August 15, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mikael Pyyhtia will be back with the organization in 2025-26 after agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract. Per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Pyyhtia's contract comes with an NHL cap hit of $775,000 and a minor-league salary of $100,000. The Finnish native was drafted in the fourth round by the Blue Jackets in 2020 and has made 66 regular-season appearances, including 47 last season. He scored his first four NHL goals and finished the campaign with seven points. Overall, Pyyhtia has scored 10 points in the league, so he's made only a minimal impact with the Blue Jackets and doesn't have any fantasy appeal.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 15, 2025
Utah Mammoth forward prospect Caleb Desnoyers (wrist) will be out for approximately 12 weeks after undergoing wrist surgery, general manager Doug Armstrong announced Thursday. Desnoyers was the fourth pick of this year's draft, instantly becoming one of Utah's top prospects. However, it's unclear whether he will make his NHL debut in 2025-26. The 18-year-old may return to the QMJHL or link up with an NCAA team, since he hasn't signed a contract with Utah. Regardless, the wrist surgery will keep him sidelined for the start of the season. Desnoyers battled wrist issues throughout last season but still produced an impressive 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 regular-season games with the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: Utah Mammoth PR
August 15, 2025
Philadelphia Flyers winger Tyson Foerster (elbow) appears to be on track to be healthy for the start of the 2025-26 NHL campaign. Flyers general manager Danny Briere told Bill Meltzer of Hockey Hot Stove via text that "everything looks good right now" for Foerster, and he "should be ready for the season." The 23-year-old underwent elbow surgery during the offseason to treat an infection caused by an injury he sustained while playing for Team Canada at the World Championship. Foerster has produced back-to-back 20-goal campaigns in his first two years in the NHL and was tied for fourth in scoring on his team last season with 43 points (25 goals, 18 assists) in 81 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bill Meltzer
August 15, 2025
Goaltender Olivier Rodrigue will join HC Barys in the KHL for the upcoming season. The 25-year-old moves overseas after making his NHL debut in 2024-25. Across two appearances, Rodrigue posted a 0-1-0 record with a 3.10 goals-against average and a .862 save percentage. After the season, he didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Oilers, making Rodrigue an unrestricted free agent. Despite parting ways with Rodrigue, Edmonton still has six goaltenders under contract for 2025-26, with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard serving as the team's duo in the NHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
August 15, 2025
Right wing Emil Bemstrom is set to spend the 2025-26 campaign in Europe. According to Henrik Sjoberg of HockeyNews.se, Bemstrom will join SC Bern in Switzerland. The Swedish forward is on the move after making only 14 appearances with the Pittsburgh Penguins last term. He has also skated with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL, producing 34 goals and 75 points in 242 career games. Things truly never clicked for Bemstrom on the big stage, despite him being a point-per-game player in the AHL. Good performances in Switzerland could give him a chance to return to North America at some point.
--Taavi PailkSource: HockeyNews.se
August 12, 2025
Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday through the NHL Players Association. He has decided to hang up his skates following a 13-year career, during which Ruhwedel made 369 regular-season appearances. The San Diego-born blue-liner recorded 50 points (13 goals, 37 assists), along with 350 blocks and 622 hits. Ruhwedel, who was not drafted, started his career with the Buffalo Sabres and also suited up for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. He won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017. The Rangers used Ruhwedel in five games last season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 12, 2025
Defenseman Jack Johnson has signed a professional tryout contract with the Minnesota Wild. The veteran rearguard aims to impress during training camp to extend his NHL career into a 20th year. Last season, Johnson made 41 appearances with the Columbus Blue Jackets, registering six assists, 23 shots on goal, 35 blocks, and 21 hits. It's been years since the Indianapolis, Indiana native made an impact in fantasy hockey, but Johnson could add some much-needed depth on the blue line for the Wild, who are expected to begin the campaign without Jonas Brodin (upper body).
