NHL Buzz: Tkachuk back for Panthers against Wild

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Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk will play when the Panthers host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, SCRIPPS).

The forward has missed the past five games because of an illness. He returned to the ice last week and joined practice Monday

"I am feeling very good,'' Tkachuk said after the morning skate Tuesday. "I was never really sick, just had to have a little procedure done. I have been good since then, and just had to take a few days to make sure everything was all settled. Ready to get back into the lineup and help.''

The Panthers remain without center Aleksander Barkov, who has also missed the past five games with a lower-body injury. They were 3-1-1 without Tkachuk and Barkov.

"The guys are playing well,'' Tkachuk said. "They are working so hard, playing simple, working for each other. I am happy to get back in to help them out.''

Tkachuk will play with center Sam Bennett and right wing Carter Verhaeghe.

"There's a familiarity with Bennett and Verhaeghe,'' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "He is an important piece to the power play, and there is his leadership. We have a whole new bunch of guys we think would be captains on NHL teams -- and he is one of them. He has this unique gameness, I don't know how to describe it, but he can sense the flow of the game and wins that mental war."

Maurice said Barkov skated before practice Monday and is on track to return as early as this week on Florida's upcoming three-game road trip against the New York Rangers (Thursday), Islanders (Saturday), or Buffalo Sabres (Oct. 28).

The Panthers play the Dallas Stars in the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal in Barkov’s hometown of Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2. -- George Richards

San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini will be out at least two more weeks, general manager Mike Grier said Monday.

The No. 1 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft has been on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 10, because of a lower-body injury.

"He's week to week, but I would say we'll [probably] give you another update in two weeks," Grier said.

Celerbini has yet to return to practice, but Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said Sunday the rookie center has resumed skating.

"Injuries happen, right?" Grier said. "He's going to miss some games here to start, but I think he's getting his skill work done off the ice. He's doing his gym work. I don't think it's going to hinder any of his development.

“It's definitely been helpful for him to spend some more time in the gym, to keep building up his body to get used to the rigors of the League. When he gets back, he's going to be going against teams' top pair D most nights."

Celebrini was injured in his NHL debut Oct. 10, when he had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.

Warsofsky also said fdefenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper body) would not join the Sharks on their three-game road trip that begins at the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday (10:15 p.m. ET; Victory+, NBCSCA, KCOP-13).

Forward Thomas Bordeleau (lower body) and defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin (lower body) were sent to San Jose of the AHL on Tuesday. -- Max Miller

Montreal Canadiens

Juraj Slafkovsky will be out one week for the Canadiens because of an upper-body injury.

The 20-year-old forward did not practice Monday. He was questionable to play at the New York Islanders on Saturday after leaving practice Friday with a shoulder injury, but was in the lineup and had two assists in the 4-3 shootout loss.

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

Kirby Dach practiced in Slafkovsky's place Monday on the top line with Suzuki and Cole Caufield and could be there when the Canadiens host the New York Rangers at Bell Centre on Tuesday (7:15 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSG).

"Obviously it’s not great news seeing 'Slaf' out of the lineup," forward Josh Anderson said. "I feel like he's grown a lot as a player and now it’s the next man up and we're going to have to bring energy tonight and go from there."

Dach, who was the center on the second line, only played two games last season before a season-ending knee injury. -- Sean Farrell

Dallas Stars

Tyler Seguin, Mathew Dumba and Sam Steel will each return from injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG-B).

Seguin has missed three games with an undisclosed injury. The forward has three points (two goals, one assist) in three games.

Dumba, a defenseman, was activated from injured reserve following a four-game absence with a lower-body injury. He has no points in two games.

"Initially we were worried it might be more serious than it was, so glad to have him back as quickly as we did," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said of Dumba. "Great energy, great voice in the room and on the bench, but I think his play was really solid, too. He played with Miro [Heiskanen] and I thought he played a simple, effective, physical game for us."

