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Florida Panthers
Aaron Ekblad will be in the lineup after missing the past seven games when the Panthers host the New York Islanders on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, BSFL).
The defenseman had been taking part in full practices the past few days with coach Paul Maurice saying the team was not going to rush him back.
"He is ready to roll," Maurice said. "We have a luxury now of depth, and we have earned it. So, we do not have to squeeze a player into the lineup when he is not 100 percent."
Ekblad collided with teammate Vladimir Tarasenko during the first period of a 5-1 win against the Calgary Flames on March 9. He has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 47 games this season. -- George Richards
Toronto Maple Leafs
Mitch Marner is not expected to return from a high ankle sprain for at least the remainder of the week, coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday.
The forward participated in an optional practice Wednesday with the Maple Leafs, who host the Washington Capitals on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, MNMT). Marner has missed the past eight games because of the injury sustained March 7 in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins. He has 76 points (25 goals, 51 assists) in 62 games.
"The hope or plan is that we can get him to be able to be in a (full) practice on Friday," Keefe said. "I do not expect him to be available or even to consider him playing this week, but he looked really good out there today and progress looks to be good. He looks to be in a good place. We just have to continue to build him up."
After its game Thursday, Toronto will visit the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Goalie Ilya Samsonov also practiced Wednesday after leaving a 6-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers because of a bruised calf Saturday.
"Everything is good," Samsonov said. "Nice day today. A little bit of practice with the guys, with players. I feel good. I think I'm ready to play. I'm available right now.
"I hit some post with my calf, little bit contusion on my muscle. I don't know how to say; I'm not really good with the medical stuff, but like a cramp. Last couple days, it felt pretty sore. … Moving is great now. [It doesn't] hurt anymore."
Keefe said Joseph Woll would start in goal Thursday. -- Dave McCarthy
Minnesota Wild
Joel Eriksson Ek and Jonas Brodin will each return when the Wild host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSN, NBCSCA+).
Eriksson Ek, a forward, has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury. He has 60 points (29 goals, 31 assists) in 66 games this season.
Brodin, a defenseman, has missed two games with a lower-body injury and has 23 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 51 games.
"I think when you look at the guts of [Brodin's] game, he's as valuable as any defenseman to any team," Wild coach John Hynes said. "I mean, he's a great skater, a very good defender, moves the puck well, can contribute offensively. And to me, that's probably been the most impressive. He doesn't seem like the biggest guy and things like that, but when you see his ability to play against top players in the (Connor) McDavids, you know, guys like 'Brods' is as good as I've seen, as good as I've had the opportunity to coach." -- Jessi Pierce
New York Rangers
Ryan Lindgren could return for the Rangers when they play the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; MSG, ALT, TVAS-D).
Lindgren, who has missed the past four games with a lower-body injury, and Jacob Trouba, who has missed the past 10 games with a lower-body injury, each participated in full in the morning skate.
"We've got some game-time decisions tonight, but it's nice to see [Lindgren] and Jacob out on the ice and in full colors. So that's a positive for us," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "We'll play players when they're ready to play, and so to me, when a player is cleared by everybody and deemed healthy, at that point, essentially, you're healthy scratching him. And so that doesn't make any sense to me either."
Lindgren has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 66 games this season, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game. Trouba has 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) in 60 games, averaging 21:46 of ice time per game. He leads the Rangers in blocked shots (170) and is second in hits (164).
"[Lindgren's] been out for a little bit. So when he is ready to come back in, and Jacob as well, they're cleared to play and they're good to go," Laviolette said. "And so that's how we approach it."
Forward Alexander Wennberg will play after missing a 6-5 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday for the birth of his child. Wennberg has one goal and three assists in nine games with the Rangers after being acquired from the Seattle Kraken on March 6. -- Ryan Boulding
Colorado Avalanche
Valeri Nichushkin will not play for the Avalanche against the New York Rangers on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; MSG, ALT, TVAS-D) and is day to day because of a lower-body injury.
The forward has 50 points in 48 games this season, including a career-best 26 goals. He ranks tied for third in the NHL with 15 power-play goals, despite having missed two games in December due to illness and 22 games from Jan. 13 to March 7 while receiving care from the NHL and NHL Players' Association player assistance program.
