Ice Chips: Oilers shuffle lines as McDavid makes return
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Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is set to make his return to the lineup on Monday against the Seattle Kraken following a three-game suspension for cross-checking.
The Oilers skated Leon Draisaitl in the top line alongside McDavid and Zach Hyman in practice on Monday.
Draisaitl moves up to take the spot of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has primarily been the left winger in the top line this season. Nugent-Hopkins skated in the third line alongside Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown.
“I don’t necessarily agree with it,” McDavid said of the three-game ban. “I’m not saying that there shouldn’t have been any penalty of any suspension or anything like that… A little bit harsh but I understand their decision and got to move on.”
Late in Edmonton's game against the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 18, Canucks F Conor Garland pinned McDavid to the ice, which not only immobilized a key scoring threat, but made it impossible for the Oilers to blast pucks from the point. Frustrated, McDavid rose and cross-checked Garland.
“I’m not really looking to engage with him,” McDavid said. “There was lots of holding, holding down, and he holds my head down for a little bit and stuff like that. But I can’t have that reaction. I know that. Everyone knows that.
“It’s not the reaction that I’m proud of or anyone wants to see out of me. I understand that. That being said, obviously, there are lots of infractions going on there. Maybe the whole thing’s avoided with a blow of the whistle or something like that.”
Edmonton won two of three games without McDavid. The Richmond Hill, Ont. native has 20 goals and 65 points in 43 games played for Edmonton this year. The Oilers enter play on Monday ranked second in the Pacific Division at 31-15-3.
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets recalled forward Brad Lambert from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL on Monday.
Lambert, 21, has played in four games for the Jets this season, with no points. He has three goals and 16 points in 30 games with the Moose.
The Jets have won three straight and hold a firm lead on the Central Division at 34-14-3.
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames assigned centre Rory Kerins to the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, the team announced on Monday.
Kerins, 22, recorded four assists in five games for the Flames this season. The former sixth-round Draft Pick has 21 goals and 34 points in 34 games with the Wranglers this year.
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders placed both goaltender Marcus Hogberg and defenceman Ryan Pulock on IR, retroactive to Jan. 25, each with upper-body injuries.
Pulock, 30, registered just 12 seconds of ice time in the Islanders' 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The Dauphin, Man. native has three goals and 16 points in 48 games played this year.
Hogberg started the game against Carolina and played the entirety of regulation, but was replaced by Ilya Sorokin for the overtime period.
Hogberg has a 2-2-0 record with a 1.45 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in seven games this year for the Islanders, his first season with the team.
The Orebro, Sweden native spent three years with the Ottawa Senators from 2018-21 before departing to play in the Swedish League. He returned to the NHL this year.
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier will not be available to the team when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers, the team announced on Monday.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Monday that Hischier left the team to return to New Jersey in order to be reevaluated and they will have more information on his injury when that concludes.
"He's gone back to Jersey to get evaluated and we'll have more information when we get that figured out," said Keefe. "He might have the hardest job in hockey right now; in terms of the level of competition he plays against, the face-offs, all three zones, and penalty kill."
The 6-foot-1 centre is considered day-to-day with the injury.
The Devils also recalled forward Brian Halonen from the AHL's Utica Comets, the team announced on Monday.
Halonen, 26, has 15 goals and 24 points in 34 games for the Comets this season. He has made one appearance with the Devils this season, where he did not register a point.
The Delano, Minn. native has appeared in three NHL games in his career but has yet to register his first point.
The Devils enter play on Monday ranked third in the Metropolitan Division at 28-17-6.
Detroit Red Wings
According to The Athletic's Max Bultman, the Detroit Red Wings will have a couple injuries to deal with for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Kings.
Per Bultman, the Red Wings will not have forwards Patrick Kane or J.T. Compher in the lineup tonight as each are dealing with injuries. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko is considered questionable with an illness.
Detroit also signed forward Dominik Shine to a two-year contract on Monday. The 31-year-old has never played an NHL game, but has spent the last nine seasons with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. He has 11 goals and 32 points in 40 games this season.
The Red Wings have won two in a row but have struggled for the most part this year, sitting second-worst in the Atlantic Division at 23-21-5.
Boston Bruins
Defencemen Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm both practiced in regular jerseys on Monday for the Boston Bruins, signaling a potential return to the lineup in the near future.
McAvoy has been out since Jan. 11 with an undisclosed injury, while Lindholm, last played on Nov. 12, 2024, and was placed on LTIR earlier in January.
McAvoy has five goals and 20 points in 45 games this year, while Lindholm has three goals and seven points in 17 games.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery indicated that Lindholm and McAvoy will not play in Tuesday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Both players, former All-Stars, missing time has contributed to a tough season for the Bruins, as the team ranks fourth in the Atlantic Division at 25-20-6.
The Bruins skated the following lines in practice on Monday:
Geekie-Zacha-Pastrnak
Marchand-Poitras-Coyle
Frederic-Lindholm-Lettieri
Jones-Beecher-Brazeau
Koepke
Zadorov-Peeke
Callahan-Carlo
Lohrei-Wotherspoon
Lindholm-McAvoy
Oesterle
Swayman
Korpisalo