NHL Buzz: Makar back for Avalanche against Coyotes

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Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar will play against the Arizona Coyotes at Ball Arena on Friday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, BSAZX, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman missed two games because of a lower-body injury sustained during a 5-1 win at Detroit on March 18.
"Huge, huge boost," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said of Makar returning.
Makar is third on the Avalanche with 61 points (16 goals, 45 assists) in 55 games this season and leads the NHL with an average time on ice of 26:36.
Defenseman Erik Johnson also will play after missing 19 games because of a broken ankle suffered in a 5-3 win at Florida on Feb. 11.
Johnson was expected to be out 8-10 weeks; Friday will be one day short of six weeks since his previous game.
"I feel good," he said. "Responded real well and back early, so that always feels good. I wasn't sure initially if I'd be back before the playoffs started, so happy in that sense for sure and feel really good. So overall really, really pleased."
Goalie Pavel Francouz, out since Feb. 7 because of a lower-body injury, resumed skating this week. He was expected to be out three weeks, but there is no timetable for when he might play again.
"He skated [the] last few days," Bednar said. "He's hit and miss too though." -- Ryan Boulding

Vegas Golden Knights

Reilly Smith, Logan Thompson and Alec Martinez will be out against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, TVAS2, ATTSN-RM, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Smith, a forward, left the Golden Knights' 3-2 win at the Calgary Flames on Thursday at 2:54 of the third period because of a lower-body injury.
Thompson also left during the third period with a lower-body injury. It was the goalie's first start since Feb. 9 because of a lower-body injury.
Martinez, a defenseman, left the team for a personal reason.
"Hopefully they're all short term [absences]," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday. "We won't know that until they get looked at by our medical team and we'll see. We play Tuesday at home [against the Oilers], so hopefully we'll have better news for you Monday."
Forwards Keegan Kolesar, who has missed six games because of an upper-body injury, or Paul Cotter could play in Smith's place Saturday. Defenseman Ben Hutton is expected to replace Martinez.
Goalie Laurent Brossoit, out since Feb. 25 because of a lower-body injury, skated Friday and could be available Saturday.
"One out/one in type of thing," Cassidy said. "Next man up. That's how it looks for tomorrow."

Minnesota Wild

John Klingberg has an upper-body injury and will not play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday (5 p.m. ET; BSN, BSWI, NBCSCH, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman will miss his second straight game after sitting out a 5-4 shootout loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
"He's just getting looked at today," coach Dean Evason said. "He was here this morning, was involved in the meetings. We had everybody here at the meetings. He'll get evaluated. He will not play tomorrow but we'll get a better idea here today."
Forward Gustav Nyquist practiced for the first time since being acquired in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 28.
The forward has been out since Jan. 25 because of a shoulder injury that was supposed to be season-ending, but the Wild hope Nyquist can play this season. Evason said Nyquist is not yet cleared for contact.
"There's no date set [for a return]," he said. "We'll just progress as we go here. The next step will be some battle stuff. I do know he'll come on the road with us because he's now with us, our guys. We'll progress into some pushing and battling and stuff here in the future. When that happens he'll be even closer."
Nyquist had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 42 games prior to his injury.

Chicago Blackhawks

Reese Johnson will return to the lineup when the Blackhawks visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
The 24-year-old center has been in concussion protocol since Feb. 19. He had six points (four goals, two assists) in 46 games before his injury, which caused him to miss 16 games.
Johnson will replace Philipp Kurashev, who was injured after a hit from forward Tom Wilson in the first period of a 6-1 loss at the Washington Capitals on Thursday.
"We'll have to figure that out and let the doctors check him after it settles down," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said of Kurashev after the game Thursday.
Kurashev is ruled out Saturday with an upper-body injury; Chicago is already without center Jonathan Toews (illness) and Cole Guttman (shoulder) with 11 games remaining in the regular season. -- Jessi Pierce

Vancouver Canucks

Oliver Ekman-Larsson won't play again this season because of a left ankle injury the defenseman sustained Feb. 15.
"No, I don't think so," coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday. "He's off the cast, he's walking now, and he's really worked hard the last 3-4 weeks, and this is a big summer for him."
He was injured trying to make a hit in the first period of a game against the New York Rangers. The 31-year-old had 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 54 games.
Ekman-Larsson is in his second season with the Canucks after being traded to Vancouver by the Arizona Coyotes on July 23, 2021. He had 29 points (five goals, 24 assists) in 79 games last season. He has four seasons remaining on the eight-year contract he signed with the Coyotes on July 1, 2018.
"I know a lot of people count him out," said Tocchet, who coached Ekman-Larsson for four seasons (2017-2021) in Arizona. "I got a feeling he's going to have a really good year. There's a gleam in his eye. I can tell he's going to use this as motivation. Things haven't gone his way a bunch of years now and I think this is something he's going to take this summer to another level. I really believe it."-- Kevin Woodley

Buffalo Sabres

Eric Comrie served as the backup goalie against the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
Comrie missed six games because of a lower-body injury sustained in practice March 10. He returned to practice Monday.
"I've been back at practice a couple days now and I'm feeling really good," Comrie said Thursday. "I'm feeling ready to go, so whenever the team gives me a chance, I'll be ready to go."
The Sabres play again Saturday at the New York Islanders (5 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN NOW).
Comrie previously missed seven weeks from Nov. 17 to Jan. 9 because of a lower-body injury. He is 8-9-0 with a 3.95 goals-against average and .877 save percentage in 17 games.
Comrie had won four straight starts before his most recent game, when he allowed 10 goals on 49 shots in a 10-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on March 9.
"It's been frustrating all year, kind of," Comrie said. "Playing the first little bit, then we go through a bunch of injuries, then I get injured, out for a while. Come back, start feeling good, then that [Stars] game happens and get hurt again. Definitely getting frustrated, but I just have to stay positive and stay in the process."
Jordan Greenway practiced Thursday but will not play Friday. The forward did not play in a 7-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday because of an upper-body injury. Greenway, who was acquired in a trade with the Wild on March 3, has one goal in eight games with the Sabres.
"He was out there and that was a good sign," coach Don Granato said. "But I think he still has a little bit to go."-- Heather Engel