Steel, a forward, returns after an undisclosed injury kept him out of a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. He has a goal and an assist in five games. -- Heather Engel

New York Islanders

Anthony Duclair will be out long term, general manager Lou Lamoriello said Monday.

The 29-year-old forward sustained a lower-body injury in the third period of the Islanders’ 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

"We won’t know until the next 24 hours or so just how serious the injury will be," Lamoriello said. "It will be more long term than short term at this point. It certainly is not season-ending or anything, but the time frame, we just have to get more results from the X-rays and MRIs."

Duclair, who is in the first season of a four-year contract he signed July 1, has three points (two goals, one assist) in five games, skating on the top line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

"It [stinks]," Horvat said. "You're just trying to start to find chemistry. We've been playing in the preseason, stuff like that, but it's a little different in the regular season, right? So, it's a big loss for us, but other guys have to step up and fill that void."

Simon Holmstrom took Duclair's spot at practice Monday. Lamoriello said there is no plan of yet to recall someone from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.

"Those decisions are all going to be made over the next 24 hours," Lamoriello said. "(Islanders coach) Patrick [Roy] has in mind who he is going to put up there."

New York sent forward Julien Gauthier to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Tuesday and recalled Liam Foudy. Gauthier played 7:42 in his season debut Saturday. -- Stefen Rosner

Ottawa Senators

Linus Ullmark could make his return from an undisclosed strain against the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday (9:15 p.m. ET; Utah16, TSN5, RDSI).

Ullmark, who missed three games, practiced in the starter’s end Monday in Salt Lake City. The goalie, who is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in two starts this season, signed a four-year, $33 million contract ($8.25 million average annual value) with the Senators on Oct. 9.

"You always want it to go a little bit quicker, obviously,” Ullmark said of his rehab. “It [stinks] being on the sidelines. It doesn't matter if it's one, two, three or four games; it's always a tough position to be in. You want to be in the heat, you want to be able to compete and be on the ice with the guys."

Goalie Mads Sogaard was returned to Belleville of the AHL on Sunday; Ullmark and Anton Forsberg are the only goalies on Ottawa’s three-game road trip.

Forward Ridly Greig, who has missed three games with an upper-body injury, could make his return Tuesday. He practiced Monday on the third line alongside Shane Pinto and Noah Gregor.

"It was great to see him back out there,” coach Travis Green said of Greig. “I'll talk to the trainers after practice [Tuesday] and see where he's at for tomorrow as far as tomorrow's game goes. But he's a possibility for tomorrow."

If Greig cannot play, Matthew Highmore would likely slot in.

Forward David Perron did not make the trip due to personal reasons.

“I'm not going to get into the specifics, but hopefully he's back as soon as possible," Green said of Perron. -- Callum Fraser

Columbus Blue Jackets

Erik Gustafsson will be out for the foreseeable future after having shoulder surgery Monday.

The 32-year-old defenseman left at 18:28 of the second period of a 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Oct. 15 following a collision with teammate Sean Monahan at center ice. He was placed on injured reserve the next day.

"Erik had successful shoulder surgery on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery," Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell said. "While he will miss a significant amount of time, we know he will work extremely hard during his rehab and will continue to be an important part of our leadership group."

Gudbranson did not have a point in three games this season. He had 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 78 games with them in 2023-24.

Columbus (2-3-0) hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, TSN4).

Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson practiced fully with the Golden Knights on Monday for the first time since Sept. 21 because of an undisclosed injury.

The forward wore a red noncontact jersey during practice. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Karlsson will not make his season debut against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday (11 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN).

"He's back with the group," Cassidy said. "Step 1 was getting on his own; step 2 now with a red jersey. Step 3 will be integrating and playing. He's not ready yet, but he looks good. ... Usually when they're in red, they're fairly close. I rule him out for tomorrow, but not for Friday. (against Ottawa)."

Karlsson had 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) in 70 regular-season games and two assists in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games last season.

Cassidy said they'll figure out where Karlsson fits in the lineup when he gets closer to playing a game.

