Training Camp Buzz: Makar leaves practice, unfit for Avalanche

Welcome to the Training Camp Buzz. The 24 teams who will be competing for the Stanley Cup began training camp at their facilities Monday. The teams are scheduled to head to their respective hub cities (Toronto for the 12 Eastern Conference teams, Edmonton for the 12 Western Conference teams), on July 26, with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers set to begin Aug. 1.

Here's a look around the League at the latest from training camp:

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Colorado Avalanche

Cale Makar left practice Saturday and coach Jared Bednar said he wouldn't know if the Avalanche defenseman would be available to return Sunday.

"I can't say anything about Cale except that he was not fit to practice," Bednar said.

As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.

Makar wasn't on the ice or the bench for special teams drills for the second session. His place on the first power-play unit was taken by defenseman Samuel Girard.

Makar, who is a finalist for the Calder Trophy awarded to the League's top rookie, scored 50 points (12 goals, 38 assists) in 57 games this season and missed 13 games because of separate upper-body injuries.

The Avalanche begin the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Edmonton, the Western Conference hub city, against the St. Louis Blues on Aug. 2. Colorado will play the Blues, Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. -- Rick Sadowski

Pittsburgh Penguins

Goalies Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry will each have a chance to earn the starting job for the Penguins in the postseason, coach Mike Sullivan said.

Murray allowed seven goals facing a team with forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel, and defenseman Kris Letang, in a scrimmage Saturday. Jarry didn't allow a goal in a 7-0 win.

Sullivan said Murray facing Pittsburgh's core group did not indicate he would start against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of a best-of-5 qualifier series that will begin Aug. 1 in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city.

"We're just trying to get our guys game action," Sullivan said. "These guys are playing against NHL players. They're all good players that are on the ice. ... These guys are all going to get an opportunity, through these intrasquad [scrimmages], to get themselves in game situations and to be forced to have to make the reads, the necessary reads, that they need to make as goaltenders, regardless of what the teams look like."

Pittsburgh will have two more scrimmages, one Monday and another Friday, before training camp ends. Crosby left Saturday in the second of two periods; no reason was given.

Murray, who won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, was 20-11-5 with a 2.87 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in 38 games during the regular season before it was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Jarry was 20-12-1 with a 2.43 GAA and .921 save percentage in 33 games (31 starts).

"[The coaches] haven't said anything," Jarry said this week. "I think it's all up in the air. I think we're just trying to get back in shape as quickly as we can and get ready to play. Get ready for that first exhibition game." -- Wes Crosby

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Tampa Bay Lightning

Steven Stamkos took part in practice with the Lightning on Saturday for the first time during training camp.

The forward started the full-team practice but did not return for the second session. He skated with forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point on the first line and worked with the first power-play unit before practice for a second straight day. Stamkos missed the first four days of camp practices.

"Like we said we've got a little bit of time before [the start] of games (Aug. 3) and all along it's about having him ready for that time," coach Jon Cooper said. "He's had a couple of really really good days. So now it's just a process. For him to take part in the practice and last as long as he did and feel the way he did … he felt good ... that's a good sign for us. We're not going to rush anything, but it's definitely a good sign that he lasted 45 minutes to an hour."

Stamkos, who missed the final five games before the season was paused, led the Lightning with 10 power-play goals this season and was second on Tampa Bay with 65 points (29 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games behind Kucherov (85 points; 33 goals, 52 assists). Stamkos had surgery to repair a core muscle injury on March 2.

The Lightning begin the round-robin portion of the Qualifiers in Toronto, against the Washington Capitals on Aug. 3. Tampa Bay will play the Capitals, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers to determine seeding for the playoffs. -- Corey Long

Philadelphia Flyers

Jakub Voracek was unable to participate in the Flyers' scrimmage.

The forward practiced Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, skating in his regular spot at right wing on a line with center Sean Couturier and left wing Claude Giroux.

The Flyers will play in the round-robin portion of the Qualifiers along with the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals to determine the seeding for the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia's first game is against Boston on Aug. 2 in Toronto. -- Adam Kimelman

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Toronto Maple Leafs

Nicholas Robertson was in Zach Hyman's spot on a line with Auston Matthews and William Nylander at training camp after Hyman was unfit to participate.

Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said putting Robertson, an 18-year-old who has yet to play in an NHL game, in Hyman's spot was less about Robertson than it was about not wanting to disrupt the chemistry of the other three lines.

