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Tampa Bay Lightning Nikita Kucherov returned to practice for the Lightning on Tuesday. The forward skated on the second like with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli after missing two games because of an illness. Tampa Bay next hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday (6:45 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+). Coach Jon Cooper said forward Zemgus Girgensons could make his season debut this weekend. He has not played because of an upper-body injury. Vegas Golden Knights Mark Stone is week to week with an upper-body injury the forward sustained in a 6-1 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The Golden Knights captain had two goals and two but left at 14:20 of the third period after falling awkwardly on the ice. Stone did not play in a 4-1 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, and Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said he won't travel for a three-game road trip beginning Saturday. "It [stinks], it really does for him," Cassidy said. "I feel for him, but he's always bounced back well. When we do get him back, whether that's the short, medium, or long term we don't know yet, I'm sure he'll pick up right where he left off." Vancouver Canucks Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimaki (each undisclosed) were placed on injured reserve Monday retroactive to Sunday. The Canucks played without the two forwards after the first period of a 4-3 win at the Washington Capitals on Sunday, a game forward Brock Boeser missed for personal reasons. … Teddy Blueger, another forward, left in the third. … Nils Hoglander, a forward projected to be out 8-10 weeks after having surgery for a lower-body injury Sept. 29, was placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 7. … Forward Joseph LaBate and defenseman Jimmy Schuldt were recalled, and defenseman Victor Mancini assigned, to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League. Defenseman Tom Willander and forward Nils Aman were later recalled with Schuldt returning to Abbotsford. Washington Capitals Center Pierre-Luc Dubois remained in a noncontact jersey for practice Tuesday and will miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury when the Capitals host the Kraken on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; KHN, MNMT, KONG). Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said Dubois could "potentially" be available to play this weekend. Washington's next game is at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and it hosts the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. New York Islanders Alexander Romanov will miss his second straight game because of an upper-body injury when the Islanders host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSCA). The defenseman was not on the ice for the morning skate and did not play in a 5-4 win at the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Florida Panthers Niko Mikkola will play at the Boston Bruins on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN360, TVAS), Panthers coach Paul Maurice said Monday. The defenseman left 4:14 into the second period of a 3-0 loss at the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday with an upper-body injury. Mikkola practiced Monday on the second pair with Seth Jones. Buffalo Sabres Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was sent to Rochester of the AHL on a conditioning assignment on Monday. The goalie has not played this season after he was injured in his preseason debut on Oct. 1. He sustained a separate lower-body injury on Oct. 3 and returned to practice on Oct. 14.
