NHL Buzz: Saros out for Predators against Stars

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Nashville Predators

Juuse Saros will not play for the Predators in their regular-season opener against the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+) because of a lower-body injury.

Saros, who is day to day, was injured in the first period of a 5-3 preseason loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Goalie Scott Wedgewood played the final two periods of that game and will start against Dallas.

"I'm making progress," Saros said Wednesday. "I feel a lot better today than yesterday. Hopefully I'm feeling better again tomorrow."

Saros did not practice Tuesday but was able to participate Wednesday. He said that his injury "was nothing too bad" and that being back on the ice is a good sign.

The Predators recalled goalie Matt Murray from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, and he could be the backup to Wedgewood if Saros isn't able to play. -- Robby Stanley

San Jose Sharks

Macklin Celebrini will make his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center in San Jose on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN360).

The forward left a preseason game against the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 1 with a lower-body injury before returning to practice on Monday.

"I'm all good," Celebrini said Monday. "It [stinks] whenever you get hurt. [You are] busy rehabbing, but it was a nice little reset before the year."

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said a plan was in place.

"We had an idea that he would be fine to go today," Warsofsky said. "He was good today. I would say he's good to go."

Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and Will Smith, a forward chosen by the Sharks with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, each is expected to make his NHL debut.

"It's exciting for the fans to see the first overall pick and the fourth overall pick," Warsofsky said. -- Max Miller

Los Angeles Kings

Arthur Kaliyev is likely to return in November after sustaining a broken collarbone in training camp.

Kings general manager Rob Blake said Thursday that Kaliyev is on track for a 6-8 week recovery, the first timeline the team has provided since the forward was injured on a check by defenseman Kyle Burroughs on Sept. 20 and underwent surgery.

Kaliyev had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 51 games last season before falling out of favor with then-interim coach Jim Hiller. Kaliyev played 13 games and had one goal after Todd McLellan was fired on Feb. 2 and was scratched for the Western Conference First Round loss to the Edmonton Oilers (five games), but returned on a one-year, $825,000 contract in September. -- Dan Greenspan

Vancouver Canucks

Dakota Joshua is expected on the ice with the Canucks during a four-game road trip scheduled to begin at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old forward is skating on his own and recovering from testicular cancer. He did not play in a season-opening 6-5 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

"He's going to be skating here soon," coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's coming on the road trip; I think he's going to get some skates in. I don't know the exact how many times he will skate, but I know he's definitely in a good frame of mind, which is good."

Joshua revealed Sept. 17 that doctors discovered a lump over the summer and successfully removed a tumor. He did not take part in training camp but started skating and shooting on injured No.1 goalie Thatcher Demko before practice.

He signed a four-year, $13 million contract ($3.25 million average annual value) on June 27. -- Kevin Woodley

Carolina Hurricanes

Brendan Lemieux will not be available when the Hurricanes host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the season opener for each team at Lenovo Center on Friday (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNP).

The forward sustained an undisclosed injury in Carolina’s final preseason game Saturday, a 5-3 loss at the Nashville Predators.

“He got banged up his last game in the preseason a little bit, so he’s going to be out for a little while,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said after practice Wednesday.

Lemieux is set to begin his eighth NHL season and second with Carolina. He had five points (three goals, two assists) in 32 games last season.

The Hurricanes recalled forward Jackson Blake from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. The 21-year-old had two points (one goal, one assist) in four preseason games. He made his NHL debut in Carolina’s 2023-24 regular-season finale on April 16, a 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. -- Kurt Dusterberg

Philadelphia Flyers

Nick Seeler could miss the Flyers regular-season opener at the Vancouver Canucks on Friday (10 p. m. ET; SNP, NBCSP) because of numbness in his right leg.

The defenseman was injured when sliding to block a pass during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 1.

"It was like a harmless play, but it hit that peroneal nerve," Seeler told NBC Sports Philadelphia on Oct. 2. "It just went numb, so I couldn't feel the foot or the leg. ... I got up and I'm like, 'What the heck just happened? I can't feel my leg,'"

Seeler did not practice Tuesday, his fourth straight day off the ice, and is considered day to day.

"It's taking a lot longer [to heal] than we thought," Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw said Tuesday. "Most of those, you get the sensation back and you get your feeling back in minutes or hours at the most and it's been a few days now. We're just playing it as a day-to-day thing and we'll see."

The Flyers' only extra defenseman is Erik Johnson. Shaw said he was unsure if a defenseman would be recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League before the team left for Vancouver later Tuesday. -- Adam Kimelman