NHL Buzz: Hartman back for Wild against Lightning

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Minnesota Wild

Ryan Hartman will play when the Wild host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNNO, FDSNSUN, FDSNWI).

Hartman has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury. He returned home to Minnesota during a seven-game road trip for more evaluation and practiced in full with the team on Thursday.

"Yeah, it [stinks] not playing, and watching," Hartman said Friday. "Kind of been chomping at the bit for awhile. I feel good and excited to be back and enjoying the guys and try to keep rolling like we have been."

Hartman has two goals in four games this season. -- Jessi Pierce

Carolina Hurricanes

Frederik Andersen is out week to week for the Hurricanes with a lower-body injury

Andersen did not dress for a 4-3 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday after he made 18 saves in a 4-1 win at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and was not available for Carolina's game against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he expected Andersen to be out day to day.

"That’s a little more time than I was hoping, but hopefully we’ll get an update every week," the coach said prior to an 8-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Andersen is 3-1-0 with a 1.48 goals-against average and .941 save percentage this season. He has been alternating starts with Pyotr Kochetkov, who made 13 saves in the win against the Bruins. Spencer Martin served as the backup.

Andersen missed 50 games last regular-season with a blood clotting issue before returning in March and started 10 of the Hurricanes' 11 playoff games, going 6-4 with a 2.62 GAA and .895 save percentage.

Kochetkov is 4-1-0 with a 2.61 GAA and .891 save percentage this season and is expected to handle most of the starts with Andersen sidelined.

"That's how it's going to shake out obviously, unfortunately," Brind'Amour said. "I think he really wants that, so we'll see how it all works out. But he's more than likely going to get a good run at it." -- Kurt Dusterberg

Colorado Avalanche

Ross Colton is expected to be out 6-8 weeks for the Avalanche with a broken foot.

The forward was injured in a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday when he took a shot off his foot and did not return after the second period.

Colton leads Colorado with eight goals this season and has nine points in 10 games. He has been playing on the top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

"It's not ideal, I would say. It's part of hockey, obviously, the injuries," Rantanen said Wednesday. "You can't do really anything about it other than just focus on your own job, and whoever you play with, you try to get on the same page as quickly as you can and try to play a solid hockey game again as a line, and defensively and offensively, try to create and be good."

Forward Miles Wood did not play in a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. He had been playing through an upper-body injury and is expected to be out 7-10 days.

"I think it's something that's been bothering him here for a little bit," coach Jared Bednar said. "He's just been trying to play through it. Now, [he] can’t,” Bednar said.

Bednar said the Avalanche are expecting forward Artturi Lehkonen to return when they host the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

Lehkonen has missed all 11 games this season following offseason shoulder surgery. The 29-year-old was awaiting a surgical follow-up on Oct. 29 to get medical clearance to take physical contact.

“He probably needs a little bit of time to like start taking full contact and everything,” Bednar said, “just like in a controlled environment like in a practice instead of just jumping into the game.”

Lehkonen had 34 points (16 goals, 18 assists) in 45 games with the Avalanche last season. -- Ryan Boulding

New Jersey Devils

Curtis Lazar will be out indefinitely for the Devils after having knee surgery.

The forward was injured in the second period of a 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday after taking a hit from defenseman Radko Gudas. He left the game and did not return, and did not travel with the Devils for their Western Canada road trip, which began with a 6-0 loss at the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.

Lazar has two points (one goal, one assist) in 12 games this season.

The Devils play at the Calgary Flames on Friday (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN1, SNW, MSGSN2)

San Jose Sharks

Timothy Liljegren will make his Sharks debut against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, CITY, SN, CBC).

Liljegren was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday for defenseman Matt Benning and two draft picks. Liljegren was on a defense pair with Henry Thrun and was the quarterback of the top power-play unit during his first practice on Friday.

"He can work the blue line really well on the power play. He makes good choices with the puck up top," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. "There's going to be some rust there. He hasn't played a lot of hockey, [just] in practice a little bit there in Toronto. We'll ease him in."

Liljegren last played on Oct. 16 against the Los Angeles Kings, his only game this season.

"I haven't been playing for a while, so just go out and have fun," Liljegren said. "Find the fun in hockey again, and enjoy the game." --Max Miller