NHL Buzz: Tkachuk out, Forsling in for Panthers against Capitals

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk is out for the Panthers against the Washington Capitals on Saturday because of an upper-body injury.

The forward took a hard hit from Andrei Svechnikov at 17:55 of the first of a 1-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday and played a few more shifts, but did not return to the game after the period.

Defenseman Gustav Forsling is playing. He also left the game Thursday with an undisclosed injury and did not play after the first period. Forsling leads Panthers defensemen in points (27; eight goals, 19 assists) and is second on the team in ice time per game (21:52).

"Any time a player leaves a game or goes to a room, it could be anything, right?'' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "We are lucky. We had two players who are very important to our team leave a game and, if we were in a different circumstance, would probably have both of them back on the ice.''

Maurice said Tkachuk is day to day but is on track to play in their next game, against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

Tkachuk is second on the Panthers with 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in 57 games this season. The game Saturday is his first missed this season.

With Tkachuk and center Kevin Stenlund (illness) out, forwards William Lockwood and Steven Lorentz entered the lineup. -- George Richards

Dallas Stars

Logan Stankoven will make his NHL debut for the Stars at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSSW).

The 20-year-old forward will start on the third line with Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnstson. He will replace forward Tyler Seguin, who is out with a lower-body injury.

"It's been a whirlwind of a week, I guess," Stankoven told the Stars website after the morning skate. "Just really really happy to be here and grateful for this opportunity."

A second-round pick (No. 47) in the 2021 NHL Draft, Stankoven is leading the American Hockey League in points (57) and is tied for second in goals (24) in 47 games with Texas. He leads AHL rookies in goals, assists and points.

Stankoven was recalled by Dallas prior to a 3-1 loss at the New York Rangers on Tuesday but did not play. He was reassigned to the AHL before being recalled Saturday.

"[The AHL is] not an easy league to come into and I've had a great supporting cast," Stankoven said. "... I think just as the season's went on, I've been able to gain more and more confidence and just kind of learn as I go."

Philadelphia Flyers

Travis Konecny is day to day and did not play in a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday.

The forward left practice early Friday, after holding his right side skating toward the net during a drill. Coach John Tortorella did not have an update on his status at the time.

Konecny, who leads the Flyers in goals (27), assists (27) and points (54), had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) during a seven-game point streak prior to Saturday.

Forward Tyson Foerster, who had missed the previous four games with an injury to his right foot sustained blocking a shot against the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 10, scored and played 21:01 in his return to the lineup. -- Adam Kimelman

Pittsburgh Penguins

Emil Bemstrom could debut for the Penguins against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SN1, TVAS).

The 24-year-old forward was acquired on Thursday in a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Bemstrom practiced with Pittsburgh for the first time Saturday, rotating at third-line right wing with Matthew Phillips

"I was a little bit in shock about [the trade] that night, but just super excited to be here and play for this great organization," said Bemstrom, who had 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 32 games for Columbus this season.

Bemstrom joined the second power-play unit with forwards Evgeni Malkin, Reilly Smith and Jeff Carter, and defenseman Kris Letang. Bemstrom has 31 career NHL goals, 12 of them coming on the power play.

"He's a guy that really shoots the puck well. I think that's one of his strengths," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He has good offensive instincts. He skates pretty well. He could help us in a number of different ways.

"He can help us on the offensive side. He can play on the power play. ... We're trying to encourage some of our power-play groups to shoot the puck a little bit more. That's an opportunity for him to help us in that regard." -- Wes Crosby

New Jersey Devils

Nathan Bastian was placed on injured reserve Friday after he sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Bastian left at 16:27 of the second period and didnt' return, playing a total of 1:41 in the game.

The forward has seven points (five goals, two assists) in 54 games this season.

Chris Tierney took his spot on the fourth line when the Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday. Tierney had no shots on goal and played 7:16.

Forward Brian Halonen was recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League.