NHL Buzz: Tavares to return from illness for Maple Leafs

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Toronto Maple Leafs

John Tavares will return for the Maple Leafs when they host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SNO, SNP).
The forward did not play in 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday because of an illness. Coach Sheldon Keefe said prior to the game that Tavares was "not feeling like himself" and was being held out in an abundance of caution in the hope of him playing against the Oilers.
"I feel great," Tavares said Friday. "Everything has been great. I'm just happy to continue to prepare and get ready for [Saturday]."
Tavares took a hard hit from Tyler Myers early in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on March 4 but finished the game, scoring a goal in 21:21 of ice time.
As for getting a full week between games, Tavares said, "There's timing and rhythm that I always talk about which is important and you get from playing a lot, but physically with the difficulty of that (five-game) road trip that was an added bonus. So, just try to make the most of that, maximize that and use the time to rest up prepare for this weekend and what's ahead. No doubt rare circumstances, and you just try to use whatever those circumstances are for me individually to make the most of it and use it as a springboard and benefit from it."
Tavares skated on a line with left wing Michael Bunting and right wing Wayne Simmonds at practice Friday and worked on the top power-play unit with Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, though Keefe said Toronto would dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Edmonton, meaning Simmonds will not play.
Tavares is third on the Maple Leafs in goals with 28 and tied with Matthews for third in points with 62 in 63 games. -- Dave McCarthy

Columbus Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins has temporarily left the Blue Jackets to be with family in his native Latvia, the team announced Friday. His grandmother is seriously ill.
Columbus recalled goalie
Daniil Tarasov
from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis for its game against the St. Louis Blues at Nationwide Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, BSMW, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Merzlikins is 7-17-2 with a 4.10 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in 29 games (26 starts) this season. He stopped all seven shots he faced in the first period of a 5-4 overtime loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday before leaving the game.
Tarasov is 2-9-1 with a 3.28 GAA and .908 save percentage in 13 games (12 starts) for the Blue Jackets this season, and 4-5-0 with a 4.07 GAA and .871 save percentage in nine AHL games.

New York Islanders

Cal Clutterbuck will return for the Islanders when they host the Washington Capitals (7:30 p.m. ET; MSG, NBCSWA, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The forward has missed the past 20 games because of an upper-body injury, and has been limited to 34 games this season.
"It's been a tough year in terms of some of the injuries, and he works his back and then gets injured again," Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. "It's just because he plays hard, and he does the right things. When he comes back, that's what we look for out of him and he'll continue to do that. He's physical, he's a good penalty killer, so certainly will add to our team."
Clutterbuck has eight points (four goals, four assists) this season to go along with 130 hits and 25 blocked shots. He skated on the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Josh Bailey during the morning skate Saturday.
Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has missed 11 games because of an upper-body injury, took part in the morning skate but did not take line rushes.
"He's day to day," Lambert said. "He's getting close." -- Harvey Valentine

Tampa Bay Lightning

Victor Hedman will be a game-time decision for the Lightning against the Chicago Blackhawk (7 p.m. ET; BSSUNX, NBCSCH, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The defenseman was injured in the second period of a 6-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday after a check by Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov. He did not play in a 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday or a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
Hedman is averaging 23:59 in ice time per game, which leads the Lightning. He is second among Tampa Bay defensemen with 42 points (six goals, 36 assists) in 60 games.

Los Angeles Kings

Kevin Fiala will not play for the Kings against the Nashville Predators (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW) because of a lower-body injury.
The forward did not return after he was hurt on a knee-on-knee hit from Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano in the third period of a 5-2 win on Thursday.
Coach Todd McLellan said Fiala, who leads the Kings with 68 points (22 goals, 46 assists) in 66 games this season, is day to day.
Trevor Moore will replace Fiala on the second line with center Phillip Danault and forward Viktor Arvidsson. Moore had an assist in 13:31 of ice time against the Avalanche in his return after missing seven games because of an upper-body injury.
"That was his spot for most of the year prior to getting injured, and I know the other two don't blink an eye when he comes back," McLellan said of Moore.-- Dan Greenspan

Detroit Red Wings

Robby Fabbri will not play against the Boston Bruins this weekend because of a lower-body injury.
The Red Wings forward was injured in the first period of a 4-3 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday on a hit by Tyler Johnson.
"We're fairly optimistic we'll see him again this year, and hopefully [it's not] long term," Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said Friday.
The Red Wings play at the Bruins on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ABC, SN1, SN NOW) and host them Sunday.
Fabbri has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 28 games this season. He did not make his season debut until Jan. 4 because of an ACL injury.

New York Rangers

Tyler Motte could return against the Buffalo Sabres (5 p.m. ET; MSG-B, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Defenseman Ryan Lindgren will not play and remains day to day.
"I don't want to put any pressure on them. We want to make sure they're ready to go," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said Friday. "We'll see tomorrow and hopefully it's a good day."
Motte skated on a line with Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow. The forward, who has one assist in six games since being traded to the Rangers on Feb. 19, has missed two games with an upper-body injury.
"I felt pretty good, day by day," Motte said Friday. "Sometimes with injuries it's just a wake-up-and-see-how-it-feels type of thing. That'll be the case for tomorrow, I'm pretty sure."
Lindgren, a defenseman, wore a regular practice jersey and skated alongside regular partner Adam Fox. Lindgren, who wore a noncontact jersey at the Rangers' morning skate Thursday in Montreal, has missed five games with an upper-body injury. He has 17 points (one goal, 16 assists) in 57 games.
"It's been tough," Lindgren said. "It obviously [stinks] not playing and you want to be out there, but you've got to be smart, too, take your time and make sure when you do get back out there, you're feeling good. It's never fun missing games like this. … Just want to get back out there."-- Heather Engel

Montreal Canadiens

Kirby Dach will be out indefinitely because of a lower-body injury he sustained Feb. 14 that has sidelined him for 11 games.
The forward has NHL career highs in goals (12), assists (23) and points (35) in 54 games in his first season with the Canadiens, who acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 7.
Brendan Gallagher (lower body) will be out another 3-4 weeks. The forward, who has not played since Jan. 3, has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 25 games.
Defenseman Arber Xhekaj had season-ending shoulder surgery March 1, the Canadiens said in a medical update following their 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Xhekaj has not played since Feb. 12, when he injured his shoulder during a fight with Vincent Desharnais in a 6-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers.
Xhekaj had 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 51 games and leads the Canadiens with 101 penalty minutes. He is expected to be fully recovered for the beginning of training camp. -- Sean Farrell