Ice Chips: McCabe returns to Maple Leafs lineup to face Devils
Published
Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Defenceman Jake McCabe will return to the lineup on Thursday when the team takes on the New Jersey Devils, according to TSN's Mark Masters.
McCabe, 31, missed the team's last four games while recovering from an upper-body injury he sustained after a fight against Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway.
The 6-foot-1 defenceman has a goal and 11 points in 36 games this season while averaging 20:52 of ice time.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was back on the ice Thursday as he continues to work his way back from a knee injury.
The 30-year-old has not played since Dec. 12.
The Edison, N.J., native has played 17 games with the Leafs this season, posting a 9-5-2 record, a 2.15 goals-against average, and .927 save percentage.
The Leafs also announced that forward John Tavares would be placed on injured reserve following the lower-body injury he sustained during Wednesday's practice. He is considered week-to-week with the injury.
Head coach Craig Berube told reporters that Max Domi will replace Tavares as the second line centre for Thursday's game against the Devils.
Forward Fraser Minten was recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies in a corresponding move. The 20-year--old has two goals and four points in 11 NHL games this season. He has five goals and 10 points in 16 games with the Marlies this season.
Minten is expected to be a healthy scratch on Thursday when the team takes on the Devils.
Connor Dewar, who was an extra forward during Wednesday's practice, is expected to replaced Tavares in the lineup.
Joseph Woll was not part of the team's optional skate prior to their game against the Devils but is expected to get the start in net.
Woll looks to snap a personal two-game skid and has a 14-8-0 record this season with a .908 save percentage and 2.65 goals-against average.
Ottawa Senators
Thomas Chabot participated in the team's morning skate in a full face mask but will not play on Thursday against the Washington Capitals, according to TSN's Claire Hanna.
The 27-year-old left-shot defenceman left the Senators' 2-0 win over the Islanders on Tuesday after just 4:04 of ice time after taking a puck to the face.
Chabot has three goals and 19 points in 43 games this season while averaging 22:46 of ice time and is considered day-to-day.
Forwards David Perron and Michael Amadio both participated in the team's morning skate in regular practice jerseys, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
Perron, 36, hasn't played since Nov, 23 while dealing with an upper-body injury.
The 6-foot centre joined the Senators as a free agent in the off-season and has only appeared in nine games this season.
Amadio, 28, has missed the team's last 10 games while dealing with a concussion and is expected to play against the Capitals.
The 6-foot-1 winger has two goals and 10 points in 33 games this season.
Ottawa used these lines during their morning skate prior to their game against the Capitals, according to Garrioch:
The Senators have recalled defenceman Donovan Sebrango from the AHL's Belleville Senators.
Sebrango, 23, has yet to make his regular season NHL debut. He has recorded three goal and 10 assists in 28 AHL games this season.
He is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Capitals.
The Ottawa native was selected in the third round (63rd overall) by the Sens in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Ottawa assigned forward Zack MacEwan to the AHL's Belleville Senators on Thursday.
MacEwan, 28, has two goals and three points in 21 games this season.
Winnipeg Jets
Connor Hellebuyck is expected to get the start in goal on Thursday at the team takes on the Seattle Kraken, according to team reporter Mitchell Clinton.
Hellebuyck leads the league with a 27-6-2 record to go along with a 1.99 goals-average and .929 save percentage this season.
Head coach Scott Arniel told reporters that forwards Vladislav Namestnikov and Mason Appleton skated earlier on Thursday and could join team practices in non-contact jerseys in the coming days.
Namestnikov, 32, missed the team's last two games with a lower-body injury while Appleton has been out with a lower-body injury since Dec. 28.
Additionally Arniel says that defencemen Haydn Fleury and Colin Miller could be options for the team over the weekend when they take on the Calgary Flames.
Fleury has been out since Dec. 23 with a knee injury while Miller missed the last four games with a fracture in his larynx/
The Jets used these lines during their morning skate on Thursday:
New Jersey Devils
The Devils have recalled forward Brian Halonen from the Utica Comets of the AHL. He joined the team in Toronto for this morning's skate.