Casey Mittelstadt will get an opportunity to play on the first-unit power play in Nichushkin's absence, and Jean-Luc Foudy, who was recalled from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League on Thursday, will enter the lineup.
"Val's gone, so we have an opening and [Mittelstadt] certainly has a skillset that says he should be looked at in that in that spot," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "We're still experimenting a little bit to see what sort of different looks we can throw at teams, and that's certainly a different look, putting him on there."
Alexandar Georgiev didn't participate in morning skate, but will start. -- Ryan Boulding
San Jose Sharks
Alexander Barabanov is week to week for the Sharks because of a lower-body injury.
The forward was injured in a 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday and did not travel with the Sharks for their two-game road trip that begins against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSN, NBCSCA+).
"As far as the rest of the season, hopefully he can get better this week," San Jose coach David Quinn said Thursday. "When we say week to week, hopefully it's just this week, not the following."
Barabanov, who scored in the game Tuesday, blocked a shot and left during the second period. He has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 46 games in a season. He also missed time earlier this season with a broken finger, COVID-19 and several other lower-body injuries.
"Injuries I really think played a major role," Quinn said of Barabanov's season. "Then all of a sudden, the season starts getting away from you when you get back in the lineup and you probably get away from doing the things you need to do. But I really thought he was playing his best hockey before he just got hurt." -- Jessi Pierce
Vancouver Canucks
Dakota Joshua will return for the Canucks against the Dallas Stars on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSSW) after missing 18 games with a hand injury.
"It's been a long time coming," Joshua said Wednesday. "It hasn't been fun. It feels like forever but at this point, just happy that's behind me and moving forward."
Joshua hasn't played since injuring his hand during a fight in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 13. The forward had a goal and two assists against Chicago before getting injured, and has NHL career highs in goals (13), assists (13) and points (26) in 53 games this season.
"He's a big part of our team," coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday.
Joshua, who is plus-16 this season, had been part of a third line but will move up to play with J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser on Thursday.
"Great opportunity, great players, and both are having a [heck] of a season," Joshua said. "It's always fun to play with those guys."
Elias Lindholm remains day to day with an undisclosed injury, but Tocchet said he isn't worried that his third-line center could be out long term.
Lindholm missed practice on Wednesday after not playing in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. He is not expected to play against the Stars.
"I'm not really concerned," Tocchet said Wednesday. "I think it's just something a little nagging that's getting better every day. That's the way you've got to look at it."
Lindholm, who was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Jan. 31, has 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games this season, including nine points (five goals, four assists) in 22 games with the Canucks. -- Kevin Woodley
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jeff Carter could return for the Penguins against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSOH).
The forward took part in an optional skate Thursday after a full practice Wednesday, rotating with Emil Bemstrom at third-line left wing after missing the past four games with an upper-body injury. He was a game-time decision on Tuesday but did not play in a 4-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 39-year-old has 12 points (nine goals, three assists) in 61 games this season, his 19th in the NHL.
Forward Reilly Smith, recently left wing on the third line, did not practice Wednesday to attend the birth of his child. Sullivan said Thursday he is available to play. -- Wes Crosby
Philadelphia Flyers
Nick Seeler could return to the Flyers lineup as soon as their game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
The defenseman has been out since sustaining a lower-body injury blocking a shot against the St. Louis Blues on March 4. He took part in the morning skate Thursday but will miss his 11th straight game when the Flyers play at the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, NBCSP).
"Seeler is getting closer," Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Thursday. "We don't have an exact date. Small chance this weekend, maybe after the weekend. He's getting close so that's really encouraging in his case."
After playing the Blackhawks, the Flyers play the New York Islanders on Monday.
Defenseman Jamie Drysdale also took part in the morning skate, but Briere said it could be a bit longer before he returns. He has been out since sustaining an upper-body injury Feb. 25.
Briere said the hope is Drysdale can play sometime before the end of the regular season.
"Drysdale is getting better and better," he said. "I don't think he's as close as Seeler is but he's moving in the right direction.
Briere said he's unsure if defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will play again this season. He last played Feb. 10 because of an upper-body injury. -- Adam Kimelman
