
Articles

Radek Faksa Avoids Concussion
Dallas Stars center Radek Faksa (upper body) is not in the concussion protocol, per Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. Faksa was injured and needed stitches after being boarded by Colorado's Nate Clurman in Tuesday's preseason game. However, the Czech forward managed to avoid a concussion and will now hope to heal in time for the […]
Taavi Pailk
Jani Hakanpaa Dealing With Undisclosed Injury
Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa is being evaluated for an unspecified injury, according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. The 31-year-old skated in two preseason games last week, but it's now unclear when he can return to action. Hakanpaa elected against knee surgery to be ready for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, and it […]
Taavi Pailk
Alec Martinez Ruled Out For Rest Of Preseason Games
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez is done for the preseason after suffering an upper-body injury last week. The veteran blue-liner ended up making only one appearance in preseason, logging 20:46 of ice time and finishing with a minus-three rating in a 4-3 overtime loss to Los Angeles last Wednesday. Luckily for the Stanley Cup […]
Taavi Pailk
Arthur Kaliyev Suspended For Four Games
Los Angeles Kings right wing Arthur Kaliyev has been suspended for four games. He will be forced to sit out two preseason games and two regular-season contests for kneeing Anaheim's Chase De Leo in Tuesday's preseason matchup. The incident has unfortunately resulted in an even bigger absence for De Leo, who suffered an MCL sprain […]
Taavi Pailk
Darius Garland Raves About New-Look Offense
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland is pleased with how the team's offense has worked in training camp, with more three-point shooting added to the roster in the summer. "You definitely feel the spacing, the floor is more spaced out. It's not as crowded anymore," Garland said. "You can see the difference. Just get used […]
Taavi Pailk
Danilo Gallinari Ready For Minutes As Center
Washington Wizards forward Danilo Gallinari is open to logging minutes as a center if needed. The team will need extra help in the position, with starting center Daniel Gafford (elbow) ruled out for several weeks. "Whatever needs to be out on the court, whatever position I need to play, I just want to play basketball. […]
Taavi Pailk
Deandre Ayton To Have "More Expanded" Role In Portland
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton looks set to have a bigger role on his new team, according to head coach Chauncey Billups. "We are not bringing Deandre here for him to be (Joel) Embiid, where we throw him the ball 30 times a game and say 'All right, go be the MVP,'" Billups said. […]
Taavi Pailk
Malcolm Brogdon Open To Staying In Portland
Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon could still have a future with the team despite multiple reports suggesting he might be moved on quickly following his arrival from Boston. "They want me here, I want to be here," Brogdon said. "There's a lot of misleading information out there about they need to trade me or […]
Taavi Pailk
Matisse Thybulle And Shaedon Sharpe Battling For Starter's Role
The Portland Trail Blazers have a starter's spot open at the small forward position and there are two candidates for the job. Matisse Thybulle and Shaedon Sharpe are battling out for the role, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Fentress sees Thybulle as the "likely leader" in the race. Thybulle was a starter in […]
Taavi Pailk
Khris Middleton Uncertain For Season Opener
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (knee) hasn't practiced with the team in training camp and could be in doubt for the season opener. Middleton was quoted during Monday's media day as saying he "feels great" and doesn't have the pain he had last year, but head coach Adrian Griffin has been very vague in his […]
Taavi Pailk
Robby Fabbri Back For Red Wings Wednesday
Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri (upper body) is expected to be back in the lineup for Wednesday's preseason clash versus Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old was injured early in the game against Washington on Saturday. Fabbri hopes to make a positive impression in preseason after being unavailable for most of 2022-23. He took the ice just […]
Taavi Pailk
Jake Bean Expected To Be In Action Wednesday
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean (groin) is set to make his preseason debut on Wednesday versus Buffalo. The 25-year-old has so far been unavailable due to an abductor strain. Bean has seen some success with the Blue Jackets, but a shoulder issue limited him to only 14 appearances last season. He contributed a goal […]
Taavi Pailk
Carter Verhaeghe Makes Preseason Debut
Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (muscle tightness) was finally able to make his 2023 preseason debut in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay. Verhaeghe has been bothered by muscle tightness in training camp for a second year in a row, but it looks like he's fine now and fully ready for Florida's season opener, which […]
Taavi Pailk
Pierre-Olivier Joseph Considered Day-To-Day After Missing Practice
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph couldn't practice on Tuesday due to a lower-body injury, and he is considered day-to-day. Joseph became a big part of the Penguins blue line last season, finishing his first full NHL campaign with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and 88 hits in 75 games. The 24-year-old could be even […]
Taavi Pailk
Jake Guentzel Logs Full Practice With Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel (ankle) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. Guentzel had ankle surgery at the beginning of August and was set to miss the first five games of the regular season, but it looks now like he could be available for opening night. The two-time All-Star himself, however, isn't yet […]
Taavi Pailk
Derek Stepan Retires From NHL
