Mattias Ekholm Doubtful For Opening Night

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (hip) has hit a roadblock in his recovery and might not be ready for opening night. Ekholm is carrying a hip flexor problem that hasn't allowed him to work with the team in training camp. He joined his teammates for the first time on Friday but admitted that the recovery […]

Spencer Knight Moved To Minors

Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight has been loaned to the AHL's Charlotte Checkers for the start of the 2023-24 season. The 22-year-old hasn't played for the Panthers since February, having taken time off to work on his mental health. Knight, who has a 32-17-6 career record in the NHL, recently admitted that he had been […]

Jared Spurgeon Unavailable For Start Of Season

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon (upper body) won't be available for the start of the season and is considered week-to-week. The Wild captain was injured in Thursday's preseason game against Chicago. Minnesota starts the real action next Thursday versus Florida. Spurgeon's leadership and two-way ability will be a big miss for the Wild at the […]

Ville Heinola Placed On Injured Reserve With Fractured Ankle

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ville Heinola (ankle) was placed on Injured Reserve on Friday after he was hurt in the team's final preseason game. Heinola fractured his ankle early in the contest and is expected to miss at least eight weeks. The 22-year-old blue-liner had a productive AHL campaign last term with 37 points (four goals, […]

Alexey Toropchenko Out With A Lower-Body Injury

St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko was unavailable for selection for Thursday's preseason game against Dallas due to a lower-body injury. The 24-year-old had to give up his spot to Nikita Alexandrov. Toropchenko had his first full NHL season last term and notched 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 69 games. The preseason […]

Wyatt Johnston Working His Way Back From A Non-Surgical Procedure

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (upper body) recently underwent a non-surgical procedure, according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. The 20-year-old has been on the shelf with an upper-body injury, but Johnston is expected to start skating again at the weekend. Johnson was one of the most productive rookies in the league last season with […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]