NHL Buzz: Fabbri to make season debut for Red Wings coming off torn ACL

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2022-23 regular season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

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Detroit Red Wings

Robby Fabbri will make his season debut and play his first game for the Red Wings since the forward sustained a torn ACL against the Minnesota Wild on March 10.
The Red Wings activated Fabbri off injured reserve. He will skate on the fourth line to the right of Oskar Sundqvist and Pius Suter against the New Jersey Devils at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN NOW). He had 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 56 games last season before the injury.
"We're excited to get him back for a lot of reasons," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "The power play is obviously one, but he also plays 5-on-5 with some jam. He's a proven player in this league and he's a member of our leadership group. The good news is he's been practicing for a high level for a while now."
Lalonde is hopeful forwards Tyler Bertuzzi (upper body) and Filip Zadina (lower body) will return during a West Coast trip Jan. 16-19, though Bertuzzi is probably a little closer.
Bertuzzi has missed 26 games, Zadina 24
"Hopefully sooner rather than later," Lalonde said.
Forward Jakub Vrana was assigned to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. Vrana entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Oct. 19 and returned to the Red Wings for practice Dec. 16. He played two games for Detroit this season and three for Grand Rapids after beginning a conditioning assignment Dec. 28.

Washington Capitals

John Carlson continues to have a lengthy recovery ahead after being hit in the right side of the face with a shot against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23, but coach Peter Laviolette said the defenseman looked much improved when he saw him following the Capitals' 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.
"He actually feels good," Laviolette said Wednesday. "It's still a long, long road for him, but he feels good, a little bit more back to normal, which is really good. He looked good to me. When you saw him the next day or the day after and now, he looked good last night. He sounded good and he looked good, which is really positive for us to see."
Carlson remains out indefinitely. The 32-year-old has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 30 games this season.
T.J. Oshie returned for a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday after missing six games with an upper-body injury. The forward missed 11 games from Oct. 31 to Nov. 19 with a similar injury. -- Tom Gulitti

Philadelphia Flyers

Carter Hart was actived off injured reserve by the Flyers.
The goalie missed two games since Dec. 23 with an upper-body injury. He passed an evaluation before Philadelphia defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Monday, but Samuel Ersson made 28 saves in his third consecutive start.
Hart is 10-11-6 with a 2.89 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 27 games (26 starts). Ersson won the final three games of a five-game road trip (2.90 GAA, .905 save percentage).
The Flyers return home to play the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, BSAZ, ESPN+, SN NOW).

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Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl was back for the Oilers on Tuesday, a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place.
The forward missed two games with an undisclosed injury.
"I'm feeling good, I've skated the last couple of days, and I feel really good," Draisaitl said Monday. "I think I recovered pretty well, recovered pretty quick, maybe a little quicker than I thought I could. But I'm happy the way it's feeling, and we'll see how it goes from here."
Draisaitl has 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists), second in the NHL behind Oilers center Connor McDavid (73 points; 33 goals, 40 assists in 38 games). -- Derek Van Diest