new jersey devils
Jack Hughes missed the Devils’ game against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday at Prudential Center due to an upper-body injury.
Hughes was injured in an awkward fall during a rush late in the third period of Friday’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
“Jack won’t play. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said Saturday. “We’re still evaluating him. We’ll give you a full update once he passes all protocols.”
Hughes leads New Jersey this season with 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 32 games. He also missed five games in November with an upper body injury.
Graham Clark will make his NHL debut in Hughes’ absence.
“Clark is going to play. This is an opportunity for a lot of people,” Ruff said. “When you take big pieces out of the lineup, other players take on bigger roles on the power play. For Graham, this is a great opportunity to play in his first NHL game, and it’s a great opportunity for other players to play in their first NHL game.” It’s a great opportunity. You have a chance to sit down and get a little more ice time.”
New Jersey (21-14-2) is on a two-game winning streak and has won five of its past six games and is in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I think we have to be aware that when key players are out, we have to make some adjustments,” Ruff said. “We’ve made adjustments with some of our key players who are out. Without Jack, we’ve made certain adjustments to help us get points in games, win hockey games, get points in games and continue to advance. We know we have to play that way.”
washington capitals
Manager Spencer Carberry said Alex Ovechkin will make an in-game decision when the Capitals host the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
The 38-year-old left wing limped off the ice after colliding with Jordan Staal in the third period of Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes and missed Saturday’s practice for maintenance. .
Ovechkin has 25 points (8 goals, 17 assists) in 37 games this season.
Defenseman Rasmus Sandin will miss Sunday’s game for the second consecutive game as he did not resume training due to illness. Goaltender Charlie Lindgren participated in full practice, but Carberry wasn’t sure if he would be ready as a reserve against the Kings.
“I’m going to get an update on him after practice and see how he’s doing tomorrow,” Carberry said. “I still call him every day.” –Tom Gritty
colorado avalanche
Bowen Byram was placed on injured reserve by the Avalanche on Saturday with a lower-body injury retroactive to Thursday.
The defenseman was ejected during the third period of overtime in Thursday’s 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars.
“He’s going to miss a few games here,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He’s weak in his lower body. It’s not serious at this point, so it’s going to be somewhere between seven and 10, 14 days. We put him on IR today, so he’s going to be out at least seven days. It will be.”
Byram has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 39 games this season, averaging 20 minutes and 20 seconds of ice time per game.
dallas stars
Jake Oettinger is close to returning, but he won’t suit up for the Stars when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Recently, goalie status changed from weekly to daily. He injured his lower body on Dec. 15 against the Ottawa Senators, but was helped off the ice by extending his right pad to stop a shot attempt at 8:03 of the first period.
“With the game coming up, I’m just itching to get back on this team,” Oettinger said Saturday.
Oettinger played in 21 games this season, posting a 11-7-2 record, 2.93 GAA, .901 save percentage, and one shutout.
In Oettinger’s absence, the Stars turned to Scott Wedgewood, who posted an 11-3-3 record, 3.11 GAA, and .897 save percentage in 17 games. — Taylor Baird
chicago blackhawks
Zach Sanford was claimed off waivers by the Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes on Saturday.
The forward has two assists in 11 games with the Coyotes this season. He played in 316 regular season games with the Coyotes, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals, scoring 100 points (49 goals, 51 assists).
Chicago also acquired forward Rem Pitlick in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Pitlick has not played in the NHL this season, but he has 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 32 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins’ American Hockey League affiliate.
Pitlick played in 123 NHL games with the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, and Montreal Canadiens, scoring 54 points (21 goals, 33 assists).
The Blackhawks are currently without six forwards. On Saturday, Connor Bedard (fractured jaw) and Nick Foligno (fractured finger) were each placed on injured reserve, along with Taylor Radish (groin), Tyler Johnson (foot), Anthony Beauvillier (wrist) and Andreas.・Athanasiu (crotch) is also visible.
The Blackhawks next host the Calgary Flames on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBCSCH, SN, TVAS).
vegas golden knights
Adin Hill skated with the Golden Knights at practice Friday.
The goalie, who has been sidelined since Dec. 17 with a lower-body injury, could return next week. He missed seven games through December 17 with a similar injury.
“He’s back in the group and back skating, so it’s another step,” Las Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If he continues to take those steps in practice, I think he’ll see Adin at some point next week.”
Hill is 10-2-2 with a 1.93 goals-against average, .933 save percentage and two shutouts in 15 games this season. — Paul Delos Santos
