NHL Buzz: Barkov returns for Panthers against Jets

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Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov returned when the Panthers hosted the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

The Florida captain centered the top line after missing the previous two games.

Barkov left Florida's 2-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 17 after being struck in the knee by Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe. He then missed home games against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday (5-3 win) and Boston Bruins on Wednesday (3-1 loss) with coach Paul Maurice saying the latter game was out of precaution.

"We were lucky on that [injury] because it could have been the season," Maurice said. "When two knees get together, we were just lucky that he healed up and feels strong and he feels right. He is ready to go. It is good to have him back."

Barkov is tied for second on the Panthers with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) this season. -- George Richards

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson played his 10th NHL game this season Friday, activating the first year of his entry-level contract.

Buffalo selected the 18-year-old forward in the first round (No. 13) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

"Just keep getting better every game, that's the goal," Benson said. "My main focus is on tonight and how I can play my best game to help this team try to win a hockey game."

The Sabres had planned to play him in a few preseason games before sending him back to Wenatchee of the Western Hockey League. Benson ended up playing six of Buffalo's seven preseason games and earned a roster spot in part due to a high hockey sense and strong defensive play that has continued into the season.

Benson was in the lineup when Buffalo hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

"He was consistent and consistently effective from Day One," coach Don Granato said. "So, in that respect, yes, very easy decision that he's earned the right to be here. You can't forecast the future … and Zach will probably go through ups and downs. But he's shown the attributes that the down times can be shortened through his high compete, through his intelligence and awareness, self-awareness, situational awareness. We feel that even in times of the downs that every player in the NHL has, he has components that can get himself back up quicker."

Benson scored his first NHL goal Wednesday in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. He has five points in nine games while playing primarily in the top six.

"I come to the rink every day with open mindset, trying to be a sponge," he said. "There's so many talented players in here, obviously. Learning from the coaching staff -- obviously, NHL coaching staff -- that's my main focus coming to the rink every day, just be a sponge and keep soaking everything up." -- Heather Engel

Ottawa Senators

Joonas Korpisalo missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury when the Senators hosted the New York Islanders on Friday.

"Just a little sore, so there's no point in him backing up," coach D.J. Smith said following the morning skate. "If we needed him, we wouldn't want to put him in that spot."

Korpisalo, who is 5-4-0 with a 3.17 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 11 games this season, missed Ottawa's final game of the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 18. He left practice early Thursday and did not practice Friday.

"I think he'll be fine [by Monday, when the Senators host the Florida Panthers], but we'll see," Smith said. "It's the same thing as in Sweden. We're not going to put him in a spot, or any player in that spot, where he couldn't go at 100 percent. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow or the next day, but [Monday] is a few days away."

Anton Forsberg made his second straight start for the Senators and was backed up by Mads Sogaard, who was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League. -- Callum Fraser

Toronto Maple Leafs

John Klingberg was placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday.

The defenseman hasn't played since a 5-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 11, which came one day day after he missed his first game of the season, a 5-4 shootout win against the Calgary Flames.

Although Klingberg, whose injury is undisclosed, traveled with the Maple Leafs to Stockholm for the 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden last week, he did not play in either of their two games.

Since returning from Sweden, Klingberg, who has five assists and is minus-7 in 14 games this season, has not practiced with the Maple Leafs.

"Status is that he's working through things to determine what are going to be the next steps for him," Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said.

Defenseman Conor Timmins, who sustained a lower-body injury during training camp, made his season debut in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. He had two blocked shots in 15:09 of ice time. -- Dave McCarthy