Tari Eason Wants To Become The Best Defender In The NBA

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason is full of ambition ahead of his sophomore campaign and wants to develop into an elite defensive player. "I want to be the best defender in the NBA at some point," Eason told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. "I truly believe I can be. I will be. I just […]

Jaden Ivey Could Be Forced To Drop To The Bench For New Season

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, who started 73 of his 74 games last season with the team, could be heading to the bench for the 2023-24 campaign, as head coach Monty Williams doesn't want to have too many youngsters on the court together. "Putting in too many young guys on the floor, I think, is […]

Malik Beasley Eager To Lock Down Starter's Spot With Better Defense

Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Malik Beasley sees himself as a starter on the team and is focused on improving defensively to nail down a spot in the unit. "I came here to also help my defense," Beasley told Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "They make an impact on defense. Especially with (assistant) coach (Patrick) […]

Peyton Watson Ready To Shine In Sophomore Year

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Peyton Watson is full of confidence ahead of his second year in the NBA and feels ready to make a major impact. "I feel like I'm one of the best second-year guys in the league," Watson told Harrison Wind of DNVR. Watson added that "he knows" he is going to have a […]

Miles Bridges Has Arrest Warrant Issued Against Him

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again, as it's been revealed there has been an arrest warrant issued for him. It's related to his prior domestic violence incident and has been issued for a violation of a protective order. The warrant has been out since January, but […]

Anton Lundell Expected To Play Thursday Despite Missing Practice

Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell is expected to play Thursday versus Minnesota despite sitting out Wednesday's practice. According to Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, Lundell was kept off the ice for precautionary reasons. Florida is already set to start the campaign without Sam Bennett (lower body), and losing another center would have been a painful […]

Roope Hintz A Game-Time Call For Thursday

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (upper body) is regarded as a game-time decision for Thursday's clash with the Blues. Hintz missed most of preseason but returned to practice on Wednesday, which is a great sign regarding his potential availability. However, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer admitted he doesn't want to rush Hintz into action, so […]

Rasmus Ristolainen Could Be Available For Opening Night

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (undisclosed) has opened the season on Injured Reserve but could still play Thursday versus Columbus. The Finnish blue-liner sat out a preseason contest last week due to an unspecified ailment, but he returned to practice over the weekend and looks to have a decent chance of featuring in the team's […]

Casey Mittelstadt Back In Practice Wednesday

Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (upper body) was back in practice Wednesday after missing Tuesday's session. He reportedly "tweaked" something in practice on Monday. It looks like Mittelstadt will be good to go for Thursday's season opener versus the Rangers. The former top-10 pick made a big breakthrough last term with 59 points (15 goals, […]

Josh Norris Expected To Be Available "Shortly"

Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (shoulder) will be unavailable for Wednesday's season opener against Carolina, but he isn't expected to be out for long. According to Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan, Senators head coach D.J. Smith hopes to have Norris back shortly. With fellow forward Zack MacEwen (upper body) also battling an injury, the Senators will dress […]

Viktor Arvidsson Out On Wednesday

Los Angeles Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) won't be available for Wednesday's season opener against Colorado. His status for the game was in doubt due to a lower-body injury, and Arvidsson has now been officially ruled out. The team is expected to play a man short because of Arvidsson's absence, meaning some of the […]

Ivica Zubac Struggles With Back Spasms, Exits Early

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac was forced to exit Tuesday's preseason game versus Utah early due to back spasms. The Croatian seven-footer managed to play just five minutes, scoring four points on 2-for-3 shooting and recording one rebound with one block. With this being a preseason outing, the Clippers were likely extremely cautious with […]

Nikola Jovic Makes Early Exit With Knee Soreness

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic left Tuesday's preseason contest versus Charlotte with knee soreness and will be evaluated further on Wednesday. The talented Serbian missed the end of the game and could log only seven minutes of action. He finished with two points, two rebounds, one assist, and one block. It's always worrying when a […]

Darvin Ham Wants To See Anthony Davis Take More Threes

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis helped the team hit 20 triples against Brooklyn in Monday's preseason game, and head coach Darvin Ham wants to see him being even more involved in outside shooting. "I want him, if he can -- I know he won't do it, but maybe he'll shock me -- but I've […]

Ziaire Williams A Candidate To Start For Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Ziaire Williams has impressed head coach Taylor Jenkins with his work and could force his way into the starting lineup for the start of the year. The Grizzlies have a spot open in the unit due to Ja Morant's 25-game suspension, and Williams is battling for it with the likes of […]

Jaren Jackson Jr. Aims To Improve His Rebounding

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. is focused on improving his rebounding after struggling on the glass during the FIBA World Cup. Jackson Jr. averaged a career-high 6.8 boards in the NBA last season but could only get 2.9 rebounds during the World Cup and took a lot of heat because of it. "(Rebounding) needs […]

