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

Edmonton Oilers

Head coach Dave Tippett said goaltender Mike Smith should be ready to return from his thumb injury after the All-Star Break, tweets Tony Brar of Oilers TV.

Smith has not played since Jan. 5 and was originally expected to miss about two weeks with the injury.

The 39-year-old netminder owns a goals-against average of 3.76 and a save percentage of .898 in six games so far this season.

Meanwhile, Tippett also said that defenceman Tyson Barrie will return Wednesday from upper and lower-body injuries sustained in a game against the Florida Panthers earlier this month. 

Winnipeg Jets

Taxi squads across the NHL will come to an end after All-Star Weekend and the Jets appear to be getting some work done early.

The team assigned seven players to the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday as goaltender Mikhail Berdin, defencemen Declan Chisholm, Leon Gawanke, Ville Heinola Johnathan Kovacevic and forwards Mikey Eyssimont and Kristian Reichel are all headed to the AHL.

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin will not be available against the Minnesota Wild Thursday night because of a positive COVID-19 test, it was announced Wednesday.

Based on the result, Ovechkin will miss this weekend's All-Star festivities in Las Vegas.

Ovechkin has 29 goals and 29 assists in 46 games so far this season, his 17th in the NHL.

Meanwhile, the Caps announced they are recalling forward Brett Leason and goaltender Pheonix Copley from the taxi squad. As a corresponding move, goalie Hunter Shepard is on his was to the AHL's Hershey Bears.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have placed goaltender Michael Houser on waivers and defenceman Will Butcher on the injured reserve list, it was announced Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Houser has a .948 save percentage and a goals-against average of 2.00 in two games for the Sabres this year.

Butcher sustained a lower-body injury in a game against the Arizona Coyotes earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the Sabres have loaned Aaron Dell, Peyton Krebs and Mattias Samuelson to the AHL's Rochester Americans. Brandon Biro, Brett Murray, Arttu Ruotsalainen, JJ Peterka, Jimmy Schuldt and Oskari Laaksonen were also assigned to Rochester on Thursday.

Minnesota Wild

Head coach Dean Evason told reporters Tuesday that defenceman Matt Dumba and forward Marcus Foligno will miss Wednesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

On Wednesday, Evason said Dumba's injury occurred during a confrontation with Anders Lee of the New York Islanders during their matchup on Jan. 30. Evason added that Dumba is considered day-to-day.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning have reassigned defencemen Fredrik Claesson and Darren Raddysh, as well as forward Cole Koepke, to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, it was announced Wednesday.