Ice Chips: Dewar to make season debut for Maple Leafs
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Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs recalled forward Alex Steeves from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis ahead of Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators.
The Maple Leafs, who will again be without Auston Matthews Tuesday, placed winger Max Pacioretty on injured reserve Monday, while forwards Max Domi and William Nylander missed practice for maintenance days.
Nylander was back on the ice and skated briefly before Tuesday's optional morning skate. Domi was not present for the session. Afterwards, head coach Craig Berube confirmed that both Nylander and Domi will play against Ottawa, along with Connor Dewar, who will make his season debut.
Dewar recorded 11 goals and 19 points in 74 games last season split between the Minnesota Wild and Maple Leafs. He added an assist in six playoff games as the Maple Leafs fell to the Boston Bruins in seven games during the first round. The 25-year-old re-signed with the Maple Leafs in July on a one-year, $1.18 million deal.
Matthews did not skate Tuesday after also missing Monday's session, but Berube said he did not suffer a setback.
"Not really. It's just not getting to where it needs to get to, so we're just trying to manage it," Berube said of Matthews' upper-body injury. "Just trying to make sure when he comes back he's good and 100 per cent."
Anthony Stolarz was in the home net during Tuesday's session, suggesting he will start against the Senators.
Steeves, 24, has nine goals and 12 points in 10 games with the Marlies this season. He went without a point in one game with the Maple Leafs last season.
Maple Leafs defenceman Matt Benning cleared waivers on Tuesday and has been assigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Benning has yet to appear in a game with Toronto since coming over from the San Jose Sharks in the Timothy Liljegren trade. He is signed to a cap hit of $1.25 million through next season.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine skated on his own Tuesday as he continues to recover from a preseason knee injury.
Laine was given a two-to-three month timeline for recovery for a sprained left knee in early October. The injury did not require surgery.
Acquired on Aug. 19 from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Laine had six goals and nine points in 18 games last season with Columbus. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program in January and was cleared to return in July.
Selected second overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2016, Laine scored a career-high 44 goals in 2017-18. The Tampere, Finland native has appeared in 480 career NHL games, scoring 204 goals and 388 points split between the Jets and Blue Jackets.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets will take on the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
The team appears to be making one change on defence with Haydn Fleury drawing in for Logan Stanley, who was absent from Tuesday's gameday skate.
Stanley was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 9 on Tuesday.
The Jets also claimed G Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche and assigned him to the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks recalled forward Arshdeep Bains from the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday.
Bains, 23, has one goal in seven games with the NHL Canucks this season and one goal and three points in the AHL.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto said Monday he will return to action on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pinto last played in the team's Oct. 22 win over the Utah Hockey Club, where he sustained an undisclosed injury and was listed as week-to-week.
With Pinto, back the Senators assigned Zack Ostapchuk back to the AHL's Belleville Senators.
The 23-year-old has a goal and two assists in six games this season.
In 41 games last season, he had nine goals and 27 points. He missed the first half of the 2023-24 after receiving a 41-game suspension for violating the league's rules on sports gambling.
He is in the first season of a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
Drafted in the second round (32nd overall) in 2019, Pinto has 31 goals and 73 points in 146 games with Ottawa.