NHL Training Camp Buzz: Suzuki out two weeks for Canadiens

Welcome to the 2022-23 NHL training camp buzz. Training camp is underway for all 32 teams and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Montreal Canadiens

Nick Suzuki will be out two weeks with a lower-body injury, the Canadiens said Thursday.
The forward, who was named captain Sept. 12, set NHL career highs in games (82), goals (21), assists (40) and points (61) last season.
Defenseman Joel Edmundson is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, and forwards Josh Anderson (upper body) and Jake Evans (upper body) are each day to day. Forward Paul Byron is recovering from a hip injury.
Evans skated Thursday with forward Sean Monahan, who is recovering from hip surgery. The Canadiens are without goalie Carey Price (knee), who is not expected to play this season and is on long-term injured reserve.
"It's tough but it's kind of a nice lesson for us to learn early on, guys are going to go down," forward Brendan Gallagher said. "You know it's a long season, it's a grind, you're not going to have it going all year. So it's good for other people to step up, and obviously right now through camp here trying to work on things, chemistry and build on the systems that we kind of implemented last year. So it's an opportunity for guys to kind of take charge."
The Canadiens begin the regular season Oct. 12 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. -- Sean Farrell

Toronto Maple Leafs

Jake Muzzin will be unavailable for the start of training camp because of back discomfort.
The defenseman is expected to return early next week.
"I wouldn't say it's a concern, considering it's nothing related to the things that would have been on the front burner in terms of monitoring for him," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Thursday. "It's just the last little bit he's had some discomfort in his back and ultimately we decided that with today being (one of) the hardest days of the year, it was a good time to give him some additional time away. So we will evaluate him after a week and see where things settle."
Muzzin was limited to 47 regular-season games (three goals, 11 assists), missing time with two separate concussions and an undisclosed injury last season.
"A few injuries but we looked after those during the season and during the offseason, just kind of did my similar stuff where we got the body ready to go for another season," Muzzin said Wednesday. "I'm feeling good, I haven't thought anything about the concussions I've had in the past and I'm feeling good and ready to go for this year." -- Dave McCarthy

Vegas Golden Knights

Nolan Patrick will not play this season, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Thursday.
The forward was limited to 25 games last season because of an upper-body injury. He had seven points (two goals, five assists).
"It just hasn't been the progress," McCrimmon said. "This is all about just real life for now and getting Nolan healthy day to day as anyone in this room would be. ... We are declaring him out for the season so I think that's a sobering reflection of where this is at for Nolan. Our hopes are, let's just get Nolan healthy first and then we'll see what lies ahead in his future."
Patrick, the No. 2 pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2017 NHL Draft, missed the entire 2019-20 season because of a migraine disorder and has been limited to 77 games the previous two seasons.
McCrimmon also said goalie Laurent Brossoit (hip surgery) will miss camp. The Golden Knights announced Aug. 11 that goalie Robin Lehner (hip) would not play this season.

St. Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington was a full participant at the start of training camp after the goalie injured his left knee in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.
Binnington did not play after a collision in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Colorado Avalanche. The injury did not require surgery. He was 4-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average and .949 save percentage in six playoff games after taking over for Ville Husso in Game 4 of the first round against the Minnesota Wild.
"You look at the way he was playing before the injury, that's the 'Binner' we all want to see every night and we know he can be every night," forward Robert Thomas said. "I think he's going to come back more determined and he's got a little chip on his shoulder and he's ready to rock. He looks really good out there."
Alexey Toropchenko also participated in drills after the Blues previously announced the forward would likely be out until mid-December following offseason shoulder surgery.
"I'm working hard," Toropchenko said. "I've been here all summer. I came back here earlier in July and I was working out. I feel better every day. Still no contact yet, but very soon." -- Lou Korac

