NHL Buzz: Pinto to return from injury for Senators against Maple Leafs
Lekkerimaki to make NHL debut with Canucks; Mathieu Joseph back for Blues
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Ottawa Senators
Shane Pinto will return after missing eight games with an undisclosed injury when the Senators visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN4, TSN5).
“I am in,” Pinto said after practice Monday. “It’s been a long couple weeks, it feels like, but it’s just good to be back and hopefully help the boys win.”
Pinto was the center on the third line with Michael Amadio and Noah Gregor during practice Monday and took reps on the second power-play unit. He confirmed he “tweaked something” during a face-off in a 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 17.
“I tried to play a couple games on it, and I just felt I needed to give it a few weeks just to heal because I don’t want it nagging me the whole year; it would’ve been tough,” Pinto said. “That was the right thing [to do] and I feel back to 100 percent, so it’s nice.”
Pinto, who turned 24 on Tuesday, has three points (one goal, two assists) in six games this season.
"It adds a good hockey player,” coach Travis Green said of Pinto’s return. “Two-way guy, big, good on face-offs. His game is still on the incline. I've seen spurts where you've kind of seen the player he can be, but I still think he's one of our younger guys, so called, who is still improving." -- Callum Fraser
Vancouver Canucks
Jonathan Lekkerimaki will make his NHL debut when the Canucks host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, SNP).
The 20-year-old forward was recalled from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League on Sunday. He will likely replace forward Brock Boeser, who is out indefinitely because of an upper-body injury, on a line with J.T. Miller and Pius Suter.
"Try to enjoy the moment and have fun, so very excited," Lekkerimaki said. "My role for the team is to play offense and shoot lots, so try to do my best there."
Lekkerimaki was chosen by Vancouver in the first round (No. 15) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He has seven points (five goals, two assists) in seven AHL games this season, his second in North America.
"It's obviously a huge piece for us, a guy that can make a play under pressure, a guy who's got a good shot -- a great shot -- thinks the game, can make plays, so I'm excited to see how he plays," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. "He's progressing at a really high level down there from what I've been told, obviously scoring goals, but making the little plays and his play without the puck."
Tocchet also said Dakota Joshua could make his season debut against the New York Islanders on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, MSGSN, MSGSN2) after the forward was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the offseason.
Joshua, 28, had surgery in September and missed training camp and the start of the regular season but has been around the team throughout and practiced as a full participant for the past two weeks.
“There's a good shot maybe Dakota will play Thursday, but he's trending in the right direction,” Tocchet said Tuesday.
Tocchet had hinted at the possibility of a conditioning stint in the AHL for Joshua, but said Monday he will instead start with the Canucks.
“He's looked pretty good out there, even we were doing some drills in the morning early, his hands look pretty good around the net,” Tocchet said. “I'd rather him play, whether I get him in 10-12 minutes than go down to [Abbotsford in the AHL].”
Joshua set NHL career highs in goals (18), assists (14) and points (32) last season in 63 games. He had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games and signed a four-year, $13 million contract ($3.25 million average annual value) June 27.
“He plays a lot of different roles, but I want to manage his minutes,” Tocchet said. -- Kevin Woodley
St. Louis Blues
Mathieu Joseph will return against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, NESN) after missing six games with a lower-body injury.
Joseph, who has four points (two goals, two assists) in nine games this season, was injured late in the third period of a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 26. The forward started skating in the past week but participated in full Monday for the first time, skating on a line with Brayden Schenn and Dylan Holloway.
"First practice with everybody; I felt good," Joseph said Monday. "It's been two weeks now. It's been kind of brutal to watch the guys play. I'm trying to get better."
St. Louis currently has forward Robert Thomas (fractured right ankle), and defensemen Philip Broberg (right knee) and Nick Leddy (lower body) sidelined with longer-term injuries.
"He brings a lot of energy in the dressing room, on the ice," Blues coach Drew Bannister said of Joseph. "Just the way he plays, with his speed and his aggressiveness, that we want to play as a team. It'll be nice to have him back in the lineup tonight." -- Lou Korac
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dante Fabbro was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets from the Nashville Predators on Sunday.
The 26-year-old defenseman did not have a point in six games this season, his sixth with Nashville after being a first-round pick (No. 17) at the 2016 NHL Draft. He was minus-3 and averaged 13:06 of ice time per game.
“Dante Fabbro is a puck-moving defenseman that can play in all situations and adds mobility and depth to our back end,” general manager Don Waddell said.
Fabbro has 72 points (16 goals, 56 assists) in 315 regular-season games and one assist in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with the Predators.
The Blue Jackets (5-7-2) lost their fifth straight (0-4-1) Sunday, 4-2 at the Anaheim Ducks. They visit the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, KHN, KONG).
Colorado Avalanche
Kaapo Kahkonen was placed on waivers by the Avalanche on Monday with the intent of sending him to Colorado of the AHL.
The 28-year-old is 0-1-0 this season with a 4.12 goals-against average and a .800 save percentage in one start, a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 30.
The Avalanche have carried three goalies on the roster since Kahkonen was recalled from an AHL conditioning stint Oct. 29. He had been sent to the AHL on Oct. 24 and went 0-2-0 in two starts, posting a 2.57 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Kahkonen was previously claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets by Colorado on Oct. 11.
“We don't know how it's going to play out, right? We've seen better from our goalies than we've seen here recently, and if they can elevate their game, great,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said then. “And if Kahkonen can come in and play well, great. It's about winning hockey games, and if we can get incrementally better in any position, we'll try and do it, especially when there's low risk involved.”
Injured forwards Miles Wood (upper body) and Jonathan Drouin (upper body) each skated Monday morning, but there was no update on either.
“They've been on the ice for a long time now, and they're still not in the lineup,” Bednar said. “I don't get too excited until the jersey's hanging in their stall on game night.”
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was also briefly on the ice Monday.
“I don't have any thoughts on it. He's been on and off the ice for two years,” Bednar said. -- Ryan Boulding
