Injury Updates Shake NHL Lineups: Perron Returns, Karlsson Sidelined

OTTAWA, Ontario — The NHL saw significant lineup changes Thursday as injuries and returns reshaped several teams. David Perron made his long-awaited return for the Ottawa Senators, while William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights was placed on injured reserve.

Perron, who last played Nov. 23 due to an upper-body injury, rejoined the Senators’ lineup against the Boston Bruins. “Good to have him back,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “He’s been out for a while now. Veteran leadership, obviously. Good hockey player.” Perron, who also missed time earlier this season due to his daughter’s life-saving surgery, expressed excitement about his return: “It’s been a long time coming. Pretty excited.”

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights suffered a significant blow as Karlsson was ruled week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy expressed disappointment: “We were hoping to get good news; it wasn’t what we wanted and what he wanted.” Karlsson, who has 18 points in 38 games this season, joins forward Byron Froese on injured reserve.

The injury bug also hit the New York Islanders, who lost defenseman Noah Dobson to a lower-body injury. Islanders coach Patrick Roy acknowledged the challenge: “You don’t replace Noah. He’s one of our better defensemen.” Dobson, who leads the team with an average ice time of 24:01 per game, will be out week-to-week.

In Detroit, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane was sidelined with an upper-body injury. Coach Todd McLellan revealed Kane sustained the injury during a Jan. 21 loss to Dallas. Kane, who has 30 points in 42 games, missed Thursday’s game against Montreal.

The Boston Bruins faced their own injury concerns as goaltender Jeremy Swayman sat out with an upper-body injury. Interim coach Joe Sacco remained optimistic: “We’re cautiously optimistic that he’ll be able to return for our next game.” The Bruins recalled Michael DiPietro from Providence to back up Joonas Korpisalo.

In San Jose, Tyler Toffoli returned to the Sharks’ lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Coach Ryan Warsofsky emphasized Toffoli’s importance: “He’s a veteran guy that’s won a Stanley Cup. He’s important for this group.” Toffoli leads the Sharks with 17 goals this season.

Elsewhere, Colorado’s Miles Wood could return Saturday after missing 26 games with a back injury. “I hope to be back [at] 100 percent,” Wood said, acknowledging the potential long-term nature of his injury. Toronto’s Max Pacioretty, meanwhile, was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 18, with coach Craig Berube indicating the forward’s absence would be “a little longer than day to day.”

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry was ruled week-to-week with an upper-body injury, a significant blow to the team. “‘Lows’ is a huge loss. He’s our captain, our backbone,” a teammate said. The Jets did get some good news as Mason Appleton returned after missing 11 games.

As teams navigate these roster changes, the NHL’s injury landscape continues to shape the league’s competitive balance heading into the second half of the season.