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Calgary Flames
Jacob Markstrom will return to the lineup for the Flames against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, CITY).
The goalie has missed the past five games with lower-body injury since last playing March 9.
Markstrom is 22-17-2 with a 2.68 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 41 games this season.
"He's been our best player this year, and we're happy to have him back," Flames coach Ryan Huska said Saturday. "Night in and night out, he's given our team a chance to win and not just when he's in the lineup, but I feel like he's made our other goaltenders better as well. When you see someone that's raised their game, it forces the people around them to do the same thing."
Markstrom's return comes two days after the Flames announced goalie Dan Vladar will have season-ending hip surgery next week. Vladar is 8-9-2 with a 3.62 GAA and an .882 save percentage in 20 games (19 starts) this season.
Rookie goalie Dustin Wolf, who has started the past two games, remains on the Flames roster on an emergency recall basis. He will back up Markstrom on Saturday and could start the second half of back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabres in Calgary on Sunday.
Forward Connor Zary could return Saturday after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. -- Kevin Woodley
Minnesota Wild
Joel Eriksson Ek missed his fifth straight game when the Wild lost to the St. Louis Blues 5-4 in overtime on Saturday.
The forward left a 4-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes on March 12 during the third period with a lower-body injury. He practiced Friday, but his participation was limited after he had skated on his own prior to joining the team.
Minnesota coach John Hynes said defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) is progressing, but he did not play Saturday. He is a possibility to play against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, the next game for the Wild.
Brodin left early in the third period of a 4-0 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday following a hit from Alex Killorn. He missed a 6-0 loss at the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
"Brodin will not be in tomorrow but good signs, it looks like it should be fairly short order here with him," Hynes said Friday. "It's not something where you're looking at a long-term thing here. I think he’s got to let some time pass a little bit and get himself going. So, that's good news." -- Jessi Pierce
New Jersey Devils
John Marino returned for the Devils against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
The defenseman, who had missed the previous two games and four of five with an upper-body injury, was paired with Kevin Bahl at the morning skate Saturday.
"I've been in and out with injuries lately, but the guys have been playing well and I just hope to contribute where I can," Marino said. "It's been a tough year, a lot of ups and downs in finding that consistency. So, as long as we can get closer to that, you can't be too upset. We've won two in a row, so if we can string a few together, you never know what happens."
Defenseman Santeri Hatakka was a healthy scratch.
New Jersey (34-32-4) entered the game six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference and nine points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division with 12 games remaining. -- Mike G. Morreale
Toronto Maple Leafs
Tyler Bertuzzi was scratched against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday because of an illness. He had been a game-time decision.
The forward took part in an optional skate Saturday after not practicing Friday. He missed the first 9:19 of the first period of a 7-3 win against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday because of the illness, but scored a goal in 14:19 of ice time, below his season average of 15:53 per game.
Matthew Knies practiced Friday in Bertuzzi's place at left wing on a line with center Auston Matthews and right wing Max Domi.
Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin practiced Friday but did not play Saturday, missing a third game because of illness.
Forward Mitch Marner didn't play Saturday and will sit out against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday because of a high ankle sprain that had caused him to miss five games.
"He's progressing," Keefe said Friday. "He's skated the last few days, so that's progress for sure. The plan is for him to take tomorrow off again and then get back to it." -- Dave McCarthy
Anaheim Ducks
Leo Carlsson returned to practice on Saturday, two days after sustaining a lower-body injury in a 4-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at Honda Center.
The rookie forward, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, had to be helped off the ice at 15:46 of the second period after making knee-to-knee contact with Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic.
"Just sore," Carlsson said Saturday. "Nothing major, looked worse than it was, so it's good. Lucky."
Carlsson was in his third game back after missing eight with an upper-body injury. He also missed 10 games from Dec. 23-Jan. 13 with a knee injury and the first two games of the season with a lower-body injury sustained during training camp. He has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 43 games this season.
The Ducks have had their top six forwards of Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn in the same lineup just twice this season.
Zegras also practiced in full on Saturday after missing the past 30 games with a broken ankle.
"It will be nice to see what we can do with a full lineup," Carlsson said.
The Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday (8:30 p.m. ET BSSD, BSSC, BSSUN). -- Dan Arritt
Dallas Stars
Defenseman Jani Hakanpaa will be out for "the near future" because of a lower-body injury sustained during a 4-1 win against the Kings on March 16.
"He's shut down for the near future here," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Friday. "He's having some tests done and things like that, so we'll see where that goes. But I don't see him having any availability in the immediate future."
Hakanpaa has 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 64 games and averages 3:16 of short-handed ice time per game, second on the Stars.
Nils Lundkvist played for a second straight game when Dallas defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Friday. The defenseman was minus-1 in 14:26 of ice time. He had missed the final 8:26 of a 5-2 win against Arizona on Wednesday after being hit in the face by a puck.
He had two assists Wednesday in his first game since March 8. Lundkvist had been scratched the previous four games. -- Taylor Baird
