Ice Chips: Woll likely starter vs. Kraken; Hakanpaa close to return
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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
Maple Leafs goaltender Jospeh Woll is not on the ice for the team's optional skate Thursday, which is his usual starting routine, reports TSN's Mark Masters.
This indicates he will likely start Thursday night at home against the Seattle Kraken.
Woll made his season debut a week ago against the St. Louis Blues, stopping 22 of 26 shots in a 5-1 loss. He was originally sidelined to begin the season with a lower-body injury.
Also significant for the Leafs is the status of defenceman Jani Hakanpaa. The team signed the veteran blueliner to a one-year deal in the off-season but he has yet to debut because of a knee injury. According to head coach Craig Berube, Hakanpaa is close to returning. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger wrote in a post on X that it would make sense for him to play a game or two in the AHL once cleared for conditioning.
Meanwhile, Masters reports forward Nick Robertson is not staying out after the team's optional, indicating he will draw back in against the Kraken Thursday.
Robertson has one goal in nine games so far this season. He was last in action on Saturday against the Boston Bruins.
Seattle Kraken
Joey Daccord appears set to get the start in net for Seattle Thursday night in Toronto, with Masters reporting he was the first goalie off the ice for the Kraken at the morning skate.
The 28-year-old has a goals-against average of 2.80 and a .914 save percentage in six games this season.
Masters also reports that defenceman Brandon Montour will not play Thursday night as he's gone home for the birth of his daughter.
The 30-year-old is coming off a hat trick on Tuesday in Seattle's 8-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. He also picked up an assist in the victory.
Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced Thursday.
The update comes amid a strong start to the season for Andersen, who is 3-1-0 with a .941 save percentage and a 1.49 goals-against average.
The 35-year-old netminder was limited to just 16 games last season due to blood clots, going 13-2-0 with a .932 save percentage and a 1.84 GAA. He is in the last year of his current contract, signed at a cap hit of $3.4 million.
With Andersen sidelined, the Hurricanes will lean largely on Pyotr Kochetkov, while Spencer Martin has been recalled to back him up. Kochetkov is also 3-1-0 this season with a .894 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA.
The Avalanche are expecting forward Artturi Lehkonen to return Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken, head coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday night via Ryan Boulding of NHL.com.
He has yet to play this season after having shoulder surgery in May. Colorado plays the Nashville Predators on Saturday before taking on the Kraken Tuesday.
The 29-year-old had 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points in 45 games last season with the Avs.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are sending forward Austin Watson to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, it was announced Thursday.
Watson has zero points in two games so far this season. He played 9:06 in Detroit's 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets Thursday.
Washington Capitals
Defencemen Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy are both practising in non-contact jerseys Thursday, reports Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post.
Johnson notes that it likely means neither player will suit up Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens, but it's a good sign for Chychrun that he was skating after leaving Tuesday's game with an upper-body injury.
Roy suffered a lower-body injury on opening night and has not played since.
Defenceman Artem Zub skated Thursday according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
Zub has not played since Oct. 14 because of a concussion. He has zero goals in three games so far this season.
Garrioch notes that Zub will not be ready to return until he resumes skating with the team.
Meanwhile, the Senators have recalled forwards Adam Gaudette and Zack Ostapchuk from the AHL's Belleville Senators, it was announced Thursday.
The two were optioned to Belleville on Wednesday.
Gaudette has four goals and one assist for five points in eight games so far this season.
Ostapchuk has one assist in his only NHL outing so far in 2024-25.
The Penguins have activated forward Vasily Ponomarev from the injured reserve non-roster list and assigned him to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the team announced.
He suffered an upper-body injury in preseason.