NHL Player News
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Mattias Samuelsson D | BUF
Sabres' Mattias Samuelsson: Set to return
Samuelsson (undisclosed) is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday versus the Golden Knights, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Samuelsson missed one game due to the injury. He'll return to his usual top-four role with a spot on the penalty kill. The 26-year-old has had a career year on offense, but he has earned just two points over his last 10 outings.
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Alex Tuch RW | BUF
Sabres' Alex Tuch: Not playing Tuesday
Tuch (illness) won't suit up Tuesday versus the Golden Knights, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Tuch appears to need at least one game off to recover from his illness. Tyson Kozak is set to return from an undisclosed injury Tuesday, while Josh Doan will likely get a boost in ice time due to Tuch's absence. Tuch's next chance to play is Thursday in San Jose.
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Alex Wennberg C | SJ
Sharks' Alexander Wennberg: Set to play Tuesday
Wennberg (upper body) is slated to play Tuesday versus the Oilers, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.
Wennberg was hurt Saturday in Montreal, but it looks like he'll return after just a one-game absence. He has a goal and three assists over three outings prior to the injury. Wennberg is set to play in his usual middle-six role and should be expected to play in all situations.
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Bobby Brink RW | MIN
Wild's Bobby Brink: Not in lineup Tuesday
Brink (upper body) is set to sit out Tuesday versus the Blackhawks, per the NHL media site.
Brink is slated to miss his fourth straight game. The 24-year-old winger's next chance to play is in a rematch against the Blackhawks on Thursday in Minnesota. Robby Fabbri will get back in the lineup in a depth role for Tuesday's contest.
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Spencer Knight G | CHI
Blackhawks' Spencer Knight: Facing Wild
Knight will patrol the home crease against Minnesota on Tuesday, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Knight is coming off a 28-save effort in Saturday's 4-0 loss to Vegas. He has a 17-19-8 record this campaign with three shutouts, a 2.64 GAA and a .908 save percentage across 44 appearances. Minnesota sits 12th in the league with 3.26 goals per game this season.
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Erik Gudbranson D | CLB
Blue Jackets' Erik Gudbranson: Expected to return Tuesday
Gudbranson (upper body) is expected to return in Tuesday's home clash against the Hurricanes, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Gudbranson joined Columbus for line rushes in warmups, which indicates that he'll likely play in Tuesday's tilt. The 34-year-old blueliner missed each of the team's last three games due to the upper-body injury he sustained March 9. Across 21 games this season, he has three points, 19 shots on net, 27 hits and 29 blocked shots. He's in line to suit up on the Blue Jackets' third defensive pairing Tuesday and will likely be eased back into his usual amount of playing time.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson D | TOR
Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Set to play Tuesday
Ekman-Larsson (personal) is slated to be in the lineup Tuesday versus the Islanders, Dave McCarthy of NHL.com reports.
Ekman-Larsson was considered a game-time decision after he welcomed a newborn into the world. The 34-year-old looks good to go after skating in warmups, and he should be back in the power-play mix as well. Simon Benoit is set to be scratched for Ekman-Larsson's return after a one-game absence.
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Jeremy Swayman G | BOS
Bruins' Jeremy Swayman: In goal Tuesday
Swayman will protect the road goal versus the Canadiens on Tuesday, Jim McBride of The Boston Globe reports.
Swayman will get the nod in the second half of a back-to-back after Joonas Korpisalo took the overtime loss versus the Devils on Monday. Swayman is 4-1-0 with nine goals allowed on 130 shots (.931 save percentage) over five outings in March. The Canadiens are a tough matchup, but Swayman has been excellent.
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Brandon Bussi G | CAR
Hurricanes' Brandon Bussi: Slated to start Tuesday
Bussi is expected to start Tuesday's road clash against the Blue Jackets, per Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes' official site.
Bussi spent Monday's morning practice in the starter's crease, which is the main indicator that he'll likely draw Tuesday's start. Overall, the 27-year-old netminder has a 25-5-1 record, a 2.37 GAA and an .898 save percentage through 31 appearances this season. Since the Olympic break, he has struggled with a 2-2-0 record, a 3.81 GAA and an .835 save percentage across four outings. He'll look to get back on track Tuesday against the surging Blue Jackets, who have won five of their eight games in March.