NHL Buzz: Nugent-Hopkins expected to return for Oilers against Canucks

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

Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to return to the lineup for the Oilers against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SN, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
"We'll know right after the [morning] skate," coach Dave Tippett said Tuesday. "We've got an optional skate this morning and he's going to go out, give it one last test and if he feels good then we'll activate him."
The forward has missed six games since he sustained a lower-body injury in a 6-5 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 31. Edmonton also had six games postponed in that span. He returned to practice as a "full particpant" Monday, Tippett said.
"I definitely feel good, had a couple good skates now with the guys, back to feeling somewhat normal, and excited to get back out there and start playing some games," Nugent-Hopkins said.
He has scored 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 30 games.

Buffalo Sabres

Casey Mittelstadt and Zemgus Girgensons returned to play for the Sabres at the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Mittelstadt missed 15 games following surgery for an upper-body injury. The forward previously missed 21 games after sustaining an upper-body injury Oct. 14. He scored one goal in four games.
"He kind of exemplifies our team," coach Don Granato said. "We need to see everybody taking the next step now because I mentioned when you don't have the depth, you have [Tage] Thompson always playing against the top [defensemen] every game. Now you add Mittelstadt in there, Mittelstadt, [Dylan] Cozens, Thompson in there, it's going to make room for everybody to cash in more, and we need to see that. We need to push for that."
Girgensons missed five games with a lower-body injury. The forward scored 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 33 games.
Alex Tuch, who scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in nine games, had a maintenance day Monday and did not practice but played against the Senators.
Kyle Okposo returned to practice Monday wearing a no-contact jersey after missing two games with an upper-body injury. The forward did not play Tuesday but could return later in the week.
"He looked good in practice and is feeling better every day," Granato said. "I would expect him within that next game or two, so he's close."
Defenseman Will Butcher, who missed a 6-3 win Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers with an upper-body injury, practiced and could be on the cusp of returning.
"Didn't know a couple of days ago how he'd feel day to day with that injury because it's a pain tolerance," Granato said. "Obviously him being on the ice today, looked like he moved fine, which is good news. I'll find out more on him but he's I would say very close as well, if not ready to go." -- Heather Engel

New Jersey Devils

Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. The goalie has a left heel injury.
"The goal is to get him healthy," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "I mean, he's struggled with the injuries and it's been something that's affected his play. And we want to get him healthy and we want to see him play."
Akira Schmid was recalled from Utica of the American Hockey League and joined the Devils for the morning skate to prepare for the game against the Dallas Stars at Prudential Center.
Blackwood was expected to start against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 23 before Ruff said "he's not quite there yet" in terms of his health and had been taking maintenance days to work with trainers. He backed up Jon Gillies, who made 34 saves in a 3-2 loss.
"You know that we've had a lot of maintenance with him, where he hasn't skated or his practice time has been cut," Ruff said before the game. "It's something that we've been dealing with for a long period."
Blackwood is 9-9-3 with a 3.29 goals-against average, .894 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 games (22 starts) this season. The 25-year-old went 11 days between starts (Jan. 8-19) while in NHL COVID-19 protocol and the Devils having games postponed because of COVID-19 concerns and attendance restrictions in Canada. He also missed two games before the holiday break with a neck injury. -- Mike G. Morreale

Tampa Bay Lightning

Nikita Kucherov entered NHL COVID-19 protocol Tuesday.
The forward has scored 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 11 games this season, including 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in eight games since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 32 games.
The Lightning had as many as seven players in protocol at one time last month, but coach Jon Cooper said he isn't worried about a similar outbreak happening again.
"It's just become kind of the norm, sadly," Cooper said. "Guys get it, you're out probably five days and then you come back. It's unfortunate. If somebody's going to pick it up you kind of hope they get it during our little bit of a break, but we've gone through this and all the other teams have gone through it. Hopefully it's not something that starts taking guys down again."
Forward Ondrej Palat returned to practice and took Kucherov's spot on the first power-play unit. He has missed five games with an undisclosed injury but could be in the lineup Thursday when the Lightning host the New Jersey Devils.
"It was something that I needed, a little time off to make sure it's closer to 100 percent," Palat said. "I'm glad we did that and hopefully I'm ready to go."
Defenseman Erik Cernak and Zach Bogosian remain out indefinitely each with a lower-body injury.
"'Cerny' and 'Bogo' are ... well they're both injured, so it's not exactly sure when these guys are going to come back," Cooper said. "We're not going to see any of them for sure these next three home games ... I don't think." -- Corey Long

Boston Bruins

Nick Foligno will not travel with the Bruins on their upcoming three-game road trip, which begins at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
"Foligno's out. Won't travel, upper body," coach Bruce Cassidy said.
The forward was injured in a 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday and left the game after playing 6:08. He and Anaheim forward Sam Carrick fought at 8:55 of the second period, but Cassidy said he didn't know if Foligno's injury was related to the fight.
Foligno played three games after he sustained an injury against the Lightning on Jan. 8 and missed five games. He scored seven points (one goal, six assists) in 26 games this season.
Forward Brad Marchand did not skate Tuesday, and Cassidy said it was a maintenance day related to the upper-body injury he sustained against the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Marchand was not expected to play Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets but did not miss a game.
"He's still fighting his way through that, so we gave him a day," Cassidy said.
Matt Grzelcyk, who missed the game against the Ducks with an undisclosed injury, skated Tuesday. Cassidy said the defenseman "felt better," and that they would determine his availability against the Avalanche on Wednesday. -- Amalie Benjamin