Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Anaheim Ducks
Trevor Zegras will return to the lineup when the Ducks host the Seattle Kraken on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSSD, BSSC).
Zegras, who has missed the past 20 games with a lower-body injury, moved into Leo Carlsson's spot as the top center between Alex Killorn and Troy Terry at practice on Friday. Zegras has a goal and an assist in 12 games this season; he had 65 points (23 goals, 42 assists) in 81 games last season.
Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was still being evaluated Friday after sustaining an apparent lower-body injury in the third period of a 3-0 loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Carlsson, who turns 19 on Tuesday, was playing a carom off the wall near center ice when Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar fell against Carlsson's right side, causing his leg to buckle inward. Carlsson could not put on any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice.
"Weegar there was lunging and then Leo lost his balance," Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said after the game. "You could see when Weegar fell on him, any sport when that happens, it's not good."
Carlsson has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 23 games.
"You never like to see a teammate go down, it doesn't matter who it is," Anaheim defenseman Jamie Drysdale said. -- Dan Arritt
Columbus Blue Jackets
Damon Severson returned to the lineup when the Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, SN, CBC) after missing 15 games with an oblique injury.
The defenseman hadn't played since Nov. 19 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Columbus went 7-6-2 without him.
"He's a veteran player. He brings leadership," Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. "He's got a lot of poise with the puck, and he's made some plays under pressure."
Severson hopes to be a calming influence for the Blue Jackets, who have blown multigoal leads in the third period, including in Toronto on Dec. 14 when the Maple Leafs scored five unanswered goals to send the game to overtime before the Blue Jackets won 6-5.
"There [were] some games in there where you're watching from afar, you don't have really a feel on it, but it just looked like the guys were kind of playing trying to hold on," Severson said. "They weren't playing to win the game. They were just trying not to lose almost. They were just kind of being tentative."
Severson has eight points (three goals, five assists) and is averaging 20:54 of ice time in 19 games this season. -- Craig Merz
New York Rangers
Kaapo Kakko has been skating on his own as he attempts to return from a lower-body injury.
The 22-year-old forward was injured in a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 27.
Coach Peter Laviolette said forward Filip Chytil, out since Nov. 2 with an upper-body injury, is also skating on his own.
“Kaapo is skating on his own and they’re improving,” Laviolette said after the Rangers’ morning skate ahead of a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden on Friday. “I understand it’s been a slow process, especially with ‘Fil,’ but getting better.
“I think when it comes to getting a player, Kaapo, Fil, anybody, [Adam Fox], whatever, there’s a progression to what it is. That doesn’t necessarily mean tomorrow, the next progression is skating with us. So, there’s progressions inside of that, so we’re working on those progressions.”
The Eastern Conference-leading Rangers (22-8-1) are 7-4-0 without Kakko in the lineup entering their home game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; MSG-B, MSG). The No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft has three points (two goals, one assist) in 20 games this season.
Chytil, 24, has six assists in 10 games. -- Derek Van Diest
Toronto Maple Leafs
Mark Giordano won't return before next week, although the Maple Leafs defenseman participated in the morning skate prior to their 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
It was the first time Giordano skated with Toronto since he broke his finger against Florida on Nov. 28. He has missed the past nine games.
“It is encouraging,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Great to see him out (on the ice). He’s been progressing very well. He won’t play here before Christmas. The timeline points more towards him being day to day as we return from the Christmas break.”
Toronto plays the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday before the NHL holiday break; their first game following the break is against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27.
Giordano, who was on a fourth pairing with William Lagesson at the morning skate, has five points (one goal, four assists) and is averaging 17:52 of ice time in 20 games. -- Heather Engel
