Darcy Kuemper appears to be nearing his return to the net.
The Arizona Coyotes assigned the 29-year-old goaltender to the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday for conditioning purposes, the team announced.
Kuemper hasn't played since exiting with a lower-body injury on Dec. 19 against the Minnesota Wild.
The 6-foot-5 puck-stopper was enjoying a career season before the injury, boasting a 15-8-2 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
Arizona has posted a 10-13-4 record in Kuemper's absence despite steady play from backup Antti Raanta. The Coyotes sit tied for the final Western Conference wild-card playoff berth entering Saturday's action.
Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan opened up about his recovery from alcohol on Friday while meeting with the media for the first time since entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in November.
After trying to deal with the issue on his own, Ryan said his decision to reach out for help spearheaded his journey to recovery.
"I was trying to white knuckle things and doing things the wrong way," Ryan told reporters, per the team. "I'd have 20 days of nothing and one real bad one and you just can't get better without (help). There's a stigma around asking for help and I was trying to do it.
"I just had never had a period in my life where people were around me to kind of help me really stop and it took going somewhere to figure that out and getting myself I guess a dry period to start, that was very beneficial for me."
The 32-year-old said his issue with alcohol is something he's been dealing with for a long time. Ryan knew if he didn't get help, his troubles would only continue to spiral.
"I had a lot of times where I woke up in the mornings overridden with guilt, shame, and saying I would do it and do it for 12 days and then messing up again. It had no good end."
When asked if his story could serve as inspiration for those in need, Ryan offered an important message.
"If there's anybody that I guess hears it in some sense and can recognize something and kind of find a way to ask for help, hopefully less publicly, then I urge them to do it and I guess there's some silver lining there."
Ryan, who hasn't played since Nov. 16, returned from the player assistance program on Feb. 5 and said he hopes to get into a game within the next two weeks.
Winnipeg Jets newcomer Dylan DeMelo appears to have made a good first impression on head coach Paul Maurice.
The Jets bench boss used a rather suggestive analogy to convey how he felt about DeMelo's game in the defenseman's debut with the club following Thursday night's 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
"His stick so many times knocked things down, his passes were on the tape," Maurice told reporters, per the team. "That was a pure kinda of, I don't know if you could call it 'coach's porn,' but when you're watching hockey video, you know that's pretty darn good."
Winnipeg acquired DeMelo from the Senators on Tuesday in exchange for a third-round pick in 2020. The 6-foot blue-liner recorded three blocked shots while logging 18:36 of ice time, including 3:18 on the penalty kill.
"Coaches love those kind of games," Maurice continued. "It's not flashy, but his consistency with his stick, his reads, and then his passes ... the ones he needed to snap hard he did and the ones he could feather and touch in there he did."
The Jets will look to DeMelo to help give them a much-needed defensive boost in the midst of a tight Western Conference playoff race. Winnipeg ranks last in the league in both share of expected goals for and high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five.
Connor McDavid appears to be making positive steps in his recovery from a quad injury.
The Edmonton Oilers star hasn't played since Feb. 8 but took part in Thursday's team practice - his first since suffering the ailment. Head coach Dave Tippett said the team is taking it one day at a time, but he didn't rule McDavid out from returning to the lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
"He's moving well. We'll see where he is in the morning," Tippett said. "He's day-to-day ... he took a good step today but we're not over-promising anything."
McDavid looked comfortable while participating in an up-tempo skills drill.
The 2018 Art Ross Trophy winner was initially ruled out two-to-three weeks. Even if he sits out Friday, McDavid will travel with the club for it's California road trip beginning Sunday.
Despite missing the last five contests, McDavid ranks fourth in league scoring with 81 points through 55 games this season.
The Oilers are in the thick of a tightly contested Western Conference playoff race, leading the Pacific Division by a single point entering Thursday's action.
The Stars captain was assessed a five-minute boarding major and game misconduct for the hit. Ekman-Larsson was helped to the locker room but later returned to finish the contest.
"Player Safety viewed it as a 50-50 puck chase, not a typical boarding suspension where one player was tracking another," according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. "They felt it was definitely worth the boarding major which Benn got in-game, but felt it didn't rise to the level of supplemental discipline."
Benn has never received supplemental discipline over his 11-year NHL career.
