Ice Chips: Coyotes' Keller to return to first game action since broken femur
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Arizona Coyotes
Forward Clayton Keller is expected to play in his first preseason game on Friday since suffering a completely broken femur on March 30, according to general manager Bill Armstrong.
Keller, 24, suffered the injury after colliding hard against the boards during a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks and missed the team's remaining 15 games of the 2021-22
The seventh overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft returned to the ice for the start of training camp and has been practicing with the team.
Keller had 28 goals and 63 points in 67 games last season.
Calgary Flames
The Flames have assigned goaltender Dustin Wolf to the AHL's Calgary Wranglers on Thursday.
Wolf, 21, was the AHL Goaltender of the Year last season with the Stockton Flames where he put together a 33-9-4 record with a .924 save percentage and 2.35 goals-average.
Additionally, forwards Sonny Milano and Cody Eakin have been release from their professional try-out contracts.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have released forward Jake Virtanen from his professional try-out contract, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.
Virtanen, 26, played last season in the KHL with the Spartak Moskva where he had nine goals and 16 points in 36 games.
Drafted sixth overall in the 2014 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, the 6-foot-1 forward has 55 goals and 100 points in 317 career NHL games in Vancouver.
The Oilers have placed defenceman Slater Koekkoek and goaltender Calvin Pickard on waivers with the intent to assign him to the AHL's Bakersfield Condors on Thursday.
Pickard, 30, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Oilers on July 13.
The 6-foot-1 netminder had a 21-16-6 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins last season. He appeared in three games with the Detroit Red Wings last season where he had a 1-1-1 record with a .875 save percentage and 4.30 goals-against average.
Koekkoek, 28, is on the final year of a two-year contract worth $1.85 million.
The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenceman had four assists in 19 games with the Oilers last season.
The Oilers used these lines during Thursday's practice, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.
Holloway - Hamblin - Hyman
McLeod - Nugent-Hopkins - Puljujarvi
Kane - McDavid - Ryan
Malone - Shore - Janmark
Nurse - Ceci
Niemelainen - Bouchard
Murray - Barrie
Broberg - Demers
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens used these lines for practice on Thursday prior to their preseason matchup against the Ottawa Senators in Newfoundland:
Caufield - Monahan - Pitlick
Gallagher - Dach - Hoffman
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Anderson
Pezzetta - Evans - Dadonov
Matheson - Leskinen
Guhle - Savard
Xhekaj - Bowey
Primeau
Montembeault
Ottawa Senators
The Senators continue see which combinations of their new-look offence works best for them as forward Tim Stutzle will centre wingers Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson on the top line while forward Josh Norris will centre newcomers Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux on the second line against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Tkachuk - Stutzle - Batherson
DeBrincat - Norris - Giroux
Motte - Pinto - Joseph
Kelly - Gamebrell - Watson
Hawryluk - Kastelic - Sabourin
(No Brassard on the ice)
Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Hamonic
Brannstrom - Zaitsev
Holden - Bernard-Docker
Larsson
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs use these lines during Thursday's practice, according to TSN's Mark Masters:
Bunting - Matthews - Marner
Roberston - Holmberg - Malgin
Steeves - Nylander - Gaudette
Clifford - Kampf - Simmonds
Engvall, Aube-Kubel, Jarnkrok, Aston-Reese, Kerfoot
Rielly - Brodie
Muzzin - Holl
Giordano - Mete
Kral - Sandin
Murray
Samsonov
Leafs PP units at practice:
QB: Rielly
Flansk/Middle: Matthews, Marner, Nylander
Net front: Bunting
QB: Sandin
Flanks: Jarnkrok, Roberston
Middle: Malgin
Net front: Kerfoot
Winnipeg Jets
Goaltender Mikhail Berdin will not remain with the Jets during the 2022-23 season per the advice and recommendation of the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health program.
Berdin will play in the KHL season to remain closer to his family in Russia, according to his agent Dan Miilstein.
Berdin, 24, was drafted 157th overall by the Jets in the 2016 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-2 netminder played last season with the AHL's Manitoba Moose where he had a 19-10-6 record with a .902 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against average.
The Jets have assigned goaltender Arvid Holm to the AHL's Manitoba Moose on Thursday.
Holm, 23, had a 12-10-3 record last season in the AHL and posted a .877 save percentage and 2.90 goals-average.
Boston Bruins
Forward Taylor Hall and defenceman Matt Grzelcyk both practiced on Thursday in non-contact jerseys while recovering from their injuries, according to Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic.
Hall, 30, suffered an upper-body injury during an Oct. 1 preseason game against the Florida Panthers and is considered week-to-week.
The 6-foot-1 winger had 20 goals and 61 points in 81 games last season.
Grzelcyk, 28, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and returned to the ice for the first time on Oct. 3 for practice.
The 5-foot-10 left-shot defenceman had four goals and 24 points in 73 games last season.
The Bruins have assigned forwards John Beecher, Fabian Lysell, Marc McLaughlin, defenceman Jack Ahcan, and goaltender Kyle Keyser to the AHL's Providence Bruins on Thursday.
Forwards Joona Koppanen, Vinni Lettieri, defenceman Dan Renouf, and goaltender Keith Kinkaid have been placed on waivers with the intent to assign them to Providence.
