Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar returned when Colorado hosted the Winnipeg Jets at Ball Arena on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, TSN3, TVAS).
Makar, who missed two games with a lower-body injury, is tied for first on the Avalanche with 34 points and leads them with 27 assists in 23 games.
Center Nathan MacKinnon, who wasn't at the morning skate, was able to play, but forward Valeri Nichushkin, who missed a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday because of illness, was scratched.
Nichushkin is second on the Avalanche with 10 goals and is fourth with 21 points in 24 games.
Forward Logan O'Connor, who was promoted to the top line alongside MacKinnon on Tuesday, played there again.
"It's pretty cool, regardless of who you are, to be on [that] line," O'Connor said. "[MacKinnon] plays the game at such an elite level. I think people really underestimate the hard minutes he plays at that type of speed every single night. It's crazy the matchups he gets, the speed he plays with 20-plus minutes a night."
Forward Andrew Cogliano also returned after missing the game Tuesday because of a lower-body injury. -- Ryan Boulding
Buffalo Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin did not play after being a game-time decision for the Sabres against the Boston Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NESN, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, SNE) because a lower-body injury.
The defenseman did not participate in Buffalo's morning skate, but was present off the ice. He did not practice Wednesday.
"I'll talk to the medical team now, but I mentioned yesterday [there's] some maintenance and that continues today, so we'll see where he's at game time," Sabres coach Don Granato said Thursday.
Dahlin scored a power-play goal in a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, giving him 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 26 games. He had an NHL career-high 73 points (15 goals, 58 assists) in 78 games last season. -- Joe Pohoryles
Toronto Maple Leafs
Joseph Woll made his fifth straight start and Ilya Samsonov missed his second consecutive game because of illness when the Maple Leafs visited the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN4, TSN5).
Toronto held an optional morning skate with six skaters and two goalies, including Samsonov, who missed a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins on Saturday.
"We just decided it was the best thing for him, to focus on nothing but having a really good, hard day in the gym and on the ice and a good, hard skate, not thinking about or worrying about anything else," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Samsonov is 4-1-3 with a 3.58 goals-against average and .878 save percentage in 10 games this season; Woll is 4-1-1 in his past six starts, and is 8-5-1 with a 2.82 GAA and .915 save percentage in 14 games (12 starts) this season.
"It's unfortunate that Samsonov has been ill in the last week or so and has fought that bug and hasn't been able to skate or get much done on practice days," Keefe said. "He felt he was making some good progress with his time in practices and such while Woll was playing before he was sick, but the last week has been real tough on him, and he's certainly lost some time in the net. So, it's important we build him back up because we're going to need him."
Martin Jones, who was recalled on an emergency basis from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Wednesday, backed up Woll against the Senators. Keefe said it's possible they'll need all three goaltenders in the weeks to come.
"Having three guys on our roster with Jones here just shows the depth that we have," Keefe said. "I think it's six games in the next 10 days and then nine in 17 leading into Christmas here. So, we're going to need two goaltenders for certain and maybe three. We have the depth and we like that, but Woll himself is building some momentum here and we really like what we see from him." -- Callum Fraser
Pittsburgh Penguins
Bryan Rust will not play against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SN-PT, BSFL, NHLN, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS) because of an upper-body injury.
The forward did not practice Thursday after sustaining an upper-body injury in a 3-1 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, leaving in the second period after having had one shot on goal in 12:03 of ice time.
Rust, who began the game Wednesday on the second line, primarily has played first-line right wing with center Sidney Crosby and left wing Jake Guentzel. He has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 22 games.
Drew O'Connor was at right wing on the first line in practice Thursday. Alex Nylander was second-line right wing with center Evgeni Malkin and left wing Reilly Smith.
Rust has four points (one goal, three assists) in his past five games after missing the previous three because of a lower-body injury. -- Wes Crosby
Seattle Kraken
Andre Burakovsky will return for the Kraken when they host the New Jersey Devils at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN).
Burakovsky missed 20 games after sustaining an upper-body injury in a 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 21. The injury came after a hit by Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba sent Burakovsky shoulder-first into the end boards. The forward had two assists in the six games prior to the injury.
"It's been a long journey of treatment and recovery and healing," Burakovsky said. "We had a timeline that we were aiming at, and … like four days ago I felt good enough to give it a shot on ice with contact and stuff. And I felt pretty good, so [I'm] ready to go."
Burakovsky also sustained a torn groin Feb. 7 in a 4-0 loss at the New York Islanders which kept him out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the time of the injury, he was the Kraken's leading scorer with 39 points (13 goal, 26 assists). Burakovsky had worked through the offseason to return from that injury before he was injured six games into this season.
"I haven't played in a while, so I'm probably just going to simplify it a little bit and trust my linemates," Burakovsky said. "I'm excited to get back in there."
Defenseman Ryker Evans, selected by Seattle in the second round (No. 35) of the NHL Draft, will make his NHL debut, replacing Justin Schultz. Evans was recalled from Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. Schultz will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season.
Evans has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 18 AHL games this season after having 44 points (six goals, 38 assists) in 71 AHL games last season.
"I like to use my skating, moving the puck up and joining the rush," Evans said. "So, [I'll just be] playing my game, moving my feet." -- Darren Brown
New York Rangers
Forwards Barclay Goodrow (upper body) and Chris Kreider (lower body) are each day to day.
Goodrow left a 6-2 loss to the Senators on Tuesday midway through the first period and did not return after taking a puck to the face. He has three points (one goal, two assists) in 23 games this season.
Kreider, who did not have a point in 18:27 of ice time against Ottawa, has 22 points (14 goals, eight assists) in 22 games this season.
The Rangers (18-5-1) next play at the Washington Capitals on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSG).