The 26-year-old has played two career NHL games, with both coming in 2023-24.
Dallas Stars
Forward Roope Hintz won't be available to the team when the Stars take on the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters on Thursday.
Hintz, 28, left the team's 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday after just 2:27 of ice time with an undisclosed injury.
The 6-foot-3 centre has 19 goals and 27 points in 42 games this season.
Additionally, Jake Oettinger is expected to be in net against the Canadiens, according to team broadcaster Bruce LeVine.
Oettinger, 26, has won his last six starts and has a 22-9-1 record with a.912 save percentage and 2.31 goals-against average this season.
The Stars have recalled forwards Matěj Blümel and Justin Hryckowian from the AHL's Texas Stars on Thursday.
Bluemel, 24, appeared in three games in Dallas earlier this season and has 18 goals and 32 points in the AHL this season.
The 6-foot winger was originally drafted 100th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2019 and signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the Stars in 2022.
Hryckowian was signed as an undrafted free agent in March of 2024 and has 12 goals and 32 points in 32 games in the AHL this season.
He appeared in two games in Dallas at the end of December and did not record a point.
Florida Panthers
Forward Sam Reinhart didn't participate in the team's morning skate on Thursday but will play against the Detroit Red Wings.
Additionally, defenceman Aaron Ekblad will miss his fourth straight game while he's dealing with an undisclosed injury.
Head coach Paul Maurice added that the defenceman could return on Saturday at home against the Anaheim Ducks or on the road in Anaheim on Tuesday as the team begins a four-game western road trip.
The 6-foot-4 right-shot defenceman has two goals and 20 points in 41 games this season.
Maurice also confirmed that Sergei Bobrovsky will be in net to take on the Red Wings.
Bobrovsky has an 18-10-2 record this season with a .899 save percentage and 2.78 goals-against average.
Philadelphia Flyers
Samuel Ersson will start in net on Thursday when the team takes on the New York Islanders.
Ersson, 25, has an 11-70-2 record this season with a 2.87 goals-against average and .887 save percentage.
Additionally, forward Joel Farabee will return to the lineup while forward Olle Lycksell comes out to make room.
Farabee, 24, missed the last three games as a healthy scratch and has six goals and 14 points in 42 games this season.
San Jose Sharks
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start on Thursday when the Sharks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Sheng Peng of NBC Sports Sharks.
Georgiev is looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since he was traded to the Sharks from the Colorado Avalanche in December.
The 6-foot-1 netminder has a 2-6-0 record in eight games in San Jose this year with a 3.56 goals-against average and .887 save percentage.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild activated forward Jakub Lauko from injured reserve and assigned forwards Ben Jones and Devin Shore to the AHL's Iowa Wild on Thursday.
Lauko, 24, has been out since Dec. 14 with a lower-body injury.
The 6-foot-1 centre has two goals and four points in 24 games this season.
Jones and Shore were placed on waivers on Tuesday and cleared the following day.
Jones, 25, appeared in 26 games with the Wild this season but did not record a point.
The 6-foot centre joined the Wild on a two-year, two-way contract in the off-season and has four goals and 12 points in 14 games in the AHL this season.
Shore also joined the Wild in the off-season on a one-year, two-way deal.
He appeared in 25 games in Minnesota, recording an assist. Shore also has two goals and 10 points in 14 games in Iowa this season.
St. Louis Blues
Forward Jake Neighbours participated in the team's optional skate on Tuesday but is a game-time decision for their match against the Calgary Flames, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com.
Neighbours, 22, is dealing with an upper-body injury and last appeared in the team's 2-1 win over the Flames on Tuesday.
The 6-foot winger has 11 goals and 21 points in 45 games this season.
Additionally, Joel Hofer is expected to start against the Flames, according to Korac.
The 6-foot-5 netminder has a 9-4-1 record this season with a 2.86 goals against average and .902 save percentage.
St. Louis is projected to use these lines against the Flames on Thursday, according to Korac.: