NHL Buzz: Spurgeon on injured reserve for Wild with lower-body injury

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

Minnesota Wild

Jared Spurgeon was placed on injured reserve Monday.
The defenseman reaggravated a lower-body injury which caused him to miss eight games during a 4-3 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 16. He has scored 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 21 games this season.
"It's not a short-term timetable], how about that," Wild coach Dean Evason said after practice Sunday. " ... We'll see how he progresses."
Evason said Spurgeon, who was initially injured Nov. 20 against the Florida Panthers, will not require surgery but it's possible Spurgeon will not be able to play when the Wild host the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Target Field in Minneapolis on Jan.1.
"I hope [I can play then]," Spurgeon said. "…But obviously, nothing really I can control."
Jordan Greenway was out for the Wild for a 7-4 loss at the Dallas Stars on Monday. The forward left practice early the past two days with a nagging lower-body injury and did not travel.
The Wild recalled defenseman Kevin Czuczman and forward
[Mason Shaw
from Iowa of the American Hockey League. -- Jessi Pierce

#

Philadelphia Flyers

Kevin Hayes has been placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The forward was removed from the ice as practice was starting Monday. He's the third Flyers player in protocol, joining forwards Morgan Frost and Max Willman.
Hayes has scored six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 games this season. He missed the first 12 games recovering from offseason abdominal surgery and then missed six games after reaggravating the injury Dec. 16, his second game back.
"I think we're all concerned," Flyers general manager Chcuk Fletcher said. "You just look around the League and the NFL, the NBA, our sport, just seems like every day there's more positives. Clearly there's a surge going on right now in the world and we're all dealing with it. We're doing the best we can with protocols. ... Yesterday was a day off which was a good thing for our group, keep everybody away and hopefully that can stem the tide of what seems to be happening."
The Flyers returned goalie Felix Sandstrom to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He had been recalled Saturday because goalie Carter Hart was out with a non-COVID-19 illness.
The Flyers host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, NHL LIVE). -- Adam Kimelman

San Jose Sharks

Brent Burns has been placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The defenseman has scored 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) in 30 games this season. He has not missed a game since November 21, 2013.
"He feels fine. He feels good," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said.
Boughner and nine Sharks players were in protocol in November.
The Sharks next scheduled game is Dec. 27 against the Anaheim Ducks. Their games against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and Edmonton Oilers on Thursday were postposed Sunday, when the NHL announced all cross-border games were postponed through the NHL holiday break. -- Chelena Goldman

Montreal Canadiens

Mike Hoffman was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The forward has scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in 19 games this season.
He joins forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Laurent Dauphin in protocol.
The Canadiens had four games postponed by the NHL because of COVID-19 concerns and will not play again until Dec. 28 when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Chicago Blackhawks

Calvin de Haan was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The defenseman missed the past two games, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday and a 4-3 overtime loss to the Stars on Saturday, with a non-COVID related illness. He has scored zero points in 26 games this season. -- Tracey Myers

Seattle Kraken

Adam Larsson was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The defenseman has scored eight points (two goals, six assists) in 30 games this season. He was plus-1 in 23:04 of ice time in the Kraken's 5-3 loss to the Oilers on Saturday.
Seattle had four games postponed by the NHL because of COVID-19 concerns and will not play again until Dec. 29 against Philadelphia.