Ice Chips: Devils' Hughes, Pesce to make season debuts

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

New Jersey Devils

Defencemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce will make their season debuts for the New Jersey Devils against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed.

The team later officially activated them off injured reserve.

Hughes missed all of training camp and has yet to play this season after hurting his shoulder during off-season training.

The 21-year-old defenceman appeared in all 82 games last season, recording nine goals and 47 points.

Pesce, 29, sustained a fractured fibula during last year's playoff while a member of the Carolina Hurricanes and had a week-to-week timeline for his return.

He signed a six-year, $33 million deal to join the Devils in the off-season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

It appears Joseph Woll is in line to make his season debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night as the team hosts the St. Louis Blues.

The Maple Leafs activated Woll off injured reserve Thursday morning and assigned Dennis Hildeby to the AHL, leaving the NHL club with two goaltenders on their roster in Woll and Anthony Stolarz.

Furthermore, forward Max Pacioretty was not on the ice for morning skate after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, David Alter reports.

Alter also notes that centre Fraser Minten, who was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury prior to the start of the season, skated in a grey extras jersey on Thursday.

New York Islanders

Anthony Duclair will be out four-to-six weeks due to a leg injury, the New York Islanders announced.

The 29-year-old winger has two goals and three points in five games with the Islanders this season after signing a four-year, $14 million contract on July 1. He was injured in Saturday's 4-3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens.

The Islanders visit the New Jersey Devils on Friday.

Calgary Flames

TSN's Salim Valji says the goalie rotation continues for the Calgary Flames as Dan Vladar was in the starters net Thursday morning ahead of a matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Vladar is 2-0-1 so far this season with a 2.63 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

Forward Justin Kirkland has been bumped up to the top line. The Winnipeg, Man., native has one goal and two assists in five games in 2024-25.

Valji also mentions centre Yegor Sharangovich skated for the first time this season.

The Flames enter Thursday's contest sitting first in the Pacific Division at 5-0-1.

Lines at morning skate:

Huberdeau-Kirkland-Mantha

Pospisil-Kadri-Kuzmenko

Zary-Backlund-Coleman

Rooney-Lomberg-Coronato

Weegar-Miromanov

Bahl-Andersson-

Bean-Pachal

Vladar

Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov may play Saturday night against the New York Islanders, but is more likely to make his return on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres, according to head coach Paul Maurice.

He will not suit up for Thursday night's game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Barkov has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury suffered against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 10.

The defending champion Panthers are 4-3-1 to start the season, coming off a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark was on the ice at practice ahead of Friday's matchup in Las Vegas, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Ullmark has been sidelined since Oct. 12, with head coach Travis Green revealing last week that the goaltender was dealing with a "strain."

The goaltender was initially expected to return late last week, but has remained sidelined.

The 31-year-old netminder is 1-1-0 through two games with a .914 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. He appeared in 40 games with Boston last season, going 22-10-8 with a .915 save percentage and 2.55 GAA.