Hanzal to return … Stars still without four defensemen
Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News: The Dallas Stars put Gemel Smith on waivers as forward Martin Hanzal is nearing his return.
Hanzal is coming off back surgery and had just been cleared to return. Today’s practice could determine if he’s able to return tomorrow.
Defenseman Stephen Johns hasn’t skated in weeks. He’s been out all season with post-traumatic headaches.
“I have a lot of empathy for Stephen right now just because he wants to be a player, but he’s really frustrated,” Montgomery said. “Simple things like asking him how he’s doing, I think he’s frustrated hearing those questions. So, I have a lot of empathy and kind of let him be and just say ‘Hi Stephen, we’re with you.’ Besides that, I don’t know what to say.”
Defensemen John Klingberg (hand) and Connor Carrick (foot) should be ready around Christmas.
There is no timetable for defenseman Marc Methot.
DeKeyser out over a month
Ansar Khan: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser will be out for four to six weeks with a left-hand injury.
Caggiula has a hand injury
Edmonton Oilers: Coach Ken Hitchcock said that Drake Caggiula missed last night’s game with a minor hand injury.
Simmonds has a nose issue but still practiced
Dave Isaac: Guessing that Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds may have broken his nose. He was on the ice yesterday with his nose bandaged up.
Penguins updates
Jonathan Bombulie: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Simon is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Kris Letang was given a maintenance day.
Pens Inside Scoop: Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said that Matt Murray and Matt Cullen skated again yesterday.
Meier returns
Paul Gackle: San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier returned to the lineup last night.
Pacioretty will test his ‘tweak’ this morning
Jesse Granger: Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty said that he had tweaked something. He had tested it out yesterday and it felt a little better. He will see how feels today before deciding if he’ll be able to go tonight.