NHL Buzz: Dach practices with Blackhawks, first time since wrist fracture

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Chicago Blackhawks

Kirby Dach practiced Monday for the first time this season and the forward will accompany the Blackhawks on their six-game road trip.
"We'll take him, just so we can keep skating him," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "Whenever we can we'll get him with the group, whether that's with the taxi squad or full group. Obviously, it's another step for him to be joining the team in some way, but he still has a way to go."
Dach broke his right wrist during a pre-tournament game with Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 23. He had surgery Dec. 29 and was expected to be out 4-5 months.
"A lot of it is just time," Colliton said. "He's going to look like he's ready to play and we're still going to hold him out, probably, to be smart. He's definitely moving through here and it's a positive for everyone."
The 20-year-old scored 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 64 regular-season games and six points (one goal, five assists) in nine postseason games last season.
Defenseman Calvin de Haan (right leg) and forward Dylan Strome (concussion protocol) practiced but it's uncertain if either will be in the lineup at the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. -- Tracey Myers

Los Angeles Kings

Jonathan Quick is day to day with an upper-body injury and will not play at the Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; PRIME, FS-SD, FS-W, NHL.TV).
Kings coach Todd McLellan said the goalie was "banged up a little bit" late in the game Saturday. Quick made 22 saves in a 4-3 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues.
Cal Petersen is expected to start against the Ducks with Troy Grosenick backing up.

Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon might return for a home game against the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.
The center skated before and during the morning skate wearing a non-contact jersey. He'll miss his third game against Arizona on Monday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ALT, FS-A, NHL.TV) after not feeling well as the result of a hit to the head by San Jose Sharks forward Joachim Blichfeld on March 3.
"MacKinnon is doing great, but he's not an option for us tonight just because of the protocol," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I think it's a possibility he could play our next game, but he's not going to be an option for us tonight.
"Just from knowing 'MacK' from the last few years, when he gets to this point, he's champing at the bit and ready to go and probably would love to play tonight. He's just not able to. He won't get medically cleared to play tonight's game."
Bednar said defenseman Cale Makar (upper body) skated on his own after he "spent a significant amount of time" on the ice Sunday and defenseman Bowen Byram (upper body) "seems to be progressing and feeling better."

Vegas Golden Knights

Forward Mark Stone and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will not play at the Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN1, SNE, SNO, FS-N, FS-WI, ATTSN-RM, NHL.TV), each with an undisclosed injury.
Stone left at 13:12 of the second period during a 4-0 win at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday after he appeared to take a puck to the shin. Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer said keeping him out was precautionary.
"[Stone's] importance, hard to measure that I think," DeBoer said after the morning skate Monday. "He sets the tone every day with his work ethic. … That's what you want your leaders to do."
Pietrangelo took a shot to the arm late in the third Saturday.
Defenseman Brayden McNabb will not play Monday but is nearing a return. He's missed 14 games with a lower-body injury and has been skating on his own the past few days.
-- Jessi Pierce, independent correspondent

Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin's status against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday will be determined before the game, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Monday.
The forward has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.
"I felt pretty good," Larkin said after practicing Sunday. "It's kind of a day-to-day thing. The big thing is [Monday] and see how it feels and take it from there."
Larkin skated on his own during Detroit's 1-3-1 road trip that ended with a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. He's scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 22 games, second on the Red Wings behind forward Bobby Ryan (13 points).
Tyler Bertuzzi did not practice Sunday. The forward has missed 17 games with an upper-body injury.
"It's just been a longer process than what we realized and that happens sometimes with injuries," Blashill said. "So we just sit and wait until he's fully healthy and can get back at it."