Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

Vancouver Canucks 

Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has been placed in concussion protocol after sustaining an injury in the morning skate according to TSN's Farhan Lalji. 

Sven Baertschi (illness) and Antoine Roussel (concusison) were also not on the ice. Roussel is currently not skating and could open the season on the injured reserve list. 

Here were the lines: 

Goldobin-Horvat-Boeser

Leipsic-Pettersson-Eriksson

Gagner-Sutter-Motte

Schaller-Beagle-Virtanen

(Granlund, Archibald)

 

Edler-Stecher

Hutton-Tanev

Pouliot-Gudbranson

Del Zotto-Biega

 

Toronto Maple Leafs

It appears the battle for the Maple Leafs' backup goaltender job may be over.

The Leafs moved Garret Sparks into the secondary practice group on Thursday, signaling he may have lost the job to veteran Curtis McElhinney. 

Sparks had previously been paired with Frederik Andersen in practice groups since training camp began. On Thursday, he joined Calvin Pickard in practice, the same duo that backstopped the Toronto Marlies to the Calder Cup last season.

Sparks, 25, was named the AHL's top goaltender last season, but has struggled with the Leafs in the preseason. Through three games, and just over 120 minutes of work, he has a .886 save percentage and a 3.98 goals-against average.

McElhinney, who has served as the Leafs' backup since being claimed on waivers in 2016, has a .970 save percentage and 1.01 goals-against average in just under 60 minutes this preseason.

Should Sparks fail to make the Leafs roster, he will need to clear waivers in order to be assigned to the AHL.

Zach Hyman returned to practice with the Leafs' main group on Thursday wearing a non-contact jersey. Hyman has been dealing with a hip pointer injury which sidelined him for Wednesday's preseason game.

The practice lines for the Leafs' primary group on Thursday were as follows:

Hyman-Tavares-Marner 
Marleau-Matthews-Ennis 
Leivo-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Lindholm-Kapanen

Rielly-Hainsey 
Gardiner-Zaitsev 
Dermott-Ozhiganov
Rosen-Holl

Andersen
McEhinney

The practice lines for the Leafs' secondary group on Thursday were as follows:

Clark-Mueller-Clune
Moore-Brooks-Timashov
Grundstrom-Cracknell-Bracco
Engvall-Greening-Jooris

Marincin-Carrick
Borgman-LoVerde
Liljegren-Subban

Sparks
Pickard
 

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers assigned 2018 second-round pick Ryan McLeod to the OHL's Missisauga Steelheads on Thursday, leaving first-round pick Evan Bouchard as the only junior-eligible player still on the team's roster.

McLeod's assignment leaves the Oilers with three goaltenders, 10 defencemen and 15 forwards on their training camp roster.

 

Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenceman Brandon Davidson to a one-year, $650,000 contract on Thursday.

The 27-year-old split last season between the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders. He had four goals and six points in 38 games between the two teams.

He was previously in camp on professional tryout.

 

San Jose Sharks

Exactly two weeks after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators, Erik Karlsson will make his debut for the San Jose Sharks tonight.

Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer confirmed Wednesday Karlsson will play against the Calgary Flames, partnering with Marc-Edouard Vlasic. 

The Sharks have one preseason game remaining after Thursday's contest and it's unclear whether Karlsson will suit again before the regular season.

Despite the lack of ice-time together, Vlasic said he wasn't concerned about finding chemistry with his new partner.

“He’s a good player, he knows the game real well, been around for a long time and is a good puck-moving defenseman," Vlasic told the Mercury News. "So, once we figure each other out here, which I think will be relatively quickly, it’ll be no problem.

“I’ve gotten chemistry pretty quickly with other guys of Karlsson’s caliber, so it won’t be any different. I’ve played with Rob Blake, (Drew) Doughty pretty quickly, Shea Weber, (Brent Burns). Guys that are in the same category as him, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Waivers

The following player(s) have been placed on waivers as of 12:00 pm September 27, 2018.

WADE MEGAN DET
MARK LETESTU CBJ
SCOTT WEDGEWOOD BUF
TAYLOR FEDUN BUF
REECE SCARLETT DAL
DILLON HEATHERINGTON DAL
ZACH TROTMAN PIT
JEAN-SEBASTIEN DEA PIT
RYAN GRAVES COL
SCOTT KOSMACHUK COL
MASON GEERTSEN COL
ANDREW AGOZZINO COL

 

Please be advised the following player(s) cleared waiversSeptember 27, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

TYRELL GOULBOURNE PHI
KERBY RYCHEL CGY
CHARLES ROBINSON CGY
ALAN QUINE CGY
MORGAN KLIMCHUK CGY
TYLER GRAOVAC CGY
KYLE CRISCUOLO BUF
MICHAEL SGARBOSSA WSH
TYLER LEWINGTON WSH
JEAN-FRANCOIS BERUBE CBJ
ANTON RODIN ANA
STEVE OLEKSY ANA
CHASE DE LEO ANA
JARED COREAU ANA
SAM CARRICK ANA
KEVIN BOYLE ANA
BRANDON PIRRI VGK
TREVOR CARRICK CAR