Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Minnesota Wild
Jonas Brodin could return after missing nine games with an upper-body injury when the Wild host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, MSG-B).
“I think it’s a strong possibility, not a guarantee,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said Friday.
The defenseman was paired alongside Jared Spurgeon during practice Friday. Brodin, who has not played since a 5-2 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 28, has been limited to 38 games this season because of three separate injuries, with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists).
Forward Marcus Johansson, who missed a 4-0 win against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday with an illness, and center Marco Rossi, who left during the first period with a lower-body injury, each is expected to play against the Sabres.
“I’m not hiding anything,” Hynes said. “The way this year has gone, I could go downstairs in five minutes and all three guys are out. All three are in, or three new guys out -- but all look like they have strong possibilities to play.
“I just don’t want to say something and then it comes back, but all of them look like they are ready to potentially play.”
Minnesota will be without forward Marcus Foligno for a third straight game because of an upper-body injury. The Wild (39-25-5) hold the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, six points ahead of the St. Louis Blues and four points behind the Avalanche for third place in the Central Division. Minnesota has a game in hand on St. Louis and Colorado. -- Jessi Pierce
Carolina Hurricanes
Dmitry Orlov returned for a 3-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
The defenseman, who had one shot and one blocked shot in 17:36 of ice time, had missed the previous five games because of an upper-body injury. He has 24 points (four goals, 20 assists) in 63 games this season.
Andrei Svechnikov missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury; the forward has 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 63 games for the Hurricanes (42-22-4), who have matched a season-long eight-game winning streak and are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points ahead of the third-place New Jersey Devils with two games in hand.
Carolina plays at the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (4 p.m. ET; FDSNW, FDSNSO). -- Max Miller
Philadelphia Flyers
Rasmus Ristolainen is week to week for the Flyers because of an upper-body injury.
The defenseman is expected to miss his fifth straight game when the Flyers visit the Dallas Stars on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; Victory+, NBCSP). He last played in a 5-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on March 11 and had been listed as day to day since March 14.
Ristolainen has 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) and is averaging 20:31 of ice time in 63 games this season. He also has 97 hits and 94 blocked shots.
The Flyers (28-34-8) are 10 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
