NHL Buzz: Horvat, Demko back for Canucks against Flames

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

Vancouver Canucks

Bo Horvat
and
Thatcher Demko
will return for the Canucks when they visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
Horvat missed five games and Demko missed four in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
"I've felt completely fine the whole time. No symptoms," Horvat said. "I'm feeling ready to go. Looking forward to getting back on the ice tonight in that game."
The forward, who has not played since a 4-2 win at the Washington Capitals on Jan. 16, is second on the Canucks with 13 goals this season.
Demko will start Saturday. The goalie has not played since a 3-1 win at the Nashville Predators on Jan. 18. He is 17-14-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 32 games. -- Aaron Vickers

Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher and Paul Byron will return to the lineup for the Canadiens against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
Gallagher, a forward, has a lower-body injury and was to miss his ninth straight game Saturday when the Canadiens host the Edmonton Oilers (7 p.m. ET; CBC, CITY, TVAS, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
"It's never easy being out of the lineup," Gallagher said. "You like to pride yourself on being there with your teammates. I'm looking forward to getting the chance to get to battle with them again. It's been a long time here."
Byron, a forward, has yet to play this season after offseason hip surgery.
"It's been hard watching a lot of games," Byron said. "You're on the sidelines, you know you can help out. You want to be with your teammates. ... It's obviously been a pretty long recovery for me and I'm really excited to get back on the ice."

Boston Bruins

Jeremy Swayman was recalled by the Bruins from Providence of the American Hockey League.
The goalie is back with the Bruins while Tuukka Rask recovers from a lower-body injury. Rask is day to day.
"When we left on the road we didn't think there was anything serious with Tuukka," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday. "Obviously got to be a little more than what we anticipated, so that's the move we had to make. [Troy] Grosenick's here on the taxi squad and [in] practice, but if we need to put a goaltender in net 'Sway' will be the guy. Right now we're planning on playing [Linus Ullmark] tomorrow. I'll have to talk to Sway to see when he was last on the ice, but that would be the tentative plan. He's been playing well, 'Ully,' so we're covered there, and hopefully Tuukka's not out too long, but obviously bringing Sway [up], it's more than just a 48-hour thing."
Rask started in a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and was the backup to Ullmark in 4-3 overtime loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. Rask was unable to play in a 2-1 win at the Arizona Coyotes on Friday, when Grosenick was the backup, and received treatment Saturday.
Rask had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip last July and signed a one-year contract with the Bruins on Jan. 11. He is 2-2-0 with a 4.28 goals-against average and an .844 save percentage in four games.
Swayman played 16 games for Boston this season and was 8-6-2 with a 2.26 GAA, .918 save percentage and one shutout.
Grosenick was placed on the taxi squad Saturday. The Bruins visit the Dallas Stars on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, BSSW+, NESN, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).

Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews was placed in concussion protocol by the Blackhawks on Friday and there is no timetable for his return.
"Obviously he's a huge part of this organization and we're going to miss him," Chicago coach Derek King said prior to a 6-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. "… but we're making sure we do the right thing by this. There's no time frame, it's when he's feeling right. You can't mess around with this stuff. We'll just go day by day every day and see how he's feeling. When he's ready, he'll come back and join us."
The center had an assist in an 8-5 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday and scored 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 43 games this season.
The Blackhawks captain missed his first game of the season Friday.
"He's a voice in the room and he's a presence in the room and on the ice for us," Chicago defenseman Seth Jones said. "He plays in all situations and our best face-off guy, takes the most important face-offs, 5-on-5, in our [defensive] zone and on the penalty kill. So we're going to lose a big part of that. So we'll have to have guys definitely fill in and have a next-man-up mentality until he gets back." -- Tracey Myers

Buffalo Sabres

Zemgus Girgensons will be out until after the All-Star break with an injury.
The forward missed five games with a lower-body injury before returning for a 5-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
"Give him some more days to heal, I guess is probably the best way to say it," Sabres coach Don Granato said Friday. "We feel confident that should resolve but we'll have the doctors look at him further again to make certain that this is something that will resolve within the next few days."
Girgensons has scored 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 34 games this season.
The Sabres have three games before the All-Star break (Feb. 3-6) before returning Feb. 10 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It's an aggravated area where he had his previous injury, so there's concern," Granato said. "… We just feel playing games will produce more wear and tear, aggravate it, playing games and skating."
Goalie Michael Houser, who was expected to start at least one of the next two games -- Saturday at the Arizona Coyotes or Sunday at the Colorado Avalanche -- was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol Friday. --Heather Engel