NHL Buzz: Dahlin out with back spasms, being evaluated by Sabres

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Buffalo Sabres

Rasmus Dahlin did not play in a 5-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday because of back spasms and "is still being evaluated," coach Lindy Ruff said.

The defenseman played one shift in the third period of a 5-4 loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday before leaving the game and did not play in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

The injury is related to one Dahlin had during training camp, when he left practice early on the first day. He didn’t skate with the team for five days before rejoining them at practice, and played in a preseason game Sept. 27 in Munich, Germany, as part of the 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal.

Dahlin is third on the Sabres with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists).

Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson each is getting closer to a return from injury but did not play Saturday.

Samuelsson, a defenseman, sustained a lower-body injury Nov. 11 against the Montreal Canadiens and has missed 11 games.

Greenway has missed 10 games because of a middle body injury. The forward left practice early Nov. 15 because of the injury, which he had been playing through. He had a procedure last week to help it heal. -- Heather Engel

Detroit Red Wings

Goalies Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot will miss at least one more game for the Red Wings with each out because of a lower-body injury.

Neither played against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, and both will be out at the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

Ville Husso made his third straight start Saturday. Husso, who began the season as the Red Wings' starter, entered 0-3-2 with a 3.69 goals-against average and .877 save percentage in five games (four starts) this season.

Sebastian Cossa, who has yet to make his NHL debut since being recalled from Grand Rapids of the Americna Hockey League on Dec. 2, was the backup. -- Dave Hogg

St. Louis Blues

Justin Faulk will be back in the lineup when the Blues visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, FDSNMW).

The defenseman missed two games with an upper-body injury.

"It's something that stemmed from probably a couple games before (his last game on Nov. 30), just building up and building up and it got to a point to where it wasn't really manageable for a couple days," Faulk said. "I had to let something kind of calm down, kind of reset and work my way back.

"[Feeling] good. Better than I have the last few days. Hoping to jump back in and get going tonight."

Blues coach Jim Montgomery said Faulk will replace P.O Joseph on the third pair with Scott Perunovich.

Faulk has seven points (one goal, six assists) in 25 games this season. -- Gerry Moddejonge

New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal has begun skating on his own for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury during a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 30.

The initial timeline for Barzal's recovery was 4-6 weeks. The forward has been out for five weeks and has missed 17 games, but there is no update on when he will be able to return to practice.

Barzal has five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games this season.

Forward Anthony Duclair, who has been out since Oct. 19 because of a lower-body injury, continues to skate on his own, and defenseman Adam Pelech, who sustained a jaw injury Nov. 1, skated with the team for a second straight day in a noncontact jersey Friday.

Semyon Varlamov missed his second straight practice and third in four days because of a lower-body injury. The Islanders, who defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 at home Saturday, visit the Ottawa Senators on Sunday (5 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, MSGSN).

Goalie Marcus Hogberg, who was an emergency recall from Bridgeport of the AHL on Thursday, remains with the Islanders and was the backup to Ilya Sorokin on Saturday. -- Stefen Rosner

Carolina Hurricanes

Brendan Lemieux had his contract terminated by the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The move came one day after the 28-year-old forward cleared waivers. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Carolina on March 11.

Lemieux has not played in the NHL this season after having five points (three goals, two assists) in 32 games last season, his first with the Hurricanes. He had two goals in 12 games for Chicago of the AHL this season.

"Brendan asked to be released from his contract so he could pursue a new opportunity," Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky told the Hurricanes website Friday. "We wish him nothing but the best in the next stage of his career."

Selected by the Sabres in the second round (No. 31) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Lemieux has 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists) in 307 NHL regular-season games for the Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Hurricanes, and one goal in eight Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Prior to their game at the Islanders on Saturday, the Huricanes assigned defenseman Riley Stillman to Chicago of the AHL.