NHL Buzz: Hamilton sidelined for Devils

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New Jersey Devils

Dougie Hamilton will not play against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, TSN3) because of an undisclosed injury.

The defenseman was injured during the Devils' 4-3 loss at the Dallas Stars on Tuesday when he got tangled up with Stars forward Mason Marchment behind the Dallas net at 18:13 of the first period.

He was in obvious pain after the play and headed straight for the locker room on his own power and didn't return.

Hamilton leads all Devils defensemen in goals (nine), assists (31), points (40), even-strength points (25) and power-play points (15).

The Devils acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and forward prospect Herman Traff on Thursday.

Hamilton's injury update comes a day after the Devils announced that center Jack Hughes will miss the remainder of the season after shoulder surgery on Wednesday. New Jersey has been without defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body) since Feb. 4.

The Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division, four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have played two fewer games. After playing Winnipeg, the Devils will next host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, MSGSN). -- Mike G. Morreale

Edmonton Oilers

Forward Max Jones will make debut with the Edmonton Oilers when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Rogers Place on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, SNW).

Jones and forward Trent Frederic each was acquired from the Boston Bruins as part of a three-team trade also involving the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday and met their new teammates Thursday.

“When I first heard the rumblings that it was going to be Edmonton a couple of weeks back, and that they were interested, I kind of had goosebumps knowing the culture here, where the team’s been and what they’ve done and how they play as a team,” Jones said Thursday. “It was kind of a lot of racing thoughts and that it would awesome to go there.”

Jones did not have a point in seven games with Boston this season. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 52 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season.

A native of St. Louis, Frederic had 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 57 games for Boston this season. He had an NHL career-high 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) in 82 games last season.

“I had a lot of mixed emotions (on the trade), I had a feeling, I could see the writing on the wall,” Frederic said. “I had mixed emotions about leaving Boston but excited about coming to Edmonton, and I think this team and this group has a good chance of taking a run at it.”

Frederic is week to week with an ankle injury sustained against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 25.

Mattias Ekholm will not play because of an illness; the defenseman, who did not practice Wednesday, left a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday with 13:12 remaining in the third period. -- Derek Van Diest

Winnipeg Jets

Rasmus Kupari will not play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, TSN3) and the forward is expected to miss at least seven days because of a concussion.

"We'll put him in the [concussion] protocol for now," Jets coach Scott Arniel said. "I believe it's seven days. So wait it out and see how he goes. He's on the [stationary] bike today, said he's feeling a lot better."

Kupari was injured during the third period of the Jets' 3-2 loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday, leaving the game with 8:58 remaining.

David Gustafsson will replace Kupari at center on the fourth line, between left wing Morgan Barron and right wing Alex Iafallo. He has five points (one goal, four assists) in 28 games, and had been scratched the previous two games.

"He certainly helped us when he came in and was real consistent and played a role for us," Arniel said of Gustafsson. "He gives me another left [handed] face-off guy and also can use him on the PK. That line, if they can give us energy and give us minutes, those are big."

Defenseman Dylan Samberg will play after missing the game Tuesday because of family reasons.

"That's huge," Arniel said. "Him and [Neal Pionk] are such a good pair. They play so well together, and he's a big part of that penalty kill. He's having a real good year. ... When you lose top-four defensemen it's a big hole in your lineup, and having them back is a big plus." -- Adam Kimelman

Colorado Avalanche

Josh Manson will return to the lineup for the Avalanche against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN).

The defenseman has missed the past seven games with a lower-body injury.

"Obviously, it was good timing with the break to kind of rest a little bit and get what I needed," Manson said. "Anytime you're on the sidelines is tough, whether the team's winning or losing, right? It's always hard to sit and watch. You want to be a part of it and want to be a part of the group."

Manson played in 19 games after previously missing 12 games (Nov. 30 - Dec. 22) with an upper-body injury.

He has 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 43 games this season.

"It's going to be huge. Obviously, we've been without him for a long time and a little thin on the back end," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "And to add another guy, physical, big, strong defender, guy with a lot of experience, and then adding [Ryan] Lindgren into that mix, I'm excited to see what that group looks like."

Forward Jimmy Vesey will make his Avalanche debut after being acquired, with Lindgren, via a trade with the New York Rangers on Saturday. -- Ryan Boulding

Vancouver Canucks

Quinn Hughes did not play in a 3-2 win 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 Wednesday. "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." -- Kevin Woodley

Nashville Predators

The Predators claimed forward Jakub Vrana (Washington Capitals) and defenseman Jordan Oesterle (Boston Bruins) off waivers on Thursday.

Vrana has 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 26 games with the Capitals this season. The 29-year-old has 220 points (117 goals, 103 assists) in 393 regular-season games for the Capitals, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Capitals and eight points (three goals, five assists) in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He won the Cup with Washington in 2018.

Oesterle has six points (one goal, five assists) in 22 games with the Bruins this season. The 32-year-old has 92 points (20 goals, 72 assists) in 393 regular-season games for the Bruins, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers and four points (one goal, three assists) in nine playoff games.