Ice Chips: Matthews a full participant at Leafs' practice
Published
Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews took part in his first practice as a full participant since he left the lineup due to an upper-body injury on Nov. 3.
Matthews told reporters on Saturday that the injury was one that he sustained during the preseason that had gotten better and then worse as the season progressed.
The 26-year-old superstar missed the team's last eight games while he re-evaluated the injury and travelled to Germany to get further treatment.
Matthews couldn't confirm that he would be available on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers but did not rule it out.
The 6-foot-3 centre has five goals and 11 points in 13 games this season.
Forward Matthew Knies participated in Maple Leafs' practice on Tuesday in a non-contact jersey.
Knies, 22, sustained an upper-body injury during the team's 3-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 20 after taking a high hit from Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud.
The 6-foot-3 winger missed Sunday's 3-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club and was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 20.
Knies has eight goals and 12 points in 20 games this season.
Max Domi is still not ready to return to the ice from his lower-body injury and will not join the team for their two-game road trip through Florida, according to head coach Craig Berube.
Domi last appeared during the Maple Leafs' 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 16 and missed the team's last two games.
The 5-foot-10 centre has six assists in 19 games this season.
Dakota Mermis participated in his first full practice as a Maple Leaf on Tuesday.
Mermis, 30, joined the team on a one-year $775,000 deal in the off-season.
The 6-foot defenceman was placed on long-term injury reserve at the beginning of the season after undergoing jaw surgery.
Mermis had three goals and eight points in 47 games with the Minnesota Wild last season while averaging 14:05 of ice time.
The Maple Leafs used these lines during Tuesday's practice:
Vancouver Canucks
Forward Brock Boeser will return to the lineup when the Canucks take on the Boston Bruins on Tuesday
Boeser was injured during the Canucks' 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 7 when Kings forward Tanner Jeannot delivered an illegal check to the head.
The 6-foot-1 winger missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury and Jeannot was suspended three games for his actions.
Boeser had six goals and 11 points in 12 games before the injury. He also set career highs last season with 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.
The 27-year-old winger is on the final season of a three-year, $19.95 million deal and has an annual cap hit of $6.65 million. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens used these lines during Tuesday's morning skate prior to their game against the Utah Hockey Club.
Caufield - Suzuki - Newhook
Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher
Heineman - Evans - Roy
Slafkovsky - Dach - Armia
Guhle - Barron
Hutson - Matheson
Xhekaj - Savard
Samuel Montembeault is expected to get the start in net on Tuesday against the Utah Hockey Club.
Montembeault, 28, has a 6-9-1 record with an .899 save percentage and 3.08 goals-against average this season.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators recalled defenceman Donovan Sebrango from the AHL's Belleville Senators and placed defenceman Artem Zub on long term injury reserve on Tuesday.
Head coach Travis Green told reporters on Monday that Zub will be out "a while" after fracturing his foot.
Zub previously missed 11 games with a concussion earlier this season.
The 6-foot-3 defenceman has two assists in 11 games this season.
Sebrango was acquired by the Senators from the Detroit Red Wings as part of a package that sent forward Alex DeBrincat the other way in July of 2023.
The 22-year-old defenceman has two goals and six points in 14 games in Belleville this season.
New York Rangers
The Rangers recalled defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack and assigned forward Matt Rempe to the Wolf Pack on Tuesday.
Rempe was recalled from the Wolf Pack prior to Monday's 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, where he had 9:26 of ice time with two penalty minutes.
The 6-foot-9 forward has seven penalty minutes in four games while averaging 6:26 of ice time.
Ruhwedel appeared in one game with the Rangers this season, a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 19 where he had 14:04 of ice time and a plus-2 ranking.
The 34-year-old right-shot defenceman has two assists in seven games with the Wolf Pack this season.
Utah Hockey Club
The Utah Hockey Club loaned defenceman Patrik Koch and forward Milos Kelemen to HC Oceláři Třinec and HC Dynamo Pardubice of Czech Extraliga, respectively,
Koch joined the then-Arizona Coyotes in June of 2023 on a one-year, entry-level contract.
The 6-foot-1 defenceman appeared in one game for the Coyotes last season, recording 10 penalty minutes and one shot.
Kelemen, 25, was signed by the Coyotes in May of 2022 on a two-year, entry-level deal.
The 6-foot-2 winger played parts of two seasons with the Coyotes, recording a goal and two points in 24 career games.
Buffalo Sabres
Tage Thompson is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday when the Sabres take on the Minnesota Wild.
Thompson has missed the team's last five games with a lower-body injury.
The 6-foot-6 centre has 11 goals and 18 points in 16 games this season.
San Jose Sharks
The Sharks assigned goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda and recalled defenceman Jack Thompson on Tuesday.
Askarov, 22, started two games with the Sharks going 1-0-1 with a .927 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average.
The 6-foot-3 netminder was acquired from the Nashville Predators, along with forward Nolan Burke and a third-round draft pick in 2025, in exchange for forward David Edstrom, goaltender Magnus Chrona, and a first-round draft pick in 2025 in August.
Askarov has a 6-3-0 record with the Barracuda this season with a .939 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average.
Thompson has appeared in 13 games with the Sharks this season, recording two goals and five points.