NHL Training Camp Buzz: Ovechkin expected to make preseason debut

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.

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Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin is expected to play for the first time this preseason when the Capitals play at the Detroit Red Wings on Friday. Ovechkin is among 13 forwards listed on Washington's tentative roster for the game, along with Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie and Lars Eller, each of whom is looking to play for the first time this preseason as well.
Ovechkin, who did not play in the Capitals' first two preseason games, is beginning his 18th NHL season. The 37-year-old scored 50 goals last season for the ninth time,
tying the NHL record
shared by Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy.
Goalie Darcy Kuemper is expected to make his Capitals preseason debut after signing a five-year, $26.5 million contract ($5.25 million average annual value) on July 13. --Tom Gulitti

New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier is questionable for the start of the regular season because of a hamstring strain.
New Jersey opens the season at the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 13.
"I really can't answer [if Hischier will play the opener]," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I would say 'Yes,' but there's no guarantee that's possible. I think it's something we would probably, in the big picture, hope would happen.
"He's not limping. He's very optimistic. I'm optimistic. I'm going to stay guarded on [his availability]."
The Devils center was limited to 6:24 of ice time in a 2-1 preseason win at the Montreal Canadiens on Monday because of cramping and missed a 4-1 preseason win against the New York Islanders on Tuesday and 5-2 preseason win at the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Hischier set NHL career highs in goals (21), assists (39) and points (60) in 70 games last season. - Mike G. Morreale

Philadelphia Flyers

Carter Hart expects to play in the season opener against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 13.
The goalie sustained a lower-body injury Sunday but has been skating and was cleared for non-contact practice Friday.
"I'll be ready," Hart said. "Just more so being cautious than anything, making sure that I'm 100 percent. It's a long year. I think that's kind of with everybody right now, making sure that everybody's fully healthy and fully ready to go on opening night."
Hart said he'd like to play in one of the Flyers' final three preseason games, at the Boston Bruins on Saturday, at the New York Islanders on Sunday and at home against the Islanders on Oct. 4. Especially because he was out the final nine games of last season because of a lower-body injury sustained April 12.
"I'm feeling better," he said. "Last few days felt better on the ice. Hoping to play here one of these last few [preseason] games before the regular season starts. Definitely would be nice to get into a game here.
"It's been a long time since we played an actual hockey game, for myself. So definitely would be nice to get into at least one game here." -- Adam Kimelman

Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Murphy missed practice Friday because of back soreness.
The defenseman will not play in a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSCH) and is unlikely to play against the Minnesota Wild in Milwaukee on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSCH, BSN).
"I think it's more back tightness," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said. "I'm not sure, I wasn't here last year to know exactly what was wrong last year, but it's just precaution. He's a veteran guy, he doesn't need to play all the games. But we'll definitely look to get him in the games at the end (at the Wild on Oct. 6, at the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 8) to get him ready for the season."
Murphy missed practice Wednesday because of a maintenance day and the Blackhawks were off Thursday.
He had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 57 games for Chicago last season. -- Tracey Myers

Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone will make his preseason debut against the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena. It will be the first game for the Golden Knights captain since he had a lumbar discectomy on May 19 to repair a back injury that limited him to 37 games last season, when he had 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists).
"I think we all are (excited), right? but him the most, to be honest with you," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday, "because rehabilitation from surgery's gone really well, he's checked all the boxes, met all the requirements and this was going to be kind of the final one for him, so I'm sure he's more excited than all of us."
Stone had been practicing with the Golden Knights this week, at times wearing a red no-contact jersey.
"It was good to get a scrimmage in today," he said Thursday. "Get some bumpin'. It was a good pace. It was normal shift-type work. I'm taking it step by step. That was another step in the right direction … I don't think there are a ton of boxes to check other than playing games. I'm feeling pretty comfortable moving forward." -- Paul Delos Santos

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Arizona Coyotes

Jonas Johansson was claimed on waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.
The goalie was 3-4-1 with a 4.81 goals-against average and .852 save percentage in 11 games (eight starts) with the Avalanche and Florida Panthers last season.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round (No. 61) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Johansson is 9-13-4 with a 3.42 GAA and .883 save percentage in 32 games (26 starts) with the Sabres, Avalanche and Panthers.
Johansson could start the season as the backup to Karel Vejmelka.

Anaheim Ducks

Trevor Zegras is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and it is unclear how long the Ducks forward could be sidelined.
Zegras was injured during the second period of the Ducks' 3-1 preseason win against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.
"We're sending him for a more in-depth look and hopefully we will have those results by the morning," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said Thursday. "So we're in a holding pattern on that."
Zegras was second among NHL rookies with 61 points (23 goals, 38 assists) in 75 games last season.
The Ducks open the regular season against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 12.

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Dallas Stars

Ty Dellandrea is expected to be out a couple of weeks for the Stars because of a broken finger.
The 22-year-old forward sustained the injury in the second period of a 5-2 preseason loss to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Dellandrea scored a short-handed goal prior to the injury.
"He blocked a shot in the hand. Looks like he's got something broken," Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Thursday. "Doesn't look like it's serious, no surgery or anything like that. So a couple of weeks out. It's broken like the tip of your finger type thing. I'm hoping it's like 2-3 weeks."
Selected by Dallas with the No. 13 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Dellandrea had 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 68 games with Texas of the American Hockey League last season. He played one NHL game last season, but in 2020-21 had five points (three goals, two assists) in 26 games.
"He's put a good showing in and he got injured doing what we asked him to do, which is block a shot and playing hard," DeBoer said. "That's how you have to play the game. If you're going to get injured, now's the better time than obviously two or three weeks from now. I liked his game tonight, and he's had a good camp."
The Stars open the season at the Nashville Predators on Oct. 13.