Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Vegas Golden Knights
William Karlsson will miss two games for the Golden Knights because of a lower-body injury.
The center will not play when the Golden Knights host the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday (10 p.m., SCRIPPS, BSFL, SNO, SNE, TVAS) or at home against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Karlsson was injured during a 3-0 loss to the Seattle Kraken in the 2024 NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Monday and will be re-evaluated next week, Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Without Karlsson, the Golden Knights' third-leading scorer with 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists), Mark Stone will move to the same line as Chandler Stephenson and Brett Howden, and Jonathan Marchessault will move back to the top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
The Golden Knights claimed defenseman Tobias Bjornfot off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. He has played in one NHL game this season and nine American Hockey League games with Ontario (no points). Bjornfot has 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 117 NHL games for the Kings. -- Paul Delos Santos
Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger is getting closer to a return for the Stars, but will not dress when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSSW, ALT).
The goalie has moved from week to week to day to day, per coach Peter DeBoer, in his return from a lower-body injury sustained Dec. 15 in a game against the Ottawa Senators. He was helped off the ice at 8:03 of the first period after stretching out his right pad to stop a shot attempt.
Oettinger took part in the morning skate Thursday.
“A lot of progress,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “Has been on the ice regularly. Doing a little bit more every day. So, real positive stuff. I think I wouldn’t term him week to week, I would start to call it more day to day. But everything positive, moving in the right direction.”
Oettinger is 11-7-2 with a 2.93 goal-against average, .901 save percentage and one shutout in 21 games this season.
In Oettinger’s absence, the Stars have turned to Scott Wedgewood, who is 11-3-2 with a 3.01 GAA and .900 save percentage in 16 games. He is expected to make his eighth straight start on Thursday. -- Amalie Benjamin
New York Rangers
Brennan Othmann made his NHL debut when the Rangers hosted the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, MSG).
The 20-year-old forward, selected by New York with the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. He is tied for third on Hartford in scoring with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 28 games in his first professional season.
Othmann skated on New York's third line with Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski.
"Obviously, first NHL game and you want to do well but at the same time you're just happy that you're getting that shot to play," Othmann said. "I'm just going to be excited to go out there and play and take the regular season MSG crowd in. It's going to be fun."
Forward Kaapo Kakko participated in the Rangers' morning skate Thursday wearing a red non-contact jersey. It was the first time Kakko has skated with the team since he sustained a lower-body injury in a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 27.
"I think the next step in the progression is to start skating with us and he was at that point to join us so it's great to have him out there," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "He looks good. He's moving well. That's all positive stuff."
Forward Tyler Pitlick is week to week with a lower-body injury sustained during a 6-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. -- Dan Rosen
Pittsburgh Penguins
Matt Nieto will be out 6-8 weeks for the Penguins after having right knee surgery.
The forward has not played since Nov. 30; he has four points (one goal, three assists) in 22 games this season, his first with Pittsburgh after he signed a two-year contract on July 1.
Defenseman John Ludvig will be out longer term with an upper-body injury. He was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after being a late scratch for a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, when Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said he was "a little bit banged up." He was a full participant in the morning skate.
Ludvig missed 11 games after sustaining a concussion in his NHL debut Oct. 24, returning Nov. 22.
The Penguins visited the Boston Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SNO, SNE).
San Jose Sharks
Matt Benning will be out for the rest of the season after having hip surgery.
The defenseman, who last played Dec. 3, has two assists in 14 games this season. The expected recovery time is five months.
Benning had 24 points (one goal, 23 assists) in 77 games with the Sharks last season and was second on the team in blocked shots (125) behind defenseman Mario Ferraro (145).
The Sharks, who have lost nine straight games in regulation, host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, TSN3).
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon was placed on injured reserve by the Wild on Wednesday with an undisclosed injury.
The 34-year-old defenseman played 20:15 in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. Spurgeon has five assists in 16 games this season.
"He's getting some treatments yesterday and today, so I think a lot of it is how he responds to those," Wild coach John Hynes said Thursday. "So I don't have a for sure timeline on it, it's still wait-and-see to see how he responds to the treatment. He was struggling to finish [Tuesday's] game the other night. So now we're trying to see if we can get it to settle down and see if we can progress forward again."
Minnesota recalled defenseman Daemon Hunt from Iowa of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Hunt has one assist in nine games for the Wild this season and nine points (one goal, eight assist) in 16 AHL games. He is expected to be a scratch Thursday when the Wild host the Tampa Bay Lightning (8 p.m. ET; BSWI, BSN, BSSUN).
Forward Kirill Kaprizov (upper body) was also placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. He is week to week.
The Wild (16-16-4) are also without goalie Filip Gustavsson (lower body), forward Mats Zuccarello (upper body) and defenseman Jonas Brodin (upper body). Each is week to week. -- Jessi Pierce
New York Islanders
Robert Bortuzzo was placed on injured reserve after he sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of their 5-4 overtime loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old defenseman fell awkwardly into the boards after a hit by Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard along the half-wall at 15:41 of the second and had to be helped off the ice.
The Islanders acquired Bortuzzo in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 9 for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Semyon Varlamov also was injured Tuesday. He left the game at 14:52 of the first period because of a lower-body injury.
The 35-year-old goalie "tweaked something" last Wednesday in relief of Ilya Sorokin in the third period of a 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Varlamov missed a 5-1 win against the Capitals on Friday but backed up Sorokin in a 3-1 loss to the Penguins on Sunday before returning Tuesday.
Goalie Ken Appleby was recalled from Bridgeport of the AHL on an emergency basis.
The Islanders visit the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSGSN). New York coach Lane Lambert said Varlamov remained on the trip and is day to day. -- Stefen Rosner
Chicago Blackhawks
Jaycob Megna is expected to play for the Blackhawks against the New York Rangers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, MSG), one day after he was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.
The defenseman had one goal in two games with Coachella Valley, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, this season. He had 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 48 games with the San Jose Sharks and no points in six games for the Kraken last season.
The Blackhawks also placed Anthony Beauvillier on injured reserve Wednesday with a left wrist injury.
The forward was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 28 for a conditional pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and has six points (two goals, four assists) in 15 games for Chicago. He had eight points (two goals, six assists) in 22 games for Vancouver. -- Tracey Myers
Los Angeles Kings
Brandt Clarke was recalled from Ontario of the AHL on Wednesday and could make his season debut when the Kings host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, BSDET).
The defenseman had two assists in nine games for the Kings last season after making his NHL debut Oct. 13, 2022 against the Kraken. He helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship before being assigned to Barrie of the Ontario Hockey League in January.
Clarke, the No. 8 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, has a team-high 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) in 30 games for Ontario this season.
The Kings have lost three straight games (0-2-1) for the first time this season and were shut out for the first time in a 2-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. -- Dan Greenspan
