Ice Chips: Hertl expected to make Golden Knights' debut against Canucks
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Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Injured Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok and defenceman Timothy Liljegren both skated ahead of the main practice on Monday as the team prepares to host the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jarnkrok hasn't played since March 14 with a hand injury while Liljegren has been sidelined since March 26 with an upper-body injury.
The 32-year-old Jarnkrok has 10 goals and 11 assists over 52 games in 2023-24, his second season with the Leafs.
Liljegren, 24, has netted three goals with 20 assists in 52 games this season, his fifth in the NHL.
After practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe noted that veteran defenceman Joel Edmundson will miss Monday's game against the Penguins and Tuesday's contest against the New Jersey Devils, but could return later this week.
The 30-year-old hasn't played since March 24 with an undisclosed injury.
Ilya Samsonov is the projected starter in net for the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs' Practice Lines - Mark Masters, TSN
F
Bertuzzi - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Knies - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves
Gregor, Robertson
D
Rielly - Lyubushkin
Benoit - McCabe
Giordano - Brodie
Edmundson - Timmins
G
Samsonov
Woll
Jones
Murray
Winnipeg Jets
Head coach Rick Bowness told the media on Monday that winger Nino Niederreiter will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip to Nashville, Dallas and Colorado, but is not sure if he will skate.
The 31-year-old hasn't played since April 1 due to a leg laceration.
Niederreiter has 18 goals and 15 assists over 75 games this season.
Jets' Practice Lines - John Lu, TSN
F
Ehlers - Scheifele - Vilardi
Connor - Monahan - Perfetti
Toffoli - Lowry - Appleton
Barron - Namestnikov - Iafallo
Gustafsson, Kupari
D
Morrissey - DeMelo
Dillon - Pionk
Stanley - Samberg
Schmidt - Miller
G
Hellebuyck
Brossoit
Vancouver Canucks
With the Vegas Golden Knights in town Monday, the Canucks ran a fully attended morning skate.
Canucks' Practice Lines, Farhan Lalji, TSN
F
Joshua-Miller-Garland
Höglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Mikheyev-Blueger-Podkolzin
Suter-Åman-Lafferty
D
Hughes-Hronek
Soucy-Myers
Zadorov-Cole
Friedman-Juulsen
Vegas Golden Knights
Forward Tomas Hertl, who was acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the Trade Deadline, is expected to make his Vegas Golden Knights' debut on Monday against the Vancouver Canucks.
The 30-year-old hasn't played since Jan. 27 due to a left knee injury which required surgery. Hertl practiced with his new teammates on Sunday and appears ready to return to action.
“(He’ll) probably play tomorrow,” head coach Bruce Cassidy told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “We’ll finalize that tomorrow.”
Hertl scored 15 goals and added 19 assists over 48 games with the last-place Sharks before going down with the injury.
The native of Prague had spent his entire 11-year NHL career in San Jose after the franchise selected him 17th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft, netting a total of 218 goals and 266 assists over 712 games. Hertl added 24 goals and 18 assists over 62 career playoff games.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are closing in on a playoff berth as they're holding down the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 92 points, five points better than the St. Louis Blues with two games in hand.
Washington Capitals
Rasmus Sandin is expected to miss the next two games for the Caps as the defenceman will not travel with the team for their upcoming road trip against the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres.
Sandin suffered an upper-body injury during an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
Head coach Spencer Carbery said it was possible Sandin would be able to return to the lineup before the end of the regular season as the Capitals battle for the few remaining playoff spots.
With five games remaining, Washington is two points behind the New York Islanders for third in the Metropolitan Division and one point behind the Red Wings for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The 24-year-old Swede has three goals and 20 assists over 68 games in 2023-24.
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice issued updates on injured stars Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad Monday as the clock ticks closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Maurice said via team reporter Jameson Olive that Verhaeghe has been skating every day recently and should be ready to go for Game 1 next weekend. Maurice said he would like to see Ekblad get two hard practices in before being activated for Game 1.
Verhaeghe is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 1.
“We have lots of confidence he’ll be ready for start of the playoffs,” Maurice said of Verhaeghe last week. “He may make the last game, but we don’t think he’ll play many regular-season games.”
Verhaeghe has 33 goals and 38 assists in 75 games this season, his fourth with the team.
Ekblad suffered an undisclosed injury the night after and Maurice told reporters last week he is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, but could return in time for Game 1.
The defenceman has four goals and 14 assists in 51 games this season, his 10th in Florida since being selected No. 1 overall in 2014.
Calgary Flames
Defenceman Ilya Solovyov has been recalled from the American Hockey League.
The 23-year-old, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut this season, recording two assists over six games with the Flames
Solovyov has tallied five goals and nine assists over 50 games in the minors.
Meanwhile, the Flames announced defenceman Oliver Kylington is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The 26-year-old played 17:19 against the Edmonton Oilers Saturday, registering one shot on goal in the Flames' 4-2 loss.
He has two goals and three assists for five points in 28 games this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins
As they battle for their playoff lives, the Pens announced that goalie Alex Nedeljkovic will get the start on Monday in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.
The 28-year-old has posted a 2.82 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage over 33 games this season with the Penguins.
Detroit Red Wings
Centre Michael Rasmussen, sidelined since April 1 with an upper-body injury, won't be ready to return on Tuesday when the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals, two teams battling for their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference.
The 24-year-old has 13 goals and 20 assists over 75 games with the Wings this season.
In other roster news, goaltender Ville Husso has been loaned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning.