Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Detroit Red Wings
Dylan Larkin was placed on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Saturday, when he sustained an upper-body injury in a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
The Red Wings captain left the game at 13:50 of the first period following a hit from Senators forward Mathieu Joseph. A stretcher was brought onto the ice when Larkin lay motionless in front of the net, but the forward was able to skate off with the assistance of his teammates.
Joseph was initially called for a major penalty but it was reduced to a minor for roughing after video review.
"Dylan's going to the IR. No timeframe on it, so obviously it makes him unavailable for at least a week," Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. "I think we'll know more as time goes on. I think it was a positive to see him down unconscious, what goes through your head and his past history, to see him go off the ice with some assistance and not through the stretcher was a positive. We'll know more in the next few days."
Larkin has 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists), tied for the Red Wings lead with forward Alex DeBrincat (13 goals, 12 assists).
"Unfortunate to lose a player of that caliber for an extended period of time," Lalonde said.
Two other Red Wings were also placed in injured reserve: forwards J.T. Compher (retroactive to Tuesday) and Klim Kostin (retroactive to Thursday). Detroit recalled forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.
The Red Wings (14-8-4) visit the Dallas Stars (15-8-3) at American Airlines Center on Monday (8 p.m. ET; BSSWX, BSDET). -- Taylor Baird
Tampa Bay Lightning
Victor Hedman missed practice Monday because of an undisclosed injury and will be a game-time decision when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, BSSUN).
The 32-year-old defenseman left at 16:53 of the second period of a 4-3 overtime win against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday and did not return. He has 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 29 games and leads the Lightning time on ice per game (23:39).
“We'll give him go in the morning and see how he's at,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Monday.
Tampa Bay will get forward Steven Stamkos back after he missed the game in Seattle with an illness that has run through the team. Stamkos, who has 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 26 games this season, was back on the top power-play unit at practice Monday.
“I haven't felt that bad in a while, but good to be back out there with practicing and looking forward to playing tomorrow,” said Stamkos, the Lightning captain.
Goalie Jonas Johansson also missed practice Monday because of illness, but Cooper expected him to be healthy enough to back up Andrei Vasilevskiy on Tuesday.
“You’ve got to try and keep guys isolated a little bit, but he's actually feel pretty good so hopefully he should be good for tomorrow,” Cooper said.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Daniil Tarasov was recalled from his conditioning assignment with Cleveland in the American Hockey League.
The 24-year-old goalie has missed the first 25 games of this season with a knee injury. He's 4-13-1 with a 3.66 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 21 NHL games (19 starts).
The Blue Jackets visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
Goalie Jet Greaves was assigned to Cleveland. The 22-year-old set a Blue Jackets record for most saves in his first NHL win with 41 to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-2 in Columbus on Friday. Greaves' 46 saves on 49 shots each set a team record for a debut in a 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on April 4.
Ottawa Senators
Mark Kastelic was a full participant in practice Monday for the first time since sustaining a high ankle sprain Nov. 2, and could return during an upcoming road trip.
"I feel pretty good out there," Kastelic said. "In my opinion, I feel like I'm ready to go, and now it's just up to some higher levels (doctors) who have to make that decision.
"I've been working really hard to get back. With the amount of games coming up, it'll be good to hopefully get back in there and help the boys out."
Kastelic, who had to be helped off the ice after losing an edge in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, wore a regular practice jersey Monday and took reps at center as an extra forward. He has missed 13 games.
"He's getting closer,” Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. “He won't play tomorrow, but obviously, no yellow [no-contact jersey], he was out there today. We'll get him in some more practices and hopefully get him in on this [upcoming] trip."
The Senators (11-11-0) host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, BSSO) before a five-game trip. Ottawa will visit the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche from Dec. 14-21.
Kastelic does not have a point in nine games this season. -- Callum Fraser
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jesse Puljujarvi joined the Penguins on a free agent tryout Sunday.
The forward, who had bilateral hip surgery in the offseason, was a full practice participant one day after arriving in Pittsburgh for testing. He had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 75 games for the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes last season.
“I’m happy to be here, get the opportunity,” Puljujarvi said. “It’s been a long way, but it is what it is right now. Have been doing rehabbing. Worked really hard to get back here. … It’s been tough. Been doing treatments a lot.”
Puljujarvi, the No. 4 pick by Edmonton in the 2016 NHL Draft, has 114 points (51 goals, 63 assists) in 334 games. The 25-year-old rotated at right wing on the first line with Drew O'Connor in practice Sunday.
“I think he’s a rangy guy. He brings a lot of size and reach, things of that nature,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think he has an offensive dimension to his game, so we’ll see where it goes moving forward and, potentially, where he could fit into our roster.”
Bryan Rust, who usually plays right wing on the top line with center Sidney Crosby and left wing Jake Guentzel, is week to week with an upper-body injury sustained in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 6.
Defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) and Chad Ruhwedel (lower body) each participated at full contact Sunday. Joseph, who last played Nov. 4, returned from a conditioning loan with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL; Ruhwedel has missed the past nine games.
The Penguins host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SCRIPPS, SN, TVAS). -- Wes Crosby
