Ice Chips: Canucks G Demko spotted on ice ahead of practice
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko, who hasn't played since Game 1 of last season's opening round against the Nashville Predators due to a popliteus muscle injury on the back of his knee, was spotted on the ice ahead of practice on Friday, according to The Province.
Demko worked with goalie coach Marko Torenius.
The 28-year-old posted a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage over 51 games with the Canucks in last season, his eighth in Vancouver.
In other news, defenceman Erik Brannstrom and forward Arshdeep Bains have been recalled from the AHL.
The 25-year-old Brannstrom has one assist over six games with the Canucks this season while Bains, 23, has one goal over six contests.
Winnipeg Jets
Backup goalie Eric Comrie appears set to get the start Friday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets as he was in the starter's net for the morning skate.
The 29-year-old Edmonton native has appeared in just two games this season for the first-place Jets, who improved to 9-1 on Wednesday after a 6-2 rout of the Red Wings.
Calgary Flames
Dan Vlader will get the start between the pipes Friday night when the Flames host the New Jersey Devils in Calgary.
The 27-year-old native of Prague ha a 3.18 goals-against average over five games for the Flames this season.
Friday's game also marks the return of Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom to Calgary for the first time since being traded this past off-season.
Flames' Projected Lineup vs. Devils
F
Coleman-Backlund-Coronato
Zary-Kadri-Pospisil
Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Lomberg-Rooney-Mantha
D
Bahl-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Barrie-Pachal
G
Vladar
New York Islanders
Matthew Barzal has returned home to Long Island due to an upper-body injury. A time frame for his return to action will be determined after seeing team doctors.
The 27-year-old centre has scored two goals and three assists over 10 games in 2023-24, his ninth year with the team.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs assigned defenceman Jani Hakanpää and forward Connor Dewar to the AHL's Toronto Marlies on LTIR conditioning loans Friday.
Both players have to play this season, with Hakanpää's recovery dating back to a knee injury last season with the Dallas Stars and Dewar undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported Thursday the return of injured players could lead to more moves for the Maple Leafs, who traded Timothy Liljegren earlier this week.
"I would expect that Brad Treliving is either going to have to place another player on waivers, perhaps there's a conditioning stint to the American Hockey League that can be applied, or the idea of a trade, because Toronto right now is locked in with its 23-man roster," Dreger said on Insider Trading. "But beyond that, it was a fresh start for Timothy Liljegren. Right? He wasn't fitting the eye of head coach Craig Berube. So, he gets that start with the San Jose Sharks. The Toronto Maple Leafs get a couple of draft picks, which they need. Matt Benning - a veteran defenceman - who Treliving could also flip and add an additional asset. So, tidy work with depth players."
The 32-year-old Hakanpää had two goals and 10 assists in 64 games with the Stars last season prior to the injury, averaging 18:38 of ice time. Stars general manager Jim Nill confirmed after the season that Hakanpaa had an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, but was not expected to require any additional surgeries.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported on July 1 that Hakanpää and the Leafs had agreed on a two-year, $3 million deal. Treliving mentioned the defenceman among the team's adds later that day, but his signing was not made official until he inked a one-year, $1.47 million deal last month.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2010 draft by the St. Louis Blues, the Finnish blueliner didn't make his NHL debut until the 2019-20 season with the Anaheim Ducks. He has 15 goals and 45 points in 288 career games with the Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes and Stars.
Dewar recorded 11 goals and 19 points in 74 games last season split between the Minnesota Wild and Maple Leafs. He added an assist in six playoff games as the Maple Leafs fell to the Boston Bruins in seven games during the first round.
The 25-year-old re-signed with the Maple Leafs in July on a one-year, $1.18 million deal.
Drafted 92nd overall by the Wild in 2018, Dewar has 19 goals and 43 points in 190 career games split between the Wild and Leafs.
Friday's Practice Lines
F
Knies - Matthews - Marner
Pacioretty - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Domi - Holmberg/Robertson
Lorentz - Kampf - Reaves
D
Rielly - Ekman-Larsson
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Timmins
Myers - Benning
G
Woll
Stolarz
Ottawa Senators
Linus Ullmark appears to be the starter for Friday's tilt against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
The 31-year-old native of Sweden has posted a 2-2 record with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage over five games with this new team this season.
San Jose Sharks
Defenceman Timothy Liljegren, who was acquired from the Maple Leafs earlier this week, will make his Sharks debut on Saturday against the visiting Vancouver Canucks.
The 25-year-old Swede has played one game this season.
Detroit Red Wings
Veteran forward Vladimir Tarasenko missed Wednesday's game because of an illness, but appears ready to return on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.
The 32-year-old has two goals and one assist over nine games with the Wings so far this season.
Colorado Avalanche
Forwards T.J. Tynan and Nikita Prishchepov have been recalled from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.