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Jake Sanderson Iffy for Season Opener
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) didn't practice on Wednesday. He was hurt in Saturday's preseason finale against Montreal and skated on his own Wednesday. Initially, reports said Sanderson was fine after sitting out Monday's practice. Now that he has missed several practice sessions, it's unclear whether Sanderson will be available for Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday night. If Sanderson can't play, Thomas Chabot will likely get as many minutes as he can handle, and we should also see more of Carter Yakemchuk.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
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Alex Nedeljkovic Expected to Be Available Thursday
San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (illness) is expected to suit up for Thursday's season-opening matchup against the Florida Panthers, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky told reporters on Wednesday that Nedeljkovic was feeling under the weather but should be available against Florida. Although Nedeljkovic will likely be available, he is expected to serve as Yaroslav Askarov's backup. In 2025-26, Nedeljkovic had a solid year with the Sharks, going 18-14-4, with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage.
Source: Curtis Pashelka
Source: Curtis Pashelka
William Karlsson Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson has signed a two-year contract extension, ESPN's Kristen Shilton reports. The Swedish forward inked a $13.5 million deal on Wednesday, keeping him in Sin City through the 2028-29 season. While injuries have held Karlsson back in recent years, he plays an effective game when on the ice and has been a key part of the Golden Knights' success. Karlsson operates in a middle-six role, and if he can stay healthy, he could put up 50-60 points this season.
Source: Kristen Shilton
Source: Kristen Shilton
Andre Burakovsky Won't Play in Season Opener
Ottawa Senators winger Andre Burakovsky (upper body) will be forced to miss Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He sustained an upper-body injury in Ottawa's preseason finale against Montreal last weekend. The Senators acquired Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason. He's had a difficult four-year stretch after collecting a career-high 61 points (22 goals, 39 assists) in 2021-22 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. The early-season injury won't help Burakovsky's efforts to regain his top form.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Tyler Tucker Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
St. Louis Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker (knee) will be re-evaluated in six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery, general manager Alexander Steen announced. Tucker injured his right knee in practice last week. Entering the season opener, St. Louis has also lost Logan Mailloux (hand) for several weeks. The team recently claimed Justin Barron off waivers to add defensive depth. The backline injuries could also allow Adam Jiricek to break into the lineup early in the season.
Source: St. Louis Blues
Source: St. Louis Blues
Connor Brown Out for First Two Games
New Jersey Devils right wing Connor Brown (lower body) will miss the first two games of the season. The 32-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in Monday's practice. Depending on imaging results, Brown may miss more than two games. However, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday that the team doesn't expect the injury to be "anything significant." Brown's absence will give Stefan Noesen a spot in the opening-night lineup. He will skate with Cody Glass and Amadeus Lombardi on the fourth line and isn't expected to have a fantasy impact.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Matt Duchene Doubtful for Season Opener
Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene (lower body) is doubtful to play in Friday's season opener against the St. Louis Blues. Since training camp, Duchene has carried a nagging lower-body injury, and it looks like he will miss at least one game because of it. Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan told reporters Wednesday that he might go with 11 forwards if Duchene isn't available. This would give a spot in the lineup for defenseman Kyle Capobianco. Dallas starts the season with a back-to-back, so there is a strong chance Duchene will sit out multiple games.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
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
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
