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New Jersey Devils
Timo Meier returned for the Devils in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at Prudential Center on Wednesday.
Meier missed six games with a mid-body injury sustained in a 5-2 loss at the Boston Bruins on Dec. 30.
"Every time you come back from an injury you want to keep it simple in the beginning and just focus on the small tasks and just go help the team any way you can," Meier said after the morning skate. "Whether it's finishing a check, blocking a shot or winning a 50-50 battle. Just focusing on those little things."
Meier, who had an assist, has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) and 31 hits in 29 games and scored four goals in five games prior to the injury. The 27-year-old skated on a line with center Michael McLeod and right wing Dawson Mercer at the morning skate.
"I think offensively he can help us," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of Meier. "We're missing a lot of good pieces up front, so we know that he was going good before he got hurt. I hope he can continue where he left off." -- Mike G. Morreale
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin participated in a full practice with the Capitals on Wednesday after missing the past three games with a lower-body injury, but it's to be determined whether the 38-year-old left wing will play against the St. Louis Blues at Capital One Arena on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSMW).
"Positive step today with him taking part in a full practice, which was one of the hurdles that we needed him to be able to participate in a full practice," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "And then we'll gauge for tomorrow whether he'll be able to play tomorrow night."
Carbery said Ovechkin was not injured when he clipped legs with Jordan Staal late in the third period of a 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 5, but he was a game-time decision before playing against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 7 and the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 11 and sitting out the past three.
"I don't know if there's a specific incident," Carbery said of the cause of Ovechkin's injury. "Just not related to that at the end of the game (against Carolina)."
Defenseman Rasmus Sandin (upper body) and forward Sonny Milano (upper body) practiced wearing non-contact jerseys and Carbery said they are progressing.
"Sandin positive steps today and Milano I think so as well," Carbery said. "He's kind of been at status quo, so we'll see. Next step would be getting in full-contact jerseys." -- Tom Gulitti
Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov did not play for the Panthers in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Red Wings at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday because of a lower-body injury.
The forward left late in the third period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday. Coach Paul Maurice said whatever ailed Barkov tightened up as the game progressed. He said Wednesday that holding Barkov out against Detroit and perhaps Friday against the visiting Minnesota Wild would be to keep the injury from getting worse.
"He has a lower-body injury that we want to completely heal because it is not an issue right now," Maurice said. "If he is at 95 percent for the Minnesota game, he won't go in that one either. We need to get him back to 100 percent due to the way he plays. We do not think it will take a long time to do that."
Anton Lundell moved up to the top forward line and skated between Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart. Steven Lorentz was the center on the fourth line, his first game since Dec. 21. -- George Richards
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner is set to return from a fractured jaw when the Blue Jackets play the New Jersey Devils at Nationwide Arena on Friday (7 p.m., BSOH, MSG).
“Right now, yes that’s exciting,” Columbus coach Pascal Vincent said after practice Wednesday on the possibility of his captain being available for the game.
The forward, who was named to the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto, has missed 15 games since he exited at 12:09 of the second period against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 8 after taking a puck to the face from teammate Ivan Provorov while parked in front of the net.
Vincent said Jenner will center a line with Adam Fantilli on left wing and Jack Roslovic on the right. Jenner practiced Wednesday with the first power-play unit.
Jenner is scheduled to have the wires removed from his jaw Thursday and he said he will play with a protective shield covering the jaw.
He is second on the Blue Jackets with 13 goals in 29 games. Kirill Marchenko has 14 in 41 games. Jenner has five assists, and his 18 points are tied with Justin Danforth (nine goals, nine assists) for seventh on the team. -- Craig Merz
New York Islanders
Casey Cizikas (lower body) was placed on injured reserve by the Islanders on Wednesday.
The move is retroactive to Jan. 9, when the 32-year-old center was injured in the first period of a 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks after blocking a one-timer from Filip Hronek off his left leg.
Cizikas remained in the game but left at 1:41 of the second period. He has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 39 games.
Kyle MacLean was recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. The son of Islanders assistant coach John MacLean, the 24-year-old has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 36 AHL games this season. -- Stefen Rosner
