NHL Buzz: Sergachev returns for Lightning against Maple Leafs

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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Tampa Bay Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev will return for the Lightning when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, BSSUNX, SN NOW, ESPN+).
The defenseman has missed the past two games after sustaining an upper-body injury on Dec. 13 in a 6-2 win against the Seattle Kraken.
"I'm feeling really good," Sergachev said. "It's only the second time I'm missing a couple games like that for injury or suspension so I felt like it was a good time for me to reset my head and work on the things I need to work on and work on my conditioning obviously. I did that and I feel really good."
Sergachev, who was a full participant in practice on Monday on a pairing with Zach Bogosian, has 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 28 games this season. He has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) on the power play.
"He's learned how to defend, how to play all 200 feet," coach Jon Cooper said. "He kind of came in as a puck possession rover but defending was not at the forefront for him and now he's fantastic at it. … We've worked him into some important power-play time and he'll get more in the future as well. He's become an integral part of our organization and future for the next eight years." -- Dave McCarthy

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Colorado Avalanche

Andrew Cogliano will be out the next two games after the Avalanche forward sustained an upper-body injury in a 1-0 shootout win against the New York Islanders on Monday.
He did not play after the 13:39 mark of the third period.
"He's going to miss the next two games," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Tuesday. "He'll continue to get evaluated over the break."
Asked if the 35-year-old avoided anything major, Bednar said: "Yeah, we're hoping so."
The Avalanche host the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; SN, ALT, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW) and visit the Nashville Predators on Friday before the NHL holiday break Saturday through Monday.
Cogliano has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 30 games this season. A key penalty killer, he leads Colorado forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:21).

Columbus Blue Jackets

Yegor Chinakhov was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
The forward will be out indefinitely after he was injured 1:20 into the first period of a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday after forward Joel Kiviranta fell on the back of his left knee.
Chinakhov has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 30 games.
"He's out tonight. He's not even with us on this trip," Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. "So he's out for sure. For a little bit here. We'll get more results today and tomorrow."
Columbus also recalled goalie Jet Greaves from Cleveland of the American Hockey League with Elvis Merzlikins out with an illness. Greaves will back up Daniil Tarasov against the Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; NBSCP, BSOH, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Tarasov made 32 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday.
"No, he's excited," Larsen said. "Another good other young guy. No excuses." -- Adam Kimelman

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

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood will be the backup for the Devils against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The goalie practiced took part in the morning skate Tuesday after being recalled from his conditioning stint with Utica of the American Hockey League 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 Monday. "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, who is 5-3-0 with a 1.96 GAA and .932 save percentage in eight games (six starts) for the Devils this season was sent to the AHL. -- Mike G. Morreale

New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov didn't play in a 1-0 shootout loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Monday 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.
Goalie Cory Schneider was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Sunday and backed up to Ilya Sorokin on Monday.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello 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 did not play Monday.
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

Chicago Blackhawks

Goaltender Alex Stalock, who had been out since Nov. 1 because of a concussion, was activated from injured reserve on Monday 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.
The Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. -- Tracey Myers

Montreal Canadiens

Mike Matheson is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman has been playing on the top defense pair with Jordan Harris. He has six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 games.
The Canadiens 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