September 19, 2025
San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund (wrist) said on Thursday that he's back at 100 percent ahead of the new season. The 22-year-old had offseason surgery after injuring his wrist in early May while playing for Sweden ahead of the World Championship. Eklund has become a key part of the Sharks offense and notched 58 points (17 goals, 41 assists) in 77 games during his sophomore campaign last term. He'll look to make further progress this season, surrounded by other promising offensive talents like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Miller
September 19, 2025
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (illness) left Thursday's practice early because he wasn't feeling well, according to general manager Mike Grier. Since training camp has just begun, there is no need for Celebrini to push through practice sessions if he's not feeling 100 percent. He might need a few days to recover but should return to work soon. Celebrini narrowly missed being a point-per-game player during his rookie year, finishing last season with 25 goals and 38 assists in 70 games. The 19-year-old will hope to avoid a sophomore slump in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: Max Miller
September 19, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Kevin Hayes (upper body) was injured on the first day of training camp on Thursday. Penguins head coach Dan Muse announced that Hayes is being evaluated for an upper-body injury. He was hurt from a hard hit by defenseman Ryan Graves. This is an early setback for Hayes, who managed only 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 64 games during his first season as a Penguin. He was a 50-point scorer in Philadelphia just a couple of years ago, and the Penguins must get more from Hayes to improve their chances of returning to the playoffs.
--Taavi PailkSource: Josh Getzoff
September 19, 2025
Edmonton Oilers right wing Zach Hyman (wrist) will miss the start of the season. "Zach will, unfortunately, not be able to join us for our home opener," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Thursday. "We're thinking, guideline, probably around November 1. So maybe a little bit earlier, maybe a little bit later, but around that timeline." Hyman dislocated his wrist during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and isn't fully ready for the start of the season after having surgery. Andrew Mangiapane could be Connor McDavid's right-hand man for the first few weeks with Hyman absent.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
September 19, 2025
New Jersey Devils winger Stefan Noesen (groin) re-aggravated a groin injury in the offseason and is expected to miss some time, the team announced. Noesen is coming off a strong 22-goal, 41-point campaign, but his debut in 2025-26 may be delayed due to an ongoing groin issue from last season. New signing Evgenii Dadonov may get an extended look in the top six without Noesen at the start of the season, with Dawson Merce also a candidate to step up.
--Taavi PailkSource: New Jersey Devils
September 19, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Laurent Brossoit (hip) will be out long-term, general manager Kyle Davidson announced Thursday. After missing the entire 2024-25 campaign following a knee procedure, Brossoit is recovering from offseason hip surgery. Brossoit, who won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, has a 64-46-13 career record in the NHL. He went 15-5-2 with the Winnipeg Jets in 2023-24, which earned him a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Blackhawks as a free agent. Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom will share the goaltending duties in Chicago this season until Brossoit's return.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
September 19, 2025
New York Islanders left wing Pierre Engvall (hip) won't be available for 2-3 weeks, the team announced. The Swedish forward is recovering from offseason hip surgery. Based on the projected timeline, it looks like Engvall has a good chance to be healthy for opening night. The Islanders kick off the campaign on Oct. 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Engvall has had a difficult time in New York and will have a point to prove this year after being put on waivers and landing in the AHL last season. In the NHL, he recorded only 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 62 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
September 19, 2025
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov is unbothered by the lack of a contract extension and is fully focused on having a good season. "I like Minny, and everyone knows this. We have a lot of time. It's just 2025, and it's one more year I have," Kaprizov told reporters Thursday. "I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go in playoffs and win there." According to reports, Kaprizov turned down an eight-year, $128 million contract offer from the Wild, the richest deal in NHL history. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. Since entering the league, Kaprizov has averaged an impressive 1.21 points per game and looks set for another fruitful campaign, with or without an extension.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
September 19, 2025
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (undisclosed) is not expected to be healthy for the start of the season. Wild general manager Bill Guerin said that "something has come up" with Zuccarello in recent weeks and he's going to miss some time, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Guerin mentioned that Liam Ohgren has a chance to step up in Zuccarello's absence. Ohgren was limited to five points (two goals, three assists) in 24 NHL appearances last season. However, he was very prolific in the minors, posting 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 41 AHL outings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Michael Russo
September 19, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (undisclosed) missed the team's second practice session on Day 1 of training camp on Thursday. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told Jesse Granger of The Athletic that Eichel wasn't on the ice because of "a little tweak." The Golden Knights seem to be very cautious with Eichel at the start of training camp. It's safe to assume this minor issue won't affect his status for the start of the season. Eichel aims to repeat a monster year, having finished last season with 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 77 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Jesse Granger
September 19, 2025
Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (concussion) has put his health issues in the past and is ready to go for the new season. "I feel great," Josi told reporters Thursday. "I feel 100 percent, I feel good on the ice, and so I'm not concerned at all." Josi missed the end of last season due to a concussion and was diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in the summer. The Predators captain was limited to 53 appearances last season, posting 38 points (nine goals, 29 assists), which marks his lowest scoring total in 12 years. With his return to health, Josi looks like a strong bounce-back candidate in fantasy hockey this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
September 19, 2025
St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours (personal) is not with the team for the start of training camp. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong announced that Neighbours will miss the first three days of camp to attend to a personal family matter. This is likely only a small bump on the road for Neighbors and should not have a major impact on his preparations for the season. Neighbours has registered back-to-back 20-goal campaigns and finished last season with a career-high 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists) in 82 appearances. The 23-year-old also brings muscle to the Blues lineup, having racked up over 300 hits over the past two seasons.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
September 19, 2025
Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar has decided to hang up his skates after this season. Kopitar made the announcement on Thursday, saying he wanted to "get this out of the way now" because he didn't want to be a distraction for the team. Considering how well Kopitar has played, even in his later years, he could still probably do a good job for the Kings for a few more seasons. Kopitar, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, has notched at least 60 points in four consecutive campaigns, finishing the 2024-25 season with 21 goals and 46 assists in 67 games. He has totaled 1,278 points (440 goals, 838 assists) in 1,454 career games, winning the Selke Trophy twice and the Lady Byng Trophy three times.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
September 19, 2025
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin (lower body) left Thursday's practice session early. The Capitals were on the ice for the first day of training camp, but Ovechkin departed after just a few minutes of practice due to a lower-body injury. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said that Ovechkin's absence was merely "precautionary" and indicated that he is considered "day-to-day." Ovechkin, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Wednesday, is preparing for his 21st NHL season. Carbery believes that Ovechkin will be "hungry as ever" to score goals and perform well. Last season, the Capitals' captain averaged over a point per game, tallying 44 goals and 29 assists in 65 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Liam Griffin
September 18, 2025
New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider (shoulder) will be kept out of intra-squad games during training camp, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports. Schneider is working his way back from shoulder surgery, and if everything goes according to plan, the 23-year-old will feature in two of the team's last three preseason games. Since making his NHL debut in 2021-22, Schneider has steadily improved and recorded a career-high 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 80 games last season, along with 145 blocks and 146 hits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mollie Walker
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