Ice Chips: Tavares misses Leafs practice again due to illness
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares was absent from practice on Monday, as he is still dealing with an illness, per TSN's Mark Masters.
Tavares did not practice on Saturday and missed their 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that night. The veteran scored a goal and added an assist in the second game of the young season.
Additionally, goaltender Joseph Woll was also absent from practice on Monday. Head coach Craig Berube described the issue as "lower body tightness."
Woll was slated to start in net for the season opener, but was scratched late due to the lower-body issue. He hasn't practiced since last Tuesday.
Defenceman Timothy Liljegren was paired with Simon Benoit at practice, and The Athletic's Jonas Siegel reports that Liljegren may make his season debut on Wednesday. Liljegren played in 55 games a season ago for Toronto, where he scored three goals and finished with 23 points.
The Maple Leafs play their next game on Wednesday, against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Maple Leafs used these lines during Monday's practice:
Ottawa Senators
The Senators recalled goaltender Mads Sogaard from the AHL's Belleville Senators on an emergency basis on Monday.
The move comes after starting netminder Linus Ullmark missed practice on Sunday with what head coach Travis Green called a "maintenance day".
Ullmark previously missed time near the beginning of the preseason with a lower-body injury.
The Senators are using these lines for their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia:
Montreal Canadiens
Samuel Montembeault will be in net when the Canadiens take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
Montembeault, 27, has a 2-0 record so far this season with a .986 save percentage, 0.50 goals-against average, and one shutout.
Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals defenceman Matt Roy is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per the team.
He left their season opener against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday in the second period.
Roy finished last season with five goals and 25 points in 81 games for the Kings.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Zach Aston-Reese, who departed the Columbus Blue Jackets' game against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in the second period with an upper-body injury, participated in practice on Monday but was not part of any line rotations.
Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Dylan Gambrell appears likely to make his Blue Jackets debut on Tuesday. He centred the fourth line alongside Sean Kuraly and Mathieu Olivier in practice.
Gambrell spent the entire 2023-24 season with the Toronto Marlies, where he scored 14 goals and totaled 36 points in 66 games. He's made stops in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators.
Portzline also reported that Jordan Harris, who was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the season, appears likely to replace Jack Johnson in the third defensive pairing.
St. Louis Blues
Forward Brandon Saad has been activated after missing the team's first three games while waiting for the birth of his third child.
Saad appeared in all 82 games last season, recording 26 goals and 42 points.
Additionally, the team placed forward Alexandre Texier on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.