NHL Buzz: Nurse expected to be out 5-10 days for Oilers
Sabres send Levi to AHL; Askarov recalled by Sharks with Vanacek out
© Michael Chisholm/NHLI
Edmonton Oilers
Darnell Nurse is expected to be out 5-10 days because of an upper-body injury, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Monday.
The defenseman was injured on a hit to the head by Ryan Reaves in the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
"Obviously, there was a big scare there just when it happened on the ice, but since then he's progressed really well," Knoblauch said. "He's doing as good as he can. Obviously, we'll take our time and make sure that he's ready when he does return."
Nurse had swelling around his right eye when he was seen walking to the team bus Monday.
"I got to hang out with him a little bit and he seems to be feeling pretty good," Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak said. "I think the biggest thing holding him back, from what he says right now, is just the swelling in his eye, and obviously he can't see normally through it. But as far as everything else, we went for lunch and we were hanging out yesterday afternoon and he seems like his normal self, which is awesome."
Reaves was suspended five games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Sunday for an illegal check to the head.
"As a coach you just wish it never happened, and I guess no punishment could be severe enough, in our opinion," Knoblauch said. "But I think the NHL handled it well, and we're obviously just worried about Darnell and wish that hadn't happened, but it is what it is."
Nurse has nine points (two goals, seven assists) and is averaging 20:49 of ice time in 18 games this season. He is also second on the Oilers with 32 blocked shots.
"He's doing as good as he can," Knoblauch said. "Obviously, we'll take our time and make sure that he's ready when he does return." -- Sean Farrell
Buffalo Sabres
Devon Levi was assigned to Rochester of the American Hockey League after practice Monday.
The 22-year-old goalie is 2-5-0 with a 3.95 goals-against average and .870 save percentage in seven games (six starts) this season. He's allowed 19 goals on 123 shots (.846 save percentage) in his past five appearances.
"We've got to get him some games, get him playing," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "(It would) be the best thing for him."
Levi has been relegated to the backup role behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, making only one start between Oct. 18-Nov. 13. That day, the Sabres reclaimed James Reimer off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.
At practice Monday, Levi split reps with Reimer in one net while Luukkonen had his own. Luukkonen will return at the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday (10:30 p.m. ET; FDSNW, MSG-B, SN) after missing two games.
"We just had a great conversation with him," Ruff said of Levi. "I mean, nobody likes going [down to the AHL], but he wants to play, too. He said it's the first time he's really dealt with that long a period of time. Good learning experience, but hard."
Tage Thompson is also close to returning from a lower-body injury, but his status for Wednesday is still to be determined. The center, who leads Buffalo with 11 goals and 18 points in 16 games, was a full participant at practice Monday, skating in his usual spot on the top line.
He was injured in a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 11 and has missed the past two games. Ruff said they'll see how he feels Tuesday.
"It's one of those ones where I'm better off missing 3-4 games instead of trying to play through it and making it worse and missing 10-15," Thompson said.
Alex Tuch did not practice Monday and is questionable for Wednesday. The forward, who is second on the Sabres with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 18 games, was given the day off while dealing with a "little bit of an ailment," Ruff said.
Jordan Greenway "in all likelihood is week to week" with a mid-body injury, Ruff said. The forward, who had been playing through the injury, left practice early Friday, did not play Saturday and was absent from practice Monday.
Because of the injures, forward Isak Rosen was recalled from Rochester on Monday. -- Heather Engel
San Jose Sharks
Yaroslav Askarov was recalled for the Sharks prior to their game against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
Askarov backed up Mackenzie Blackwood. Vitek Vanecek is day to day because of an upper-body injury he sustained in the first period of a 4-3 shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
"It's a great opportunity for me. It's good energy. It feels pretty good, and it's always fun to be here," Askarov said. "Every time you try to do your best. It could be worse, it could be better. You always want to be better."
Askarov is 6-3-0 with a 1.92 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage with San Jose of the American Hockey League this season. He was traded to the Sharks by the Nashville Predators on Aug. 23 and hasn't played an NHL game since Dec. 30, 2023.
"It feels great [getting called up]," Askarov said. "Feels like a million dollars, maybe more."
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said it was too soon to say if Vanecek would travel for the Sharks' upcoming two-game road trip, which begins Wednesday. He added the team likely would have an update after the game Monday.
Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who has not played this season because of an upper-body injury, was on the ice for the morning skate.
"To be able to join us in morning skate, he's progressing," Warsofsky said. "It's hard because we don't practice very often right now, so we got to get him in our morning skates and get him some extra work, and then when we get practicing, he'll join us in practice."
Center Nico Sturm was placed on injured reserve Monday with an upper-body injury. He did not play Saturday after sustaining the injury in a 3-2 loss at the New York Rangers on Thursday.
"Day to day. We don't think he's going to be out too long," Warsofsky said. -- Max Miller
Philadelphia Flyers
Samuel Ersson was placed on injured reserve Monday with a lower-body injury.
The goalie did not dress for a 5-4 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday after playing in the Flyers' previous two games, a 4-3 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers on Nov. 9 and a 4-3 shootout win against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 11.
He previously missed two games (Nov. 5, Nov. 7) after he was injured in a 3-0 loss to the Bruins on Nov. 2.
Aleksei Kolosov started and made 26 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday. Ivan Fedotov was the backup.
Philadelphia recalled defenseman Helge Grans from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Monday with defenseman Emil Andrae out with a mid-body injury.
New Jersey Devils
Nathan Bastian was placed on long-term injured reserve on Monday.
The forward has been out since sustaining a jaw injury in a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Nov. 1. He was placed on LTIR retroactive to the date of the injury, meaning he will not be eligible to return until Nov. 27 against the St. Louis Blues.
Bastian, who has five points (two goals, three assists) in 12 games this season, has missed the past seven games.
Forward Curtis Lazar was placed on injured reserve on Monday. He was injured in a 6-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 27 on a hit by defenseman Radko Gudas. He had knee surgery four days later and is out indefinitely.
