Ice Chips: McCabe skates with Maple Leafs; Rifai sent down
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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 defenceman Jake McCabe skated with the team on Wednesday.
Following practice, McCabe said it would be up to a coach's decision whether he returns to the lineup on Thursday. Head coach Craig Berube said they will see how he feels. The Maple Leafs play their next game against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
McCabe has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury after appearing to suffer the injury during a fight with the Philadelphia Flyers' Garnet Hathaway.
McCabe and Hathaway dropped the gloves near the end of the opening period and McCabe fell hard on the ice with Hathaway landing on top of him. McCabe, whose head appeared to hit the ice, was slow to get up but did leave the playing surface under his own power.
McCabe departed after roughly 10 minutes of practicing, though Maple Leafs head coach noted afterwards that McCabe is "doing really well. There’s no setbacks with him so it’s good to see."
Assistant captain John Tavares departed practice early after taking a fall on the ice during a power-play drill, per TSN Leafs Insider Mark Masters.
Tavares went to the ice during the drill and immediately left the practice session. According to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel, Tavares limped off the ice favouring his right leg after the fall.
The 34-year-old forward and former captain has 20 goals and 42 points in 43 games this season.
Defenceman Marshall Rifai was assigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Wednesday morning.
The 26-year-old has yet to appear in an NHL game so far this season. He has two goals and two assists in 26 games with the Marlies this season.
He got into two NHL games last February, tallying 23:19 of ice time.
The Maple Leafs skated the following lines in practice on Wednesday:
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Domi - Robertson
Lorentz - Kampf - Holmberg
Dewar, Reaves
McCabe - Tanev
Rielly - Myers
Ekman-Larsson - Timmins
Benoit - Hakanpää
Woll Hildeby
Minnesota Wild
Superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov skated on Wednesday with the Minnesota Wild, his first practice participation since before the Holiday Break.
The Athletic's Joe Smith reported that Kaprizov wasn't a full participant and there is not an expectation Kaprizov's return is imminent.
Kaprizov, 27, ranks second in the NHL with 23 goals through 34 games played, and has 50 points on the season.
The young forward has a lower-body injury and has not played with Dec. 23, when he recorded a goal in a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa has loaned defenceman Maxence Guenette to the AHL's Belleville Senators, it was announced Wednesday morning.
The 23-year-old has not yet appeared in an NHL game this season. He has three goals and nine points in 27 AHL games in 2024-25.
Washington Capitals
Forward Sonny Milano practised in a non-contact jersey Wesnesday, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.
Gulitti notes it's the first full practice for him since being injured. He has not appeared in an NHL game since Nov. 6.
The 28-year-old had 15 goals and 23 points in 49 games last season.
Goaltender Charlie Lindgren is also progressing as he works back from an upper-body injury that landed him on IR on Jan. 11.
Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters that Lindgren will travel with the team to Ottawa for their next game, but that he isn't quite ready to return to action.
“Not quite ready, obviously, with being in the IR. But another positive step being on the ice today. He’s traveling,” Carbery said.
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said via Heather Engel of NHL.com Wednesday that defenceman Mattias Samuelsson is a game-time decision against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 6 with an illness. He has two goals and five points in 26 games so far this season.
Ruff also said that forward Jiri Kulich (lower-body injury) is a longshot to return Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ruff added he should be good to go for the team's road trip out west that begins next Monday.
The 20-year-old Kulich has missed Buffalo's last two games. He has seven goals and nine points in 31 games so far this season.