Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Each day during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Vancouver Canucks
Quinn Hughes did not play against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday and the Canucks' No. 1 defenseman remains day to day with a lower-body injury sustained in a 6-3 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Hughes sat out the final 9:05 in Seattle and did not practice the following day in Vancouver. He returned Tuesday but left after 15 minutes and was not on the ice for the morning skate Wednesday.
"He'll get a bunch of treatment, and we'll go from there," coach Rick Tocchet said. "I don't know how many days but we're going to shut him down tonight and see how it is tomorrow. That's really what the injury is right now, see how it works out, see the severity. Every day, it kind of changes. He feels a bit better and then it's, can he get through a practice?"
The reigning Norris Trophy winner, voted as the NHL's top defenseman, Hughes missed six games and was out more than three weeks with an oblique injury before and after the 4 Nations Face-Off, which he was forced to miss. The game in Seattle was his third back, and Tocchet said the new injury is in part a result of compensating for the first one.
"I don't think he'll ever be 100 percent sure this year," Tocchet said. "I don't think so, but I can say that about other guys around the League, it's hard to be 100 percent at this time of the year.
"Eighty percent Quinn we'll take on our team right now, but we've also got to be careful because he wasn't himself last couple games, even defensively. If he does play, he's got to be calculated when he goes and when he doesn't and it's hard because he wants to go all the time. That's why he's such a great hockey player." -- Kevin Woodley
Vegas Golden Knights
William Karlsson and Cole Schwindt did not play against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
The forwards practiced Tuesday in noncontact jerseys.
Karlsson participated in a few drills before leaving. He hasn't played since Jan. 20 because of a lower-body injury.
Schwindt took part in most drills. He sustained an upper-body injury Jan. 18 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
"They're excited to be around people," Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Tuesday. "It's been a while. They're a little bit on different schedules. ''Karly' was, by design, to take about two drills and then get some rest. Schwindt had a little more runway today, so we'll see how that plays out.
"That's always a good start when they're back in the group. The next step is getting them out of [noncontact jerseys] and get them fully integrated. We'll see how that goes." -- Paul Delos Santos
Edmonton Oilers
Mattias Ekholm may not dress for the game against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, SNW) because of an illness.
The defenseman was not at practice Wednesday. He left a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday with 13:12 remaining in the third period.
"A little time off, maintenance," Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Wednesday, "and we're debating whether it's best for him to come back and play or something we've done other players, maybe a couple of days rest would be good for him. We'll find out. It's day to day and we'll determine later."
Ekholm has 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 60 games and averages 22:36 of ice time on Edmonton's top defense pair with Evan Bouchard.
"Before the break, he was extremely sick and you could hear it in his voice and now with his body a little bit," Knoblauch said. "It's just a little maintenance thing. It's something he could play, but where we are in the season, it's certainly something we don't want him to prolong."
The Oilers are 3-7-0 in their past 10 games and lost four of five on a road trip immediately following the 4 Nations Face-Off. Ekholm and forward Viktor Arvidsson played for Sweden and Connor McDavid for Canada.
"I think it's important for him to know how he's feeling," Knoblauch said. "I think it's important for the doctors and medical staff give that update if he should have that time off." -- Derek Van Diest
Columbus Blue Jackets
Yegor Chinakhov returned for a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. He was activated from injured reserve and minus-2 with two shots on goal in 13:25 after missing 39 games with an upper-body injury.
"I'm good right now and that's all I need," Chinakhov said after the morning skate Tuesday. "I'm so happy to help my team get a playoff spot, and then just do what I can do. I want to extend the season because I missed a lot, and I just want to play in the playoffs."
Cole Sillinger (upper body) was placed on injured reserve. The forward missed a 5-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Saturday after being injured in the game prior at Detroit on Feb. 27. -- Corey Long
