11 hours agoNew Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (lower leg) is considered week-to-week as he continues to progress from a fractured fibula. The 29-year-old suffered the injury early into the playoffs last season. Following nine campaigns with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pesce signed a six-year, $33 million deal with the Devils this summer. He will occupy a top-four spot in New Jersey, but Pesce has never put up big numbers offensively and he doesn't really do enough defensively either to be considered a must-have fantasy piece.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Amanda Stein
12 hours agoVancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko (knee) is progressing but isn't sure if he will be ready to play when the team opens the season on Oct. 9 versus Calgary. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Demko said he doesn't have a timeline for his return but is on a "great trajectory" right now. The 28-year-old has been nursing a knee issue since getting hurt in Vancouver's playoff opener in April. Arturs Silovs is set to begin the year as the Canucks' No. 1 if Demko doesn't recover in time for the season opener.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoSeattle Kraken right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (undisclosed) is fully healthy for the start of the 2024-25 NHL season. The Danish winger was hurt playing for his country in Olympic qualifiers a few weeks ago, but he has shaken off the problem ahead of training camp. Bjorkstrand has been one of the Kraken's most consistent players and should be good for 50-plus points again in 2024-25. He enjoyed a career year last term with a 59-point effort across 82 games. The 29-year-old finished second in scoring and led the team with a career-high 39 assists and 25 power-play points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Alison Lukan
12 hours agoBuffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (undisclosed) has escaped serious injury and will be out for only a short while. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff announced that Dahlin will miss "a few days of practice" after getting hurt during the team's first practice session in training camp on Wednesday. Dahlin was injured at the start of the session while attempting a pass. The Swedish blue-liner has developed into one of the top defensemen in the NHL and looks primed for another big campaign in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoUtah Hockey Club defenseman John Marino (upper body) wasn't on the ice Thursday when the team began its training camp and is considered week-to-week. Utah picked up Marino from New Jersey in the summer, but his attempt to find some chemistry with his new teammates ahead of the 2024-25 campaign has hit a roadblock due to an upper-body injury. After starting out in Pittsburgh, Marino played two seasons with the Devils. He recorded 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) across 75 appearances last term, adding 89 blocks on the defensive end. Marino is projected to play on the second defensive pairing once he's healthy enough to join the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
12 hours agoUtah Hockey Club center Nick Bjugstad (upper body) isn't available for the start of training camp and is considered week-to-week. The versatile forward could also miss the start of the regular season due to an upper-body injury. Bjugstad is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He notched 22 goals and 45 points in 76 games with 118 hits in 2023-24. The 32-year-old should be a two-way force again as a middle-six forward in 2024-25, but Bjugstad has to get healthy first.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
12 hours agoMontreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle underwent appendix surgery Wednesday and will be re-evaluated in seven days. Guhle is looking at an opportunity to take up a big role on the Canadiens blue line in 2024-25, but his preparations for the new campaign have suffered a slight blow. Once he's healthy again, Guhle is expected to partner Mike Matheson on the first defensive pairing. He enjoyed a career year last season with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 70 games and should improve further with extra usage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
12 hours agoDetroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider has signed a seven-year extension worth nearly $60 million. Seider, who was a restricted free agent, will carry a cap hit of $8.55 million going forward. The German blue-liner entered the league with a bang and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2021-22 with a 50-point effort. He has posted 42 points in each of the last two campaigns. In 2023-24, Seider produced nine goals and 33 assists while racking up 213 blocks and 211 hits. Seider's durability -- he has yet to miss a game in his NHL career -- and two-way ability make him a very valuable asset in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoVegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner (hip) may have his contract terminated by the team after he missed his mandatory medical exam ahead of training camp on Wednesday. A preseason medical exam was required to confirm Lehner's medical inability to play the 2024-25 campaign. He has already been unavailable for two seasons and likely has played his final NHL game after having hip surgery in August 2022. Lehner is set to enter the final season of a five-year, $25 million contract he signed with the Golden Knights in 2020. Vegas owes the Swedish netminder $4.5 million in salary for the final year, which Lehner would lose in case of a contract termination.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
1 day agoLos Angeles Kings right wing Arthur Kaliyev has signed a one-year, $825,000 contract with the team. After finishing his entry-level contract, Kaliyev spent the entire offseason as a restricted free agent. But he can now finally celebrate a new deal right before the start of training camp. Kaliyev has played a minuscule role with the Kings during his three-year NHL career, but he has always found ways to be productive. In 188 career games, the Uzbekistan-born winger has tallied 35 goals and 71 points while averaging only around 12 minutes of ice time. However, Kaliyev did take a step back in 2023-24, going for 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 51 outings.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (elbow, groin, abdominal) is expected to be good to go for the team's regular-season opener on Oct. 8 versus Florida. The veteran star isn't available to work with the team at the start of training camp. But Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said on Wednesday that Marchand is "on track" to play in the season opener after having three separate surgeries in the offseason to fix elbow, groin, and abdominal injuries. Marchand turned 36 in May but has continued to plug away with a good scoring rate. He was nearly a point-per-game player in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and registered 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 82 regular-season appearances last season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBC Sports Boston
1 day agoDallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (foot) will miss most of training camp but is expected to be ready for the start of the season after having surgery to remove a cyst from his foot. Stars general manager Jim Nill said on Wednesday that Robertson had the procedure done on July 30. Robertson, who could not put weight on his foot for six weeks after surgery, will be skating on his own, and the team plans to restrict his activity and monitor his foot during training camp. The American winger has been Dallas' top scorer in back-to-back campaigns. He posted 29 goals and 80 points last year. The Stars kick off their regular season on Oct. 10 versus Nashville.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoBuffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (undisclosed) is being evaluated for an injury after leaving the team's opening practice of training camp early on Wednesday. "It was just one of those things, he was passing the puck and something happened," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. "So, you know, (as) precaution, got him off. He's going to get looked at and then we'll find out what's going on." Losing Dahlin for a significant time would be a huge blow for the Sabres. He's the team's top defenseman and was tied for the most points on the squad last season. In 81 outings, Dahlin produced 59 points, notching 20 goals and a team-high 39 assists. Only two defensemen in the league recorded more goals than him.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoPittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (upper body) will not be available for the start of training camp. The Penguins have announced that their star blue-liner is dealing with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Karlsson might miss some preseason action because of the injury, but it looks like it's not a very serious issue and doesn't threaten his status for the team's regular-season opener on Oct. 9 versus the Rangers. After winning the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman for the third time in 2023, Karlsson took a big fall last season. He went from a 101-point scorer to a 56-point guy in his debut campaign with the Penguins. He'll be looking to produce a bounce-back year in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet
2 days agoWashington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (back) is set to begin the 2024-25 season on long-term Injured Reserve. The veteran has been troubled by back pain for several years. "The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup," Oshie said Wednesday. "I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health." Oshie hasn't managed more than 58 games in any of the previous four seasons. He skated in 52 contests last term and struggled, recording 12 goals and 13 assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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