Alex Ovechkin will miss the Capitals? game in Buffalo on Saturday, but he is expected to return to the team at the start of next week, according to an Associated Press report. The reigning MVP is visiting his ailing grandfather in Russia. Ovechkin also sat out Tuesday?s game, ending his consecutive games streak at 203. ?I don?t anticipate seeing him until Monday?s practice,? coach Bruce Boudreau said Friday. ?That?s what I?m looking at right now, unless something happens that we?re unaware of.? The team will get one player back against Buffalo, defenseman Tom Poti, who is returning from a groin injury that forced him to miss five games. With Poti now available, defenseman Tyler Sloan was sent back down to the minors after he finally got a chance to play in the NHL.

Canadiens' prospect Pavel Valentenko has signed a three-year deal with Dynamo Moscow, the Russian club reported Thursday on its website. A Canadiens' spokesman said the team was unaware of the signing. But he said that Valentenko, who had been playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs, returned to Russia for ?personal and family reasons.?

The Senators on Wednesday sent goaltender Brian Elliott back to Binghamton of the AHL, as reported by Yahoo.com. Martin Gerber back up Alex Auld for Ottawa?s next game against Florida on Thursday.

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that forward Lauri Korpikoski has been assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). Korpikoski, 22, has skated in seven games with the Rangers this season. The 6-1, 195-pounder returns to Hartford, where he registered 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points, along with 71 penalty minutes in 79 games last season. His 23 goals tied for third on the Wolf Pack, while he finished fourth on the club with 50 points. He made his NHL regular season debut on October 4 vs. Tampa Bay at Prague, Czech Republic.

Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have assigned right wing Enver Lisin to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL). Lisin, 22, has scored one goal while appearing in two games for the Coyotes this season. In 32 career NHL games, Lisin has collected 6-2-8 and 22 PIM. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Lisin registered 4-1-5 and six PIM in 13 games for the Coyotes last season. He also recorded 16-19-35 and 26 PIM in 58 games with the Rampage during the 2007-08 campaign. The Coyotes selected Lisin in the 2nd round (50th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

The Thrashers on Tuesday activated right wing Mike Hoffman from injured reserve and assigned him to Chicago of the AHL, according to a report by Yahoo.com.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned forward Nikita Filatov to the Syracuse Crunch, the club?s American Hockey League affiliate, club General Manager Scott Howson announced today. Filatov, 18, recorded one goal and had a plus/minus rating of +1 in four games with the Blue Jackets this season. He became only the fourth player in franchise history to score a goal in his NHL debut when he lit the lamp against Nashville on October 17. He also has tallied 2-0-2 and is +1 in two games with the Crunch. Columbus? first pick, sixth overall, in the 2008 Entry Draft, Filatov tallied 32-34-66 and 90 penalty minutes in 34 games with CSKA of the Russian Junior League in 2007-08. The 18-year-old Moscow native also helped Russia capture the bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships, tallying 4-5-9, 10 penalty minutes and was +7 in seven games.

Rookie Luke Schenn will remain in Toronto rather than be sent back to the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, the Maple Leafs reported Monday. Head coach Ron Wilson confirmed the 18-year-old will stay with the Maple Leafs for the remainder of the season, according to a Canadian Press report.

The Sharks on Monday recalled right wing Jamie McGinn from Worcester of the American Hockey League, as reported by Yahoo.com.

Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has returned to his native Russia to visit his ailing grandfather and will miss Tuesday?s game against the Predators, as reported by Yahoo.com. The Capitals did not disclose when Ovechkin would return to the club, stating that he officially is listed as day-to-day.