"We'll put him in and see and get him going a little bit," Cassidy said. "We'll get his game in order. He missed a lot of time, so we'll work around what's working well. That would be the easiest thing to do. Let's get 'Karly' up to speed where his game is usually is, and then we'll start figuring out the pieces from there."

Cassidy said forward Victor Olofsson is week to week with a lower-body injury he sustained in the third period of a 4-2 loss to the Capitals on Oct. 15. -- Paul Delos Santos

Toronto Maple Leafs

Joseph Woll could return for the Maple Leafs at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, TSN4).

"Possibly," coach Craig Berube said Monday when asked if Woll could start against Columbus.

The goalie participated in the morning skate Monday ahead of Toronto’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Scotiabank Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, PRIME, NHLN, FDSNSUN) but is not expected to dress.

He was a full participant in practice Friday for the first time since Oct. 8.

"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 Friday.

Woll was expected to start the Maple Leafs’ season opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9 but has not been in the lineup.

"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," he said.

Woll went 12-11-1 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 25 games (23 starts) for Toronto last season. -- Dave McCarthy

St. Louis Blues

Oskar Sundqvist is on the verge of rejoining the lineup after the forward tore his right ACL on March 25.

It's not likely that the 30-year-old will make his season debut against the Winnipeg Jets at Enterprise Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, TSN3) after skating on an extra line Monday, but the ensuing four-game road trip is a realistic possibility.

"He's getting close," Blues coach Drew Bannister said. "I think he's similar with [Alexandre Texier], he's day to day. Him not being available for games in preseason, we're going to have to extend or be careful with 'Sunny,' too, making sure that he's in really good shape before we get him into a game. He's been full contact since we've been back (from a season-opening three-game road trip), so we're getting very close with Sunny too.'"

Bannister mentioned that a conditioning stint in Springfield of the AHL hasn't been considered, so once Sundqvist is ready, he will make his season debut with the Blues.

Texier, a forward who missed the past five games with an upper-body injury, appears likely for Tuesday. He was skating on the fourth line with Radek Faksa and Kasperi Kapanen. -- Lou Korac

Buffalo Sabres

Zach Benson will be out with a lower-body injury against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; Victory+, MSG-B).

The forward has been playing through the injury, which he sustained when the Sabres were in Prague for the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia presented by Fastenal. The injury previously sidelined him for the second game of the series on Oct. 5.

"Zach is still not right," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I had a long discussion with him this morning and I really feel, and now he feels the same way, that he's being affected by what he's dealing with and the best is we give him today. We've got four days (next game is Saturday) to see if we can get him in a better place where it doesn't affect his play. I give him a lot of credit for trying to play, but it has definitely affected his play. We've got to get him right."

Benson, who had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 71 games as a rookie last season, has been held without a point through six games.

Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel is nearing a return. He joined the team for the morning skate Tuesday, his first time with the group since sustaining a lower-body injury on Oct. 4.

"If he's not ready by the weekend, he'll be ready by mid-week," Ruff said. "He was playing really well for us and he was part of that heavy piece down in our lineup that was providing the physicality that helped us win games."

The initial timeline for his return was estimated at 3-6 weeks.

"I feel already strong and good, so that's good news, but it's way harder to be game-ready," Aube-Kubel said. "But good progress so far and aiming for Saturday." -- Heather Engel

Philadelphia Flyers

Nick Seeler is expected to make his season debut when the Flyers host the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SNW, SNO, SNE, SN1).

The defenseman missed the first five games of the season because of a nerve issue in his right leg sustained when he slid to block a pass during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 1. He said the "leg just kind of shut off for a while."

"The numbness was the whole outside of my right leg and into my foot," Seeler said Monday. "That took a week and a half, two weeks, to start feeling normal. And then we've just been working on stability, just those muscles, because you're not able to use them necessarily properly when your foot and leg is numb. Just working on that stability, which progressed pretty well here in the last couple days."

