Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Rust is day to day because of a lower-body injury.
The first-line right wing was one of four Penguins to miss practice Tuesday, along with forwards Rickard Rakell and Matt Nieto, and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel.
Rakell, normally right wing on the second line, is out longer-term with an upper-body injury. Ruhwedel is week to week with a lower-body injury. Nieto took a maintenance day but will play.
The Penguins hosted the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
"I don't know if 'frustration' is the word," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said Tuesday. "Injuries are a part of the game. Every team goes through it, we're not different. We have to find a way to fill the voids when guys go down and find ways to win. Our expectation is that we have enough to win games.
"I think we have the depth at all the positions. It's going to provide the opportunity for others to step up here."
Rust has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) on a line with center Sidney Crosby and left wing Jake Guentzel.
Rakell, who has four assists in 17 games, returned to the second line in a 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday after being dropped to the third in the previous game Saturday.
Ruhwedel has played on the third pair with Ryan Shea while defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) has been on injured reserve.
Forward Vinnie Hinostroza, who practiced Tuesday after missing the game Sunday because of a lower-body injury, was elevated from his usual role at fourth-line right wing.
"Vinnie Hinostroza is a guy that has offensive instincts to his game," Sullivan said. "We have Jansen Harkins, who has some offense to his game. We have Alex Nylander, a guy that has played well in Wilkes-Barre (American Hockey League) that has an offensive dimension to his game. There's a handful that, in the event that we have to go there, these guys will be part of the discussion." -- Wes Crosby
Philadelphia Flyers
Marc Staal returned when the Flyers visited the New York Islanders on Wednesday, one day after the defenseman was activated from injured reserve.
Staal missed 14 games because of an upper-body injury sustained against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 19.
"I broke two ribs. It was not fun," Staal said Tuesday about the collision with Oilers forward Warren Foegele that caused the injury. "His back hit the wall first but his knee was out, so his knee was sticking out and my ribs just wrapped around it. First I thought it knocked the wind out of me. Then I got back to the bench and I couldn't get my wind back. I was trying to get it back and it wasn't happening, so I knew something was going on."
Staal said the first 4-5 days were the hardest in his recovery but said he's nearly pain-free.
"I took two weeks probably and then I started to skate," he said. "And then I just kind of incrementally started to do more, little more bumping, little more rotation, all that stuff, just to kind of to get to where it is. Now I feel it a little bit, but it feels good."
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has not played this season because of a lower-body injury, practiced in a regular jersey but did not play Wednesday. -- Adam Kimelman
Tampa Bay Lightning
Andrei Vasilevskiy is likely to make his season debut for the Lightning during their upcoming road trip.
"There's a really good chance," coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday when asked about Vasilevskiy's potential return.
Vasilevskiy has missed the first 20 games of the season after having microdiscectomy surgery for a herniated lumbar disk in his back Sept. 28 and did not play when Tampa Bay hosted the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday.
The Lightning begin their road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. It continues Monday against the Colorado Avalanche and Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes.
Jonas Johansson will start against the Jets. He is 8-4-4 this season with a 3.44 goals-against average, .893 save percentage and two shutouts in 16 games.
"He's been outstanding for us," Cooper said of Johansson. "I've said this before, goaltending has not been an issue for us. He gives us a chance to win games. We've had more wins than losses and that probably doesn't happen without good goaltending."
Vasilevskiy was 34-22-4 with a 2.65 GAA, .915 save percentage and four shutouts in 60 games last season, when he was sixth in the NHL in wins after leading or tying for the League lead each of the previous five (2017-22).
He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie in 2018-19 and the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable players of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2021 after leading the Lightning to the Stanley Cup for the second straight season. Since 2015-16, Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins (256) and is third in shutouts (31).
"It's just been great to have him out there at practice," captain Steven Stamkos said. "But in saying that, we can't fall into an old mentality just because he's back. We have to continue to get better and improve." -- Corey Long
Buffalo Sabres
Jack Quinn hopes to join the Sabres at practice in the coming weeks and said he is on target to return in January after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon in June.
"When I got the surgery, my surgeon said, 'We'll try to get you back playing by January,'" the 22-year-old forward said Wednesday. "So, in my head, I think I'm right on line with that."
Quinn, who was injured during his offseason training, did some individual drills before, during and after the Sabres morning skate in Washington, where they faced the Capitals on Wednesday. It was Quinn's first time on the ice with his teammates after he resumed skating about a month ago.
"I'd say probably at a point now where I don't have much restrictions in terms of what I can do out there, just by myself," Quinn said. "Today, I was able to do a couple of morning skate drills, which was nice. Obviously, just kind of stuff where it was just me and kind of against the goalie. Nothing really with teammates yet, but that's probably the next step in the next week or two, skating with a few other people, join some morning skates, and then join practice a few weeks from now probably." -- Tom Gulitti
New Jersey Devils
Nico Hischier returned to practice Monday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury Oct. 27 but did not play when the Devils visited the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
The center had been skating on his own for the past week.
"That's exactly what he needs is practice time, so great to see him out there," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Tuesday. "See how we keep progressing. … He will come with us (to Detroit) to practice. He won't be playing."
Hischier was injured during a 5-4 win against the Buffalo Sabres when he took a high hit from Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton along the boards at 16:00 of the first period. The Devils captain played the second period but did not play in the third.
Hischier has missed nine games. Clifton was suspended two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head.
Hischier has two goals in seven games this season. The Devils entered Wednesday 4-5-0 without him.
"Nico is obviously such a big part of the team and the organization and as a friend for me too, so obviously seeing him out there practicing with us and being around us is awesome and brings a smile to your face," Devils forward Jesper Bratt said. -- Mike G. Morreale
Nashville Predators
Cody Glass was placed on injured reserve and is week to week for the Predators because of an upper-body injury,
The forward had an assist in 13:07 of ice time in a 4-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.
Glass has one point in nine games this season, averaging 13:46 of ice time per game.
Nashville hosted the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned after missing seven games with a lower-body injury.
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov is day to day and did not play for the Panthers against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.
The center missed his second straight game because of a knee injury; he did not play in a 5-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Barkov had to be helped off the ice early in the third period of a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks last Friday after colliding with defenseman Jackson LaCombe.
"He is getting better," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "He is possible for Winnipeg (on Friday). He will not play tonight, but there is a possibility he plays against Winnipeg. This will all be medical. … If he is at a percentage we don’t like, then we will just wait until he is right to go back. If he does go back, he is going back at 100 percent." -- George Richards
