New Jersey Devils
Nico Hischier is week to week for the Devils because of an upper-body injury. "It's something I think they'll evaluate again next week and then take it from there," coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday. "But he won't be available this week for sure." Hischier, a center and New Jersey's captain, took a cross-check up high late in the second period of a 4-3 overtime win at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and did not play the remaining 2:10 of the period. He returned to the bench to begin the third period and was on the ice for a 36-second shift before returning to the locker room. He missed his second straight game when the Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on Wednesday. "Nico is a guy we lean on for so much, whether it's power play, penalty-kill, 4-on-4, end of the game, start of the game, who to go to for a voice ... it's Nico," forward
Nathan Bastian said. "When he's gone you need a collection of guys to step up, probably everyone, so hopefully we can come together and show that we can miss our top guys and still be the team we are." Hischier leads New Jersey with 24 goals in 51 games and is second among forwards with an average ice time of 20:21.
Montreal Canadiens
Kaiden Guhle sustained a lacerated quadricep muscle and will be out indefinitely after surgery. The defenseman, who was released from the hospital, left a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in the third period and had to be helped to the locker room after an awkward fall into the boards. "Where are we going to feel 'Guhls?' I think all over," Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said after practice Wednesday. "He plays a lot of minutes 5-on-5, he kills penalties. I don't think it's one specific (area) but his presence is going to be felt, that he's not here, but it's not one guy that's going to replace him." Guhle has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 44 games. His 100 blocked shots are second on Montreal behind David Savard (109).
Calgary Flames
Kevin Bahl is week to week because of an upper-body injury. The Flames defenseman sustained the injury on a hit by Jakub Lauko in the second period of a 5-4 win at Minnesota on Saturday. Lauko was assessed a boarding minor on the play. "He's been a big, big piece for the back end this year," Calgary defenseman
MacKenzie Weegar said of Bahl. "He's one of those guys that's shown he's almost irreplaceable for us. He's a big body (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) with a big reach who's playing shutdown minutes against top lines in the league." Bahl, who will miss his third straight game Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks (9 p.m. ET; SNW, KCOP-13, Victory+), has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 47 games this season, and is third on the Flames in ice time per game (21:18).
Ottawa Senators
Linus Ullmark could make his return from a tweaked back this week, coach Travis Green said Wednesday. Ullmark, a goaltender who was a full participant in practice Wednesday, has not played since leaving after the first period of a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 22. He will not dress against the Washington Capitals on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, MNMT2) but could against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. Defenseman
Nick Jensen will miss his third straight game with an undisclosed injury. He skated Wednesday, but not with the team. Defenseman
Jacob Bernard-Docker , who hasn't played since Dec. 28 because of a high ankle sprain, is "probably another week and a half, two weeks from skating," Green said.
