September 18, 2025
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Paul (upper body) is expected to be out of action until November. He had surgery last Friday to fix an upper-body issue. "It's something he had been dealing with most of last season, to be honest," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Wednesday. "We tried every conservative method of getting him back to 100 percent over the course of summer, and everything we tried just wasn't working. And as we got closer to the start of the season, we decided this was probably best to be addressed through surgery." In 2024-25, Paul had a second consecutive 40-point campaign, notching 22 goals and 19 assists in 76 outings. Zemgus Girgensons may get a chance to work on the third line until Paul's return, although he doesn't have any significant fantasy value.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
September 18, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (chest) appears to be ready to fully participate in training camp, as the team has not listed him among injured players. The six-time All-Star had surgery in April to close a small hole in his heart. Letang had a tough season last term, settling for 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 74 appearances. He'll try to bounce back in his 20th pro season, but considering his age, fantasy managers shouldn't bank on it.
--Taavi PailkSource: Pittsburgh Penguins
September 18, 2025
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak is dealing with tendinitis and will miss the first few practices of training camp, general manager Don Sweeney said Wednesday. The Czechia star is expected to return to full practice next week. Pastrnak has three straight 100-point campaigns under his belt and hasn't missed a single regular-season game during that span, adding to his fantasy value. His performances in 2024-25 were especially impressive, given that the Bruins struggled as a team for most of the season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
September 18, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) will be sidelined until December, general manager Bill Zito said Wednesday. The star forward battled several injuries last season and had surgery in August. Initial reports suggested that Tkachuk will be out until 2026. Despite battling injuries, Tkachuk was still a point-per-game player last season, notching 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 55 regular-season appearances and contributing 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in as many games during his team's run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup win. In Tkachuk's absence, Brad Marchand might begin the season as part of the top-six group.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
September 15, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk (groin) will be limited at the start of training camp. Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the young rearguard is dealing with a groin injury. Mateychuk is coming off a successful debut campaign in the NHL, which earned him a spot on the All-Rookie team. The 21-year-old earned 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 45 games and blocked 63 shots. Before making his NHL debut in December, Mateychuk scored nearly a point per game in the AHL. He's a promising young player that fantasy managers should watch closely.
--Taavi PailkSource: Aaron Portzline
September 15, 2025
New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (ankle) is good to go for training camp, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports. Horvat injured his ankle while playing for Team Canada at the World Championship in May. The veteran centerman narrowly missed out on a third consecutive 60-point campaign last season, finishing with 28 goals and 29 assists in 81 outings. The entire team struggled offensively, as only four teams in the league scored fewer goals than the Islanders. This is expected to change in 2025-26, with Jonathan Drouin and KHL standout Maxim Shabanov set to boost the offense. On Monday, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said that the two will start training camp as Horvat's linemates.
--Taavi PailkSource: Andrew Gross
September 15, 2025
Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach (knee) should be good to go for the start of the season. According to the Canadiens' executive vice president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, the team has a "plan in place" for Dach to be ready for the first game of the campaign. Dach has been badly hit by injuries in recent years and was limited to 57 appearances last season due to a knee issue. He finished the year with 10 goals and 22 points. A healthy Dach could flirt with the 50-point mark, and he's likely to be highly motivated for the season, as the 24-year-old is on an expiring contract.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
September 15, 2025
New York Islanders left wing Emil Heineman aims to make a big impact with his new team. "For this year, I'm excited to take the next step," Heineman told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. "It's a new team and a new system, but I want to bring my 200-foot game, help the team in any way I can, and be as useful as possible." Heineman has great potential as a fantasy producer because of his versatile game. While with the Montreal Canadiens, he finished last season with 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) and 173 hits in 62 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Stefen Rosner
September 15, 2025
Vancouver Canucks center Braeden Cootes (undisclosed) is expected to be fine for training camp. Cootes was held out of Sunday's prospects game against the Seattle Kraken for precautionary reasons, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports. The 15th pick of this year's draft exited Saturday's action against the Kraken early. Following a productive WHL campaign, during which Cootes amassed 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 60 contests with the Seattle Thunderbirds, the 18-year-old centerman has a chance to make the Canucks roster for the 2025-26 campaign. However, it's more likely that he will return to the WHL for one more year.