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 12, 2025
Seattle Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans has landed a new two-year, $4.1 million contract with the team. He became a restricted free agent this offseason after finishing his entry-level contract. Evans had his first full season in the NHL last term, enjoying a productive year. The 23-year-old recorded 25 points (five goals, 20 assists), 106 blocks, and 123 hits in 73 regular-season appearances. Seattle hopes to see another leap from him in 2025-26. "Ryker took a positive step forward in his first full season in the NHL," Kraken general manager Jason Botterill said. "Since turning pro, he's shown improvement year over year, and we're confident he'll take his game to another level next season. We're happy to have him under contract."
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 11, 2025
Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh hopes to make the roster for the upcoming campaign and aims to have a "big camp." "I mean, everyone knows that for me, I'm trying to play in the NHL," Parekh told NHL.com. "All my peers know that. I have a great support group and everybody's pushing me every day and I'm pretty hard on myself, too. I'm going to keep working so that in the fall, it's pretty far away, but I've got to have a big camp." Parekh, who won't turn 20 until February, made a scoring debut in the NHL in the 2024-25 regular season finale. The expectations are high for him after becoming the first OHL/OHA defenseman to score at least 30 goals in multiple seasons since Bobby Orr.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 11, 2025
Boston Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) is back at 100 percent ahead of the 2025-26 NHL campaign. Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reports that Lindholm is fully recovered from a kneecap fracture and ready to begin training camp on Sept. 17. The injury limited Lindholm to only 17 appearances last season. The Swedish blue-liner is confident of a successful campaign. "I have my best hockey still ahead of me," Lindholm told Dupont. Lindholm was a 50-point producer only a couple of years ago and is still at the peak of his powers at 31, making him a valuable fantasy piece if he can stay healthy.
--Taavi PailkSource: Kevin Paul Dupont
August 11, 2025
Right wing Nathan Bastian has signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Dallas Stars. He will move on from the New Jersey Devils after recording 10 points (four goals, six assists) and 138 hits in 59 games last season. Heading into the offseason, Bastian had completed a two-year, $2.7 million contract, indicating that his value around the league has dropped. The 27-year-old will add grit and muscle to the Stars lineup, but won't offer anything for fantasy managers and might not even be a regular in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
August 9, 2025
Winger Jakub Vrana will move back to Europe for the upcoming season after signing a two-year deal with his first professional club, Linkoping HC in Sweden. Vrana saw some success early in his NHL career and won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, but his productivity declined a few years ago. In 2024-25, Vrana recorded only 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 39 games with the Capitals and Nashville Predators. Overall, he totaled 223 points (119 goals, 104 assists) in 406 NHL regular-season games. Vrana will celebrate his 30th birthday in February, making it unlikely he will return to North America.
--Taavi PailkSource: Linkoping HC
August 9, 2025
The Colorado Avalanche have signed winger Joel Kiviranta to a new one-year contract. It's reportedly a $1.25 million deal for the Finnish forward, who became an unrestricted free agent last month. Kiviranta is set to begin his third campaign with the Avalanche. He enjoyed a career year in 2024-25, notching 16 goals and 23 points in 79 outings. "Joel is a hard-working, responsible player who has demonstrated he can be a key contributor at five-on-five," said Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland. "He has been a valuable member of our lineup, and we are excited to have him back for another season." Kiviranta has done a solid job for the Avalanche, but his fantasy upside is limited because he only gets bottom-six minutes on the team.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
August 9, 2025
Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (groin) revealed he would face a multi-month absence if he opts for surgery. The star forward played the Stanley Cup playoffs with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury. "If I do get the surgery, it'll definitely be the first two or maybe three months if that's the case. But it's still undecided at this point," Tkachuk told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. It was recently reported that Tkachuk is expected to miss the start of the season and may not be back until the Olympics. Despite his health issues, Tkachuk had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in as many games in the postseason. He was also very productive during the 2024-25 regular season but was limited to 52 games after getting injured while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
August 8, 2025
Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish remains a restricted free agent deep into the offseason and has generated plenty of interest among rival teams. Sources have told James Murphy of RG that the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, and Detroit Red Wings have interest in McTavish, who was Anaheim's second-highest scorer last season with 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 76 games. An NHL executive has speculated that a previous working relationship between general managers Steven Yzerman and Pat Verbeek could eventually help the Red Wings land the talented 22-year-old. However, Verbeek reportedly still considers re-signing McTavish as the top priority.
--Taavi PailkSource: James Murphy
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