Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! The World Cup has come and gone, and the dreadful break from European soccer is over! The dust has settled, and all clubs have now played four matches! Today's slate centers around Arsenal FC, with plenty of options outside the Gunners. Will your club […]

Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (foot) looked "great" during the first day of training camp, Kacy Hintz of Local 10 Miami reports. Jones had an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign, missing 30 games. He broke his foot near the end of the regular season. Fortunately for the Panthers, Jones has recovered in time for training camp. As […]

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (concussion) participated in the first day of training camp, Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan reports. Sanderson sustained a concussion during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Luckily, he's fully healthy heading into the new season. The 2026 Olympic champion is coming off back-to-back 50-point campaigns and will again be among the most popular […]

Hey, RotoBallers! For the first time we will bring you dedicated in-season fantasy hockey coverage for the upcoming 2026-27 season in addition to our in-season DFS content. A few weeks ago, I gave you some players that I think are sleepers for your drafts at every position. Today we are zooming our lens closer to […]

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (adductor) has been ruled out for 4-5 weeks. The team provided an official timeline for Guhle's return on Wednesday after it emerged earlier this week that the 24-year-old blue-liner underwent surgery this offseason. Guhle was also limited by injury last season, appearing in only 39 games. He recorded 11 points […]

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin has not joined the team for training camp. The Russian blue-liner is unsigned and has been linked to a trade. Nikishin became a restricted free agent after his rookie campaign in 2025-26. He had a solid year, recording 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists), 122 SOG, 94 blocks, 132 hits, […]

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (lower body) may not be available for Day 1 of training camp. The two-time Norris Trophy winner, who signed an extraordinary eight-year, $163.2 million contract extension this offseason, is bothered by a lower-body injury. While it's not ideal that Makar is dealing with a health issue entering training camp, he […]

Calgary Flames defenseman Kevin Bahl (lower body) is healthy and ready for training camp, Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM reports. Flames general manager Craig Conroy told Steinberg that everyone on the roster, except Jonathan Huberdeau (hip), is ready for training camp, indicating Bahl has recovered from a lower-body injury that kept him out […]

Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (knee) has recovered from an MCL injury that limited him during last year's playoffs, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports. "The knee's good," Zadorov said. "It was a good recovery. I was able to do upper body and work my other leg while I was rehabbing. No complications." The […]

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle (undisclosed) won't be available at the start of the season due to offseason surgery, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Guhle appeared to have hurt his left knee during the playoffs, but it's unclear whether the procedure is related to that injury. The 24-year-old also missed time early last […]

Defenseman Carson Soucy will join the Columbus Blue Jackets for training camp after signing a professional tryout contract. The 32-year-old became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after splitting the 2025-26 season between the two New York teams. He began the year with the Rangers before being traded to the Islanders for a third-round […]

Defenseman Nick Blankenburg has agreed to a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports. Blankenburg has been without a standard contract late in the offseason despite playing 60-plus regular-season games in back-to-back campaigns. He split the 2025-26 season between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, registering 24 […]

Defenseman John Klingberg has announced his retirement from the NHL. He will hang up his skates after 700 regular-season games in a 12-year NHL career. Klingberg played eight seasons with the Dallas Stars, becoming an All-Star in 2018. The Swedish rearguard, who recently turned 34, became a journeyman in his later years. He spent his […]

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! The World Cup has come and gone, and the dreadful break from European soccer is over! The dust has settled, and there have now been three matches played by all clubs! Today's slate offers a wide variety of lineup construction, with several value options […]

Defenseman Mike Reilly will return to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 2026-27 season, signing a one-year, two-way contract. He will earn $850,000 at the NHL level and $450,000 in the AHL. Last season, Reilly appeared in 42 regular-season games with the Hurricanes and suited up twice during the playoffs. He finished the regular season with […]

Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling (undisclosed) has been taking part in informal skates ahead of training camp, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports. Forsling sat out the final two games of the 2025-26 season, but he's good to go for the new campaign. The Swedish rearguard plays a key role in the Panthers' […]

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson (shoulder) will be in the lineup at the start of the season, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports. "He's ready to roll," Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell told Scheig. "We'll probably keep him out of the exhibition games. No real reason for him to play in exhibition […]

Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub (lower body) is expected to be available for training camp, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. Senators general manager Steve Staios told Garrioch that Zub is still rehabbing from a lower-body injury he suffered during the playoffs, but he expects the Russian rearguard to be fine for training camp. Zub is […]

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson plans to attend training camp even if he's still unsigned, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports. The 23-year-old Swedish blue-liner is a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. Edvinsson has enjoyed back-to-back strong campaigns. In 2025-26, he appeared in 72 regular-season contests, recording 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists), […]

The first few rounds of a fantasy hockey draft usually aren't where people think leagues are won. Everybody knows the names. Nobody is finding sleepers in the early rounds. The difference is finding players who can give you more than what you paid for, even when the price is already steep. For this list, I […]

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower body) is skating and healthy for training camp, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Brodin suffered a lower-body injury during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, missing Minnesota's final six games. Fortunately for the team, the Swedish veteran has recovered over the offseason and is ready for the new campaign. […]

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Christopher Tanev (abdomen) is aiming to be available for training camp, David Alter of The Hockey News reports. "I mean, I'm feeling good. We still have to talk to the doctors, I think, in a week or two," Tanev said. "But the plan is hopefully I'm ready to rumble once everything […]

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium has signed a big contract extension, earning an eight-year, $75.04 million deal. The Canucks have invested heavily in a player they acquired from Minnesota in the Quinn Hughes trade last season. "It's something that we felt strongly in Zeev, in his pedigree, he's a proven winner," Canucks general manager Ryan […]

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! The World Cup has come and gone, and the dreadful break from European soccer is over! Plenty of movement in the off-season for several clubs makes this season even more exciting than last year! Will your club reach stardom and win the coveted English […]

Hey, RotoBallers! For the first time, RotoBaller will bring you dedicated in-season fantasy hockey coverage for the upcoming 2026-27 season to our scheduled DFS content. Yahoo leagues are open, which means it's time to get to work! Fantasy managers can blow their league away with sneaky late-round sleepers that perform much higher than their ADP! […]

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski has inked a two-year contract extension. He will earn $2.65 million over the next couple of campaigns. Korchinski was a restricted free agent. The Blackhawks have had high hopes for Korchinski, selecting him seventh overall in the 2022 draft. However, he has yet to make a significant mark in the […]

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has agreed to an eight-year, $163.2 million contract extension, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports. It's the richest deal in NHL history, making Makar the first player to earn at least $20 million annually. He will have a cap hit of $20.4 million starting in the 2027-28 season. Makar will more […]

Welcome back to "The Kick-Off!" and welcome to the 2026-27 season! The World Cup has come and gone, and the dreadful break from European soccer is over! Plenty of movement in the off-season for several clubs makes this season even more exciting than last year! Will your club reach stardom and win the coveted English […]

Calgary Flames defenseman Simon Nemec hopes to play a major role with his new club. "It's a new challenge," Nemec said. "That was a good spot for me, for the team. I feel like they need a player like me. I can play a lot of minutes there. I can be part of the future […]

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Alec Regula (undisclosed) will sit out training camp. The 26-year-old underwent a procedure shortly after last season ended and is still rehabbing. In 2025-26, Regula played a career-high 29 games. He recorded three assists, 18 SOG, 44 blocks, and 15 hits. Since he cannot participate in training camp, Regula will probably struggle […]