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Buffalo Sabres
Tage Thompson is day to day with an upper-body injury.
The forward, who leads the Sabers with 34 goals, 34 assists and 68 points, did not practice Monday. He watched the end of practice from the bench in street clothes.
“He’s been, like lots of players, dealing with nagging issues and they’re a little bit more from the last game (3-2 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday),” coach Don Granato said. “So it’s way better for him to just take the day. He could have skated today, but way better for him to just take a day.”
Granato expects Thompson, who was named to his first NHL All-Star Game this season, to practice Tuesday and said he should be able to play against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday (7:30 pm ET; TNT, SN NOW).
“I’m pretty sure Thompson will be in practice tomorrow and we’ll have a conversation after that,” Granato said.
Defenseman Mattias Samuelssonwho has missed two games with a lower-body injury, and forward Dylan Cozenswho has missed one game with an undisclosed injury, were on the ice for practice Monday.
Each is better, but their status for Wednesday is to be determined.
“I don’t need a decision today, so let those guys skate,” Granato said.
Cozens has 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 48 games, and Samuelsson has five points (one goal, four assists) in 34 games. –Heather Engel
St. Louis Blues
Robert Thomas remains day to day and will not play for the Blues against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday (8 pm ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS, BSMW, SN NOW).
The forward sustained a lower-body injury early in the second period of a 5-0 loss at the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday and missed a 4-2 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Thomas leads the Blues with 31 assists and is second with 43 points in 47 games.
“Still not feeling good enough yet,” coach Craig Berube said Monday. “[He was on the ice] just to skate and see how it felt. He is not even walking very well. He’s going to get a week here to rest up and he’ll probably be good to go.”
Monday is the Blues’ final game prior to the All-Star break. They don’t play again until Feb. 11 against the Coyotes.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matt Murray is out until after the All-Star break for the Maple Leafs with an ankle injury.
The goalie has not played since Jan. 17, when he allowed four goals on eight shots in 21:41 in a 5-4 overtime win against the Florida Panthers.
Coach Sheldon Keefe said there is no definitive timeline for Murray to return but that the injury is not expected to keep him out for the long term.
“There’s something there that is going to require some time, for sure,” Keefe said Saturday. “The length of time we won’t really know until we come back from the break.”
Toronto’s first game after the break will be at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 10.
Joseph Wollwho was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis, backed up Ilya Samsonov in a 5-1 win against the Washington Capitals on Sunday and will be the backup against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday (7:30 pm ET; SN, TVAS, NESN, ESPN+, SN NOW). — Mike Zeisberger
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