NHL Buzz: Laine practices in regular jersey for Canadiens

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Montreal Canadiens

Patrik Laine practiced in a regular jersey Monday for the first time since sustaining a sprained left knee in a preseason game Sept. 28.

The forward was expected to be out 2-3 months after he collided with Cedric Pare of the Toronto Maple Leafs at Bell Centre in Montreal. He opted not to have surgery and began skating again Nov. 6.

Laine did not take line rushes Monday. Forward Joshua Roy was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League and skated on the second line with Emil Heineman and Jake Evans.

"I expect it's going to take him a little while to get back into it," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said Nov. 20. "You don't know exactly what it will be, is it a game? Is it two weeks? You don't know, so we'll see how it progresses."

Laine, who was acquired by the Canadiens in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Aug. 19 along with a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for defenseman Jordan Harris, was limited to 18 games last season, the last coming Dec. 14, 2023, because of a broken clavicle. He had nine points (six goals, three assists).

Laine began receiving care from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Jan. 28 and was cleared from the program July 26.

He scored 44 goals for the Winnipeg Jets in 2017-18, but had nine points (six goals, three assists) in 18 games last season and has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $34.8 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) he signed July 22, 2022.

The Canadiens (7-11-2) host the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, Utah16).

Carolina Hurricanes

Seth Jarvis will return from an upper-body injury when the Hurricanes host the Dallas Stars on Monday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, Victory+).

The 22-year-old forward missed seven games after he was injured during a 6-4 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 9. He has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 13 games this season.

Jarvis was activated off injured reserve Sunday.

Carolina (14-5-1) also recalled goalie Yaniv Perets from Chicago of the AHL on Sunday. The move came one day after Pyotr Kochetkov was injured at 3:52 of overtime in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kochetkov was hit in the head by the knee of teammate Sean Walker.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Kochetkov is in concussion protocol and there is no timetable for his return.

Carolina is already without goalie Frederik Andersen, who is expected to be out 8-12 weeks because of a knee injury that will require surgery.

Perets has made one NHL appearance, stopping the only shot he faced against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 15, 2024. Spencer Martin, who made one save in relief against the Blue Jackets, is 1-2-1 with a 3.21 goals-against average and .870 save percentage in five games (three starts). Martin is expected to start Monday.

The Hurricanes reassigned forward Tyson Jost to Chicago of the AHL.

Detroit Red Wings

Patrick Kane (upper body) will not play at the New York Islanders on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, MSGSN2).

The 36-year-old forward did not practice Sunday. Kane has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 20 games after signing a one-year contract with the Red Wings on June 30.

Kane played 16:23 in a 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

“Patty will need another day,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said after the morning skate. “It’s probably a day-to-day situation. He’ll be out, so Joe Veleno will be back in. We wanted to get Joe back in any way, so this makes it reasonable.”

Veleno, who has one goal and one assist in 17 games, has been a healthy scratch the past two. -- Stefen Rosner

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider is day to day with an upper-body injury and will not play when the Rangers host the St. Louis Blues on Monday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, MSG).

The forward played 16:04 in New York’s 6-2 loss at the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. Kreider has nine goals in 19 games this season.

Matt Rempe was recalled from Hartford of the AHL; the forward does not have a point in three NHL games this season.

Forward Brett Berard could make his NHL debut Monday. The 22-year-old had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 16 games for Hartford. He was a fifth-round pick (No. 134) by the Rangers at the 2020 NHL Draft.

Ottawa Senators

Artem Zub will be out “for a while” due to a fracture in his foot, coach Travis Green said Monday.

The defenseman was injured blocking a shot during a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, but finished the game. It’s the second significant injury Zub has dealt with this season; he missed nine games because of a concussion.

Zub will be replaced by Travis Hamonic on the first pair when the Senators (8-11-1) host the Calgary Flames on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; Prime).

"It [stinks]. He's had some bad luck in the past few months,” Zub’s defense partner Jake Sanderson said. “I feel for him for sure, but he's a tough guy and I know he'll be back soon."

Zub has two assists and is averaging 18:19 of ice time in 11 games this season. -- Callum Fraser

Winnipeg Jets

Ville Heinola (ankle infection) will play his first NHL game since Jan. 19, 2023, when the Jets visit the Minnesota Wild on Monday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, TSN3).

The 23-year-old defenseman was recalled by Winnipeg (17-4-0) from his conditioning assignment with Manitoba of the AHL on Sunday. He had one assist in two games.

A first-round pick by the Jets (No. 20) at the 2019 NHL Draft, Heinola had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 41 AHL games last season.

"It's been a long journey for me, for sure,” Heinola said. “Ever since the injury happened last training camp, it's been a struggle to get the ankle feeling good but now it feels great, and super excited to be back.

"I think that's the toughest part of the injury, just not being able to play. Every time the team plays, I want to get out there and it kills you inside when you can't play there. But yeah, I'm just happy it's over now and I don't have to worry about that."

Dylan Samberg is week to week with a broken foot and was placed on injured reserve by the Jets on Sunday. The defenseman left a 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators in the second period Saturday after blocking a shot from Steven Stamkos.

Samberg has six points (three goals, three assists) in 21 games this season while averaging 20:17 of ice time.

“He just got home there yesterday, so we'll follow through,” coach Scott Arniel said Monday. “But we're looking at extended [time] there. It'll be week-to-week type of thing.”

Toronto Maple Leafs

Max Domi missed his second straight game because of a lower-body injury when the Maple Leafs won 3-2 against Utah on Sunday.

“He's still rehabbing," coach Craig Berube said. "He's not ready to get on the ice yet."

The forward, who has six assists in 19 games this season, though no points in his past 13 games, had been attempting to play through the injury prior to going on injured reserve Wednesday, retroactive to Nov. 16.

Toronto was also without forward Matthew Knies, who sustained an upper-body injury in a 3-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.

Forward Alex Nylander made his season debut after signing a one-year contract Friday. He had 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in 14 games with Toronto of the AHL. Nylander had 15 points (11 goals, four assists) in 23 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season after he was traded there by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 22.

Nylander had two shots on goal and was plus-1 in 10:37 of ice time Sunday. -- Dave McCarthy