NHL Buzz: Liljegren to make season debut for Maple Leafs on Saturday

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2022-23 regular season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Timothy Liljegren will make his season debut for the Maple Leafs against the Boston Bruins on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN360, NESN, SN NOW).
General manager Kyle Dubas announced Sept. 21 that the defenseman had sports hernia surgery and that he was expected to be out six weeks.
Liljegren, who skated with Morgan Rielly at practice Friday, had 23 points (five goals, 18 assists) in 61 games last season.
"The body feels good, so I'm excited to be back in full training," Liljegren said. "It should be fun. I think [Rielly and I] played a couple times [together] last year as well. Obviously [he is] a very good defenseman, so I'm just going to try to support him as much as I can.
"I was very happy with how my season went last year. I think I took steps throughout the season."
Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said Liljegren's absence in the early part of the season was felt by the Maple Leafs.
"I'm just hoping for Liljegren to go out there and be himself," Keefe said. "He was in a real nice groove for us through the tail end of the regular season for us last year and had become an important member of our team both at 5-on-5 and penalty kill, so it's been tough not having him through camp and the early part of the season."
Forward Wayne Simmonds was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on Friday and played right wing on a line with center Pierre Engvall and left wing Calle Jarnkrok at practice.
Simmonds has one assist in three NHL games this season. -- Dave McCarthy

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood did not practice for the Devils on Friday, one day after he sustained an undisclosed injury.
The goalie was injured in the second period of a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. He was replaced by Vitek Vanecek, who made 18 saves.
Vanecek likely will start at the Calgary Flames on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SN1, CITY, TVAS2, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
Blackwood is 4-2-0 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in seven games this season.

Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser said he was "pretty hopeful" he can return against the Nashville Predators on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN360, BSS0, ESPN+, SN NOW) after missing the past five games because a scar from hand surgery reopened.
The Canucks forward was supposed to be sidelined 3-4 weeks after surgery Sept 26 but returned ahead of schedule to play the season-opening game Oct. 12. He had four assists in six games before coming out of the lineup Oct. 24 and being placed on injured reserve two days later with what was listed as an undisclosed injury.
"The scar opened up a bit," Boeser said Friday. "When you play and it gets wet and sweaty, there's a chance that can happen and unfortunately it happened. You can get an infection if you keep playing with it and then it would be way worse so obviously we had to take care of it.
"[We'll] see how it is after I get my bandage off and skate tomorrow morning and see how it is after, but that's what I am pushing for." -- Kevin Woodley

St. Louis Blues

Brandon Saad could return for the Blues against the Boston Bruins on Monday.
The forward took part in his first full practice Friday after sustaining an upper-body injury in a 2-0 win against the Oilers on Oct. 22.
"I think anyone will tell you when they have time out and they're watching hockey games, it's never fun," Saad said Friday. "It's nice to get out there with the guys again and be around them and get that excitement back, so it's great to be out there."
The Blues began the season 3-0-0 but have lost six straight, all without Saad.
"I tweaked something during the game there and it kind of got worse. It's just been a little bit longer than I thought, but starting to feel better now. It didn't feel as bad and kind of got worse throughout the next coming days, so it's something we had to address."
Saad practiced on a line with Ryan O'Reilly and Ivan Barbashev.
"He got through practice, he was fine out there," coach Craig Berube said of Saad. "The telling tale will be how he feels (Saturday) when he wakes up."
Saad said he is ready to return and help the Blues turn things around.
"I think anytime you're sitting out, you always want to get back as quick as possible and help contribute to the team winning games," Saad said. "Obviously it is what it is and I'm just looking forward to coming back and helping the team win. It's day by day, first full skate with the team and that's a step, but it's a step in the right direction. Just keep ramping it up and see how things go. Hopefully as soon as possible." -- Lou Korac

Boston Bruins

Goalie Jeremy Swayman is week to week with a lower-body injury.
The Bruins also announced Thursday that defenseman Derek Forbort will be out 4-6 weeks after having an open reduction and internal fixation surgery on his right middle finger.
Each was injured during Boston's 6-5 overtime win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday; Swayman at 5:42 of the second period when Bruins center Patrice Bergeron fell into him and Forbort in the first blocking a shot.
Boston recalled goalie Keith Kinkaid from Providence of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis Wednesday. Kinkaid served as the backup for Linus Ullmark for a 5-2 win at the New York Rangers on Thursday.
Mike Reilly replaced Forbort. Reilly was a healthy scratch the past three games.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery also said forwards David Krejci and Craig Smith, each out because of an upper-body injury, are day to day. Neither played Thursday, but could when Boston visits Toronto on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, SN360, NESN, SN NOW).
Krejci missed his third straight game and Smith his second. -- Dan Rosen