Carolina could get one of its top finishers back as it heads west, while injury and illness questions continue to shape Saturday’s NHL slate from Winnipeg to Buffalo.
Hurricanes await Jarvis clearance
Seth Jarvis may be ready to make his first appearance of the season during Carolina’s upcoming two-game weekend. The forward has been recovering from shoulder surgery performed in June.
Jarvis paced the Hurricanes with 32 goals last season and added four goals and seven assists across 19 playoff games. Carolina opens a five-game trip against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, then visits the Calgary Flames on Sunday.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour said Jarvis remains unapproved for game action, but indicated the club hopes that clearance arrives during the trip.
Capitals monitor Roy, remain without Dubois
Washington defenseman Matt Roy is a game-time question for Saturday’s home date with the New Jersey Devils at 1 p.m. ET. Roy practiced fully Friday after sitting out five games with a lower-body injury.
The Capitals will again be without center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who missed practice while dealing with an illness and is set to sit out for a fourth consecutive game. Coach Spencer Carbery said Dubois has improved somewhat and could resume practicing next week.
Center Justin Sourdif also missed Friday’s session because of illness. His availability against New Jersey remains uncertain, with Carbery calling it a day-to-day evaluation.
Jets lose Namestnikov and Morrissey week to week
Winnipeg will be without forward Vladislav Namestnikov on a week-to-week basis after an undisclosed injury suffered when he crashed into the boards during Thursday morning’s skate. He was unavailable for the Jets’ game against Chicago that night and has one assist through six outings.
Defenseman Josh Morrissey has also shifted from day-to-day status to week to week with an upper-body injury. Morrissey was hurt on a first-period hit involving Colorado Avalanche forward T.J. Hughes during Winnipeg’s 3-2 win Oct. 7. He took one shift in the second period before leaving for good.
The Jets’ leading blue-line option has three assists in four games and will not require surgery, coach Scott Arniel said.
Dahlin remains out as Sabres host Canadiens
Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin will miss a third straight game Saturday when the Montreal Canadiens come to town for a 7 p.m. ET faceoff. The defenseman is recovering from an upper-body injury that appeared to occur on a slap shot early in the second period of Buffalo’s 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Monday.
Coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin is trending upward but will not be available against Montreal. Dahlin has two goals, two assists and a team-leading workload of 23:38 per game through six contests.
There was better news around Josh Norris. The forward joined Buffalo’s optional skate Friday after exiting Thursday’s 5-4 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Norris landed awkwardly on Toronto defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson 2:41 into overtime. Ruff said Norris felt well enough to skate, an encouraging sign for the Sabres.
Stars place Back on injured reserve
Dallas forward Oskar Back is expected to miss four to six weeks after breaking a finger. He has been placed on injured reserve following his early departure from Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout victory against Colorado.
Coach Glen Gulutzan said the Stars are hoping Back can beat that timetable, while noting the injury is another hand issue for the forward.
Wyatt Johnston remains in Dallas after illness kept him out of the past two games. The Stars have not ruled out flying him to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks at 7 p.m. ET, but Gulutzan said the club had not reached that point Friday.
Blackhawks without Byram
Chicago defenseman Bowen Byram missed Thursday’s game against Winnipeg with an upper-body injury. Byram has averaged a team-high 24:42 per game and recorded one assist in six games during his first season with the Blackhawks after arriving from Buffalo in a June 23 trade.
The Blackhawks host Dallas on Saturday night, when the Stars will also be monitoring Johnston’s status.
