Hughes to return
Quinn Hughes will return for the Vancouver Canucks (6-7-0) when they visit the 5-6-2 Nashville Predators (8:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SNP). The Canucks captain and No. 1 defenseman missed four games with a lower-body injury, but he joined the team for practice in Nashville on Sunday. Vancouver went 2-2-0 without him. The United States needs him healthy too; Hughes was unable to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, a big loss for the U.S.
Surprise, surprise
The Seattle Kraken host the Chicago Blackhawks in a matchup of two early-season surprises (10 p.m. ET; KHN, CHSN, KONG, TVAS). Seattle (5-2-4) finished 13th in the Western Conference last season; Chicago (5-4-3) was 15th. Now the Kraken hold the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the West, and the Blackhawks are one point behind.
The schedule
Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, NHLN, SN-PIT)
Edmonton Oilers at St. Louis Blues (8:30 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, SNW)
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators (8:30 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SNP)
Chicago Blackhawks at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; KHN, CHSN, KONG, TVAS)
