NHL Buzz: Fleury could debut with Wild on Saturday

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Throughout the 2021-22 season, NHL.com will have you covered with the latest news.

Minnesota Wild

Marc-Andre Fleury could debut for the Wild on Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The goalie, acquired by Minnesota on Monday in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, was not at practice Wednesday. He will back up Cam Talbot on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.
"You know, it was a whirlwind (for Fleury)," Wild coach Dean Evason said. "... We had a good chat with him and just said get settled with family and get everything and then get back here for the game (on Thursday). Obviously Cam goes tomorrow. Then most likely ... [Fleury] gets the next one, whenever that is."
Jake Middleton could make his Wild debut Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSN, BSWIX, SNP, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The defenseman practiced with Jared Spurgeon on the top pair Wednesday after being acquired Monday in a trade with the San Jose Sharks for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
"We've got two extra forwards and two extra defensemen right? And there's a goaltender that's not going to play on a given night. We expect everybody to be peeved off that they're not in the lineup if they're not in the lineup," Evason said. "And they can voice any concerns or any disgruntlement to us. We want that. We want the communication. But it's not a distraction to their teammates. If we've had anything here, we've had success because of our depth and because of the way that our team approaches their teammates. We don't expect anything different with having a few more bodies within our group now."
Middleton scored nine points (three goals, six assists) in 45 games with the Sharks this season.
Dmitry Kulikov will likely be a healthy scratch if Middleton plays. The defenseman has scored 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) in 60 games. -- Jessi Pierce

Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to return for the Oilers against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, NBCSCA, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The forward missed his 12th game with an upper-body injury when the Oilers lost 5-3 at the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. He was injured Feb. 26 in a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Nugent-Hopkins scored 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists) in 45 games this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Rasmus Sandin is expected to be out for multiple weeks, Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday.
The defenseman injured his knee in a 6-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. There is no specific timeline for a return.
"No, other than it's going to be weeks, for sure, is what I'm told," Keefe said. "How many, we are not certain of that."
Sandin scored 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 51 games this season.
"I chatted with him yesterday," Keefe said. "He's walking around and doing things in the gym and stuff like that, so he's moving around and that kind of stuff, but it's going to take a little bit of time for it to heal up and get greater clarity on exactly how long. He's been in pretty good spirits and that kind of stuff and he's been in the gym doing things there, so his recovery is well under way."
Mark Giordano, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on March 20, replaced Sandin on a pair with Timothy Liljegren in his Maple Leafs debut against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, a 3-2 win. Giordano had three hits and two blocked shots in 18:35. -- Dave McCarthy