The Nashville Predators assigned forward Steve Moses, the leading goal scorer in the Kontinental Hockey League last season, to Milwaukee of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Moses, 26, signed a one-year contract with Nashville on April 9 after scoring 36 goals and 57 points in 60 games for Jokerit. Predators coach Peter Laviolette told the Tennessean that Moses is still getting adjusted to the North American game.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse was one of four players assigned to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

"Darnell has to play a lot, lead that team, so when he gets the call, and he will, he'll be ready," coach Todd McLellan said in comments tweeted by the Oilers.

Nurse, the seventh pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, was minus-1 in three preseason games. He had 10 goals and 33 points in 36 games last season for Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League.

The New York Rangers have a team built to contend for the Stanley Cup for at least a few more seasons, but 39-year-old defenseman Dan Boyle knows his time is limited.

Boyle won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and would like to win it again before his career ends.

"I'm 39 now and I don't know how much longer I've got," Boyle recently told BlueshirtsUnited.com. "As far as the team's window being open [to win the Cup], it certainly is, but mine is closing up pretty quickly. So I'm going to give it everything I have because you don't know how many more kicks at the can you're going to have."

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, recovering from hip surgery, could return to practice this week, coach Barry Trotz told The Washington Post on Tuesday.

"[Backstrom] has been skating really well with controlled conditions," Trotz said. "I think once you get into practice, you've got to avoid people a little bit, so we'll see how he reacts to that."

Backstrom would not be subject to contact at practice. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left hip on May 27; the original timetable called for a recovery period of 4-6 months. He resumed skating in mid-August.

Forwards Sean Couturier and Michael Raffl likely will be ready for the Philadelphia Flyers' season opener Oct. 8 at the Tampa Bay Lightning, general manager Ron Hextall said Tuesday.

Couturier, the Flyers' second-line center, won't play when they host the New Jersey Devils in a preseason game Wednesday. He is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

"We're hoping he plays Friday (in the preseason finale at the Devils)," Hextall told the Flyers website.

Raffl sustained an upper-body injury in a preseason game against the New York Rangers on Monday, Hextall said. Raffl will not play Wednesday but might play Friday in the preseason finale.

"It's a day-by-day thing," Hextall said. "We'll see how it goes. Whether he plays Friday, I don't know."

Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm will miss the remainder of the preseason with a concussion and slight shoulder separation, coach Jeff Blashill said Tuesday.

Helm, who sustained the injuries during a collision with prospect Jerome Verrier during practice Sept. 18, hopes to start skating by the end of the week. The original prognosis was for Helm to miss 2-4 weeks.

Blashill told MLive.com that Helm needs a couple good practices to be ready for the Oct. 9 season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We’d like to skate him by the end of the week and hopefully get him in position where he can go full next week," Blashill told the Red Wings website. "[Helm] will not get a game before the regular season. He’ll skate at best by the end of the week and then have a good week of practice."

Defenseman Mike Green is day-to-day with a groin injury.

"Put a full practice in today, which was good, feel pretty much 100 percent," Green told the website.

Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, who is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury, skated on his own for a second straight day Tuesday but has been ruled out of the Bruins' preseason game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, NHLN).

Chara was injured during the Bruins' 4-3 shootout victory against the New York Rangers at TD Garden on Sept. 24. He left the game less than five minutes in after a hit by Rangers forward Ryan Bourque. He had 1:57 of ice time and one shot on goal.

Halak is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury, Hickey will miss four weeks because of an upper-body injury, and Bernier is expected to miss 1-2 weeks because of a lower-body injury.

Halak was 38-17-4 with a 2.43 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in 59 games, the most he's played in an NHL season.

The New York Islanders on Tuesday returned forwards Michael Dal Colle and Anthony Beauvillier to their junior teams in Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League and Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, respectively.

Dal Colle, the fifth pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, had two assists in four preseason games. He had 42 goals and 93 points in 56 games with Oshawa last season. He also had five points in four games to help Oshawa win the Memorial Cup.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury, the Flyers said Monday.

It is believed Couturier sustained the injury last Tuesday during a preseason game against the New York Rangers. Couturier has missed the past two games.