NHL Buzz: Point back for Lightning against Canadiens | NHL.com (2024)

Tuch, Krebs to debut for Sabres; Blackhawks forward Johnson skates; Flyers remove Hayes, Frost from COVID-19 protocol

Welcome to the NHL Buzz. Throughout the 2021-22 season, NHL.com will have you covered with the latest news.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Brayden Point is playing for the Lightning against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (ESPN+, HULU, TSN2, RDS, NHL LIVE).
"Point will be in tonight, just got that word from [head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan], so excited for that," assistant Derek Lalonde said.
The forward was a full participant at practice Monday. He missed 14 games with an upper-body injury sustained Nov. 20 after he was tripped by New Jersey Devils defenseman Ryan Graves while on a breakaway.
"Getting close, feeling pretty good," Point said Monday. "I'm still a little rusty obviously, but I think everyone is coming off that Christmas break. I'm excited to be taking full reps in practice and I'm really looking forward to getting back playing."
Point scored 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 16 games this season. He said he never felt the need to rush back because the Lightning were 11-2-1 without him.
"When the team is winning, it makes it easier," Point said. "The main goal is being healthy come playoff push."
Goalie Maxime Lagace started for the Lightning, his first in the NHL since making 29 saves for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 1-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints Arena on May 8. Tampa Bay goalies Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brian Elliott are in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
The Lightning are without forward Nikita Kucherov (lower body) and defenseman Erik Cernak (lower body), with each expected to return in January. Forwards Anthony Cirelli and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and defensem*n Mikhail Sergachev and Andrej Sustr, are in protocol, along with coach Jon Cooper and assistant Rob Zettler. -- Corey Long

Los Angeles Kings

Alex Turcotte will make his NHL debut when the Kings play the Vegas Golden Knights at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, ATTSN-RM, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The 20-year-old is expected to be the center on a line with Viktor Arvidsson and Trevor Moore with Phillip Danault one of four Kings players in NHL COVID-19 protocol.
"My game is to play fast, create havoc and make plays with that, play a 200-foot game," Turcotte said. "That's what I'm going to try and do out there. I'm not going to try and be somebody I'm not."
Turcotte was the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft and is the last player from that draft class selected in the top 10 to make his NHL debut. He scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 18 games for Ontario of the American Hockey League this season.
"The get ripe time, if you will, varies from player to player and situation to situation," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "We could be talking about Alex Turcotte a lot more at the National League level if we hadn't signed Phillip Danault, if Rasmus Kupari hadn't played as well as he did earlier in the year. It's great to have numerous prospects in your organization, but only so many of them can play at a given time. That doesn't diminish 'Turc's' value, the type of career he may have." -- Dan Greenspan

Buffalo Sabres

Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs will debut for the Sabres against the New Jersey Devils at KeyBank Center on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, MSG+ 2, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
The forwards were acquired by the Sabres in the trade that sent center Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 4.
"I've just been texting him back and forth," Krebs said of Tuch. "He's been texting me to see what I'm doing. It's nice having another guy I can lean on, you're familiar with when you come into a locker room. That and Cody Eakin, which was nice to come in here and know a few guys. Talking to him a lot. It's obviously pretty cool."
Tuch, who grew up a Sabres fan in Syracuse, New York, has missed the first 30 games of this season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. He's scored 139 points (61 goals, 78 assists) in 255 NHL games.
"For him to pull that jersey on tomorrow, his preparation that has gone into this moment from the time he's arrived has been second to none," Buffalo assistant Matt Ellis said. "He's added a ton on the day to day on the ice and in our locker room. It'll be a special moment for him. As a group and as an organization, we're extremely excited to finally get Alex into a game as a Buffalo Sabre."
Krebs was assigned to the Rochester of the American Hockey League following the trade. He scored 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 16 games.
"It's definitely a mental grind coming from a different organization and getting acclimated with different guys," Krebs said. "[Rochester coach Seth Appert] has been a huge help for me. … Just kind of bringing confidence into my game and making sure I feel comfortable with the process. Really just embracing that process and earning ice time in Rochester and eventually here." -- Heather Engel

Chicago Blackhawks

Tyler Johnson skated at the end of practice for the first time since the forward had neck surgery Dec. 3.
"It was nice to see Tyler on the ice," Blackhawks coach Derek King said. "I just had a quick chat with him. I told him I wanted a photo with him in case nobody believes that I'm actually coaching this kid. We just giggled and laughed a little bit."
Johnson was projected to be out three months. He scored three points (one goal, two assists) in eight games this season, last played Oct. 29 and hasn't practiced since Nov. 25.
"I'm not sure over the break if he did anything, I don't think he did," King said. "So this would probably be the first time. It was just nice to see him out there. He's feeling better, he said."
Chicago visits the Nashville Predators on Saturday (2 p.m. ET; BSSO, NBCSCH, ESPN+, NHL LIVE), its first game since a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 18. King said he hopes forward Jujhar Khaira (concussion protocol), who has been skating since Dec. 17, will be ready to play. -- Tracey Myers

