Cup Qualifiers Buzz: Stamkos will not play for Lightning against Bruins

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Qualifiers Buzz. The 24 teams who will be competing for the Stanley Cup are in their respective hub cities (Toronto for the 12 Eastern Conference teams, Edmonton for the 12 Western Conference teams). The Stanley Cup Qualifiers began Saturday.

Here's a look around the League at the latest from the Qualifiers:

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Tampa Bay Lightning

Steven Stamkos will not play for the Lightning against the Boston Bruins in their second round-robin game of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Wednesday (4 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN, TVAS, NESN, FS-F).

The forward, who also did not play in Tampa Bay's 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Monday in the round-robin opener at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city, joined his teammates on the ice after practice had started Tuesday, but did not take part in line rushes. He sustained a lower-body injury before the start of training camp and had not practiced since Friday.

Stamkos' availability for the final round-robin game to determine seeding in the Eastern Conference for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers is unknown. Cooper said last week that he was hopeful Stamkos would be able to play in one of the three round-robin games and be ready for the start of the Eastern Conference First Round. -- Corey Long

Vegas Golden Knights

Max Pacioretty's arrival remains "on the horizon," according to coach Peter DeBoer, who expects the Golden Knights' top scorer to join them in Edmonton soon.

"He's getting a lot closer," DeBoer said, "and I'm sure he'll get an appearance soon."

The forward, who had 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) this season, did not travel with the Golden Knights to Edmonton, the hub city for the Western Conference, as he continues to heal from a minor injury sustained during training camp. He hasn't practiced since July 19.

Chandler Stephenson has been Pacioretty's replacement at left wing on the top line. Stephenson scored at 1:04 of the first period on Monday, a 5-3 win against the Dallas Stars in the opening game of the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers at Rogers Place.

Pacioretty's status for the round-robin game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday is unknown. The Golden Knights play their final round-robin game to determine seeding in the West for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.

If he does return, it's unclear how the lines will look. DeBoer shuffled them midway through the second period Monday when Vegas trailed 3-1. William Karlsson was reunited with former linemates Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith, while Mark Stone was with Stephenson and Nick Cousins. -- Danny Webster

St. Louis Blues

Ivan Barbashev has returned to St. Louis to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.

The Blues forward, who played in a 4-0 exhibition loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on July 30 and a 2-1 loss against the Colorado Avalanche in their first round-robin game of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, is expected to return during the Western Conference First Round.

After the baby is born, Barbashev will return to Edmonton, the hub city for the West, and be required to quarantine in his hotel room for at least four days. In order to exit quarantine and return to practice and games, he will need to have four negative COVID-19 tests.

"We felt it was important for Ivan to be with us for the first two games of the restart and we were prepared for him leaving to go back to St. Louis to be with (his wife) Ksenia," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. "We wish them both the best and look forward to seeing Ivan back in Edmonton during the first round of the playoffs."

In anticipation of Barbashev's departure, the Blues had forward Mackenzie MacEachern practice on a line with Alexander Steen and Oskar Sundqvist during training camp and he is expected to be in the lineup when the Blues face the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in their second round-robin game to determine seeding for the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.-- Louie Korac