Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
New Jersey Devils
Nico Hischierscored and had an assist in a 7-2 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in his return after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury.
The Devils center played 14:55 and was on a line with Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt.
Hischier was injured in a 5-4 win against the Sabres on Oct. 27 when he took an illegal high hit from Sabres defenseman Connor Cliftonalong the boards at 16:00 of the first period. The Devils captain played in the second period but did not play in the third. Clifton was suspended two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Oct. 28 for an illegal check to the head.
The Devils (9-9-1) went 4-7-0 without Hischier, who had NHL career highs in goals (31), assists (49) and points (80) in 81 games last season. -- Mike G. Morreale
New York Islanders
Adam Pelech was placed on long-term injured reserve by the Islanders on Saturday with an upper-body injury.
The defenseman was injured in the first period of a 5-3 win against the Ottawa Senators, clutching his wrist after taking a hit from Senators forward Drake Batherson.
Pelech is fourth on the Islanders in time on ice per game (19:38) and has three assists in 16 games this season. He previously missed three games with a lower-body earlier this month, and missed 21 games last season due to an upper-body injury.
The Islanders, who hosted the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, also placed forward Matt Martin on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 15. The forward has not played since sustaining an upper-body injury that day against the Vancouver Canucks, missing the past four games.
Defenseman Sebastian Aho also did not play becasue of an upper-body injury sustained against the Senators.
"Pelech, we've put on long-term because we have been advised that he'd be out at least a few weeks and he would become eligible on December 19," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "Aho, we still don't know to what extent that is, and we won't know until the next couple of days, examined by the doctors. Martin, we had retroactive injury reserve, which means that when his injury [heals], he's eligible to come off, and he's close."
New York claimed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers from the Florida Panthers on Saturday. He has no points in two games this season.
"The timing of the injuries last night and him being on waivers and being a veteran who's played some 350 games gives us some experience," Lamoriello said. "He's a puck-moving left shot, and we have some experience with him because we played against him in playoffs when he was with Boston. And so he'll be here tomorrow." -- Stefen Rosner
Buffalo Sabres
Zemgus Girgensons is week to week for the Sabres with a lower-body-injury.
The forward left midway through the second period of a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. He has two assists in 20 games this season.
Forward Jordan Greenway, who did not play Friday, also did not play in a 7-2 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday due to a personal matter.
The Sabres recalled forwards Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich from Rochester of the American Hockey League, who were each in the lineup against the Devils. Rosen ranks fifth in the AHL with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists); Kulich has 17 points and is tied for fourth with 11 goals.
Vegas Golden Knights
Defensemen Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez will not play against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, SCRIPPS).
Theodore sustained an upper-body injury in a 2-1 overtime win against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
"We're going to get it looked at today," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday. "We'll let you know if he's traveling on the (three-game) road trip tomorrow, but he's out tonight."
Martinez will miss his second game with a lower-body injury and is day to day.
"I don't know how long 'Marty' will be [out]," Cassidy said. "My guess is closer to a week to 10 days, probably, but who knows right now."
Theodore is tied for third on the Golden Knights with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 20 games; Martinez has four points (three goals, one assist) in 14 games.
With Theodore and Martinez out, Ben Hutton and Brayden Pachal will enter the lineup Saturday. -- Paul Delos Santos
Montreal Canadiens
Arber Xhekaj was placed on injured reserve Friday retroactive to Nov. 16 because of an upper-body injury.
The defenseman was injured in the second period of a 6-5 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 16. He has three points (one goal, two assists) and is second in the NHL in penalty minutes (47) behind Liam O'Brein of the Arizona Coyotes (5).
Xhekaj did not play when the Canadiens lost at the Los Angeles Kings, 4-0 on Saturday.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie will not travel for the start of the Capitals' upcoming road trip because of an upper-body injury.
The forward left in the second period of a 5-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday after a hit from defenseman Mattias Ekholm.
Washington begins a five-game trip at the San Jose Sharks on Monday.
Oshie has two points (one goal, one assist) in 17 games this season.
