Ben Scrivens is heading back to the American Hockey League.

The Montreal Canadiens netminder cleared waivers and was assigned to the St. John's IceCaps, it was announced Thursday.

The 29-year-old was placed on waivers Wednesday after the team signed NCAA goaltender Charlie Lindgren to a two-year contract.

Scrivens has gone 5-8-0 with a .906 save percentage and a 3.07 GAA with the Canadiens, while also boasting a 2-6-1 record with a .893 save percentage and a 3.47 GAA with the Edmonton Oilers' affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

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William Nylander's current stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs appears to have an expiry date.

The team plans to return the 19-year-old rookie to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League once forward Peter Holland returns from an undisclosed injury, head coach Mike Babcock said, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

The Maple Leafs' 2014 first-round draft pick has been with the team since Feb. 29 and has contributed four goals and seven points in his first 16 games in the league. He has also added 18 goals and 45 points in 37 games with the Marlies.

Meanwhile, Holland has been missing from action since March 17.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Jimmy Vesey will become a free agent Aug. 15, and his representatives say the Nashville Predators were told not to factor the Harvard forward's future into any decisions at the trade deadline. It's the latest in bantering b...

TAMPA, Fla. - Star Montreal goaltender Carey Price practised with the team before the Canadiens' game tonight game at Tampa Bay. It's the first time Price has participated in a full practice since suffering a lower-body injury on Nov. 25. ...

Mark Stone will miss at least the next two games.

The Ottawa Senators forward is heading back to Canada's capital after receiving a devastating hit from Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien at the MTS Centre on Wednesday night.

"He's sore," Senators head coach Dave Cameron told reporters Thursday, according to the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. Cameron added that Stone has been cleared to play, but will sit out the final two games of the road trip.

The Senators are in Minnesota to face the Wild on Thursday night, then head to Philadelphia to battle the Flyers on Saturday, after which they'll have only three games remaining.

Stone stayed in Winnipeg for further evaluation after Wednesday's game. He left the contest, then returned and exited again for the night after being diagnosed with a chest injury.

Scott Gomez will take Stone's spot Thursday, while defenseman Ben Harpur will draw in for Mike Kostka.

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The Chicago Blackhawks will receive a much-needed boost to their lineup when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

The Blackhawks will welcome back defenseman Brent Seabrook and forward Artem Anisimov. Seabrook missed Tuesday's contest with an illness, while Anisimov has been sidelined the past two games with a lower-body injury.

The returns help balance a lineup which will be without defenseman Duncan Keith and forward Marian Hossa. Keith remains out pending a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety following a high-sticking incident against the Minnesota Wild, while Hossa will miss Thursday's game with an illness.

The team is looking to collect its third win in four games. The Blackhawks currently hold down the third spot in the Central Division.

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The New Jersey Devils will give goaltender Cory Schneider a couple more days rest before he makes his return to the net.

The Devils, in Florida for a two-game road trip, will have Keith Kinkaid between the pipes Thursday against the Florida Panthers and then turn to Schneider on Saturday versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"We didn't come into the trip really with the expectation that he would play two (games)," head coach John Hynes said, according to The Record's Tom Gulitti. "I think it just makes sense to give him a few extra days and let him get his practice minutes up. His time on ice in game-like situations like he had today and yesterday, expand those a couple extra days and he should be good to go Saturday."

In the meantime, Schneider will serve as the backup Thursday while he deals with the biggest lingering effect of recovering from his MCL sprain: fatigue.

"We just decided just get me into a game-day routine and back up and get that under my belt next," Schneider said. "I felt good yesterday, but got a little fatigued there at the end of practice, so they just wanted to make sure I was ready to go. So, Keith's been doing well and maybe it will be a good thing to just see a game up close and have that game-day routine back and jump in the next one."

Schneider has been out since March 4. He'd amassed a record of 26-23-6 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

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More than one NHL owner cautioned commissioner Gary Bettman about the need to crack down on headshots before the league was sued by former players in 2013.

Emails published this week by The Globe and Mail and later examined by James Mirtle after being unsealed in the ongoing concussion lawsuit show a pair of NHL owners expressing concern about the league's stance on hits to the head.

Nashville Predators chairman Tom Cigarran sent Bettman an impassioned plea after then-Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin wasn't suspended for concussing Nashville forward Mike Fisher in October 2011.

"As I have tried to get across, ANY hit to the head MUST be a major penalty and result in a suspension," Cigarran wrote. "We would be the last league to take this position so this is not a RADICAL concept. The cost of our delay is huge in financial terms and in terms of damage to player careers as well."

Cigarran closed his note emphatically:

"The 'it will change the game' or 'we will have our players wearing figure skates' stories show the thinking of the old timers. Our incremental approach to change to mollify them has gone on too long. I intend to bring this up at every owners meeting until the changes are made. Enough is enough."

Bettman's reply was brief:

"We have a rule against head 'hits' but not head 'contact' in conjunction with a 'full body check.' Let's discuss tomorrow," wrote the commissioner.

About two months beforehand, Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson forwarded the commissioner a Globe and Mail column arguing that the NHL could be subject to a concussion lawsuit by former players, in light of a similar case brought forth against the NFL.

"As an owner, the NFL lawsuits could put us at risk," Molson wrote. "Although we are making good progress, I don't think it's enough until any head hit is made illegal. I hope we get there soon!"

In Bettman's reply, the commissioner stated he didn't believe the NHL was "in the same situation" as the NFL and didn't believe the football lawsuits put the NHL at risk, insisting that "we have been the leaders in the area of concussions."

He also told Molson not to worry about potential legal action.

The lawsuit filed about two years later now includes more than 100 former players.

The owners unanimously approved major penalties and ejections for blindside hits to the head in 2010, but the NHL still has no rule banning all headshots.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. - Buffalo Sabres forward Evander Kane will miss the final nine days of the season because of an upper body injury. Coach Dan Bylsma said Thursday that Kane likely needs three to four weeks to recover. Buffalo is out of playoff c...

The Buffalo Sabres are shutting down Evander Kane.

The 24-year-old forward won't play again this season due to what the team is calling an upper-body injury, which is expected to require another three-to-four weeks to heal.

Kane missed Tuesday's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he'll finish the 2015-16 campaign with 20 goals in 65 games.

The struggling Sabres, who have five contests remaining, shut down goaltender Robin Lehner on Wednesday due to a nagging ankle injury.

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