NHL Buzz: Norris of Senators does not need shoulder surgery

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2022-23 regular season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

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Ottawa Senators

Josh Norris will not need surgery to repair a shoulder injury sustained Oct. 22, which could have jeopardized his season.
General manager Pierre Dorion said the forward consulted with five doctors and two shoulder specialists, who recommended continued rehabilitation, with Norris being reevaluated in January.
"It was good news to go this route," Norris said. "Strengthen it as much as I can and let it heal and see how it is in a few weeks."
Norris has two points (one goal, one assist) in five games. He signed an eight-year, $63.6 million contract ($7.95 million average annual value) with Ottawa on July 15.
Dorion said he was comfortable with this path because surgery likely would have ended Norris' season.
"If he has surgery now or in the new year, it doesn't affect anything because it's probably six months [recovery] anyway," Dorion said.
Defenseman Artem Zub, who has missed four games because of an upper-body injury, skated Monday. Dorion said Zub could return to practice before the end of the week.

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
The goalie was injured in the second period after allowing two goals on 18 shots at the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 3. Vitek Vanecek made 18 saves in relief for a 4-3 win.
"McKenzie has an MCL sprain and he'll be seeing doctors (Tuesday), and we'll get a further update on him," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Monday.
New Jersey (9-3-0) has won six straight games for the first time since March 27-April 7, 2012.
Vanecek will make his second straight start when the Devils host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Akira Schmid
, recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League on Saturday, is expected to be the backup goalie.
Blackwood played 25 games (24 starts) last season because of a recurring left heel injury. He's 4-2-0 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in seven games this season. Vanecek, acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on July 8, is 5-1-0 with a 2.21 GAA and .908 save percentage in seven games (five starts).
The Devils are home against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday and Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.
Goalie Jonathan Bernier (hip) hasn't played this season and remains on injured reserve.
"Right now, we're taking it one game at a time but really understanding that we will need a second goaltender," Ruff said. "We got Calgary tomorrow, then we have a day off, so I think we'll look at it after the day off where we're at and how Vitek is doing." -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

Chicago Blackhawks

Goalie Petr Mrazek was activated off injured reserve and goalie Alex Stalock placed on IR retroactive to Nov. 1.
Mrazek did not return for the third period of a 4-3 overtime win against the Red Wings on Oct. 21 because of a groin injury. Stalock has been in concussion protocol since he was injured in a collision with New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas 2:56 into the first period of a 3-1 loss Nov. 1.
Cizikas was assessed a five-minute major penalty for goalie interference and a game misconduct and was fined $5,000 for goalie interference.
The Blackhawks visit the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, TVAS, SN360). -- Tracey Myers

Toronto Maple Leafs

Ilya Samsonov was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury Sunday and is expected to miss at least a week.
The goalie was injured on a successful penalty shot attempt by Brad Marchand in the second period of Toronto's 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
"With the nature of the injury, and probably more specifically with his position, it's going to be more than a week," coach Sheldon Keefe said before the Maple Leafs defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Sunday. "We'll know the full extent of it probably later today or (Monday)."
The Maple Leafs were already without injured goalies Matt Murray and Joseph Woll. Erik Kallgren started against Carolina. Keith Petruzzelli was signed to an NHL contract to serve as the backup goalie.
"Our organization identified him as a guy to give an opportunity that we could work with and develop," Keefe said. "It's not a guy coming out of nowhere. Certainly his signing is probably expedited given our situation, but he's a guy our organization has believed in and frankly, the way that it was going, his signing was somewhat inevitable."
Murray is expected to return soon. He was placed on long-term injured reserve with an adductor injury Oct. 15.
"Matt Murray's return is on the horizon here," Keefe said. "It's not going to be as big a window of opportunity (for Petruzzelli) as you may be perceiving it to be. Matt Murray has progressed very well. His return is not too far away." -- Kurt Dusterberg

Detroit Red Wings

Filip Zadina was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury the forward sustained when he was hit on the right leg by a shot with 5:19 left in the third period of a 3-0 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday.
"Something's broken. Lower body," Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said following a 3-2 overtime win at the New York Rangers on Sunday. "It's going to be a week-to-week, month-to-month type thing, unfortunately."
The Red Wings are also missing forwards Robby Fabbri (knee), Tyler Bertuzzi (upper body), Oskar Sundqvist (upper body) and Jakub Vrana (NHL/NHLPA players assistance program). Austin Czarnik was recalled from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League before the game Saturday and was in the lineup against the New York Rangers.
Zadina, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, has no points and is minus-3 in nine games this season. -- Jon Lane

Washington Capitals

Dmitry Orlov is a game-time decision with a lower-body injury for the Capitals when they host the Edmonton Oilers (8 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, NBCSWA, ESPN+).
The defenseman did not take part in the morning skate and didn't practice Sunday. He is day to day.
Orlov left in the first period of a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Washington is 0-2-2 in its past four games.
"Obviously it's not what you want, but it happens and you have to deal with that," coach Peter Laviolette said Sunday. "Sure we wish we were healthy. Sure we wish we didn't have guys going down in the middle of the game, but at the end of the day we were in a position to win those [four] games and we didn't get it done."
John Carlson will miss his fifth straight game Monday. The defenseman practiced in a blue no-contact jersey Sunday but remains out with a lower-body injury.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel will make his Capitals debut. The forward was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and practiced Sunday. He had zero points in six games with Toronto. -- Harvey Valentine

New York Rangers

Vitali Kravtsov is "definitely a possibility" to return to the Rangers lineup when they host the New York Islanders on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, MSGSN2, ESPN+, SN NOW), coach Gerard Gallant said.
Kravtsov was a full participant in practice Monday and skated on a line with Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider.
The forward has not played since Oct. 29, when he sustained an upper-body injury in a 6-3 win at the Dallas Stars.
Kravtsov has been limited to four games this season because of three upper-body injuries.
He was injured early in the Rangers' season-opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 12 and missed the next four games. He was hurt against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 25 and missed one game. His most recent injury has kept him out four games.
Kravtsov has no points this season.
Forward Julien Gauthier is day to day with an upper-body injury and defenseman Ryan Lindgren remains day to day with an upper-body injury. They both did not practice Monday.
Lindgren didn't play in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. --Dan Rosen

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jeff Carter participated in a full practice Sunday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury.
The forward took full contact and returned to the second power-play unit. Carter has missed three games after being injured in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 29.
Carter, usually the third-line center, joined his teammates for an optional morning skate before a 3-2 loss to Seattle on Saturday. Pittsburgh did not hold line rushes Saturday or Sunday.
It's uncertain if Carter will return when the Penguins visit the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS). Pittsburgh (4-6-2) is 0-6-1 in its past seven games.
"There's been a lot of our game to suggest that we're leaning toward winning hockey games," coach Mike Sullivan said Sunday. "We've been right there from an expected goal standpoint. There's such a fine line between winning and losing, right?"
Forwards Teddy Blueger and Josh Archibald were also full participants Sunday. Blueger has missed the first 12 games this season with an upper-body injury; Archibald was sidelined Saturday for an undisclosed reason.
Forward Ryan Poehling did not practice with an undisclosed illness. -- Wes Crosby

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