Ice Chips: Jets' Morrissey, Hellebuyck out for Saturday's clash against Blues

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

Winnipeg Jets

Josh Morrissey and Connor Hellebuyck will miss the Winnipeg Jets' first game back after the 4 Nations Face-Off break, head coach Scott Arniel revealed Friday.

Arniel also added that Kyle Connor, who was a notable healthy scratch from the United States' lineup for the championship game against Canada, will travel to St. Louis to meet his team for the game.

Morrissey, 29, missed the 4 Nations final for Canada while dealing with an illness. Dallas Stars defenceman Thomas Harley slotted into the lineup in the Calgary native's absence, helping the Canadians to a 3-2 victory in overtime.

In 56 games played this year, the blueliner has recorded seven goals and 39 assists for 46 points on Winnipeg's top pairing.

Hellebuyck, 31, started three out of the four games for the United States at the 4 Nations. He faced 27 shots in the final, allowing three goals in the losing effort.

This season, the Commerce Township, Mich. native holds a league-best 34-7-2 record for Winnipeg, and is leading all net-minders with a 2.07 goals-allowed average.

Eric Comrie will get the start in his absence.

Connor, 28, ranks sixth in the league this year with 30 goals, and has also added 39 assists for 69 points in 56 games played. New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider slotted in for the Clinton, Mich. native for Thursday's championship game, going pointless while recording one shot on net.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty took the ice at the start of practice Friday but departed before the session began, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

Pacioretty, 36, suffered an apparent injury during Wednesday's practice, with head coach Craig Berube stating that the veteran had ''tweaked something'' before leaving the ice.

The 17-year NHL veteran attempted to participate in the team's session Thursday, but departed early once again after the injury did not respond well, Berube told reporters after.

Pacioretty has already been listed as doubtful for Toronto's weekend double-header against the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks after the NHL returns from the 4 Nations Face-Off break on Saturday.

The New Canaan, Conn. native has recorded five goals and eight assists for 13 points across 37 games in his first season with the Maple Leafs.

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators forwards Shane Pinto and Josh Norris skated before practice Friday wearing non-contact jerseys, Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch reports.

Garrioch adds that both players are ''highly doubftul'' for Saturday's clash against the Montreal Canadiens.

Pinto, 24, sustained an upper-body injury on Feb. 4 while facing the Tampa Bay Lightning. The incident occurred just eight minutes into the first period, with Pinto falling awkwardly into the boards following a collision with defenceman Nick Perbix.

The Franklin Square, NY native left the contest, and missed the Senators's final two games prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break while dealing with the injury.

In 46 games this season, Pinto has has scored 11 goals and 22 points in 46 games. 

Norris, 25, has not played since suffering a mid-body injury in the late stages of the team's 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 1.

The Oxford, Mich. native was on the receiving end of two big hits from Jakob Lauko and Declan Chisholm, and did travel with the team for their four-game road trip ahead of the break.

Norris has recorded 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points through 50 games played this season.

The pair of injured forwards were joined by Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson in missing the morning practice.

Tkachuk and Sanderson logged 19:24 and 19:44 of ice time, respectively, in the United States' 3-2 overtime loss to Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday.

In the absences of all four players, the Senators rolled out these lines at practice.

Philadelphia Flyers

Owen Tippett, Ryan Poehling, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Egor Zamula will all be made available for a potential return to the lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers' game Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, the team announced Friday.

Tippett, 26, has been sidelined since Jan. 29 with an upper-body injury sustained in a 5-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

The Peterborough, Ont. native took a hard hit from Devils defenceman Brenden Dillon, leaving the game shortly after the start of the second period.

He has recorded 14 goals and 16 assists in his fourth season with Philadelphia.

Poehling, 26, was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 20 after taking a high hit from New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov.

The hit was not called a penalty on the ice, but Tsyplakov was handed a three-game suspension from the NHL's Department of Player Safety for an ''illegal check to the head''.

A native of Lakeville, Mich., Poehling has scored four goals and 15 points in 43 games for the Flyers this season.

Ristolainen, has been out since Feb. 6 with an upper-body injury, and was unable to participate for Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off after having been selected for the team.

In 54 games this year, Ristolainen has scored registered two goals and 13 assists in 54 games played.

Zamula, 24, last appeared for Philadelphia on Jan. 23 in a 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers. The Russian defenceman was placed on injured reserve while dealing with an upper-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed Samuel Montembeault as their starting goaltender for Saturday's game against the Ottawa Senators.

Montembeault, 28, holds a record of 18-21-3 on the season with a 3.00 goals-allowed average and an .897 save percentage.

The Becancour, Que. native was selected as one of the three goalies for Canada's championship-winning team at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but did not make an appearance in the tournament behind Jordan Binnington.

Montreal sits six points off from the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-26-5 through 56 games played this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski is expected to play Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks after returning from the 4 Nations-Face Off, head coach Dean Evason told reporters.

Werenski, 27, appeared in all four games for the United States at the 4 Nations, and finished as the tournament's leading scorer with six assists.

The Grosse Point, Mich. native logged 23:07 of ice time in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in the championship game. He also recorded one assist and four shots on goal.

The nine-year veteran has enjoyed a resurgent 2024-25 season, leading Columbus with 59 points in 55 games played. He is second among NHL defenceman behind Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar in scoring as the league resumes play following the eight-day break.

Columbus sits just one point back of the Detroit Red Wings for the second and final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators have recalled Kieffer Bellows and Jake Livingstone from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, the team announced Friday.

Bellows, 26, has scored 14 goals and 29 points in 41 games for Milwaukee this season.

He is a veteran of 95 career NHL games, recording 14 goals and 14 assists with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers after being taken in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Livingstone, 25, has spent the last two seasons with the Admirals, and has recorded seven goals and 19 assists over that span. 

The Creston, BC native played in five NHL games during the 2022-23 season with Nashville, recording one assist in his first and only stint in the NHL.