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Alex Ovechkin Assures He'll Be in Lineup for Season Opener
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin (lower body) told reporters Wednesday that he will be fine for Friday's season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes. The veteran star missed the start of training camp due to a lower-body injury and didn't see any action in preseason games. He predicts it's "going to be hard the first couple of games." On Wednesday, Ovechkin practiced on a line with Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard. Washington also plays on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, making it a tough start for Ovechkin's crew.
Source: Tom Gulitti
Source: Tom Gulitti
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Joel Edmundson Ready to Go Against Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson (undisclosed) will play in Wednesday's season opener against the Colorado Avalanche. He dealt with an undisclosed health issue in training camp, but Edmundson has been cleared for action ahead of the first game of the season. The veteran blue-liner will link up with Brandt Clarke on the second defensive pairing. Edmundson registered a career-high 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 82 games last season. With the Kings' backline fully healthy, Erik Gustafsson will start the season as a healthy scratch.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Blake Lizotte Cleared to Play Wednesday
Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (upper body) has been activated from Injured Reserve and will be available to play in Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. Lizotte serves as the Penguins' fourth-line center. He recorded 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 55 appearances last season. While Lizotte lacks fantasy value, he's done a good job in a limited role for the Penguins and will be a valuable addition to the squad for the Battle of Pennsylvania.
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Source: Pittsburgh Penguins
Jack Eichel Tallies Three Points in Season Opener
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel factored in three goals during Tuesday's season-opening 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He potted the game-winning goal and delivered two assists. Eichel reached 700 career points on Tuesday night and became only the third player in NHL history to record three-plus points in three consecutive season-opening games. After coming close to a 100-point year a couple of times, Eichel will be desperate to finally get over the hump in 2026-27. In the next game, he will face the Anaheim Ducks, who gave up goals in bunches last season. Including the playoffs, Eichel tallied 10 points in nine games against the Ducks, all assists.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jacob Markstrom Shuts Out Defending Champions
Florida Panthers goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 15 pucks for his 26th career shutout in Tuesday's 1-0 overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. Previously, only two Panthers shot-stoppers had recorded a shutout in a season-opening game. Markstrom's impressive performance helped Florida become the fifth team in history to shut out the reigning Stanley Cup champions in their season opener. Last season, Markstrom had one shutout with the New Jersey Devils, so he will be delighted with how his second Panthers debut went. The Panthers now travel to San Jose, where Markstrom will face Macklin Celebrini and the exciting Sharks in a tricky matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jeremy Swayman Starts Season With Shutout
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman made a perfect start to the new season on Tuesday night, recording a 24-save shutout in a 3-0 win over the New York Rangers. Swayman outplayed perennial Vezina Trophy candidate Igor Shesterkin, who gave up two late goals. The Bruins sealed the deal with an empty-netter. Swayman became only the fourth netminder in franchise history to record a shutout in a season opener. This should give him some early momentum. Next up, the Bruins face a back-to-back against Winnipeg and Minnesota, so Michael DiPietro will likely see some action in the crease later this week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Evan Bouchard Bags Five Points in Season-Opening Loss
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard produced a memorable performance in Tuesday's season opener against the Vancouver Canucks, scoring a hat trick and dishing out two assists in a 6-5 overtime loss. He became the first defenseman in NHL history to record as many as five points in a season-opening game. Bouchard had an incredible 95-point campaign in 2025-26 and appears not to have lost any momentum in the offseason. He's a must-start player in fantasy hockey and will look to do damage against the Canucks again on Thursday night.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Nikita Grebenkin Considered Day-to-Day
Philadelphia Flyers winger Nikita Grebenkin (undisclosed) is day-to-day, according to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The Russian forward is dealing with an undisclosed injury that could keep him out of Wednesday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, unlike fellow forward Denver Barkey (lower body), Grebenkin hasn't landed on Injured Reserve. This suggests he's simply banged up and may still be available against Pittsburgh. If Grebenkin can't play, the Flyers will primarily miss his physicality, as he averaged 1.6 hits per game during his rookie season last year.
Source: Jordan Hall
Source: Jordan Hall
Andrew Mangiapane to Sit Out At Least Two Games
Chicago Blackhawks winger Andrew Mangiapane (lower body) won't play for the rest of the team's season-opening road trip, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports. Mangiapane suffered a lower-body injury in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, exiting the action after logging only 5:23 of ice time. The Blackhawks are on the road for the first three games of the season, meaning Mangiapane will be on the shelf for at least two games. Jordan Greenway and Nick Lardis are candidates for increased ice time during Mangiapane's absence. Greenway had an impressive Blackhawks debut on Tuesday, scoring a goal on five SOG and handing out three hits.
Source: Mark Lazerus
Source: Mark Lazerus
Connor Bedard Remains Without Timeline for Return
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (shoulder) still has no timeline for his return, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Before Tuesday's season opener against Vegas, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told reporters the team might have a firm timeline for Bedard's return sometime next month. Bedard underwent shoulder surgery in July and was ruled out for four months, suggesting he won't make his 2026-27 debut until November. With Bedard unavailable, rookie Roman Kantserov opened the season as Chicago's first-line center on Tuesday night, logging 17:07 of ice time, including 2:36 on the power play.
Source: Ben Pope
Source: Ben Pope
Damon Severson to Miss At Least Two Games
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (shoulder) won't be in the lineup for the first two games of the season, Jason Newland of The Hockey News reports. The 32-year-old underwent shoulder surgery late last season, and the team doesn't want to rush him into action. Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness hopes to have Severson available for the third game of the season, a clash against Pittsburgh on home ice. Dante Fabbro (upper body) isn't available either, making Denton Mateychuk a candidate for a bigger role. On Tuesday, Columbus also signed Carson Soucy to a one-year, $1.15 million contract to bolster its defensive depth.
