Ice Chips: Leafs' Simmonds to make season debut vs. Jets
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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 head coach Sheldon Keefe announced that forward Wayne Simmonds will make his season debut against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
The 34-year-old from Scarborough, Ont., is in his second year with the Maple Leafs following a stint with the Buffalo Sabres (2019), New Jersey Devils (2019), Nashville Predators and nine seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers (2011-18).
Simmonds skated in 72 games for the Maple Leafs last season, scoring five goals and recording 16 points.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel will draw out of the lineup.
Keefe later provided an update on defenceman Jake Muzzin, who along with the other injured Leafs will not travel with the team for their upcoming five-game road trip.
"We're just going to continue to let things settle down there for him and get a better idea for where he's at," said Keefe to reporters.
Following an overtime win over the Dallas Stars, Leafs forward Auston Matthews was given a maintenance day on Friday, the team's PR department told TSN's Mark Masters.
The 25-year-old recorded an assist on the overtime-winning goal from Nick Robertson and logged 26:46 minutes of ice time in last night's contest against the Stars.
Five games into the 2022-23 season, the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Ted Lindsey Award winner has tallied a goal and a pair of assists.
Masters adds that goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who made 26 saves against the Stars, did a pre-practice session with goalie coach Curtis Sanford before departing.
Samsonov is currently 3-0 with a 1.96 GAA and a .927 save percentage.
Here are the Leafs' lines from their Friday practice:
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames practiced on Friday with TSN's Salim Valji sharing their lines:
Ottawa Senators
Ahead of their game against the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith told reporters he will decide on a starting goalie on Saturday.
Friday's practice saw both Magnus Hellberg and Anton Forsberg take reps in the starter's net.
Forsberg, 29, has played in all four games for the Sens, posting a .500 record with a 3.03 GAA and a .903 save percentage.
Here are the lines from Friday's practice:
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have assigned forward Gabriel Fortier to their American Hockey League affiliate Syracuse Crunch.
The 22-year-old from Lachine, QC., has skated in one game for the Lightning this season. Fortier saw action in 10 games with the Lightning last season and 72 at the AHL level with the Crunch, recording 14 goals and 35 points.
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice announced that defenceman Brandon Montour will return to the lineup and Sergei Bobrovsky will get the start in net.
Montour, 28, was recently sidelined with an upper-body injury. A native of Brantford, Ont., Montour has scored one goal and skated in two games for the Panthers.
The 24-year-old Bobrovsky has started three games this season, posting a record of 2-1 with a 2.75 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils reporter Amanda Stein shared the Devils' lines from their Friday practice:
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled Lawrence Pilut from the Rochester Americans of the AHL.
The 26-year-old Sweden-born defenceman has recorded a pair of assists in three games with the Americans this season.