Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers have activated forward James Neal off the injured reserve and he'll play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Neal was removed from the COVID-19 protocol list on Jan. 15 and has yet to play this season. He was deemed "unfit to play" since the start of training camp but has been skating.  

He had 19 goals and 31 points in 55 games last season for the Oilers.  

Lines from Oilers practice:

RNH-McDavid-Kassian
Kahun-Draisaitl-Yamamoto
Ennis-Turris-Puljujarvi
Neal?/-Shore-Archibald.  *Chiasson likely stays in if Neal isn’t ready.

Nurse-Bear
Russell-Barrie
Koekkoek-Larsson
Koskinen

Ottawa Senators

Per TSN's Brent Wallace, goaltender Matt Murray (day off) and forward Derek Stepan (maintenance day) did not skate this morning.

Rookie Tim Stützle is back on the ice after missing the last two games and he is considered day-to-day. He has one goal in two games this season.

Lines from Friday's practice:

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Stutzle-Tierney-CBrown
Paul-Anisimov-Dadonov
Paquette-White-Watson
Galchenyuk-Peca-Haley

Chabot-Gudbranson
Reilly-Zaitsev
Coburn-J.Brown
Wolanin-Zub

Hogberg
Daccord

The Senators will take on the Winnipeg Jets for a third consecutive game on Saturday night. 

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks reassigned defenceman Brogan Rafferty to the taxi squad.

Rafferty, 25, played his only game this season in Thursday's 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, registering one assist. Rafferty joined the Canucks in 2019 after signing as an undrafted free-agent. 

 

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets have recalled forward Nathan Gerbe from the taxi squad and assigned forward Emil Bemstrom to the taxi squad.

Gerbe, 33, had four goals and 10 points in 30 games last season with Columbus. He has 62 goals and 148 points in 426 career NHL games split between the Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres.

Bemstrom has zero points in five games this season for the Blue Jackets. The 21-year-old had 10 goals and 20 points in 56 games last season, his first in the NHL.

Pierre-Luc Dubois is on the ice today to take part in the Blue Jackets' optional practice. He played just 3:55 in Thursday's overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After appearing to give up on a puck battle in the offensive zone in the first period, Dubois did not play for the remainder of the game.

Columbus is back in action on Saturday night against the Lightning.

Waivers

Forward Jonathan Ang (Florida Panthers) has been placed on unconditional waivers as of 12 p.m. ET Friday.

Brandon Pirri (Chicago Blackhawks) cleared waivers from Thursday.