--Taavi PailkSource: Thomas Drance
September 15, 2025
The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired goaltender Ivan Fedotov in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. Columbus gave up a 2026 sixth-round draft pick in the deal. Fedotov will move on from the City of Brotherly Love after making 29 appearances with the Flyers. He managed a 6-14-5 record with 3.29 goals allowed and a .874 save percentage. According to Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, bolstering the team's goalie depth was a "priority" all offseason. Fedotov, who has one year left on his contract, will compete for the backup job in Columbus with Jet Greaves.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brian Hedger
September 13, 2025
Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov has impressed with his efforts during the team's rookie camp. "He's a special player and an even better person off the ice," said Montreal's goalie prospect Jacob Fowler about Demidov. "His talent is some of the highest I've ever seen. It's cool to see how good he's done so far, and that's only going to get better." Demidov made his NHL debut late last season, skating in two regular-season contests and five playoff games. He registered one goal and three assists. The 19-year-old Russian is considered one of the brightest prospects in hockey and appears nailed on for a top-six role this season with the Canadiens.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
September 13, 2025
Defenseman Calvin de Haan has signed a one-year contract with Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League. The former first-round draft pick makes a move to Europe after appearing in 679 regular-season games in the NHL. In 2024-25, de Haan skated with the Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers, appearing in a total of 47 games. De Haan has always been a dependable defenseman but has rarely made an impact in fantasy hockey, totaling only 149 career points (24 goals, 125 assists). Since he turned 34 in May, the move to Sweden probably signals the end of de Haan's NHL career.
--Taavi PailkSource: Rogle BK
September 13, 2025
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (undisclosed) was seen skating in a red non-contact jersey on Friday. Girard had missed all previous informal skates with the team and seems to be recovering from a health issue. "He was under the watchful eye of the trainer and skating carefully," Avalanche beat writer Brennan Vogt reported, suggesting Girard might be dealing with a lower-body injury. Girard has been quite injury-prone throughout his NHL career, managing more than 73 contests only once over the past four campaigns. Last season, he missed nine games with three separate injuries. Luckily for Girard, he still has time to recover before the start of the 2025-26 season. The Avalanche are set to open their season on Oct. 7 with a road game against the Los Angeles Kings.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brennan Vogt
September 13, 2025
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood (undisclosed) is dealing with an injury before training camp. According to Avalanche beat reporter Brennan Vogt, Blackwood hasn't skated with the team all week and isn't taking any shots. After arriving from San Jose, Blackwood impressed last term with his rock-solid play in the Avalanche crease, and missing him at the start of the season due to injury would be a big loss for the team. Blackwood went 22-12-2 in Colorado during the 2024-25 campaign, notching three shutouts and posting a 2.33 goals-against average with a .913 save percentage. His absence would open up more playing opportunities for Scott Wedgewood.
--Taavi PailkSource: Brennan Vogt
September 13, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight has put pen to paper for a three-year, $17.5 million contract extension. He has one year to run on his current contract. Knight is set to begin his first full season as a Blackhawk. The team acquired him in March from the Florida Panthers in a deal that sent defenseman Seth Jones in the opposite direction. The 24-year-old posted a 5-8-2 record in Chicago, allowing 3.12 goals with a .896 save percentage. He boasts a 49-33-9 career record in the NHL. While Knight did well with the Panthers, he found it much tougher with a struggling Blackhawks team. Still, the Blackhawks have high hopes for the Darien, Connecticut native, and Knight is seen as a "crucial piece" of the team's future, according to general manager Kyle Davidson.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
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