The Chicago Blackhawks are on the verge of welcoming back defenseman Alec Martinez and forward Craig Smith, both of whom are currently listed as day-to-day due to injuries. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild have activated forward Joel Eriksson Ek from the injured reserve after he missed 11 games due to a lower-body injury. Eriksson Ek’s return comes as the Wild also monitor the status of Kirill Kaprizov, who is still day-to-day with a similar injury.
In Pittsburgh, the Penguins are dealing with injury concerns as defenseman Marcus Pettersson remains sidelined with a lower-body issue. Kris Letang also missed a recent game for the Penguins due to injury, highlighting the team's defensive struggles.
On a more unfortunate note, San Jose Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek will be out for an extended period after suffering a fractured cheekbone, a freak accident that occurred while he was on the bench. Coach Warsofsky expressed his sympathy for Vanecek and confidence in his recovery.
In other updates, the St. Louis Blues welcomed back forward Alexandre Texier to their lineup. The Tampa Bay Lightning are facing a similar situation with forward Jake Guentzel, who is currently day-to-day. The Vancouver Canucks are also managing their roster carefully, as coach Rick Tocchet announced that defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson will not be joining the team on their upcoming road trip, with Pettersson expected to return in about a week while Hughes is more uncertain.
Additionally, the Washington Capitals have activated Lars Eller from the injured reserve, and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg was seen skating before practice, indicating a potential return to play soon.