The Bruins used these lines during Thursday's practice:
Foligno - Bergeron - DeBrusk
Zacha - Krejci - Pastrnak
Greer - Coyle - Smith
Frederic - Nosek - Lauko
Hall - Studnicka - Wagner
Lindholm - Carlo
Reilly - Zboril
Forbort - Clifton
Grzelcyk - Stralman
Swayman
Ullmark
Carolina Hurricanes
General manager Don Waddell told reporters that he expects to sign forward Derek Stepan for the 2022-23 season.
Stepan, 32, is currently on a professional try-out contract with the Hurricanes.
The 5-foot-11 centre signed a one-year, $1.35 deal with the Hurricanes last season and registered nine goals and 19 points in 58 games.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks used these lines during Thursday's morning skate prior to their preseason match against the Minnesota Wild, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times:
Tyler Johnson - Toews - Anthanasiou
Kurashev - Domi - Raddysh
Dach - Lafferty - Entwistle
Blackwell - Reese Johnson - Robinson
Jack Johnson - Jones
Vlasic - Roos
Stillman - Regula
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche have placed forward Jayson Megna on waivers on Thurdsay.
Megna, 32, appeared in 20 games with the Avalanche last season where he recorded three assists.
He also registered 13 goals and 33 points in 38 AHL games with the Colorado Eagles last season.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are expected to use these lines for their preseason game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, according to team reporter Jeff Svoboda:
Gaudreau - Jenner - Laine
Chinakhov - Roslovic - Voracek
Johnson - Sillinger - Danforth
Olivier - Kuraly - Foudy
Werenski - Boqvist
Gavrikov - Peeke
Bean - Gudbranson
Tarasov
Greaves
Dallas Stars
The Stars have assigned forwards Oskar Back, Mavrik Bourque, Fredrik Karlstrom, Fredrik Olofsson, and defenceman Ryan Shea to the AHL's Texas Stars.
After the transaction, the Stars have reduced their training camp to 28 players.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers have recalled forward Zac Dalpe from the AHL's Charlotte Checkers on Thursday.
Dalpe, 32, scored 30 goals and 39 points in 68 AHL games in Charlotte last season and appeared in one game for the Panthers in 2021-22.
Drafted 45th overall in the 2008 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, Dalpe has 14 goals and 28 points in 154 career NHL games split between the Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Panthers.
The Panthers used these lines during Thursday's practice, according to team reporter Jameson Olive:
Reinhart - Barkov - Heponiemi
Luostarinen - Lundell - Balcers
Mayhew - Dalpe - Hutsko
Eric Staal - Tierney
Forsling - Ekblad
Marc Staal - Montour
Carlsson - Gudas
Kiersted- Del Zotto
New Jersey Devils
The Devils used these line during Thursday's morning skate prior to their preseason tilt with the New York Islanders, according to team reporter Amanda Stein:
Zetterlund - Boqvist - Holtz
Wood - McLeod - Clarke
Foote - Talvitie - Halonen
Geertsen - Pinho - Bastian
Graves - Severson
Bahl - Smith
Okhotiuk - Nemec
Blackwood
Vanecek
New York Rangers
The Rangers have assigned foward Gustav Rydahl to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack on Thursday.
Rydahl, 28, was acquired by the Rangers on May 18 as an unrestricted free agent.
The 6-foot-3 centre spent last season with the Swedish Hockey League's Farjestad BK where he registered 15 goals and 30 points in 44 games.
Defencemen Ryan Lindgren (lower-body) and Jacob Trouba (upper-body) did not practice on Thursday and are considered day-to-day, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.
Lindgren, 24, had four goals and 15 points in 78 games last season
Trouba, 28, was named captain of the Rangers in the offseason and he registered 11 goals and 39 points in 81 games last season.
The Rangers used these lines during Thursday's practice, according to Staple:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Kakko
Panarin - Trocheck - Vesey
Lafreniere - Chytil - Goodrow
Blais - Carpenter - Reaves
Hunt - Gauthier - Kravtsov
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers used these lines during Thursday's practice, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia:
Laughton - Hayes - Konecny
van Riemsdyk - Frost - Allison/MacEwen
Farabee- Noah Cates/Jackson Cates - Tippett
Deslauriers - Lacynski - Allison/MacEwan/Hodgson
Provorov - DeAngelo
Sanheim - Ristolainen
Zamula - Braun
Connauton - Attard/Seeler
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks used these lines on the eve of the season opener against the Nashville Predators in Prague, Czech Republic, according to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now:
Meier - Hertl - Kunin
Lindblom - Couture - Labanc
Gregor - Bonino - Nieto
Lorentz - Strum - Gadjovich
Harrington - Karlsson
Vlasic - Ferraro
Simek - Benning
St. Louis Blues
The Blues are projected to use these lines in their preseason matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday:
Neighbours - O'Reilly - Kyrou
Walker - Alexandrov - Leivo
Kostin - McGing - Bitten
Highmore - Laferriere - Frk
Rosen - Kessel
Santini - Bortuzzo
Tucker - Lyle
Greiss
Hofer
Washington Capitals
Forward T.J. Oshie (upper-body) and defenceman Dmitry Orlov (lower-body) did not practice on Thursday and are considered day-to-day, according to Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic.
Oshie, 35, registered 11 goals and 25 points in 44 games last season.
Orlov, 31, registered 12 goals and 35 points in 76 games last season.