Chicago Blackhawks

Jake McCabe participated in the first day of training camp Thursday after having cervical spine surgery six weeks ago and the defenseman said it's unlikely he'll be ready for the season opener against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 12.
"The timetable as far as I know is the same. We just couldn't let him in any contact situation," coach Luke Richardson said. "He went out early, had a good warmup skate on his own. We thought it'd be good [for him] to be with the team, be in the team meeting to get the concepts and then stay out after the shooting drills and passing drills, even though we didn't want him involved in any contact, just to watch and ask questions and talk to the assistant coaches so he has a real good grasp on it."
Richardson said defenseman Connor Murphy did not practice because he was attending a funeral, but he was expected to travel back to Chicago following the services.
Defenseman Ian Mitchell is expected to miss six weeks with a left wrist injury. Forwards Colton Dach and Paul Ludwinski are in concussion protocol and did not practice. -- Tracey Myers

New Jersey Devils

Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood and defenseman Dougie Hamilton are healthy after each missed significant time due to injury last season.
Blackwood was limited to 25 games (24 starts) because of COVID-19 and a recurring left heel injury.
"The summer was good for me, good for my ankle ... I have no pain anymore," Blackwood said. "I'm feeling good so I'm able to do everything on the ice that I need to do. I'm feeling refreshed, excited, and ready to put the work in and try and have a great year."
Hamilton missed 17 games with a broken jaw.
"I'm obviously excited to get out there today and start working with the new coaches and some new players and I think it was a good first day," Hamilton said. "I think it's going to take some time for ... I might never ever be normal but there's still some nerve damage. I think when I returned to the lineup last season, it wasn't about the pain necessarily, but just the mask I had to wear."
Hamilton practiced without a mask Thursday and said he doesn't intend to wear one during the preseason or regular season.
"I definitely didn't feel the same as I felt at the start of last year after the injury, so for me, it was just trying to work as hard as I could this summer to feel better and get healthier and play like I did at the start of the season," Hamilton said. "I think I can do that." -- Mike G. Morreale

Boston Bruins

Matt Grzelcyk was on the ice ahead of practice Thursday. The defenseman started shooting again Monday as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery.
"It's exciting to get back out there and do a little more than I was able to the first few months," he said.
Grzelcyk had right shoulder stabilization surgery June 3 with an expected recovery of five months, which would see him return in November. He played through the injury, which happened Jan. 22 against the Winnipeg Jets, last season, though he said he knew immediately he would eventually need surgery.
Grzelcyk said he wasn't sure whether there was an updated timeline, but that he feels better than he expected, only having to wear his sling for two weeks. He had the same procedure done on his left shoulder about eight years ago.
"I think my range of motion has gotten a little bit better now," he said. "I've obviously been working on it a lot. Just little things like sleeping and waking up in the morning. It's not as stiff. It was a long few months to end the year last year. Just happy to feel a little bit more like myself. Still have a long way to go but the light's at the end of the tunnel."
Grzelcyk said he has been testing out different stick heights to see if that gets his shoulder in a better position. --Amalie Benjamin

Colorado Avalanche

Valeri Nichushkin will miss the start of training camp with a foot injury but could return when the regular season starts Oct. 12, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said.
"He is [one of the guys who isn't ready to start camp]. He's back skating and close," Bednar said Thursday of the forward, who signed an eight-year contract with Colorado on July 11. "Hopefully we have him for the start of the regular season, but he won't be in full participation come tomorrow morning."
Nichushkin sustained the injury during the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning but did not miss a game. -- Ryan Boulding

Pittsburgh Penguins

Tristan Jarry was a full participant for the Penguins on their first day of training camp.
The goalie has recovered from a foot injury that held him out of the first six games of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers. Jarry returned to make 26 saves in Game 7, a 4-3 overtime loss.
Jarry said his foot did not feel 100 percent until about a month after the season.
"It was something I had to take really good care of, do a lot of treatment on," Jarry said. "A lot of therapy. I think it'll help me this year and make me stronger."
Jarry said if the Penguins had won Game 7, he would have missed more time before possibly playing later in the second round. The initial plan was for him to be held out until at least the Eastern Conference Final, he said.
"Just coming back for that Game 7 was something that I wanted to do," Jarry said. "I wanted to give the team a chance. I wanted to leave everything out there."
Casey DeSmith, the Penguins' backup goalie, also practiced fully after having core muscle surgery May 6. -- Wes Crosby