NHL Buzz: Price skating in goalie equipment for Canadiens

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

Montreal Canadiens

Carey Price
has taken the next step in a possible return by skating with goalie equipment, coach Dominique Ducharme said Wednesday.
"He was skating without equipment and now he's skating with equipment," Ducharme told the Canadiens website. "Probably the next step is going to be some more movement in the crease, and after that getting shots. But you won't see Carey before Christmas in games. That doesn't change."
Price has not played this season. On Monday, Ducharme said it was "tough to tell" when Price would be skating in equipment. He said Wednesday it was not the first time he did so.
Price skated Nov. 15 for the first time since returning to the Canadiens from a leave of absence that started when he entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program Oct. 7. Price rejoined his teammates Nov. 9 and is recovering from a surgically repaired knee.

Vancouver Canucks

Travis Hamonic will be out at least one week for the Canucks with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman, who was placed on injured reserve on Thursday, appeared to injure his right leg on a hit by Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand at 14:27 of the second period of a 2-1 shootout win on Wednesday. Hamonic skated gingerly off the ice and needed help getting from the bench to the locker room.
Hamonic has one assist in nine games this season after missing training camp and all of October on a personal leave and another eight games on two subsequent road trips. He was playing alongside Quinn Hughes on the top defense pairing the past two games under new coach Bruce Boudreau and has been a regular on the penalty kill.
Vancouver is also without top-four defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was a late scratch against the Bruins with an undisclosed injury. Boudreau said hoped he might play against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
The Canucks recalled defenseman
Noah Juulsen
from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League. -- Kevin Woodley

Washington Capitals

Evgeny Kuznetsov left practice Thursday because of a lower-body injury but is expected to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
"I think precautionary, more than anything," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "I'm hoping he is (available). I'll find out tomorrow when he's back at the rink, but I'm hopeful."
The forward is second on the Capitals with 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 26 games.
Washington is also without forwards Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway, and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk who are in NHL COVID-19 protocol. Forward Carl Hagelin (illness) did not practice.

Buffalo Sabres

Casey Mittelstadt was placed on injured reserve on Thursday and could be out long-term for the Sabres with an undisclosed injury.
The forward left in the third period of a 2-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
"Casey is going to see a specialist today so we'll have information after that," Sabres coach Don Granato said Thursday. "We'll wait until we have the information from the doctor he sees today to see what the next step is."
Mittelstadt, who has one goal in three games, missed 21 games earlier this season because of an upper-body injury.
"Obviously another injury," forward Dylan Cozens said. "It's disappointing to see and we all feel really bad for him. We know how exited he was to finally come back into the lineup and to be out again, it's tough."
Granato also said goalie Malcolm Subban, who was injured in his Sabres debut on Saturday, is progressing.
"He had another good day this morning," Granato said. "I'll talk to our training staff after the players clear out here and see where he sits here after today."
Buffalo hosts the New York Rangers on Friday.