TSN: Pierre LeBrun on Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog, who is on an AHL conditioning stint (played last night).
“But as someone told me today, it’s day-by-day. How does he feel the next day? How does the knee hold up? That’s why no one’s ready to announce that for sure he will be a member of the Avalanche come playoff time. But that’s the hope for a guy that’s recovering from a knee surgery he had in May 2023 that no NHL player has recovered from, has played again in a game.”
Mark Spector: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm returned to the lineup last night.
- Gerry Moddejonge: Ekholm left last night’s game almost seven minutes into the first period. He played two shifts totaling 1:25 in ice time.
Gerry Moddejonge: Oilers forward Zach Hyman left in the first period of last night’s game.
Western Conference Injuries: Friday the 11th
Gerry Moddejonge: Oilers Goaltender Stuart Skinner backed up Calvin Pickard last night. Coach Kris Knoblauch on Skinner:
“He is cleared, he could play, he could be our starting goalie tonight, but with the amount of time we’ve had for practice and just being cleared, he’s had a couple pre-game skates, we felt like giving him a little more time.”
Oilers defenseman Jake Walman didn’t practice yesterday and will miss his second consecutive game. Knoblauch said he could return on Sunday or Monday.
Derek Van Diest: Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl missed his fourth consecutive game with a lower-body injury and he isn’t going to rush back just to get into a game.
“I feel alright, obviously not good enough yet to get into games,” Draisaitl said Friday. “At this time of year, I want to be taking the right steps and feeling as good to 100 percent as I can. It’s improving slowly, but hopefully it won’t be that much longer.”
James Nichols: New Jersey Devils coach Sheldon Keefe when asked if he’s committed to Seamus Casey as their sixth defenseman, “We’re expecting Hamilton to be available for us.”
Bruce Garrioch: Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk didn’t take part in their optional morning skate yesterday. There was hope Thursday that he would.
Jordan Hall: A source said that Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov missed practice for precautionary reasons and that he’s expected to be in the lineup on Saturday.
Gerry Moddejonge: The San Jose Sharks lost defenseman Jack Thompson after the first period and defenseman Timothy Liljegren left before the end of the second.
Jonas Siegel: Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said that defenseman Jake McCabe won’t play on Saturday but he is expected play before the end of the regular season. He missed practice again yesterday and has missed their past three games.
David McCarthy: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson won’t play tonight. He’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks, and the Toronto Maple Leafs
James Mirtle: The Maple Leafs could be a player short tonight with David Kampf and McCabe already out.
Mark Masters: McCabe and Kampf didn’t skate with the team but did skate earlier in the morning.
Maple Leafs Hotstove: Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa on potentially be ready to return for the playoffs: “We’ve been making some good improvements and slowly working our way toward playing… Hopefully, we’ll get there.”
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