On the Detroit Red Wings …
Dana Wakiji: Forward Darren Helm didn’t practice today and Martin Frk left early. Defenseman Trevor Daley practiced.
On the Montreal Canadiens …
John Lu: Goaltender Carey Price will be taking a couple days off the ice as his progress had stagnated and hasn’t progressed like he had hoped. He added that he will be back soon.
John Lu: Price said the injury first happened in the warmups against the Wild on November 2nd. He played that game and felt fine, though it was a different story when he woke up the next day.
Elliotte Friedman: The Canadiens claimed goaltender Antti Niemi off waivers.
Cap Friendly: With it being day 42 of 186 of the season, Niemi will carry a $545,699 salary cap hit.
Stu Cowan: Artturi Lehkonen won’t be in the lineup tonight due to a lower-body injury.
On the Nashville Predators …
Adam Vingan: Forward Nick Bonino will return to the lineup tonight. He’s been out since October 14th.
On the New Jersey Devils …
Andrew Gross: Sounding like forward Travis Zajac will be back in the lineup Thursday against the Maple Leafs. Coach John Hynes wants to see him have another good practice first.
On the New York Islanders …
New York Islanders: Forward Josh Ho-Sang missed practice today with an illness and they’ll have to wait and see if he’ll be able to go on Thursday.
On the Washington Capitals …
Isabelle Khurshudyan: Looking like defenseman Matt Niskanen gets back into the lineup tonight after missing 13 games.
Forward lines at practice …
John Vogl: Buffalo Sabres lines: Kane-Eichel-Reinhart, Pouliot-O’Reilly-Okposo, Moulson-Larsson-Pominville, Baptiste-Girgensons-Nolan, Griffith.
Chris Hine: Chicago Blackhawks lines: Saad-Toews-Panik, Schmaltz-Anisimov-Kane, Sharp-Wingels-DeBrincat, Bouma/Hayden-Kero-Hartman.
Matthews DeFranks: Florida Panthers lines: Huberdeau-Barkov-Dadonov, Hunt-Trocheck-Vrbata, McGinn-Bjugstad-Sceviour, Haley-Valk-Brickley.
Andrew Gross: New Jersey Devils lines: Hall-Zajac-Palmieri, Bratt-Nico-Stafford, Henrique-Boyle-Wood, Gibbons-Coleman-Noesen (Hayes, Zacha, McLeod rotating in).
Isabelle Khurshudyan: Washington Capitals lines: Stephenson-Backstrom-Oshie, Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-DSP, Vrana-Eller-Wilson, Connolly-Beagle-Chiasson.
Defensive pairings at practice …
John Vogl: Buffalo Sabres pairings: Scandella-Falk, McCabe-Fedun, Gorges-Beaulieu, Antipin.
Matthews DeFranks: Florida Panthers pairings: Yandle-Ekblad, Matheson-Pysyk, McCoshen-Weegar.
Andrew Gross: New Jersey Devils pairings: Greene-Santini, Moore-Severson, Butcher-Lovejoy (Prout rotating in).
Isabelle Khurshudyan: Washington Capitals lines: Djoos-Carlson, Orpik-Bowey, Orlov-Niskanen.