NHL notebook: Blues D Shattenkirk will play Saturday
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE
The St. Louis Blues activated defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk off injured reserve Friday, and coach Ken Hitchcock said he will play Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Shattenkirk has missed 25 games since undergoing abdominal surgery on Feb. 5.
Shattenkirk led the Blues' defensemen with 40 points before his injury. He still is No. 1 with eight goals and four power-play goals.
The Blues (46-21-7) lead the Central Division and are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for first place in the Western Conference.
---Doctors are making the final call, but Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville likes what he sees from a recovering Patrick Kane.
Kane, sidelined since Feb. 25, was expected to miss 12 weeks with a broken collarbone.
Quenneville said Friday he is still hopeful Kane can come back ahead of schedule.
"I've always hoped that," he said. "He's doing a lot of things out there that he wants to do, or is able to do, and I think that's a good sign."
The regular season ends April 11, and the playoffs begin the following week. Kane could return during the postseason if the Blackhawks have an extended run in the playoffs.
---Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and right winger Patric Hornqvist practiced Friday and could return to the lineup Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes.
Malkin, who has missed the past six games with a lower-body injury, said there is a good chance he could play Saturday. Malkin is waiting to see if he experiences any pain or soreness later Friday before making a final decision.
Hornqvist has missed the past five games with an undisclosed injury.
--- The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic on a three-year, entry-level contract.
The NHL part of the deal will pay Nedeljkovic $700,000 in 2015-16, $750,000 in 2016-17 and $800,000 in 2017-18. He will receive a signing bonus of $277,500.
Nedeljkovic will join Carolina's American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, for the rest of the season.
--- The Boston Bruins signed forward Colton Hargrove to an entry-level contract.
A seventh-round pick by Boston in 2012, Hargrove played three seasons at Western Michigan University, recording 34 goals, 28 assists and a plus-26 rating.
In 34 games this season, the 22-year-old tallied 14 goals and 14 assists. He tied for first on the team in goals, ranked second in points and tied for third in assists.
---Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment, the NHL announced.
Wilson's second citation, which triggered the $2,000 fine, was issued for an incident during a March 19 game at Minnesota. He received a minor penalty for embellishment on the play at 14:45 of the second period.
---The Buffalo Sabres recalled forward Tim Schaller from the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Schaller, 24, joins the Sabres for his fifth recall of the season after making his NHL debut on Nov. 29. He has one goal and one assist in 14 NHL games.
---The Nashville Predators recalled forward Kevin Fiala under emergency conditions from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.
The Predators' first-round selection in 2014, Fiala became the fourth 18-year-old in franchise history when he made his NHL debut in a 3-2 victory over Montreal on Thursday night, logging 11:25 and putting three shots on goal.
---The Dallas Stars activated forward Valeri Nichushkin from injured reserve and loaned him to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League on a conditioning assignment.
Nichushkin, 20, has missed the last 59 games since having hip surgery. Additionally, he missed seven games from Oct. 14-28 with a hip injury.
Nichushkin has skated in four games this season for Dallas, with no points and two shots. He also appeared in two games for Texas on a conditioning assignment from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 and registered an assist.
---The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled defenseman T.J. Brennan on an emergency basis from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
The team also reassigned defenseman Andrew MacWilliam and forward Greg McKegg to the Marlies.
Brennan, 25, has been held pointless in three games with the Maple Leafs this season. He also has skated in 63 AHL games this season (54 with Rockford and nine with Toronto), collecting 37 points (nine goals, 28 assists) and 65 penalty minutes.
---The Boston Bruins assigned forward Brian Ferlin to the Providence Bruins of the AHL.
Ferlin competed in seven games for Boston, recording one assist. He made his NHL debut on Feb. 20 and notched his first career league point with an assist in his second game on Feb. 22 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
In his first full season at the AHL level, the 22-year-old Ferlin has appeared in 46 games for Providence, notching 16 points (nine goals, seven assists), with 36 penalty minutes. Boston drafted the 6-foot-2, 209-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla., in the fourth round in 2011.
---The Washington Capitals reassigned defenseman Dmitry Orlov to the Hershey Bears of the AHL for conditioning purposes.
Orlov missed the first 74 games of the 2014-15 season with a wrist injury.
Orlov, 23, has registered 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) and 37 penalty minutes in 119 NHL games with Washington.
