NHL Buzz: Barkov has lower-body injury, out for Panthers against Bruins

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2022-23 regular season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

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Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov will not play against the Boston Bruins on Monday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, NESN, BSFL, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Barkov is day to day because of a lower-body injury sustained during a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The forward was helped to the locker room after being hit in the left knee by the stick of Devils center Nico Hischier off a face-off with three seconds left in the first period.
He has 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 25 games this season.
"Barkov's day to day, which is a real positive for us," coach Paul Maurice said. "That could have been a real long-term injury."
Coach Paul Maurice said forward Eetu Luostarinen is expected to replace Barkov as the Panthers first-line center, and also said forward Colin White will return to the lineup after missing two games because of an upper-body injury. White is expected to play on the second line.
Anton Lundell (upper body) was a full participant at the morning skate but will not play. Maurice said the forward is "getting closer" but will miss his ninth straight game.
"Lundell is possibly closer than Barkov," Maurice said. "Lundell skated in a contact jersey today for the first time, so we're pretty excited about that. I'm hopeful that we keep getting good news on him."
Defenseman Radko Gudas (concussion) will be a game-time decision; he has missed seven games. -- Joe Pohoryles

Washington Capitals

T.J. Oshie won't play for the Capitals against the Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena on Monday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, NBCSWA, BSDET, SN NOW) because of an upper-body injury. The forward is considered day to day.
Oshie was injured during the second period of Washington's 5-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. He missed 11 games from Oct. 31 to Nov. 19 with a similar upper-body injury. The Capitals went 2-6-3 without Oshie and are 14-7-1 when he's played.
"The guys have to step up and move into positions," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "We've got to fill a power-play spot, got to fill top-six (forward) spot with somebody who produces. T.J.'s good for physicality, somebody who is going to be banging bodies out there. There's a lot that he brings to the table. Collectively as a group, when somebody goes out, somebody has to step up."
Goalie Darcy Kuemper will dress as the backup to Charlie Lindgren on Monday. He has been cleared to return from an upper-body injury that has kept him out since Dec. 3. To make room the Capitals loaned goalies Hunter Shepard and
Zach Fucale
to Hershey of the American Hockey League.
Forward Nic Dowd will be a game-time decision because of a lower-body injury that sidelined him Saturday. -- Tom Gulitti

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood practiced after being recalled from his conditioning stint with Utica of the AHL on Monday.
"I think reports are he got some rust off in the first [AHL] game and played really well in the second game so it's great to get him a couple of games and get him back here," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "We'll get him playing."
Blackwood was assigned to Utica on Dec. 12 and went 1-1-0 with a 3.03 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in two games.
He has missed 20 games because of an MCL sprain sustained against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 3. He's 4-2-0 with a 2.79 GAA and .880 save percentage in seven games.
"Akira (Schmid) will be going down (to Utica) later today, so it'll be Blackwood and Vanecek going with us on the road trip," Ruff said. "We thought from Day 1 Blackwood was going to be a big part of our success and he's back and healthy."
Schmid is 5-3-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .932 save percentage in eight games (six starts).
New Jersey (21-8-2) leads the Metropolitan Division but has lost five straight games (0-4-1). They play at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW) and at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.-- Mike G. Morreale

New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov won't play against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on Monday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW) because of a lower-body injury. The goaltender is considered day to day.
Varlamov was injured during the third period of New York's 5-2 victory at the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. He is 8-3-1 with a 2.65 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, and one shutout in 12 games.
"I think it's worrisome whenever you see any player leave, but we'll know better over the next couple of days," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "I do not feel it's going to be long term, by any means."
Goalie Cory Schneider was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Sunday and will be the backup to Ilya Sorokin on Monday.
Lamoriello also said forwards Kyle Palmieri (upper body) and Cal Clutterbuck (upper body) each is day to day. Palmieri missed 10 games before returning to the lineup in a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Dec. 16. Palmieri and Clutterbuck each missed the game against the Golden Knights on Saturday.
Defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) also is day to day. Lamoriello said there is no timetable for Pelech to return and that he has not started skating yet. Pelech has been out of the lineup since a 7-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 6.-- Ryan Boulding

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Chicago Blackhawks

Goaltender Alex Stalock, who had been out since Nov. 1 because of a concussion, was activated from injured reserve and defenseman Jarred Tinordi was placed on IR because of a facial fracture sustained Sunday.
Stalock was injured when New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas collided with him 2:54 into the first period of New York's 3-1 win against the Blackhawks.
"We wanted to get him a few full practices, he's had that, so we'll reconnect with him after today and see how he's feeling," coach Luke Richardson said Sunday. "He's back to his own personality in the dressing room, which is great."
Tinordi was injured at 2:25 of the second period of Chicago's 7-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday after he was hit in the face by a puck. He previously had been cut on the chin by a skate blade against the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 9.
Goaltender
Arvid Soderblom
was assigned to Rockford of the American Hockey League and defenseman Isaak Phillips was recalled from Rockford. -- Tracey Myers

Toronto Maple Leafs

Calle Jarnkrok is expected to play against the Tamara Bay Lightning on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, BSSUNX, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The forward practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining a groin injury during a 3-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 30.
"Feel good," Jarnkrok said. "It's good to be back with the guys today. I had a good practice and I feel good."
Jarnkrok skated at left wing on a line with center John Tavares and right wing Mitchell Marner. He played four games with Tavares and Marner prior to his injury.
"Always playing with two very good players is always a lot of fun and they make it easy for me," Jarnkrok said. "My role on there is to keep playing my game, work as hard as I can and get some pucks for those guys."
Jarnkrok has missed seven games.
"Great to see him back out there," coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We've missed him and you can see it just in the practice. He brings a lot to the practice with just being a veteran NHL player. He moves his feet, can make a pass, shoot a puck and makes a difference to me having him out there and he'll make a difference to our lineup as well.
"We started to play him with those guys before he got hurt there and we'd like what we'd seen from it, thought there were positive signs there and then it gets interrupted. I think it made perfect sense to go right back to it."
Jarnkrok, who signed a four year contract with the Maple Leafs on July 15, has nine points (five goals, four assists) in 25 games.-- Dave McCarthy

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Montreal Canadiens

Mike Matheson is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury and the defenseman did not travel with the Canadiens as they start a seven-game road trip at the Arizona Coyotes on Monday (10 p.m. ET; BSAZX, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Matheson has been playing on the top defense pair with Jordan Harris. He has six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games.
With Matheson out, defenseman Chris Wideman is expected to play Monday. Wideman has four points, all assists, in 18 games.
The Canadiens, currently on a three-game losing streak, also are missing forwards Sean Monahan (lower body) and Brendan Gallagher (lower body) and defenseman David Savard (upper body). Savard, out since Dec. 3, was placed on injured reserve Sunday. -- Alan Robinson

Philadelphia Flyers

Kevin Hayes will play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW) after the Flyers forward was scratched in a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Hayes also was benched for the third period of a 2-1 win at the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
"He's the coach, I'm the player," Hayes said Monday. "He makes the lineup. He wants the best team on the ice to win, and that's what he went with."
Hayes leads Philadelphia with 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 31 games. He also has a minus-10 even-strength goal differential.
"I have to make decisions on people," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "These are standards that are held for everybody in this organization, no matter what draft pick, no matter what stature, no matter what you're thought about in the area here. I have to hold a standard for everybody, and that's how it's going to be."
Forward Wade Allison, who has missed 18 games because of a hip pointer and oblique muscle injury, will play Tuesday. He has four points (three goals, one assist) in 14 games. -- Adam Kimelman