Evan Fournier Believes He Can Still Help Knicks

New York Knicks guard/forward Evan Fournier believes he can still be a useful player for the team after getting dropped from the rotation last season. "I might be dreaming of stuff, but to me I can help the team," Fournier said at the weekend. "Like I'm a good player. I can f–king play. I bring […]

Mikko Rantanen Good To Go For Opening Night

Colorado Avalanche right wing Mikko Rantanen (lower body) returned to practice over the weekend and feels ready to go for opening night. The Avalanche start the action Wednesday in Los Angeles. Rantanen was forced to sit out a preseason game last week after picking up a lower-body injury. However, it appears that it was only […]

Jonas Johansson Starting For Lightning Tuesday

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson has been confirmed as the starter for Tuesday's season opener against Nashville. Tampa's No. 1 Andrei Vasilevskiy (backs) begins the campaign on Injured Reserve, and Johansson will be tasked with holding the fort down in his absence. The 28-year-old did it very well in preseason, posting two shutouts in […]

Petr Mrazek Starts Season Opener For Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek will guard the crease on opening night against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 31-year-old kicks off his second campaign in Chicago after going 10-22-3 with the Blackhawks in 2022-23. Mrazek has been a solid goaltender throughout his NHL career, but he's landed on a rebuilding team, and it's a very tough […]

Ryan Donato Slated To Skate On Top Line Tuesday

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato is set to start the season on the top line Tuesday versus Pittsburgh. The former Seattle man has been practicing with Taylor Hall and Connor Bedard, and it looks like he will make his Blackhawks debut playing alongside two of the team's best players. Donato has proven that he doesn't […]

Jake Guentzel A Game-Time Call Tuesday

Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel (ankle) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's season opener versus Chicago. On Monday, Guentzel logged his second full practice with the team following ankle surgery, and he appears to be trending toward playing. The Penguins have named him in their opening night roster, which strongly signals that Guentzel is […]

Nikolaj Ehlers Ready For Season Opener

Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers (neck) was a full participant in Monday's practice and reportedly feels he's good to go for Wednesday's season opener. Ehlers missed the entire preseason while battling a neck injury, but the Jets will have him available when the regular season kicks off versus Calgary. The Danish winger skated with […]

Matthew Murray Ruled Out For 6-8 Months Following Hip Surgery

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matthew Murray will be unavailable for 6-8 months after recently having successful bilateral hip surgery. Murray's status for the season was already in doubt after general manager Brad Treliving announced at the start of training camp that the two-time Stanley Cup champion would need "significant surgery" to get back healthy. Now […]

Mark Scheifele Signs Seven-Year Extension With Jets

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele has inked a seven-year, $59.5 million extension with the club. Scheifele got his long-term future sorted right before starting the final season of his current contract. After producing his first 40-goal campaign in 2022-23, Scheifele has set the bar high for himself ahead of the new campaign, but the security […]

Connor Hellebuyck Commits Long-Term To Jets

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has agreed to a seven-year extension with the team. The Jets No. 1 landed himself a $59.5 million contract eight months before his current deal expires. Hellebuyck was set to become an unrestricted free agent, and Winnipeg reportedly tried to cash in on him over the summer, with the 30-year-old […]

Rasmus Dahlin Signs Eight-Year Extension With Sabres

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin has signed an eight-year extension with the team, which kicks in next season. The pact is worth $88 million, meaning Dahlin's cap hit will almost double in 2024-25, going from $6 million to $11 million. The Sabres have invested big into Dahlin after the 23-year-old had a massive 73-point campaign […]

Yegor Chinakhov To Miss Opening Night

Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Yegor Chinakhov (back) won't be available for opening night. The 22-year-old missed the preseason with a back problem, and while he has been regarded as day-to-day, it appears as though the issue is a bit more serious and hasn't gone away. It's no doubt a frustrating situation for Chinakhov after […]

Erik Haula Listed As Day-To-Day

New Jersey Devils left wing Erik Haula is battling an unspecified injury and is regarded as day-to-day. According to Devils head coach Lindy Ruff, Haula is carrying a nagging injury. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, but the ailment could still threaten Haula's availability for the start of the season. New Jersey gets […]

John Klingberg Set To Be Available For Season Opener

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg (upper body) is expected to be deemed game-ready by head coach Sheldon Keefe when the 2023-24 NHL campaign begins for the team on Wednesday versus Montreal. Klingberg has been nursing an upper-body problem since Sept. 27 and had to sit out almost all of the preseason slate. The offensive-minded […]