L.A. acquired a second-round pick in both 2020 and 2021 in return, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Martinez, 32, is under contract through the 2020-21 season and carries an annual cap hit of $4 million.
The 6-foot-1 rearguard leads the Kings in blocked shots (85) and ranks second in average ice time (21:31 per game). He's contributed one goal and eight points through 41 contests.
The Edmonton Oilers promoted defenseman Evan Bouchard from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors and placed fellow rearguard Oscar Klefbom on injured reserve, the team announced Wednesday.
Klefbom, 26, is expected to miss two-to-three weeks with a shoulder injury.
Bouchard won't be available Wednesday against the Boston Bruins, but is expected to see game action soon, according to head coach Dave Tippett, per the team.
The 20-year-old Bouchard is considered the Oilers' top defense prospect. He's contributed seven goals and 33 points through 50 games with Bakersfield this season.
Bouchard also mustered one goal in a seven-game stint with the Oilers during 2018-19. The Ontario native was selected 10th overall by Edmonton at the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward is expected to be sidelined six months after undergoing successful knee surgery Wednesday, the club announced.
Johnsson suffered the injury during his team's 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday after awkwardly colliding with teammate Kasperi Kapanen.
The 25-year-old winger, who missed 15 games earlier this season with a separate leg injury, contributed eight goals and 21 points in 43 games.
Toronto traded for a depth forward with NHL experience Wednesday, acquiring center Denis Malgin from the Florida Panthers in exchange for winger Mason Marchment.
"Jay Bouwmeester is doing very well at the UC Irvine Medical Center in Anaheim," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said Wednesday, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. "Jay is currently undergoing a battery of tests to determine the how and why of what happened last night, but things are looking very positive."
Medical staff used a defibrillator to revive Bouwmeester after he collapsed and became unresponsive on the bench during the first period, Armstrong said. The 36-year-old regained consciousness immediately and was then taken to the hospital.
"Thanks again to everyone at the Honda Center and (the) Ducks organization for their life-saving efforts," Armstrong said.
Tuesday's game was postponed after a lengthy delay and will be replayed at a later date. Armstrong said the league has told him the game will begin at 1-1 and all stats will count, but it will be a full 60-minute contest.
Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said he went to visit Bouwmeester at the hospital following the game, and the pair face timed the rest of the team to provide some comfort following the frighting emergency.
"Bouw had his opportunity to kind of see everybody and everybody sent him their wishes," Pietrangelo told reporters during Wednesday's press conference, adding that the team felt better knowing Bouwmeester was in good hands.
"He was in good spirits last night with us and was typical Jay so I think it certainly made us all feel a lot better today knowing that we had the opportunity to talk to him," Pietrangelo continued.
The Blues will play the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, each of the seven Canadian teams finds itself faced with a unique set of circumstances. Some clubs are looking to add, others are looking to sell, and some appear to be caught in between.
Each team will have some difficult decisions to make, regardless of its situation. Here's a look at one potential deadline move for every club north of the border.
Calgary Flames: Trade for Tyler Toffoli
Gerry Thomas / National Hockey League / Getty
Deadline cap space: $2.33 million
The Flames were elite offensively during the 2018-19 campaign, but their failure to match that level of production this season has the club in danger of missing the playoffs.
Only two right-shot forwards - Derek Ryan and Elias Lindholm - have played more than eight games this season, so the club should look to balance out its attack by acquiring a scoring winger on the right side. One possible target is Los Angeles Kings forward Toffoli.
It's difficult to determine what the Flames would be willing to concede given Toffoli is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Perhaps a young depth player off their roster, plus a third-round selection could get it done. The Kings could ask for an additional conditional pick should Toffoli re-sign in Calgary.
The 27-year-old Toffoli is on pace to reach the 20-goal mark for the fourth time and has posted positive advanced numbers at five-on-five through nearly every season of his career.
Edmonton Oilers: Acquire Chris Kreider
Emilee Chinn / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Deadline cap space: $3.53 million
It's no secret that the Oilers need to round out their forward group to support franchise talents Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and New York Rangers winger Kreider could be a perfect fit.
The 28-year-old's contract is expiring this summer, and with New York out of the playoff picture, it's hard to imagine the team passing up a strong offer that could help expedite its rebuild.
