NHL Buzz: Nedeljkovic to join Penguins on road trip

Pittsburgh Penguins

Alex Nedeljkovic was recalled from a conditioning loan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday and will join the Penguins on their upcoming road trip.

The goalie, who started 12 of the final 13 games last season, has not played in the NHL since sustaining a lower-body injury in a preseason game Sept. 30. He made 33 saves in a 4-3 win Friday, his only start for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after being assigned Thursday.

"I felt good. It was nice," Nedeljkovic said. "I saw a little bit of everything. I think it was the kind of game you'd want in this situation. Saw a lot of power-play opportunities, short-handed, half breakways, some odd-man rushes, little bit of 6-on-5, 6-on-4. So like I said, a little bit of everything. Felt good. As the game went on, just settled in more and more, made the adjustments. It was nice. Felt like I had the last couple of days in practice."

Pittsburgh visits the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday (3 p.m. ET; TNS3, SN-PIT).

"I felt good about the last week or so," Nedeljkovic said. "Actually, since I've been on the ice, I've felt really good. I haven't felt anything. First couple days, just kind of getting my legs back underneath me. After that, when I got back with the guys, I felt pretty good."

Joel Blomqvist, a 22-year-old rookie, played for the fourth time in six games Friday, making 35 saves in his third NHL start, a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Tristan Jarry, the expected No. 1 goalie, has started four of 19 games dating to last season. He is 1-1-0 with a 5.47 goals-against average and .836 save percentage this season and was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in the first period of a 6-5 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.

"It's obviously a work in progress," Jarry said of his game. "I want to be better. Obviously, those two, three games that I've had, I was obviously hoping for a better start, hoping to play better games. I think that's on myself. I have to keep working, keep managing what I'm doing and just work through it." -- Wes Crosby

Utah Hockey Club

John Marino is "months" from returning to the lineup, coach Andre Tourigny said Friday, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

The defenseman has not played this season because of an upper-body injury sustained during training camp.

Utah also is missing defenseman Sean Durzi, who is out indefinitely because of an upper-body injury sustained against the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

“He will be back this year," Tourigny said. "When? Not soon enough. But he will be back."

Defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who replaced Durzi in the lineup at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, played when Utah hosted the Boston Bruins at Delta Center on Saturday (9 p.m. ET; Utah16, NESN). Bortuzzo sustained a lower-body injury during the third period of Utah's 5-4 overtime loss.

Tourigny also said forward Nick Bjugstad remains out because of an upper-body injury. Bjugstad sustained the injury during training camp.

"'Boogie' is not ready yet, probably a week, 10 days, around that," Tourigny said. "Now he's in contact drills and stuff like that, so he's getting there."

Montreal Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky was in the lineup against the New York Islanders on Saturday.

The forward was a game-time decision after he left practice early Friday favoring his left shoulder.

Slafkovsky, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has four points (one goal, three assists) in five games this season.

Defenseman Kaiden Guhle did not make the trip and is day to day with an upper-body injury.

Guhle played 23:09 in a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday and has four points (one goal, three assists) in five games.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Joseph Woll is nearing a return but did not play for the Maple Leafs when they hosted the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

The goalie, who has missed each of Toronto’s first four games, was not on the ice for the morning skate Saturday, but was a full participant in practice Friday for the first time since Oct. 8 because of a lower-body injury.

"[Woll looked] good," Berube said Friday. "He was out there with us which was a great sign. Seems like he's really heading in the right direction, so all good. Sooner than later [he should be ready for games], I would think, but you have to take it day by day still. I think it's important here after practice to see where he's at."

Woll was expected to start Toronto’s season opener against Montreal on Oct. 9 until he complained of lower-body tightness, which has kept him out since.

"A little bit of groin tightness and I'm feeling better now, so right now I'm just focused on coming back and helping this team," Woll said. "I'm just trying to take it day by day and stack good days on top of each other. I'm really excited to get back." -- Dave McCarthy

Vancouver Canucks

Dakota Joshua took part in the Canucks' morning skate Saturday, the first time the forward has practiced since having offseason surgery as part of his treatment for testicular cancer.

Joshua took part in drills wearing a noncontact jersey and then stayed on the ice for extra work in battle drills with the coaching staff.

"He's gone through a lot," defenseman Tyler Myers said. "Glad everything's taken care of and it looks like he's getting pretty close. Nice to have him skate with the guys for pregame skate. He's a big part of our group. He's a unique player that provides us a lot of momentum out there with his physicality and the way he plays."

In a statement released Sept. 17 explaining his health issue, Joshua was confident he would play at some point this season.

Joshua did not play at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.

"With what he was dealing with, it's really up to him, pain, all that stuff," Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. "You're not going to hurt it anymore. So I think it's going to get to that level. I don't know when it is, but obviously that's a big step, just him being out there with the guys right now. We were doing some battle drills just now. Does he need, like, three weeks or something? Two weeks? If he's pain-free, I don't know how many practices, but sometimes you want to get him back in.

"He's a guy that wins corner battles, he's one of our best net-front guys. So it's like, when he comes back, it's like having a major trade. So, we're holding the fort until he gets back."

Tocchet did not have an update on defenseman Derek Forbort, who will miss a second straight game for personal reasons. The coach said he planned on speaking with Forbort at some point Saturday. -- Adam Kimelman

Ottawa Senators

Linus Ullmark missed his third straight game for the Senators on Saturday, a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ullmark, who has been out because of an undisclosed strain, practiced Friday. It was the second consecutive day the goalie skated with the team.

"I'm doing well," Ullmark said Friday. "We've been putting in a lot of work. I have a lot of faith and belief in the things that we have put in motion here. It feels better every day that goes by."