Philadelphia Flyers

Kevin Hayes and Morgan Frost will play at the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, ROOT-NW, NBCSP, ESPN+, NHL LIVE) after the forwards were removed from NHL COVID-19 protocol Tuesday.
Frost missed three games after being pulled from a game Dec. 14 and placed into protocol. Hayes entered Dec. 20.
Each was at center during practice Tuesday, Hayes on a line with Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny, and Frost with
Gerry Mayhew
and James van Riemsdyk.
The Flyers have limited depth at the position, with centers Sean Couturier,
Derick Brassard
and
Scott Laughton
in protocol, along with goalie Carter Hart and defenseman Ryan Ellis.
"We don't have the luxury of waiting to see how things go or giving them a little extra time," coach Mike Yeo said. "These are important players for us. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to them post-practice yet. Obviously, you're watching the battle drills, we had a lot of compete, we had a lot of up and down the ice, and I thought that they held up fine. ... These are guys that are well conditioned going into that, so I think that they'll be fine."
Hayes said he had no issues after testing positive for the virus.
"My COVID battle wasn't too bad," he said. "I know it's a serious thing, obviously, but I had no symptoms at all. I was shocked I tested positive, but I did. Did my quarantine and felt pretty good on the ice today."
Frost scored four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games. Hayes scored six points (two goals, four assists) in 11 games. -- Adam Kimelman

Minnesota Wild

Jonas Brodin entered NHL COVID-19 protocol and likely will not play in the 2022 Discover NHL Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Target Field in Minneapolis on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN1, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
"That's our understanding is that at this point he will not play," Wild coach Dean Evason said. "We feel for him as an individual, for sure. I was fortunate to be a part of the one in Pittsburgh with Washington (in 2011 as a Capitals assistant). It's incredible. It's an amazing experience. And not to be able to be a part of that I'm sure it's very disappointing for him and disappointing for us."
Brodin missed practice Monday after he was sent home for a maintenance day. Evason said he first tested positive and then negative twice.
"We assumed negative, got the big one (non-rapid test) back last night at 3 in the morning that he was positive," Evason said. "It's just the way it is. Obviously, we hope for the best but it's not. Sure, it's disappointing, no question. He's a huge part of our hockey club. It's disappointing for him, personally, disappointing for us as a group, but there's nothing we can do about it. We go forward."
Evason said defenseman Calen Addison will be called up from Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Defenseman Jared Spurgeon (lower body) and forward Joel Eriksson Ek (upper body) will also miss the Winter Classic, Evason said Monday.
The Wild expect to have forward Jordan Greenway back after he missed a 7-4 loss to the Dallas Stars on Dec. 20 with a lower-body injury. -- Jessi Pierce

Edmonton Oilers

Zach Hyman said he'll be available when the Oilers play at the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday (8:30 p.m. ET; SN360, BSMW, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
"I'm ready to roll," the forward said after practice Monday.
Hyman took part in two practices since the Oilers last played Dec. 18, a 5-3 win at the Seattle Kraken, skating at right wing on a line with Warren Foegele and Connor McDavid. He missed three games with a shoulder injury sustained after taking a hard hit along the boards from Brady Skjei with 3:16 left in the third period of a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 11.
"Just felt a pinch. I didn't know what it was so wanted to be careful with it," Hyman said. "I went off and checked it out and luckily it was best-case scenario."
The Oilers have won two in a row following a six-game losing streak. Hyman scored 19 points (11 goals, eight assists) in 26 games.
"I've said it before, but he touches so many parts of the game," Edmonton coach Dave Tippett said. "From a coaching standpoint, when you're looking down and you need a job done, whether it's power play, penalty kill or a shutdown at the end of the game, he pretty much touches all aspects of the game.
"His work ethic and attitude are infectious out there. He brings energy and fits in well with our team." -- Tim Campbell

St. Louis Blues

The Blues will get back forwards David Perron, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou for the game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
Perron missed 11 games with an upper-body injury, Thomas missed seven with a lower-body injury, and Kyrou missed four with an upper-body injury.
"I think we've played a lot of games without our full squad this year," forward Vladimir Tarasenko said. "It's always exciting when guys [are] coming back from injuries, COVID list or whatever. It will be nice to play all together again."
Kyrou was leading the Blues with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 27 games when he left the lineup and is now fourth. Thomas is fifth with 22 points (two goals, 20 assists) in 24 games, and Perron is sixth with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 20 games.
"That's exciting," goalie Jordan Binnington said. "We got an extra couple days there, which I think was big for some of our guys. I know we're all excited to play and get in some game action again."
St. Louis will play its first game since Dec. 19, a 4-2 loss at the Winnipeg Jets.
Forward Oskar Sundqvist could return after leaving NHL COVID-19 protocol Tuesday. He was the center on the fourth line between Klim Kostin, who will also return after missing 12 games with an upper-body injury, and Nathan Walker.
"He went through practice [Tuesday] and I think we've got to see how he feels tomorrow," coach Craig Berube said. "He could have a skate in the morning and then I'll make a decision on him."
Forward Brayden Schenn (upper body) and Ville Husso (lower body) remain day to day and will not play Wednesday. Each has skated the past three days. -- Lou Korac