Ice Chips: Wild's Eriksson Ek to return, Gustavsson starts vs. Senators
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Minnesota Wild
Forward Joel Eriksson Ek was taken off injured reserve and is expected to play against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, according to Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports.
Eriksson Ek has missed his team's last 11 games with a lower-body injury, last appearing during the Wild's 3-2 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 3.
The 27-year-old centre has five goals and 13 points in 22 games this season and set a career high with 30 goals and 64 points last year.
Additionally, Filip Gustavsson is expected to start in net against the Senators on Sunday.
The 6-foot-2 netminder has been one of the league's best goaltenders this year with a 16-5-3 record to go along with a .922 save percentage and 2.26 goals-against average, which are ranked third and fourth in the NHL, respectively.
Winnipeg Jets
Defenceman Dylan Samberg skated prior to the team's practice on Sunday, according to team reporter Mitchell Clinton.
Samberg, 25, has been out since the Jets' 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Nov. 23 with a lower-body injury and has missed the team's last 16 games.
The 6-foot-4 left-shot defenceman has three goals, six points, and a plus-12 rating in 21 games this season while averaging 20:17 of ice time.
Forward Daniel Torgersson cleared his unconditional waivers on Sunday and the Jets will terminate the remaining years of his contract.
Winnipeg selected Torgersson, a 22-year-old out of Sweden, in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but he has yet to play a game in the NHL.
Torgersson has spent the last four years with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and has failed to record a point in 12 games this season in the minors.
The left winger is in the final season of a three-year entry-level contract and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent his summer.
Montreal Canadiens
Goaltender Cayden Primeau cleared waivers on Sunday and was assigned to the AHL's Laval Rocket.
Primeau, 25, has a 2-3-1 record this season with a 4.70 goals-against average and .836 save percentage.
Chicago Blackhawks
Head coach Anders Sorensen told reporters that defenceman Alec Martinez and forward Craig Smith are both close to returning to the lineup and are considered day-to-day.
Martinez, 37, missed the team's last nine games with a neck injury.
The 6-foot-1 left-shot defenceman has a goal and four points in 15 games this season after joining the team on a one-year, $4 million deal in the off-season.
Smith, 35, missed the Blackhawks last seven games with a back injury.
The 6-foot-1 centre has six goals and 10 points in 26 games this season after joining the Blackhawks on a one-year, $1 million deal in the off-season.
The Blackhawks recall defenceman Wyatt Kaiser from the AHL's Rockford IceHogs and assign defenceman Kevin Korchinski to the IceHogs.
Kaiser, 22, has appeared in 28 games with the Blackhawks this season, recording an assist with a minus-4 rating while averaging 17:33 of ice time this season.
Korchinski was drafted seventh overall by the Blackhawks in 2022 and appeared in nine games in the NHL this season while averaging 16:46 of ice time.
Arvid Soderblom is expected to start in net against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 25-year-old netminder has a 5-8-1 record this season with a 2.62 goals-against average and .911 save percentage.
Dallas Stars
Jake Oettinger will be in net when the Stars take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, according to team reporter Mike Heika and broadcaster Bruce LeVine.
Oettinger has a 16-9-1 record with a .908 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average this season.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals assigned forward Hendrix Lapierre to the AHL's Hershey Bears on Sunday.
Lapierre, 22, appeared in 27 games with the Capitals this season, recording eight assists.
The 6-foot centre was drafted 22nd overall by the Capitals in the 2020 NHL Draft.
St. Louis Blues
Forward Alexandre Texier will return to the Blues lineup on Sunday as they take on the Buffalo Sabres.
Texier missed the Blues, 7-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Friday with an illness.
The 6-foot-1 centre has two goals and five points in 18 games this season.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins assigned forward Fabian Lysell to the AHL's Providence Bruins on Sunday.
Lysell, 21, made his NHL debut during the Bruins' 4-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday where he had a plus-1 rating on 11:32 of ice time.
The 5-foot-11 winger was drafted 21st overall by the Bruins in the 2021 draft and has five goals and 17 points in 26 games in the AHL this season.