NHL Buzz: Hughes day to day for Canucks with new injury

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Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes missed practice Sunday and is day to day with a new injury he sustained in a 6-3 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.

The Canucks captain only played five shifts in the third period and sat out the final 9:05. It was the third game back for the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the League's top defenseman after being out for more than three weeks (missed six games).

"He tweaked something else, and it was a more of a kind of cautionary, so kind of a maintenance day," coach Rick Tocchet said. "We'll see how he is tomorrow and go from there."

Vancouver is off Monday but is scheduled to practice Tuesday before hosting the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, KCOP-13, Victory+). Hughes has 60 points (14 goals, 46 assists) in 50 games, which leads Vancouver and is third among NHL defensemen.

"We'll see if he gets on the ice Tuesday," Tocchet said.

Tocchet also confirmed No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko has resumed skating after leaving midway through the first period of a 2-1 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8 with a lower-body injury. He was considered week to week at the time.

"Demko just started skating a few days ago, so I think he's been on the ice, I don't know if it's two or three times to skate," Tocchet said. "They'll ramp it up. I don't know exactly when, but you know at least he's skating." -- Kevin Woodley

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider (upper body) missed his fourth straight game Sunday, a 4-0 win against the Nashville Predators.

The forward participated in the morning skate but remained on the ice afterward. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday but can be activated at any time.

The injury is not related to the back injury that Kreider dealt with earlier in the season. He has 21 points (17 goals, four assists) in 48 games this season.

Brett Berard was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League and scored in the win against the Predators. The rookie forward has played 20 games with the Rangers this season, getting eight points (four goals, four assists). He was first recalled from Hartford on Nov. 24 and reassigned on Jan. 11.

Berard has 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 31 AHL games this season. -- Dan Rosen

Toronto Maple Leafs

Calle Jarnkrok continues to progress but did not make his season debut in a 6-5 overtime win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

The 33-year-old forward had groin and sports hernia surgery Nov. 18 and hasn’t played since March 14, 2024. He was the third-line center at practice Saturday.

"I feel great out there,” Jarnkrok said after practice. “I'm just waiting for the last medical clearance here. I don't know if it will be tomorrow or the next day, or the day after that, but I'm really close."

Jarnkrok had 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 52 games last season.

Chris Tanev is feeling better but was placed on injured reserve Sunday. The defenseman is expected to miss at least one more game with an upper-body injury sustained on his second shift against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 25.

Connor Dewar (upper body) was activated from IR on Sunday and played 8:30 in his first game since Jan. 20. -- Wes Crosby

Nashville Predators

Roman Josi (upper body) was placed on injured reserve by the Predators prior to their 7-4 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday.

The defenseman, who is week to week, did not play in a 2-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday after he was boarded by Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in a 4-1 loss on Feb. 25.

Josi, who is the Predators captain, has 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists) in 53 games while averaging 25:02 of ice time.

Nashville is already without defensemen Jeremy Lauzon (lower body) and Adam Wilsby (upper body), who are each out for the remainder of the season. Forward Jake Lucchini and defenseman Spencer Stastney were recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Saturday.