"It was a good chance to give Nick a chance to play with those guys and if it could help his confidence and experience, I thought that would be a good thing," Keefe said. "It was more so though about making sure we had consistency throughout the rest of the lines we wanted to maintain."

Robertson scored a shorthanded goal and forced a turnover that led to goal a by Matthews during a scrimmage.

"You saw him hounding the puck, those are intangibles to his game that don't get talked about enough," Keefe said. "That's a big part of his game. There's a lot of emphasis on his skill, shot and goal-scoring, but he has relentless work ethic, which is a real nice foundation for him."

Forward Mitchell Marner said Robertson earned the opportunity to skate with Matthews and Nylander, even if it is temporarily.

"He's come in with a rookie mentality and he gets on that ice and works 100 percent so it's great seeing that," Marner said. "He's pretty feisty and brings a lot of effort. He's definitely drawing eyes from a lot of guys on our team. You want to see young guys coming in bringing that intensity and fire every day."

The Maple Leafs will play the Columbus Blue Jackets in a best-of-5 qualifier series in Toronto beginning Aug. 2. -- Dave McCarthy

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Washington Capitals

Michal Kempny is trending toward reclaiming his spot in the top defense pair with John Carlson after practicing with Carlson the past two days, Capitals coach Todd Reirden said.

Kempny had an inconsistent regular season after missing the first eight games while recovering from surgery to repair a torn left hamstring in April 2019. His was eventually replaced by Brenden Dillon on the left side in the top pair after Dillion was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 18, and Kempny was a healthy scratch against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 4.

After having additional time to heal and work out since the season was paused, Kempny said he feels 100 percent.

"I really appreciate it for the new chance, for the new start," he said. "I feel great, I feel fresh and I can't wait until the start of playoffs. I'm really excited and I am really excited to be paired with John again, so it's great."

Reirden said there were times prior to the pause when Kempny appeared to be favoring his hamstring, but he hasn't seen that so far in training camp.

"With the type of injury that Michal had, we all saw it and know about it, it's one that takes a full year to really get better from," Reirden said. "Now we're finally over that hump in terms of being 100 percent. So I think you can see noticeably his skating and his power is back to maybe where it was prior to the injury."

The Capitals will play in the round-robin portion of the Qualifiers with the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning to determine the seeding for the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Washington's first game is against Tampa Bay on Aug. 3 in Toronto. --Tom Gulitti

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New York Rangers

Pavel Buchnevich left the ice halfway through Rangers practice and did not return. There was no update on his status.

The forward had been a full participant in practices since training camp opened Monday. He is the first player among the 22 in the Rangers' main group to miss any time since camp began.

As part of the NHL Return to Play Plan, a team is not permitted to disclose player injury or illness information.

Rookie right wing Kaapo Kakko took Buchnevich's place on the top line with center Mika Zibanejad and left wing Chris Kreider. Brendan Lemieux, who has been the extra forward in training camp, subbed for Kakko on the third line with Filip Chytil and Phillip Di Giuseppe.

Buchnevich scored 46 points (16 goals, 30 assists) in 68 games this season, including nine points (two goals, seven assists) in a seven-game point streak before the season was paused.

The Rangers will play the Carolina Hurricanes in a best-of-5 qualifier series in Toronto beginning on Aug 1. -- Dan Rosen

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Boston Bruins

Tuukka Rask has started every game for the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since becoming their starting goalie but expects to split time with Jaroslav Halak in the postseason.

"I'd be surprised if you see goalies play every minute of every game during these playoffs because the situation is so different," Rask, a veteran of 11 full NHL seasons said Friday. "But I'm looking forward to it. You never know, but I guess we'll see what happens. We've had the luxury of having two very good goalies the last few seasons, so I think we're in a good spot."

Rask started 41 games this season and was 26-8-6 with a League-best 2.12 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, which was second to Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin (.930). Halak started 29 games and was 18-6-6 with a 2.39 GAA and .919 save percentage.

The Boston goalies won the William Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals (167; 2.39 goals allowed per game) in the NHL this season.

Rask started seven of the Bruins' last 10 games before the season was paused. He was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the goalie voted best in the NHL.

The Bruins will play in the round-robin portion of the Qualifiers in Toronto, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. Boston's first game is against Philadelphia on Aug. 2.