Overview
- The 22-year-old center will play his first game in 33 days after a broken jaw sustained on Dec. 20 in Ottawa, practicing with a protective face mask ahead of his return.
- Nazar worked as the second-line center between Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato in practice and is slated to operate on the second power-play unit.
- André Burakovsky also returns from an illness and is expected to skate on the top line with Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene while working the first power play.
- Teuvo Teräväinen remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, did not travel to Carolina, and is expected back before the Olympic break.
- Nazar has 21 points in 33 games this season, and his playmaking is viewed as key for a team ranked 26th in goals per game.