NHL Status Report: Trocheck week to week for Rangers with upper-body injury

Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.

New York Rangers

Vincent Trocheck is week to week because of an upper-body injury, the Rangers announced Saturday. Trocheck sustained the injury during a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Mika Zibanejad played center in Trocheck’s spot with left wing Artemi Panarin and right wing Alexis Lafreniere in a 6-1 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. “We need to give some of our other offensive people a center iceman that can think the game at their level and give them an opportunity to set them up for success," Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said.

Florida Panthers

Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) has been placed on injured reserve and is out indefinitely. The defenseman may need surgery after he did not play in the third period of a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. "They know what it is now,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said prior to a 6-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. “Tonight, they're going to get together and decide how to proceed with it. That will change the rehab time."

Buffalo Sabres

Owen Power (illness) made his season debut in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. The defenseman and No. 1 pick by the Sabres at the 2021 NHL Draft made the trip but did not play in their season opener Thursday, a 4-0 loss at the Rangers. … Josh Norris (upper body) will miss a "significant" amount of time, coach Linday Ruff said Saturday. The forward was injured in the third period Thursday. Ruff said it is "nothing related" to the oblique injury Norris had last season. ... Zach Benson did not play Saturday; the forward was admitted to the hospital for complications after he took a puck to the face during practice Wednesday. He was released from the hospital Friday and could return Oct. 15 against the Senators.

Ottawa Senators

Drake Batherson did not play in a 6-2 loss to the Panthers on Saturday. The forward sustained an upper-body injury during the first week of training camp last month. Batherson missed the Senators' season opener, a 5-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. He had 68 points (26 goals, 42 assists) in 82 games for Ottawa last season.

Carolina Hurricanes

Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to miss at least one week because of a lower-body injury. However, coach Rod Brind'Amour said Saturday he doesn't believe the goalie's injury is serious, and Kochetkov could travel with the Hurricanes when they begin a six-game road trip at the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. Frederik Andersen started in goal against the Flyers on Saturday and made 20 saves in a 4-3 overtime win. Brandon Bussi served as the backup for the second straight game.

New Jersey Devils

Evgenii Dadonov fractured his hand and will miss the last two of the Devils’ three-game road trip to begin the season. Ondrej Palat took the forward’s spot on the top line with center Jack Hughes and right wing Jesper Bratt in a 5-3 win at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. "Imaging showed there is a fracture in there, so they need to look a little bit closer," New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We'll get him back home and have a better sense of what the timeline might be." The Devils visit the Blue Jackets on Monday before their home opener Oct. 16 against the Panthers.

Colorado Avalanche

Samuel Girard is week to week because of an upper-body injury, the Avalanche announced Saturday. The defenseman played 18:47 in Colorado's 2-1 win against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday. "He'll miss some time," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said before his team hosted the Dallas Stars.

Boston Bruins

Hampus Lindholm (lower body) did not play in a 3-1 win against the Sabres on Saturday. The defenseman was injured during a 4-3 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. He played 4:26 in the first period before not returning. "Just a minor injury and not related to his old injury," Boston coach Marco Sturm said. Lindholm could practice as early as Sunday.

Chicago Blackhawks

Jason Dickinson (upper body) is day to day and did not play in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The forward did not play in the third period of a 4-3 overtime loss at Boston on Thursday. Dickinson could miss up to one week.

Minnesota Wild

Jonas Brodin made his season debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. The defenseman had been day to day because of an upper-body injury and skated in full for the first time on Wednesday. Brodin was second for the Wild last season in time on ice per game (22:57). “Something came back and forth last year,” Brodin said of his injury. “I felt good in World Championship and then something happened there in one of those games there. … “It’s good to get it fixed so I’m 100 percent this year.”

Detroit Red Wings

James van Riemsdyk was activated from non-roster status and could make his Red Wings debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday (2 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, FDSNDET). The 36-year-old forward signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Detroit on July 1. He had 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 71 games for the Blue Jackets last season. To make room for van Riemdsyk, defenseman Erik Gustafsson was loaned to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League.