Kreider plays with incredible pace, and at 6-foot-3, offers the ideal combination of size and skill. The winger would pose a significant threat playing alongside either Draisaitl or McDavid and would improve an already top-ranked power play. Kreider's 77 career playoff games would rank second on the Oilers' roster behind James Neal.
Montreal Canadiens: Sell Ilya Kovalchuk
Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Deadline cap space: $17.42 million
It's unclear what the Canadiens plan to do with Kovalchuk now that they're back in the playoff hunt. Even if the Habs stumble over the next 12 days, they could opt to re-sign their regenerated goal-scorer rather than deal him.
But what if they could have it both ways? Should the 36-year-old want to continue playing in Montreal, the Canadiens could dish Kovalchuk for an asset and re-sign him next summer. General manager Marc Bergevin pulled this move when he recouped a pair of prospects and a second-round pick for Tomas Plekanec in 2017-18 before bringing the forward back for the following season.
Kovalchuk has shown the potential to be a valuable rental, and the Habs should look to move him in order to bolster their hefty stash of 11 picks at the 2020 draft.
Ottawa Senators: Add to substantial bag of draft picks
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / Getty
Deadline cap space: $26.60 million
Ottawa will likely look back on the summer of 2020 as a critical time in its rebuild. The Senators own five draft picks, including two firsts, in the first two rounds of the 2020 Draft, and they should be looking to add to that total.
General manager Pierre Dorion could move a few players on expiring contracts in an effort to continue stockpiling assets. Forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tyler Ennis, and Vladislav Namestnikov, who are all set to become unrestricted free agents after this season, should be dealt if possible.
The most intriguing of the trio is Pageau, who has a career-high 21 goals through 55 games. The list of impact centers on expiring deals that are likely to be available at the deadline is short, which increases the 27-year-old's value. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche are two contending teams that could use a boost up the middle.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Take a stab at Damon Severson
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Deadline cap space: $5.83 million
It's time for Toronto to finally tackle its defensive issues by acquiring a rearguard that will make a substantial difference. The Leafs have multiple young players on their current roster, in addition to several talented prospects, that could entice teams looking for scoring help.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Severson is one under-the-radar option. The 25-year-old is a steady, right-shooting rearguard with three years remaining on his current deal beyond this season at an annual cap hit of $4.16 million. With seven goals and 22 points on the campaign, the Saskatchewan native can also chip in offensively.
The Minnesota Wild are reportedly open to listening to offers for Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin, and either would serve as a significant upgrade in Toronto.
Vancouver Canucks: Add winger for Bo Horvat
Ben Nelms / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Deadline cap space: $0.22 million
The Canucks already own the league's sixth-best offense, but they could become extremely dangerous in a playoff series if they added another top-six winger to play alongside Horvat.
Toffoli is one option, but Devils forward Blake Coleman might be a more practical target considering the club's tight cap situation. Coleman carries a cap hit of $1.8 million next season and has mustered back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. The 28-year-old plays a key roll on New Jersey's penalty kill and is an extremely reliable two-way talent.
The Devils are likely to be sellers at the deadline, and the Canucks should look to take full advantage.
Winnipeg Jets: Acquire a top-pair right defenseman
Sara Schmidle / National Hockey League / Getty
Deadline cap space: $21.80 million
The Jets won't return to Stanley Cup contention until they refortify the right side of their blue line. This doesn't necessarily have to be done by the deadline, but if they remain in the hunt for a playoff spot and want to optimize their current window, it would be a good idea for them to get aggressive.
It's no small task to acquire a quality player at such a premium position, but the Jets have a ton of talented forwards and young defensive prospects that would warrant a hefty return should they choose to take that route. There are a couple potential targets for the club that come to mind.
Buffalo Sabres rearguard Rasmus Ristolainen has expressed his discontent in the past and at 6-foot-4, 220 lbs, he could help replace some of the size and grit the club seemingly lost with Dustin Byfuglien's absence.
P.K. Subban is also an interesting player. The former Norris Trophy winner has had a disastrous campaign in New Jersey and could benefit from a fresh start. The Devils would likely need to retain a large chunk of Subban's $9-million cap in order to move him, and the Jets would accept the risk that the 30-year-old blue-liner may not return to elite form.
