NHL Buzz: Bertuzzi expected back for Red Wings coming off surgery

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

Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to return for the Red Wings against the Winnipeg Jets at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, TSN3, ESPN+, SN NOW) after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury.
The forward had surgery for the injury sustained in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 30. He left late in the third period after being hit on the left hand with a shot.
Bertuzzi missed 13 games earlier this season after breaking his right hand in a game during a 5-2 win at the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 15. He has four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games this season and projects to skate on a line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on Tuesday.
"It has to be frustrating for him, just in the way he went down," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "Literally four periods in he goes down, he comes back, gets a few games under his belt, is trying to get some rhythm going, he goes down again. But that's behind him. He's looked great in the last three, four, five practices, and now hopefully it translates into tomorrow's game."
Filip Zadina skated in a no-contact jersey. Lalonde said the forward is week to week with a lower-body injury but is targeting a three-game road trip beginning Jan. 16 for a potential return. Zadina was placed on injured reserve after a 3-0 win against the New York Islanders on Nov. 5, when he was hit on the right leg by a shot with 5:19 left in the third period.
The Red Wings assigned forward
Elmer Soderblom
to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Sunday.

Montreal Canadiens

Jake Allen is day to day for the Canadiens with an upper-body injury and the goalie will be unavailable against the Seattle Kraken at Bell Centre on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN, RDS, ROOT-NW, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Goalie Sam Montembeault will start for the Canadiens. Cayden Primeau was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. The 23-year-old is 4-6-3 with a 3.65 goals-against average, .890 save percentage and one shutout in 13 AHL games this season. He has not played an NHL game this season.

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New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal could play for the Islanders against the Dallas Stars at UBS Arena on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSSWX, ESPN+, SN NOW).
He practiced Monday as the center on the first line between Anders Lee and Simon Holmstrom. Barzal missed a 4-1 loss at the Calgary Flames on Friday after he was a late scratch because of a lower-body injury. He had scored six goals during a five-game goal streak.
"I thought he looked pretty good," Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. "I haven't talked to anybody since practice was over but the way he looked, the expectation or the hope is that he will be [in the lineup]."
Holmstrom skated for the first time since a lower-body injury sustained when he collided knee-on-knee with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett on Dec. 23.
"He's been skating and today was a day when we could integrate him into the group and see where he went from there, and I thought he looked good," Lambert said.
Adam Pelech has resumed skating. The defenseman will miss his 15th game with an undisclosed injury.

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Minnesota Wild

Marc-Andre Fleury returned to his home in Montreal following a 6-5 overtime loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday to deal with a personal matter.
Fleury, who made 31 saves in the loss to Buffalo, missed a 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Sunday but will be with the Wild when they play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, MSG, BSN, BSWI, ESPN+, SN NOW).
"He's flying (back to St. Paul) tonight," coach Dean Evason said before the game Sunday. "It's a personal situation, so I'm not going to elaborate on it. He had to take care of some business."
The Wild reassigned goalie
Zane McIntyre
to Iowa of the American Hockey League. McIntyre backed up Filip Gustavsson, who returned from an illness, Saturday.
Mats Zuccarello has missed two games with an upper-body injury. He is second on the Wild with 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists). -- Jessi Pierce and Heather Engel

St. Louis Blues

Robert Bortuzzo was placed on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury.
The defenseman left the Blues' 5-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday because of a lower-body injury sustained in the first period, and he did not play in St. Louis' 3-0 win at the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. Blues coach Craig Berube said Sunday that Bortuzzo was day to day because of the injury.
Bortuzzo has one goal in 30 games this season.
Defenseman Dmitri Samorukov was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League and could make his season debut against the Calgary Flames at Enterprise Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; BSMW, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW). The 23-year-old has one game of NHL experience, playing with the Edmonton Oilers against the Blues on Dec. 29, 2021. He has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 34 AHL games this season.