NHL Buzz: Larsson makes Capitals debut against Wild

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Throughout the 2021-22 season, NHL.com will have you covered with the latest news.

Washington Capitals

Johan Larsson made his Capitals debut against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
The forward, who was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on March 21, hadn't played since Jan. 25 because of sports hernia surgery. He has scored 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 29 games this season.
During the morning skate, Larsson played left wing on the fourth line, where the Capitals are without Carl Hagelin, who is on injured reserve because of an eye injury.
"He's somebody that really fits that role we're missing with Carl," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "Again, a veteran player. He's a good checker, he's quick, he's tenacious and I'm excited to see him play, especially on that line and in that role."
Forward Nic Dowd and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk are expected to return against the Wild after each missed five games with an upper-body injury.
Dowd has scored 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 50 games. He's the center on the top penalty-killing unit and leads the Capitals in face-off win percentage (54.4).
Van Riemsdyk has scored 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 58 games.
"Tonight's a starting point with a group that's hopefully getting healthier," Laviolette said. "We'll see where it goes." -- Harvey Valentine

Vancouver Canucks

Tucker Poolman and Jason Dickinson returned to the lineup for the Canucks against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Poolman, a defenseman, hadn't played since Jan. 27 (26 games), when he left after the first period of a 5-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets with what the Canucks later said were migraine headaches.
Dickinson, who has played center and wing this season, had missed 16 games with a lower-body injury after hitting the boards hard against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 24.
Poolman has scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 39 games this season. Dickinson has six points (three goals, three assists) in 49 games.
"I was just itching to play and it [stinks] when things don't go the way that you want to be able to come back when you want," Dickinson said. "It's been killing me."
Bo Horvat also played against the Golden Knights after returning to practice Saturday. The forward left after the first period of a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday with a stomach illness.
Center Brad Richardson missed practice Saturday with a similar illness, according to Boudreau, and didn't play. -- Kevin Woodley

Philadelphia Flyers

Nick Seeler will be out indefinitely for the Philadelphia Flyers because of a lower-body injury.
"He's getting checked out," Flyers coach Mike Yeo said Sunday before their game against the New York Rangers. "Expect him to miss some time."
Seeler left in the third period of a 6-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. The defenseman has scored three points (one goal, two assists) in 43 games this season.
Kevin Connauton played in Seeler's place against the Rangers, and Keith Yandle was a healthy scratch for the second straight game after his NHL record consecutive games played streak ended at 989.
"[Connauton has] been working hard," Yeo said. "He's played well when he's in, he hasn't really had much of an opportunity. Obviously, there was also a lot of emotion the last couple of days for Keith here."
Yandle did not play against the Maple Leafs, the first game he missed since March 22, 2009, when he was with the Phoenix Coyotes.
"My mindset is to get better in practice, work on things and try to get back in the lineup and help the team win games," Yandle said Saturday.
Yandle passed Doug Jarvis to become the NHL ironman when he played his 965th consecutive game Jan. 25. His streak began March 26, 2009. -- David Satriano

New Jersey Devils

Pavel Zacha returned to the lineup for the Devils in a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday.
The forward missed the previous eight games with an upper-body injury sustained in a 6-3 loss at the Canucks on March 15.
Zacha, who can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has scored 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 57 games. -- Mike G. Morreale

New York Islanders

Cory Schneider made 27 saves in his first NHL start in more than two seasons, helping the Islanders to a 4-3 win against the Devils on Sunday.
The 36-year-old goalie last played an NHL game as a member of the Devils on March 6, 2020, a 4-2 win against the St. Louis Blues.
"He's got a terrific personality," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "I didn't know anything about Cory before we got him. He fit in with the group very, very well. He's done a great job with everyone in Bridgeport (of the American Hockey League), too."
After New Jersey bought out the remaining two seasons of the seven-year contract he signed on July 9, 2014, Schneider agreed to terms on a contract with the Islanders on Jan. 14, 2021. He played two games with Bridgeport in 2020-21 (3.94 goals-against average, .843 save percentage) and 24 games this season (2.68, .921).
In seven seasons with the Devils, Schneider won 115 games, third in their history behind Martin Brodeur (688) and Chris Terreri (118), and his 17 shutouts and 311 games are second to Brodeur (124 shutouts, 1,259 games).
Semyon Varlamov started the past three games (all wins) for New York with Ilya Sorokin out with an upper-body injury. --Mike G. Morreale

Colorado Avalanche

Nazem Kadri did not play for the Avalanche in a 3-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday because of an upper-body injury, and there is no timetable for his return.
"He's going to miss some time. I don't know how much," coach Jared Bednar said. "I don't have a timeline on him, really."
Bednar said he's confident the forward will be back by the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Kadri did not practice Friday, one day after he was injured in a 4-2 win against the San Jose Sharks. He left in the third period after a collision with two Sharks players but returned to finish the game.
Kadri, who had two assists Thursday, leads the Avalanche with an NHL career-high 83 points (26 goals, 57 assists) in 65 games this season. The Avalanche (49-14-6) lead the Minnesota Wild by 15 points for first place in the Central Division. -- Ryan Boulding