Forward Derek Stepan has announced his retirement from the NHL after playing 13 seasons in the league. The American center made his debut with the New York Rangers in 2010-11 and also skated with the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Carolina Hurricanes, playing in a total of 890 regular-season contests and 120 playoff games. Stepan […]
Taavi Pailk
Gregg Popovich Praises Jeremy Sochan's Versatility
San Antonio Spurs power forward Jeremy Sochan had a productive rookie campaign in the NBA last season, and his role on the team should only continue to grow, with head coach Gregg Popovich valuing him and his versatility very highly. "He can play one through four," Popovich said. "And depending on circumstances — who we're […]
Taavi Pailk
Frank Ntilikina Seen As Good Fit By Hornets
Charlotte Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina has started work in training camp on a non-guaranteed one-year contract, but he appears to have a very good chance of making the team, as head coach Steve Clifford rated him highly. "He's an elite defender," Clifford said of Ntilikina Tuesday. "He has an elite skill. Frank fits our team […]
Taavi Pailk
Otto Porter Jr. Healthy For New Campaign
Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. has started work at training camp with no health issues. The 30-year-old had a nightmare regarding injuries in 2022-23, playing in only eight games. Porter Jr. signed a two-year deal as a free agent with the Raptors last summer, but it's almost like the 2023-24 campaign will be his […]
Taavi Pailk
Jae'Sean Tate A Full Participant At Training Camp
Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate has put his injury issues behind him and was a full participant in practice as training camp opened on Tuesday. Kelly Iko of The Athletic even noted that Tate looked "very sharp" during a scrimmage on Day 1 and "imposed his will" at both ends of the floor. Tate sat […]
Taavi Pailk
Reggie Bullock Set To Sign With Rockets
Forward Reggie Bullock is expected to sign with the Houston Rockets after being waived by the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend. Bullock was moved to San Antonio by the Mavericks in July in a three-team deal that involved Dallas picking up Grant Williams. With the Spurs more focused on a youth movement, the 32-year-old […]
Taavi Pailk
T.J. McConnell Limited In Practice
Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (ankle) was limited in practice as training camp started on Tuesday. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, the talented ball mover injured his ankle during a workout last week. The injury doesn't sound too serious and doesn't appear to threaten his availability for opening day. McConnell is set to […]
Taavi Pailk
Cole Perfetti Returns To Action With An Assist
Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti returned to the lineup in Monday's preseason contest against Calgary and logged an assist in a 5-4 loss. The young forward took a nasty hit to the head last week in a matchup versus Calgary, but he was luckily able to recover quickly. Perfetti is slated to center the second […]
Taavi Pailk
Jakub Vrana Enjoying Good Preseason With Blues
St. Louis Blues left wing Jakub Vrana is trying to resurrect his career on a new team and has looked promising. After finishing 2022-23 in St. Louis, posting 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 20 games, Vrana has tallied points in all of his three preseason outings ahead of the new campaign. He was […]
Taavi Pailk
Torey Krug Logs Over 24 Minutes In Preseason Debut
St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug made his first preseason appearance Monday against Columbus and showed he's fully healed from a right foot injury suffered in training camp by logging a game-high 24:29 of ice time. His performance overall could've been better, though, as Krug finished a 5-3 loss with a minus-three rating. The 32-year-old […]
Taavi Pailk
Jesper Bratt Totals Four Points Versus Islanders
New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt was at his very best in Monday's preseason game against the Islanders, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist for a big four-point effort in a 6-5 win. The Swedish forward started the damage with a power-play goal early in the second period and collected three more points […]
Taavi Pailk
Joonas Korpisalo Shuts Out Penguins With 40 Saves
Ottawa Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo had an impressive outing in Monday's preseason clash versus Pittsburgh. A Penguins team that featured Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin failed to get anything past Korpisalo, and the Finnish netminder celebrated a 40-save shutout in a 3-0 win. Korpisalo has spent the last few campaigns playing behind a very leaky […]
Taavi Pailk
Pavel Francouz Ruled Out For Start Of Season
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz (groin) has been officially ruled out for the start of the season. The Czech netminder underwent adductor surgery in the offseason and still needs time to heal. Francouz had a solid year behind Alexandar Georgiev last season, finishing 8-7-1 in 16 appearances and having a 2.61 goals-against average with a […]
Taavi Pailk
Anthony Davis Aims To Play In All 82 Regular-Season Games
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis has an ambitious plan for the 2023-24 NBA season, saying he wants to play in all 82 regular-season games. The injury-prone big man was limited to only 56 appearances a season ago and hasn't managed more than 75 outings across an entire campaign during his 11-year career. However, Davis' […]
Taavi Pailk
Pelicans Hope To Have Larry Nance Jr. Ready For Season Opener
New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) is in doubt for the team's season opener, but general manager Trajan Langdon hopes to have him available. Last week, the Pelicans announced Nance had received a biological injection to stimulate the healing process in his left ankle, and he is expected to return to basketball activities […]
Taavi Pailk