Seeler practiced Monday on a pair with Jamie Drysdale.

"He's a good player," Flyers coach John Tortorella said of Seeler. "Just who he is, the emotion he brings, blocking shots and all that, but he's a good player. I think a lot of people forget he plays against a lot of good people on the opposing teams. He's a good partner for his other guy, because he bails a lot of people out. He's a good player. I hope the day proceeds well, and hopefully we can get him back in."

Forward Scott Laughton missed practice to be with his wife for the pending birth of their first child. He is questionable to play Tuesday. -- Adam Kimelman

Seattle Kraken

Vince Dunn was placed on long-term injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Oct. 17.

Dunn, a defenseman, had previously been listed as day to day with what Seattle coach Dan Bylsma called a “mid-body injury.” Bylsma did not provide an update on Dunn’s status after practice Monday, but the Kraken later announced they recalled Cale Fleury from Coachella Valley of the AHL and placed Dunn on LTIR.

The 27-year-old missed Seattle’s 2-0 loss at the Dallas Stars on Oct. 13 but returned for a 7-3 win at the Nashville Predators two days later. He took an awkward fall with five minutes left in the first period of a 6-4 win against the Flyers on Thursday, played the second period, then missed the third.

Byslma called Dunn’s departure from the game Thursday “precautionary," but he has not skated since and also missed Seattle’s 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

The earliest Dunn can return would be Nov. 12, when the Kraken face the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Seattle (4-2-0) will look to extend its win streak to four games against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN).

New York Rangers

Ryan Lindgren will be activated from injured reserve and make his season debut against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre on Tuesday (7:15 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSG).

The 26-year-old defenseman missed the Rangers’ first five games and has not played since he sustained an upper-body injury in a preseason game Sept. 22.

Lindgren participated in the morning skate still wearing a full face shield with enhanced padding on each side of his jaw he has worn since he began practicing last week.

"He's a heart-and soul-guy, he plays hard every single shift, every game," New York coach Peter Laviolette said. "He gives everything he has, and you remove a guy like that from the lineup and you feel it, so it will be nice to get him back in there.

"It’s the first one back after being gone for a bit, but his impact will be felt and will continue to get better the more he plays."

Lindgren will be paired with Victor Mancini. K’Andre Miller will remain on the top pair with Adam Fox. -- Sean Farrell

Vancouver Canucks

J.T. Miller is expected to play against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday (8:15 p.m. ET; CHSN, SNP) after the center was injured during a 3-0 win at the Flyers on Saturday.

Miller went to the locker room immediately after taking the game-opening face-off. He returned a few minutes later but took one more face-off the remainder of the game. Miller leads the Canucks with 90 face-offs and his winning percentage of 61.1 is fifth in the NHL (minimum 50 face-offs).

Miller had one shot on goal in 17:01 of ice time, well below his average of 19:31 in five games.

Miller did not practice on Monday because of what Tocchet called "maintenance."

"He looks like a 'probable,' Tocchet said Tuesday. "We'll do a gametime (assessment). We'll see how he is. I'll talk t him later today."

Miller has won 61.1 percent of his face-offs and leads the Canucks with 90 face-offs taken.

"We'll probably assess it," Tocchet said about Miller taking face-offs. "Whatever we decide, I'm going to err on the side of caution." -- Bruce Miles

Chicago Blackhawks

Philipp Kurashev will be a healthy scratch for the Blackhawks when they play the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (8:15 p.m. ET; CHSN, SNP).

Kurashev, who has been at center on the second line, has one goal in six games for Chicago this season. The 25-year-old had 54 points (18 goals, 36 assists) in 75 games last season, when he often played with center Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said Kurashev didn't have a good game in a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.

"I'm not saying he was the only guy, but he's a guy that, to me, I've gotten used to counting on. He can't play like he did the last game for me to continue to count on him like that," Richardson said. "I know he'll use it as a wakeup call and be better, so we'll go with that." -- Tracey Myers