Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Buffalo Sabres
Matt Savoie will make his NHL debut against the Minnesota Wild on Friday (7 p.m. ET; BSNX, BSWI, MSG-B, SN1).
The forward, selected by the Sabres in the first round (No. 9) of the 2022 NHL Draft, was recalled from Rochester of the American Hockey League on Monday after a conditioning loan. Savoie missed nearly all of training camp because of an upper-body injury sustained in the final game of the Prospects Challenge on Sept. 18.
He had five points (two goals, three assists) in six games with Rochester.
"He's ready for it. He's kept himself very well prepared," Sabres coach Don Granato said Friday. "He went to Rochester and played six games, and the coaches there spoke of his consistency, the intangible competitive attributes. … Sometimes guys get opportunities they may not have fully worked for just because you're depleted. But he's earned this through a lot of hard work. We got to see him last year in training camp, big difference between him last year and this year, taking the experience learned a year ago to make himself better and be better prepared this time around, so I'm excited for him."
Savoie played right wing on a line with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner at practice Wednesday and Thursday and also worked on the first power-play unit. Alex Tuch, who usually is in that spot, is day to day because of an upper-body injury and did not practice either day.
Dylan Cozens practiced for a second straight day in a no-contact jersey and wearing a full face shield, and looked "really good," Granato said. The center has missed two games because of an upper-body injury sustained during a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 3.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and goalie Eric Comrie each returned to practice Thursday. Samuelsson (lower body) was injured in the first period against the Flyers and has missed two games. Comrie sustained a lower-body injury against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 27. -- Heather Engel
Toronto Maple Leafs
Jake McCabe will return for the Maple Leafs when they host the Calgary Flames on Friday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, TSN4).
The defenseman missed six games because of a groin injury sustained Oct. 26 against the Dallas Stars; Toronto went 1-3-2 during that span.
McCabe, who skated Thursday at practice on a pair with Mark Giordano, has no points and is minus-4 in seven games.
Morgan Rielly skated with TJ Brodie at practice, and William Lagesson was with Simon Benoit.
"Six left shots on defense tonight so there are some challenges there for sure playing the off-side," coach Sheldon Keefe said. "McCabe has done it at different times, he spent a good portion of his time in Chicago playing the off-side. I suspect the defense will move around here today."
John Klingberg will not play because of an undisclosed injury.
"John has been working through some injuries the last little bit so today is a chance for us to give him some time to work through that," Keefe said. "We'll have a better sense of where he is at tomorrow but he won't play tonight."
Klingberg has no points and is minus-6 in his past seven games.
"Quite a while (he has been working through something)," Keefe said. "Nothing obviously that's kept him out of the lineup but something we want to give him an opportunity to work through it and have a better sense of exactly what's going on and where he is at." -- Dave McCarthy
Calgary Flames
Jacob Markstrom is day to day because of an undisclosed injury and will not dress for the Flames against the Maple Leafs on Friday.
Dan Vladar will start and will be backed up by Dustin Wolf, who was recalled from Calgary of the AHL on Thursday.
Markstrom made 16 saves in a 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. He did not practice Wednesday because of maintenance but went on the ice Friday in full equipment for individual work after the morning skate concluded.
The Flames play the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and coach Ryan Huska said he would not rule out starting Wolf if Markstrom remains unavailable.
"We are not afraid to start him," Huska said. "He's done some great things in the American Hockey League the last number of years and he came in for [preseason games] this season and did the same thing. We're in a situation where we are back-to-back and we will see how things go for tomorrow."
Wolf is 5-1-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and one shutout in the AHL this season after winning the Baz Bastien Award as AHL goalie of the year each of the past two seasons. -- Dave McCarthy
Carolina Hurricanes
Brett Pesce will be a game-time decision for the Hurricanes against the Florida Panthers on Friday (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSFL).
Pesce took part in the morning skate but the team wants to see how he feels before deciding if he plays or not. The defenseman has missed eight games because of a lower-body injury that required surgery.
"He is such a good player, he is one of the best defenders in the game,'' Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "When you have him out of your lineup, you are missing a big piece. … When he is in there, you definitely feel a lot more comfortable."
Pesce has two points (one goal, one assist) in five games this season He played in all 82 games for Carolina last season had 30 points (five goals, 25 assists). -- George Richards
Vegas Golden Knights
Zach Whitecloud could make his season debut against the San Jose Sharks on Friday (10 p.m., SCRIPPS, NBCSCA, SN, TVAS).
The defenseman has missed the first 14 games this season because of an upper-body injury he sustained during the preseason against the Colorado Avalanche on Sept. 25.
"He was out there this morning, so I'll know for sure tonight," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "But I don't anticipate any snags there."
Whitecloud had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 59 games last season with Vegas. -- Paul Delos Santos
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon will make his season debut for the Wild against the Sabres on Friday.
The defenseman hasn't played since sustaining an upper-body injury in a preseason game Oct. 5. He had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 79 regular-season games last season.
Asked what Spurgeon will bring, coach Dean Evason said, "Everything, right? He is going to play. Obviously he hasn’t played for a while, but the way that he competes, the way that he leads, not only by example but within the room ... Hopefully we get the start and the rest of the game that we want."
Spurgeon was activated off long-term injured reserve Friday, and defenseman Daemon Hunt was assigned to Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Evason said Spurgeon will be on a pair with Jake Middleton. Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber will stay together, and Dakota Mermis will play with Zach Bogosian.
Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras has a lower-body injury and will not play for the Ducks against the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday (10 p.m. ET; BSW, NBCSP+).
Ducks coach Greg Cronin said Zegras needs to rest after playing through the injury.
Zegras has two points (one goal, one assist) in 12 games. He does not have a point in his past four games.
Alex Killorn will replace Zegras on the first line with center Leo Carlsson and forward Troy Terry. -- Dan Greenspan
Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrik Laine could return from a concussion that has kept him out nine games when the Blue Jackets play at the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; BSDET, BSOH, NHLN).
"It's good to have him back," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said Friday. "We'll see how he feels today and when he’s going to play."
The forward was injured Oct. 20 when he was hit by Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson while shooting at an empty net. Andersson received a four-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Laine said he hopes to play Saturday.
"I'll have to see tomorrow how I'm feeling but overall, I'm feeling good and had some good skates the last week or so," he said.
Laine has two points (one goal, one assist) in four games. Columbus (4-6-3) is 2-4-3 in his absence.
"It's not ideal," he said. "It’s not fun to watch on the bike when guys are playing, especially when we’ve been in kind of a stretch here, so it doesn’t make it any easier." -- Craig Merz
