obviously, playing hockey. So anytime I'm watching my team play it's not a fun time. It's not ideal to be out right now. I don't look at it as in terms of I need that rest. It's more so I want to be playing. It's just a really unfortunate thing that happened, and
I've just been trying to grind to get back."
Makar is third on the Avalanche with 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 42 games and leads the NHL in ice time per game (27:09).
Forward Denis Malgin will also return for the Avalanche. He's been out since sustaining an upper-body injury Jan. 5.
Malgin has one assist in seven games after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 19.
Valeri Nichushkin won't play and is day to day with an upper-body injury. The forward has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 20 games this season. -- Ryan Boulding

St. Louis Blues

Robert Bortuzzo could return for the Blues against the Arizona Coyotes (9 p.m. ET; BSAZ, BSMW, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman, who was activated from injured reserve Thursday, has missed eight games with a lower-body injury.
"I think he's ready to go, he told me he is," St. Louis coach Craig Berube said. "So, we'll look at getting him in there pretty soon."
Bortuzzo has one goal and 25 penalty minutes in 30 games this season.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Tristan Jarry will be out for the Penguins until after the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.
The goalie was unavailable Thursday at the Washington Capitals and will also miss Saturday's game against the San Jose Sharks. Pittsburgh then doesn't play again until Feb. 7.
"We think that'll be a productive time for him to be at his best," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
Jarry did not practice Wednesday and was a late scratch Tuesday, when he was initially announced to start at home against the Florida Panthers. He is 16-5-5 with a 2.65 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 27 starts this season.
Casey DeSmith started in place of Jarry against Florida, making 33 saves with no backup in a 7-6 overtime win. He is 7-9-3 with an NHL career-high 3.34 GAA and career-low .900 save percentage in 20 games (19 starts) this season.
Goalie Dustin Tokarski was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Tokarski was re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Jan. 20, when Jarry returned from a lower-body injury sustained against the Boston Bruins in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2.
After missing seven games, Jarry allowed three goals on 70 shots in two starts. He made a season-high 44 saves in a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 20, and 23 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. -- Wes Crosby