Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tristan Jarry will start for the Penguins against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSG-B).
Jarry (eye swelling) was one of three goalies to participate in the morning skate, facing the second power play as Magnus Hellberg worked against the first. Joel Blomqvist was primarily an extra goalie along the boards.
After having his mask jarred loose in a collision with Anaheim Ducks forward Adam Henrique on Tuesday, Jarry was hit with a shot from Anaheim forward Ryan Strome. He missed a 4-3 overtime win at the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and was considered day to day.
"We were pleased and, certainly, encouraged that all the testing came back positive, and it was more just about the swelling in his eye," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We weren't sure how long that was going to take. We weren't sure how flying for four-plus hours yesterday would affect that. So we had to wait and see.
"He came in today, he looked a whole lot better. His vision is fine. He practiced this morning and he was fine."
Jarry is 4-5-0 with a 2.51 goals-against average and .907 save percentage this season.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who last played Oct. 24, is week to week with a lower-body injury. -- Wes Crosby
Calgary Flames
Dustin Wolf will make his first start of the season for the Flames against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1).
Wolf is 5-1-0 with a 2.34 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and one shutout with Calgary of the AHL this season after winning the Baz Bastien Award as AHL goalie of the year each of the past two seasons. He was recalled on Thursday with Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom day to day with an undisclosed injury.
"We are not afraid to start [Wolf]," Flames coach Ryan Huska said before a 5-4 shootout loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. "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 backed up Dan Vladar, who made 32 saves against the Maple Leafs, on Friday.
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. -- Dave McCarthy
Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrik Laine returned from a concussion that kept him out nine games and scored a goal when the Blue Jackets lost 5-4 to the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
The forward scored his second of the season and 200th in the NHL at 11:30 of the third period. He had 18:17 of ice-time and led Columbus with four shots on goal.
Laine 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.
When Laine was activated off injured reserve Saturday, defenseman David Jiricek was assigned to Cleveland of the American Hockey League.
Laine has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games. Columbus (4-7-3) was 2-4-3 in his absence.
"It took two periods before I stopped feeling rusty," he said after the game. "My hands weren't working and I was thinking too much." -- Craig Merz
Toronto Maple Leafs
John Klingberg will return for the Maple Leafs when they play the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN).
The defenseman did not play in a 5-4 shootout win against the Calgary Flames on Friday because of an undisclosed injury. He is expected to skate on a pair with William Lagesson, replacing Simon Benoit.
"He continues to be bothered here and avoiding the back-to-back with him was helpful and important for us, but he is available tonight and he will go for us tonight," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Klingberg. "It's something we're going to have to continue to manage for him … We'll get him in tonight and then the schedule lets up quite a bit for us and we will take it from here."
Following the game Saturday, the Maple Leafs do not play again until Friday as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series in Sweden.
Forward Bobby McMann will make his season debut for the Maple Leafs after being recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Saturday. He will replace Ryan Reaves, who will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Reaves has no points and is minus-11 in 14 games.
"We want to give him the night off to clear his head a bit," Keefe said. "As they start to pile up and when you break it down, whether the goals are your fault or not, it piles up as you are pulling pucks out of your net when you are on the ice so that can be a challenge for sure. Just telling him to clear his head, get a good skate today and we will take it from here." -- Dave McCarthy
Ottawa Senators
Erik Brannstrom will make his return from a concussion against the Calgary Flames on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN1).
The defenseman missed five games after taking a hit from New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck on Oct. 26. Brannstrom was paired with Travis Hamonic during the morning skate.
"Having [Brannstrom], a guy who can skate so well and move the puck so well, is definitely going to be huge for us," Senators forward Mathieu Joseph said. "Happy to see him back after what happened."
Brannstrom's return comes one game after defenseman Artem Zub returned from a concussion. Ottawa was 2-5-0 during Zub's absence.
"One thing over the last little bit, we had that break to practice, I've liked our positioning, I've liked our ability to break out a little bit better," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "Now, having Zub back helps that, and adding [Brannstrom] will help even more."
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot remains out with a broken hand. He is expected to be out at least three more weeks. -- Callum Fraser
Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart will play for the first time since Nov. 1 when the Flyers visit the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, NBCSP).
Hart sustained a lower-back injury in the first period of a 5-2 loss at the Buffalo Sabres when Sabres forward Kyle Okposo fell on him. Hart was scheduled to return at the Anaheim Ducks on Friday but was unavailable because of illness.
Hart is 4-3-0 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .913 save percentage in eight games this season. -- Dan Greenspan
Chicago Blackhawks
Taylor Hall and Andreas Athanasiou will not play when the Blackhawks visit the Florida Panthers on Sunday (1 p.m. ET; BSFL, NHLN, NBCSCH, SN1, TVAS).
Each forward has a lower-body injury sustained in Chicago’s 5-3 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
After their game Sunday, the Blackhawks do not play again until they host the Lightning this Thursday.
“We have this long week to see how they do,’’ coach Luke Richardson said Saturday. “We hope to get some more information on them when we get back home. They won’t play [Sunday].’’
Defenseman Jarred Tinordi was placed on injured reserve Saturday with an oblique injury. The Blackhawks recalled defenseman Isaak Phillips from Rockford in the American Hockey League. -- George Richards
Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras has a lower-body injury and did not play for the Ducks in a 6-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
Ducks coach Greg Cronin said Zegras needs to rest after playing through the injury so his status is unclear for their game against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday (8 p.m. ET; BSSD, BSSC, NBCSCA, SN360).
Zegras has two points (one goal, one assist) in 12 games. He does not have a point in his past four games.
Alex Killorn replaced Zegras on the first line with center Leo Carlsson and forward Troy Terry with the line combining for three goals and three assists in the loss Friday. -- Dan Greenspan