Source: Jason Newland
Source: Jason Newland
Canucks Hope to Have Thatcher Demko Available By Christmas
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (hip) will be out until December. "He won't be ready early on, but our goal is to get him back before Christmas," Canucks's co-president of hockey operations Henrik Sedin told the "Halford and Brough" show. Demko was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2023-24 but has since dealt with several injuries. He suited up for only 20 games in 2025-26, undergoing hip surgery in January. The Canucks will start the season with Kevin Lankinen and Leevi Merilainen in net. Lankinen will face Edmonton in Tuesday's season opener. This will likely be a rough night for him, as Vancouver is a +250 underdog.
Source: Kevin Woodley
Source: Kevin Woodley
Elvis Merzlikins Out 3-5 Months
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder) will be unavailable for 3-5 months, general manager John Chayka said Tuesday. The Maple Leafs acquired Merzlikins from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, but he won't be available for his season debut until 2027. According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Toronto was on Merzlikins' 10-team no-trade list, but he waived it to make the deal happen. Even after recovering from his shoulder injury, Merzlikins isn't expected to see much NHL action this season, as Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz are Toronto's top two options in the crease.
Source: TSN
Source: TSN
Frederik Andersen Months Away From Returning
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Frederik Andersen (knee) will miss the first two months of the season. Ahead of Tuesday's season opener against Vancouver, Oilers head coach Mike Babcock said he doesn't expect Andersen back until "maybe" December. After helping Carolina win the 2026 Stanley Cup, Andersen moved to Edmonton on a one-year, $1 million contract this offseason. However, due to a knee injury, it will take quite a while until he's available for his new team. Tristan Jarry will start the first game of the season for the Oilers, who are -303 favorites against Vancouver.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Matt Savoie Unavailable for Eight Weeks
Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Savoie (lower body) won't be available for eight weeks. The 22-year-old was injured in the offseason and won't make his 2026-27 debut until late November. Edmonton's offense will also be without Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) and Jason Dickinson (foot) to start the season. With the frontline depleted, Isaac Howard is set to ride with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman on the first line Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. Howard has seen little success in the NHL so far, but he's in a good spot to make a big impact on Tuesday.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Misses Opening Night
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body) won't be in action when the team starts the 2026-27 season on Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. He sustained a lower-body injury late in Monday's practice. As a result of Nugent-Hopkins' absence, the Oilers will split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the first game of the season. McDavid is expected to skate with Isaac Howard and Zach Hyman. Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin will join Draisaitl. The Oilers' offense is expected to dominate on Tuesday, as bookmakers have made them a massive -303 favorite.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Brock Faber Out Indefinitely With Fractured Skull
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports. Last Friday, a puck struck Faber in the head during a preseason game. The team placed Faber on Injured Reserve Monday. Unfortunately, Minnesota must start the season without its best players, but it gives others a chance to step up. Jared Spurgeon is poised to partner with Quinn Hughes on the first defensive pairing in Thursday's season opener against Nashville. The Wild captain will also take Faber's spot on the second power-play unit.
Source: Emily Kaplan
Source: Emily Kaplan
Sabres Place Mattias Samuelsson on Injured Reserve
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (lower body) has been placed on Injured Reserve. He was labeled week-to-week last Wednesday, and it's now clear he will miss at least a couple of games. Samuelsson suffered a lower-body injury in a preseason game when a puck struck him. With Samuelsson sidelined, Louis Crevier will get a big opportunity to impress on the first defensive pairing. The Sabres acquired Crevier in June from the Chicago Blackhawks after his first full NHL season. The 25-year-old demonstrated strong two-way play, recording 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists), 95 blocks, and 124 hits in 78 outings.
Source: Sabres.com
Source: Sabres.com
Bryan Rust Out Week-to-Week
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (upper body) is considered week-to-week, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports. He was placed on Injured Reserve Monday. With Rust out, the Penguins can't count on the services of a player who has posted back-to-back 65-point campaigns. The Penguins' forward group is dealing with other injuries as well, giving players like Ville Koivunen a chance to take on more responsibility. Koivunen heads into the season opener with high expectations, having signed an eight-year, $32 million extension this offseason despite just 39 career games.
Source: Michelle Crechiolo
Source: Michelle Crechiolo
Jake DeBrusk Expected to Play in Season Opener
Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (lower body) is expected to be fine for Tuesday's season opener against the Edmonton Oilers, Postmedia's Ben Kuzma reports. DeBrusk missed Monday's practice, initially leaving his status questionable for Tuesday night. However, he traveled with the team and will likely play. DeBrusk was slow out of the gate last season but finished with a respectable 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 81 games. Fantasy managers know what to expect from DeBrusk, who has tallied at least 40 points in five consecutive campaigns.
Source: Ben Kuzma
Source: Ben Kuzma
Brock Faber Moved to Injured Reserve
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (upper body) will not be available for the season opener against Nashville on Oct. 1 after being placed on Injured Reserve, retroactive to Sept. 25. Faber took a puck to the left side of his head in a preseason game last week. He initially carried on playing, making it look like it wasn't a serious injury. However, it will keep Faber sidelined for at least one game. As a result, Quinn Hughes faces a massive workload, and the rest of the blue line must also be ready for additional duties. In 2025-26, Faber averaged 24:41 of ice time per game and recorded a career-high 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) in 80 appearances.
Source: Michael Russo
Source: Michael Russo
