Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said it’s unlikely Nicklas Backstrom plays again this season after the Swedish centre stepped away from the team last week, citing the ongoing issues with his surgically repaired left hip.
MacLellan stopped short of ruling Backstrom out for the remainder of the season or saying the franchise cornerstone had played his final NHL game, according to The Associated Press. The soon-to-be 36-year-old is expected to go on long-term injured reserve in the near future.
“It’s emotional for everybody. He’s been such a big part of the organization,” MacLellan said Monday. “It’s a tough situation, and eventually everybody’s got to move on.”
Backstrom is the Capitals’ second-longest-tenured player behind captain Alex Ovechkin, and his 762 career assists in the regular season are the most in franchise history. After arthroscopic surgery on the hip in 2015, he had the more invasive operation in the summer of 2022 and insisted at the start of training camp he was fully healthy and ready to play.
He had just one point in eight games this season, was taken off the top power-play unit and had his ice time drastically reduced. It looked in practice like he was a candidate to be a healthy scratch before the decision was made to take a leave of absence.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres have recalled rookie forward Matt Savoie from his conditioning loan with AHL Rochester and placed foward Brandon Biro on injured reserve, the team announced Monday.
The Sabres loaned Savoie to Rochester for his conditioning stint on Oct. 22 after starting the season on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury he suffered in a prospects game against Pittsburgh on Sept. 18.
Savoie had two goals and three assists in six games with Rochester. The Sabres picked the Winnipeg Ice product ninth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Biro has two goals in two games for Buffalo.
Florida Panthers
The hard-hit Panthers blue line might get the boost they’ve been waiting for as head coach Paul Maurice told reporters that there is a good chance Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad could return after their California road trip.
Both Ekblad and Montour had surgery on his shoulder after the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final. Both were expected to miss the first month or two of the season.
New York Islanders
The team said Bo Horvat is day-to-day after blocking a shot off his foot against the Hurricanes.
Defenceman Adam Pelech looked ok after missing Saturday’s game against Carolina with a lower-body injury but his status for their next game remains uncertain.
Scott Mayfield missed practice due to maintenance.
Dallas Stars
Head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters that forward Matt Duchene is day-to-day but will not play Monday. Duchene left Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a high hit from Ian Cole late in the second period.
The team is already without Radek Faksa who is close to returning according to DeBoer, but he will not be available against the Bruins on Monday.
The Stars are expected to dress 11 forwards and 7 defencemen.
Washington Capitals
Capitals defenceman Trevor van Riemsdyk is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, per Stephen Whyno of AP.
Van Riemsdyk exited a game against Columbus with the injury on Saturday. He has one assist in 10 games this season.
Carolina Hurricanes
Veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak will join the Carolina Hurricanes at practice Monday on a professional tryout, the team announced.
Starting goaltender Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely with a blood clotting issue, the team announced later. He is out indefinitely.
Andersen owns a 4-1 record this season and has a 2.87 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. The 34-year-old was sidelined nine days last month after taking a puck to the helmet.
Halak spent last season with the New York Rangers, going 10-9-5 with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled winger Nick Robertson from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the NHL team announced Monday.
Centre Pontus Holmberg will go down to the Marlies to make room for Robertson.
The Leafs are in need of depth scoring — and Robertson has five goals and six assists in 11 AHL games this season.
Ottawa Senators
Senators defenceman Artem Zub is ready to return from an upper-body injury, coach D.J. Smith told reporters Monday.
The Russian has missed the past six games. He has a goal and two assists in three games this season.
The slumping Senators are short on defence with Thomas Chabot (hand) and Erik Brannstrom (concussion) both out.
— With files from The Associated Press