Ice Chips: Hellebuyck skates, Devils debut could come this week

Forward Isaac Howard and Trent Frederic are expected to return to the lineup on Monday when the Oilers take on the Detroit Red Wings, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

Howard and Frederic were both healthy scratches for the team's 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

Howard has two assists in 10 games this season while Frederic has a goal in 10 games.

The Oilers used these lines during their morning skate, according to team reporter Bob Stauffer:

Podkolzin - McDavid - Draisaitl
Kapanen - Nugent-Hopkins - Hyman
Formenton - Michaels - Joseph
Frederic - Dach - Howard
Hallander

Mukhamadullin - Bouchard
Shea - Murphy
Walman - Emberson
Ekholm - Dickinson

Jarry

The Devils got their first look at Connor Hellebuyck as he participated in his first practice since being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.

The 33-year-old netminder was acquired by the Devils from the Jets in exchange for forwards Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, Alexander Command, goaltender Nico Daws, a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, and a seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft.

This is Hellebuyck's first appearance with an NHL club this season after he did not report to Winnipeg's training camp and was suspended for the first 10 games of the season for not reporting.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe says that it's Hellebuyck's intention to play at some point during the team's three-game Western road swing this week but there are several boxes they need to check before the team can give him the go-ahead.

The 6-foot-4 superstar goalie struggled last season, going 23-23-11 with an .895 save percentage and 2.86 goals against average with the Jets.

Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, taking it home in 2020, 2024, and 2025. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025.

He had the best season of his career in 2024-25, going 47-12-3 with a 2.00 GAA and a .925 save percentage to take home the Hart Trophy, the Jets first in both iterations of the franchise.

The Commerce, Mich., native also backstopped the United States to their first Olympic gold medal since 1980 at Milano Cortina 2026.

The Wild assigned forward Rieger Lorenz to the AHL's Iowa Wild on Monday.

Lorenz, 22, appeared in six games in the NHL this season, recording an assist.

The 6-foot-1 winger was drafted 56th overall by the Wild in 2022 and has two goals and three points in two games in the AHL this season.

Goaltender Logan Thompson left practice early on Monday and defenceman Jakob Chychrun was missing, according to Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.

Thompson, 29, missed Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres with a lower-body injury. He skated 45 minutes on Monday before leaving.

The 6-foot-4 netminder has a 4-3-0 record this season with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.

Chychrun, 28, was absent on for a maintenance day and is expected to remain in the lineup when the team takes on the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

He has a goal and seven points in 10 games with the Capitals this season while averaging 24:40 of ice time.

Captain Mikael Backlund participated in Monday's morning skate prior to his team's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Backlund, 27, missed the team's last two games while dealing with an upper-body injury.

The 6-foot-centre has a goal and two points in eight games this season.

The Avalanche assigned forward Taylor Makar to the AHL's Colorado Eagles on Monday after playing two games in the NHL.

Makar, 25, participated in the team's 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday and 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Sunday before being sent down.

The 6-foot-3 winger has three goals and four points in six AHL games this season.

Defenceman Cam York participated in his second straight practice as he continues to recover from an upper-body injury, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

York, 25, hasn't played since Oct. 8 and has yet to record a point in five games this season while averaging 21:49 of ice time.

The 6-foot, left-shot defenceman had four goals and 26 points in 74 games last season while averaging 22:32 of ice time.

Additionally, defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen was missing from practice one game after returning from an upper-body injury, according to Hall.

Ristolainen, 31, missed nine games while dealing with an upper-body injury and skated 14:34 during Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, recording a shot with a minus-1 rating.

The 6-foot-4, right-shot blueliner has a goal in four games this season.

Forward Mats Zuccarello will not be available to his team when they take on the New York Rangers on Monday while head coach Peter Laviolette is hopeful that centre Quinton Byfield will be able to play, according to team reporter Zach Dooley.

Zuccarello, 39, skated 13:20 during Saturday's 3-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils but is dealing with an upper-body injury that has had him in-and-out of the lineup.

The 5-foot-8 winger has an assist in six games this season.

Byfield, 24, sustained an upper-body injury during the team's 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Oct. 20 and missed the team's last two games.

The 6-foot-5 centre has a goal and two points in seven games this season.

Forward Taylor Hall returned to practice with the Hurricanes on Monday while newly-signed Alexander Nikishin had not yet re-joined the team, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.

Hall, 34, did not join the Hurricanes during their five-game Western road trip while he was recovering from a lower-body injury.

The 6-foot-1 forward has three goals and five points in eight games this season.

Nikishin, 25, signed a one-year, $3 million contract on Sunday after the Hurricanes failed to accommodate his trade request as a restricted free agent. He will become a RFA again at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

The 6-foot-3, left-shot defenceman had 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games as a rookie last season while averaging 18:11 of ice time. He added an assist in 17 playoff games last season while averaging 14:50 of ice time to help the team to their first Stanley Cup championship in 20 years.

James Reimer was the first goaltender off the ice in Monday's morning skate, indicating that he is expected to make his Rangers debut in net against the Los Angeles Kings, according to Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic.

Reimer, 38, was signed to a one-year, $850,000 contract on Saturday after playing the beginning of the season with the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.

The 6-foot-2 netminder appeared in one game in Hartford providing a 35-save shutout against the Providence Bruins on Friday.

Reimer appeared in 14 games for the Ottawa Senators last season, going 7-4-2 with a 2.42 goals-against average and an .886 save percentage.

The Rangers is Reimer's ninth team in his 16-season NHL career, after previously appearing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Senators.