NHL Buzz: Panarin practices with Rangers after lower-body injury
Sharangovich week to week for Flames; Luchanko makes Flyers roster
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New York Rangers
Artemi Panarin was back at practice Monday after the forward sustained a lower-body injury during the Rangers’ 5-4 preseason win against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 1.
The 32-year-old led New York with an NHL career-high 120 points (49 goals, 71 assists) in 82 games last season. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Rangers play their season opener Wednesday at the Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT).
Calgary Flames
Yegor Sharangovich is week to week because of a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve Monday.
The Flames forward sustained the injury with just over four minutes remaining in a 3-2 preseason loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
Sharangovich was expected to start the season on a line with Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko.
The 26-year-old set NHL career highs in games played (82), goals (31), assists (28), points (59) and ice time (17:19) in 2023-24, his first season with Calgary after being acquired from New Jersey on June 27, 2023.
He has 165 points (84 goals, 81 assists) in 287 NHL games with the Flames and Devils.
Calgary opens its season Wednesday at the Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SN1, SNP). -- Aaron Vickers
Philadelphia Flyers
Jett Luchanko, the No. 13 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, will start the season in the NHL.
The 18-year-old forward had two assists in four preseason games.
"Going into training camp, I never thought he had much of a chance," Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Monday. "More of a small, outside chance to be honest. He's blown us away from Day 1.
"The speed is one thing that really jumped out, top-end NHL speed already at such a young age. That's impressive. And you start watching him play and all the little details in his game, how he supports everybody, the way he makes players around him better, was very impressive."
Luchanko could start at center between Joel Farabee and Bobby Brink when Philadelphia opens the season at Vancouver on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, NBCSP).
The Flyers can play Luchanko nine games before his entry-level contract starts, but Briere said that isn't a timeline the team is worried about.
"We're going to navigate as we go," Briere said. "We're obviously going to keep an eye on him. We'll try to put him in the best position to succeed ... there's nothing set in stone with him either at this point. It's something we're going to evaluate on a daily basis with him." -- Adam Kimelman
Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Rust remains day to day for the Penguins ahead of their season opener against the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT).
The forward did not practice Monday because of a lower-body injury that has kept him off the ice since playing a preseason game Oct. 1. Rust had 56 points (28 goals, 28 assists) in 62 games last season, tied with defenseman Erik Karlsson for third on the Penguins.
Anthony Beauvillier took rushes in Rust’s spot at first-line right wing with center Sidney Crosby.
Beauvillier signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with Pittsburgh on July 1. He skated at left wing on the top line early in training camp before Drew O'Connor returned to his spot from late last season.
“I think ‘Beau’s’ biggest asset is his skating ability, his puck pursuit game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He can hunt pucks, put defensemen under duress, force turnovers. He has a good stick and he has decent offensive instincts. So, as you guys know, Sid likes to play a game where he can control the game by either possessing the puck or pursuing the puck. It’s one of those. So, if they don’t have it, we have to surround him with guys that can pursue it so we have the ability to get the puck back.”
Karlsson, day to day with an upper-body injury, is expected to be ready for the opener after returning to his defense pair with Marcus Pettersson on Monday.
Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic remains week to week with a lower-body injury. Forward Blake Lizotte is still out indefinitely with a concussion. -- Wes Crosby
Washington Capitals
Ivan Miroshnichenko was assigned to Hershey of the American Hockey League as a prelude to the Capitals setting their opening-night roster before the NHL’s 5 p.m. ET deadline Monday.
Miroshnichenko, a first-round pick (No. 20) in the 2022 NHL Draft, had two points (one goal, one assist) in four preseason games. The 20-year-old had six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 regular-season games and no points in one playoff game with Washington last season. He had 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 47 regular-season games and 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 20 AHL playoff games to help Hershey win the Calder Cup for the second straight season.
Andrew Cristall, a second-round pick (No. 40) in the 2023 NHL Draft, was returned to Kelowna of the WHL. The 19-year-old forward tied for the Capitals lead with three points (two goals, one assist) in four preseason games after he had 111 points (41 goals, 70 assists) in 62 games for Kelowna last season.
Coach Spencer Carbery said he expects Jakub Vrana to be on the roster by the time Washington opens the regular season against New Jersey on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSGSN).
“That’s the expectation, but nothing has been official quite yet with the contract registered with the League,” Carbery said. “But that’s the expectation.”
Goalie Logan Thompson missed practice Monday for personal/family reasons. -- Tom Gulitti
Ottawa Senators
Carter Yakemchuk was returned to Calgary of the WHL Monday.
In a statement, president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said the Senators had a “healthy conversation” with Yakemchuk on Monday morning and management is “excited to watch his growth and trajectory in Calgary this season.”
The Senators selected Yakemchuk with the No. 7 pick at the 2024 draft. The 19-year-old defenseman had seven points (two goals, five assists) in four preseason games after he had 71 points (30 goals, 41 assists) in 66 WHL games with Calgary last season.
“Carter had a tremendous training camp,” Staios said, “but we made this decision in the best interests of his long-term development.”
Ottawa plays its season opener Thursday at home against the Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, SCRIPPS). -- Callum Fraser
