NHL Buzz: Brodie expected back for Maple Leafs on Sunday

 

Toronto Maple Leafs

TJ Brodie is expected to return for the Maple Leafs when they face the Washington Capitals on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN4, NBCSWA, SN NOW, ESPN+).

The defenseman has missed the past 10 games with a rib injury sustained in a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 7. He skated at practice on Saturday on a pair with Morgan Rielly.

“I felt good,” Brodie said after practice. “It’s just a matter of seeing how it feels the rest of the day and tomorrow. I took a couple bumps which was nice and I felt good. I hope so (to be in). It’s not up to me but I’d like to.”

Toronto has two more games prior to the All-Star break.

“We will get the final word from [Brodie] and the medical team later today or in the morning but he increases our depth greatly, a vital piece of our defense corps, slots everybody else in well and allows us to spread out the minutes,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Definitely a welcomed addition of course.”

Brodie, who has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 28 games, missed 12 games earlier this season after sustaining on oblique injury on Nov 11.

“It’s definitely not fun,” Brodie said. “I think this is probably the most amount of games I’ve missed in my career so it’s new to me and it’s definitely something you don’t want to be doing. Just mentally coming back from the last one, I felt pretty good physically and to play a couple games and have it happen again and be out, it’s tough.”

Matt Murray, who did not practice Saturday, is undergoing further testing to determine the extent of an ankle injury that Keefe said “flared up on him” prior to his expected start Friday against the Ottawa Senators. Ilya Samsonov started and allowed six goals on 34 shots in a 6-2 loss.

“It’s been something he has been dealing with for a while and had settled,” Keefe said of Murray. “He’d been going through his workouts fine but it flared up on him a little bit, he didn’t feel comfortable playing, the medical team held him out and we’ll get more information later today.”

Keefe said it is still unclear whether Murray will back up Samsonov on Sunday or if a goalie will need to be recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League. — Dave McCarthy

 

Washington Capitals

Tom Wilson won’t play in the Capitals’ final two games before the All-Star break, coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday.

The forward did not play in a 3-2 shootout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday one game after blocking a shot off his right leg in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

After playing at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN4, NBCSWA, SN NOW) and at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Washington doesn’t play again until visiting the Boston Bruins on Feb. 11.

“He won’t be available before the break here and then I think we’ll just assess everything when we get back from the break,” Laviolette said.

Forward Nic Dowd, who has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury, also is out at least until after the break.

“We’ll assess him just like we will probably the other players when we come back after the break,” Laviolette said. — Tom Gulitti

 

Seattle Kraken

Matty Beniers will not play for the Kraken against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday (10 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW) because of an upper-body injury.

The forward was injured in the second period of a 6-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. He was knocked down by Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, who received an interference penalty. Beniers did not play in the third period and did not play in a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Friday.

“He won’t be available for our games today or tomorrow,” coach Dave Hakstol said Friday. “I can put whatever label you want in terms of day to day, but he won’t be available.”

Following the game Saturday, the Kraken do not play until after the All-Star break, when they visit the New York Islanders on Feb. 7.

Beniers, who leads NHL rookies in goals (17) and points (36), was slated to play in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Feb.4. Hakstol would not comment on Beniers’ availability for that game. — Andy Eide

 

St. Louis Blues

Robert Thomas is day to day and will not play when the Blues visit the Colorado Avalanche (3 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN, TVAS).

Thomas suffered a lower-body injury for St. Louis early in the second period of its third straight loss, 5-0 at the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday, after he was hit with a deflected puck on a shot by Blues defenseman Torey Krug. Thomas was down on the ice before skating straight to the locker room.

Thomas, who leads the Blues with 31 assists and is second in points with 43 in 47 games, did not practice Friday.

“I think he’s doing better,” Blues coach Craig Berube said Saturday. “We’ll see if he can get on the ice tomorrow. … He’s a real good player obviously in all situations, he’ll be missed for sure.”

Forward Nikita Alexandrov was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League. St. Louis assigned defenseman Tyler Tucker to the AHL.

Alexandrov, 22, has four points (two goals, two assists) in 16 NHL games this season.

“We need a center [after] losing a guy in ‘Robby,'” Berube said. “[Alexandrov] played pretty good with us when he was up here, has played pretty detailed, gets pretty involved physically and decent puck skills.” — Lou Korac

 

Ottawa Senators

Cam Talbot will be out until after the All-Star break for the Senators because of a lower-body injury.

The goalie was injured in the second period of a 2-1 win against the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Talbot, who missed the first nine games of the season with a rib injury, is 12-13-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 28 games (25 starts). He was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on July 12.

Anton Forsberg started for the Senators in a 6-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. He is 9-10-2 with a 3.24 GAA and .903 save percentage in 25 games (22 starts). Forsberg made 21 saves in relief of Talbot on Wednesday.

Goalie Kevin Mandolese was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Thursday and was the backup Friday.

The Senators host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNP, ESPN+, SN NOW) and visit them Tuesday, then are off until hosting the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 11. — Dave McCarthy

 

Columbus Blue Jackets

Gustav Nyquist is out indefinitely for the Blue Jackets with an upper-body injury.

The forward was injured at 17:12 of the first period of a 3-2 overtime win at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

“He’s got more of a voice than people think in the [locker] room, but his best asset is he does it by example,” coach Brad Larsen said Friday. “He doesn’t have to say much because he’s always prepared, he gets in great shape, his competitiveness is always there. All those attributes that you want in a player, he has them.”

Nyquist has 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 48 games this season. He is one of two players on Columbus averaging more than a minute per game on the power play (1:42) and penalty kill (1:44) this season (center Jack Roslovic; 2:18 and 1:47).

“He’s a guy I’ve really leaned on, so we’re going to miss him,” Larsen said. “He’s in every situation. He’s kind of a stabilizer for me. He’s so consistent in what he gives, effort and the pace he can play at.”

The Blue Jackets visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW). — Kevin Woodley