NHL Buzz: Bobrovsky to start for Panthers against Blackhawks

Welcome to the NHL Buzz! With the 2020-21 season underway, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

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Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky will start against the Chicago Blackhawks at BB&T Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; FS-F, NBCSCH, NHL.TV).
The goalie did not play in the season opener for the Panthers on Sunday after skating for the first time in training camp Jan. 13. Chris Driedger made 25 saves in a 5-2 win against the Blackhawks.
"When you're ready, you're ready," Florida coach Joel Quenneville said Monday. "In his case, he's more than ready to go. Looking forward to the start tomorrow. When your guy is ready, we want him in the net. I like the way 'Driedgs' played last night as well. It's a good situation here right off the bat."
Bobrovsky is hoping to bounce back from last season, his first with the Panthers after he signed a seven-year contract July 1, 2019. He was 23-19-6 with a 3.23 GAA and .900 save percentage in 50 games (49 starts). It was the highest GAA and lowest save percentage he has had in any of his nine NHL seasons when he played at least 30 games.

New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov was in goal against the Boston Bruins at Nassau Coliseum on Monday.
The goalie was injured in warmups prior to a 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday after getting hit below the mask and above his left shoulder around the collarbone by a shot from forward Cal Clutterbuck.
"Ilya [Sorokin] and 'Varly' are both available," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Monday. " [Do I] anticipate any changes? I think for the most part, the group that played in that game, got to give them a little bit of a reprieve, I think. Probably a very similar lineup."
Sorokin made 27 saves on 32 shots in his NHL debut against the Rangers. Cory Schneider was the backup.-- Brian Compton

Pittsburgh Penguins

Kasperi Kapanen will be a game-time decision against the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, ATTSN-PT, NBCSWA).
The 24-year-old forward missed training camp and the Penguins' first three regular-season games because of an immigration issue and mandatory seven-day quarantine. Kapanen practiced for the first time Monday after skating on his own before a 4-3 shootout win against the Capitals on Sunday.
"I felt a little sluggish," Kapanen said. "I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to be with the guys, hang out and get a good skate in. … Whenever they put me in, I'm ready to go. I feel good."
After skating with center Evgeni Malkin and left wing Jason Zucker during a drill, Kapanen was at right wing with center Sidney Crosby and left wing Jake Guentzel during line rushes.
"[Crosby and Guentzel] are a couple of very talented players," Kapanen said. "They play with the puck a lot, and they know how to make plays. … I'm looking forward to [seeing] what we can do."
Pittsburgh acquired Kapanen from the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a six-player trade Aug. 25.
"I thought he had a good practice," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "It's never easy trying to jump right into a team practice like that. ... It's like trying to jump onto a moving train, so to speak. But I thought he did a pretty good job." -- Wes Crosby

Dallas Stars

Miro Heiskanen said he felt good during the Stars scrimmage Monday, his second straight day of practice after being out more than a week.
"It was nice for me to get the legs going a little bit," the defenseman said. "I had some days off there, so it was good to get it going. It went OK. Not the best game I've played, but it was good for me and for the whole team."
Heiskanen had not practiced since Jan. 6. The Stars had a day off Jan. 7 and closed their facility Jan. 8 due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
Coach Rick Bowness said Heiskanen and defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Esa Lindell all did well during the 60-minute scrimmage. Lindell resumed practice Saturday and Oleksiak returned Sunday; neither had practiced since Jan. 6.
"When you're watching a scrimmage, you want to make sure the level didn't drop off," Bowness said. "They were able to maintain pace from start to end. The shifts got a little shorter at the end, which is to be expected. But they just need a couple more days to get back to where they were before they were out.
The Stars have a day off Tuesday, but Heiskanen, Oleksiak, Lindell, defensemen Taylor Fedun,
Julius Honka
and
Mark Pysyk
, and forwards Justin Dowling and
Jason Robertson
, who have all missed some time, will skate.
Dallas is scheduled to play its season opener against the Nashville Predators at home Friday (8:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-SW+, FS-TN, NHL.TV). -- Tracey Myers

New Jersey Devils

Aaron Dell was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 31-year-old goalie signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 13 after four seasons with the San Jose Sharks. He did not play for Toronto this season.
"It just gives us goalie depth and the fact that if you have an injury you have a guy that has NHL experience that we can put in the pipes and help us along the way if something happens," coach Lindy Ruff said.
The Devils also claimed goalie Eric Comrie from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 12 after Corey Crawford retired two days earlier.
Mackenzie Blackwood has started each of New Jersey's two games this season and is 1-0-1 with a 1.39 goals-against average and .954 save percentage.

Calgary Flames

Michael Stone
signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Flames.
The 30-year-old defenseman, who was an unrestricted free agent, scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in 33 games for the Flames last season.
Stone signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Flames on Sept. 11, 2019, after they bought out the final season of his three-year, $10.5 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) Aug. 2, 2019.
Selected by the Phoenix Coyotes in the third round (No. 69) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Stone has scored 124 points (31 goals, 93 assists) in 472 games with the Flames and Coyotes and one goal in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Arizona Coyotes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is week to week with a lower-body injury.
The defenseman had three assists in a 5-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, but he was attended to by trainers after he was hit into the boards by Evander Kane with 10:48 remaining in the third. The Coyotes captain did not play a shift following the hit.
The Coyotes will play four straight games against the Vegas Golden Knights this week, with the first two being played on the road Monday (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN, ATTSN-RM) and Wednesday before returning to Arizona for two more, on Friday and Sunday.
"He's a physical player, Kane, and that's one of those things (where) you finish your check," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said Sunday. "It's an unfortunate situation. It's 5-2 and you hate to see that happen, but it is what it is. There's nothing you can do about it."
Tocchet said either Kyle Capobianco, who was a healthy scratch the first two games, or Jordan Gross, who is on Arizona's taxi squad, would replace Ekman-Larsson on Monday.

Vancouver Canucks

J.T. Miller rejoined the Canucks at practice in Calgary on Sunday and is expected to make his season debut against the Calgary Flames on Monday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SN1, SNP, NHL.TV).
Miller, who led Vancouver with 72 points (27 goals, 45 assists) in 69 games last season, missed the first three games of the season because of NHL COVID-19 protocols. He will play on the top line with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser as well as on the top unit of the power play, which is 0-for-11 so far.
"You want to be out there and you want to help," Miller said. "I kind of felt a little bit helpless sitting on my couch watching the games, and without an injury it was just weird."
Miller, who had not skated since Monday, said he used a Peloton bike at home for conditioning but otherwise didn't disclose specific details about his quarantine or return.
"I was just following my protocol that I was given by the League and the government and was serving quarantine in my house, and then I've been cleared, so it's all I can really control now," Miller said. "I'm ready to get back at it, and excited for the game (Monday)."
Canucks coach Travis Green said defenseman Quinn Hughes did not practice Sunday for undisclosed reasons but did not update his status for Monday. Hughes leads Vancouver with three assists after he scored 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) in 68 games last season, when he was voted the runner-up for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year (Cale Makar of Colorado Avalanche). -- Kevin Woodley