Anton Forsberg started for the third straight game Saturday, making 25 saves in the win, with Mads Sogaard the backup.

Ottawa begins a three-game road trip at Utah on Tuesday. -- Callum Fraser

Seattle Kraken

Vince Dunn will not play for the Kraken against the Calgary Flames on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; KHN, KONG, CITY, SN, CBC) and is day to day with a mid-body injury, coach Dan Bylsma said.

The top-pair defenseman also did not play in a 2-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Oct. 13, but returned for the next two games, a 7-3 win at the Nashville Predators on Tuesday and a 6-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

Dunn took an awkward fall with five minutes remaining in the first period on Thursday and left the bench for the remainder of the period. He returned for the second period but did not play the third.

"We'll see how the evaluation goes here the next few days," Bylsma said.

Dunn has three points (one goal, two assists) in four games this season. -- Darren Brown

Chicago Blackhawks

Landon Slaggert signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with the Blackhawks. The deal, which starts next season, has a $900,000 average annual value.

The 22-year-old forward had four points (one goal, three assists) in 16 games with the Blackhawks last season after signing a two-year, entry-level contract March 10, following the completion of his senior season at Notre Dame. Slaggert had 31 points (20 goals, 11 assists) in 36 NCAA games.

Slaggert was assigned to Rockford of the AHL on Sept. 29, and had an assist in its season opener Oct. 12.

Florida Panthers

Jonah Gadjovich has an upper-body injury and did not play when the Panthers hosted the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

With Gadjovich out, the Panthers will use 17 skaters. Florida was already without center Aleksander Barkov (lower body) and forward Matthew Tkachuk (illness) and is carrying 22 players on the roster due to NHL salary cap constraints.

Defenseman Uvis Balinskis has been filling in on Florida's fourth line with Gadjovich and center Patrick Giles.

"It is not as big a minutes challenge as you would think because you can rotate players down," coach Paul Maurice said Saturday. "You almost do that anyway if you are chasing a game and you cut your fourth line down. … I don't see it as a major issue for us. It happens to everybody, you lose a player two minutes into a game. Sometimes it is easier to deal with when know coming into the game that's how it is going to look. You preplan for it."

Gadjovich is not expected to be out long-term. Barkov and Tkachuk should return soon as well.

Tkachuk, who has missed the past four games, will not play against the Golden Knights, but skated Saturday morning and is on track to return Tuesday against the visiting Minnesota Wild.

Barkov also skated and could return next week.

Center Tomas Nosek, who has been out since he was injured on his second shift of his first preseason game with the Panthers, skated with Barkov and Tkachuk on Saturday and could be back in the lineup by the end of the month. -- George Richards

San Jose Sharks

William Eklund didn't play for the Sharks in their 8-3 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Friday because of an upper-body injury.

Eklund was a game-time decision but played in a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks on Thursday.

Macklin Celebrini missed his fourth straight game because of a lower-body injury. The center and No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 10. He is eligible to return at any time.

Forward Will Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was a healthy scratch. He does not have a point in four games this season.

"It's part of the plan [for him]," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Friday. "[It is] nothing to do with performance, just part of the plan."

Forwards Danil Gushchin and Givani Smith entered the lineup Friday after each was scratched Thursday. Gushchin had one shot on goal in 15:18 of ice time, and Smith had four hits in 7:59. -- Max Miller

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kent Johnson did not play for the Blue Jackets against the Wild on Saturday.

The forward sustained an upper-body injury during a 6-4 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Johnson was upended after teammate James van Riemsdyk was tripped and slid into him. Johnson, who has five points (two goals, three assists) in four games this season, left the ice 52 seconds into the second period after landing on his left shoulder.

Coach Dean Evanson said after the game, "It didn't look good."

The injury happened near the same spot where defenseman Erik Gudbranson and teammate Sean Monahan collided against the Panthers on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets placed Gudbranson on injured reserve Wednesday because of a left shoulder injury.

"For some reason, I don't know if you want to call it bad luck or whatever you want to call it, I realize injuries are part of the game, but this just seems like it's just so eccentric that it just doesn't make sense," defenseman Damon Severson said Friday.

Without Johnson, the Blue Jackets will use seven defensemen, with David Jiricek, the No. 6 pick at the 2022 NHL Draft, making his season debut.

"I mean it's business, right?" Jiricek said Saturday. "It's hockey, so I hope I earned the opportunity to play today, and I hope I'm just going to prove I can play here. So, that's my point right now, and I just want to help the team win." -- Craig Merz

Minnesota Wild

Joel Eriksson Ek was in the lineup for the Wild against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

The forward returned to practice Thursday after missing the past two games with a broken nose. Eriksson Ek had surgery Monday and will be wearing a bubble while it heals for the next few weeks.

"It was just an unlucky play," Eriksson Ek said Thursday. "Luck, I don't think this is lucky but yeah it could have been worse too for sure."

Forward Marcus Johansson, who missed one game because of a lower-body injury, returned to the lineup, but the Wild were without defenseman Jared Spurgeon. He did not travel on the first half of Minnesota's upcoming five-game road trip and is day to day because of a lower-body injury.

Spurgeon missed the first 13 games last season because of a shoulder injury sustained during the preseason, and was limited to 16 games in the regular season because of hip and back injuries, last playing Jan. 2. The Wild captain had hip surgery Feb. 6 and back surgery about four weeks later.

"Sometimes you go through with the surgeries, and then you go into that major activity, from training camp into the regular season, and the fact that he's -- we're hopeful that he's going to be back for the second half of the trip," coach John Hynes said Thursday. "… Today's news is really good, and talking with 'Spurg,' he looks good and sounds good. And so hopefully that's the plan that's going to come through." -- Jessi Pierce