Welcome to the NHL Buzz. The 2022-23 regular season is underway, and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Boston Bruins
Charlie McAvoy will be playing within the week and could return for the Bruins as soon as Thursday against the Calgary Flames, coach Jim Montgomery said.
The defenseman led the post-practice stretch at Warrior Ice Arena on Wednesday and received hugs afterward, just as forward Brad Marchand had the day before he returned from his injury to play his first game of the season, on Oct. 27.
However, neither McAvoy nor Montgomery would confirm whether he would play against the Flames (7 pm ET; SN360, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS, NESN, ESPN+, SN NOW).
“McAvoy is checking a lot of boxes,” Montgomery said. “He’s getting close. He’ll be playing within a week, I think. I’m not going to confirm or deny. [if he will play Thursday] because there’s boxes left to be checked.”
McAvoy has not played this season after having a left shoulder arthroscopic stabilization surgery on June 3. He was expected to be out for six months, which would put his return weeks ahead of schedule.
“I’m doing well,” McAvoy said. “We’re just continuing to just stack these boxes up. Feel good about where we are and we’re just going one day at a time. … As far as check marks and things like that, just say that we feel really good about where we’re at. Getting excited.”
Boston on Wednesday placed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers with the intent to assign him to Providence of the American Hockey League, an indication that McAvoy’s return is close. — Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen has an undisclosed injury and will not dress against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
Antti Raanta will start and Pyotr Kochetkovrecalled from Chicago of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, will be the backup.
Andersen left practice early on Tuesday and did not return. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour did not give an update after Carolina’s morning skate on Wednesday.
Andersen is 5-3-0 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage in eight games. He made 18 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
Andersen suffered a torn MCL last season on April 16 and missed the remainder of the season, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Hurricanes lost to the New York Rangers in seven games in the Eastern Conference Second Round.
Raanta is 3-0-1 in four starts this season with a 2.42 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Kochetkov was 3-0-0 with a 2.42 GAA and .902 save percentage in three games last season. — Kurt Dusterberg
Philadelphia Flyers
Carter Hart practiced Wednesday and could play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (7 pm ET; BSOH, NBCSP, ESPN+, SN NOW).
The goalie missed a 5-1 win against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday because of an illness. Felix Sandstrom replaced him and made 27 saves for his first NHL win.
“I’m feeling a little better,” Hart said. “Feel a lot better than I did yesterday that’s for sure.”
Hart is 6-0-2 in eight games. His .946 save percentage is second in the NHL and his 1.97 goals-against average is third among goalies to play at least five games.
Coach John Tortorella said he wasn’t sure if Hart would travel with the Flyers, but Philadelphia sent a goalie Samuel Ersson, who had been recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, back to the AHL. Defenseman Egor Zamula was recalled from the AHL after being sent down Tuesday. — Adam Kimelman
Florida Panthers
Aaron Ekblad is expected to return for the Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
The defenseman, who was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on Oct. 19, will miss his 11th straight game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
Ekblad left in the second period of a 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 17. He has one goal in three games this season and 292 points (98 goals, 194 assists) in 557 regular-season games since the Panthers chose him with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matt Murray was a full participant in practice on Wednesday for the first time since sustaining an adductor muscle injury on Oct. 15.
“Felt really good,” Murray said. “It was exciting to be back on the ice in a real practice scenario so it was a lot of fun.”
Murray would not say when he expected to return to the lineup.
“I think right now it’s a day-to-day type of thing, see how I feel, keep testing it and just take things one day at a time,” the goalie said. “It’s improving every day for sure.”
Murray allowed four goals on 23 shots in his only start this season, a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 12. Toronto will practice on Thursday before playing back-to-back games Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks, each at home.
“In a lot of cases at least in my mind with how this thing started off, he’s probably a little bit ahead of schedule but I know that because he progressed so quickly in the early going, this weekend was sort of something a couple weeks ago they were targeting as a goal to work towards as long as he continued to progress well,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We’re on track here but we are just going to have to make sure we are smart about it and that Matt is feeling comfortable not so much from the physical point of view but also in terms of stopping the puck and feeling comfortable to play in a game that he’s prepared after being off for so long.”
Goalie Ilya Samsonov is week to week after sustaining a knee injury in a 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday at the end of the second period after attempting to make a save on Brad Marchand‘s penalty shot goal at 4:59 of the second period.
Samsonov is 6-2-0 with a 2.23 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in eight games.
Erik Kallgren started in goal against Vegas, allowing three goals on 17 shots, and Keith Petruzzelli was the backup. — Dave McCarthy
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