Puckline Press

Update: No supplemental discipline expected for Brandon Carlo after his kneeing major on Hintz

Hintz returned to Friday's game, and Carlo is expected to face no further punishment, so he should be available in Colorado.

Jacob Melanson dealing with an undisclosed issue from the opener and left out of the projected lineup in Edmonton

The Kraken say Melanson picked up an undisclosed issue in Thursday's win in Calgary. The projected fourth line in Edmonton is Douglas-Gaudreau-Meyers. Mackie Samoskevich remains on injured reserve.

Denver Barkey, on IR, joins the morning skate and could return on the Flyers' coming road trip

Barkey stays on injured reserve and won't play tonight against Carolina, but he skated with the team Saturday morning. NHL.com says he may play during Philadelphia's upcoming road trip. Nikita Grebenkin is also still on IR.

Update: Friedman says Florida expects Barkov to miss some time but hopes it won't be long; he's listed day-to-day

Friedman says the Panthers hope Barkov's left-knee injury won't mean a long absence. The team lists him as day-to-day with a leg injury. Asked about a Larkin trade, Friedman said Florida is focused on how long Barkov is out and isn't chasing trades over a short absence.

Update: Toropchenko ruled out Saturday in Colorado with an upper-body injury

Alexey Toropchenko, hurt in the opener in Dallas, will miss Saturday's game against the Avalanche. Dillon Dube or Zach Dean is expected to replace him, probably Dube. Jordan Binnington starts in goal.

Jacob Trouba a game-time decision against the Kings with an illness; Dickinson would debut

Trouba missed Friday's practice because he was sick and is a game-time call for tonight. If he can't play, Sam Dickinson makes his season debut next to Nolan Allan.

Update: Panthers put Barkov on long-term injured reserve; he'll miss at least 10 games and 24 days

Florida moved Aleksander Barkov to LTIR on Saturday with the left-knee injury from Thursday in San Jose, so he can't return before late October. The team still hasn't said how serious it is. The move adds about $4M of cap room, letting Florida recall forwards from AHL Charlotte; it was down to 11 healthy forwards.

Update: Jacob Melanson goes on injured reserve, expected to miss at least three games

The Kraken put Melanson on IR with an upper-body injury from the opener in Calgary. Lambert said he doesn't expect him to play in the next three games.

Update: Jake Sanderson will play in the Senators' opener in Toronto

NHL.com's status report says Sanderson plays tonight after missing part of camp. Ridly Greig serves the first game of his two-game suspension.

Gourde (hip) and Dominic James (hand) skate with the Lightning at the morning skate

Yanni Gourde skated in a non-contact jersey. He was expected to be out until early December, so this hints he could be back sooner. Dominic James, expected to miss the first couple of weeks with a hand injury, also skated and is on schedule.

Mackie Samoskevich comes off IR to make his Kraken debut in Edmonton

Samoskevich missed the opener with an upper-body injury from training camp and was activated from injured reserve. He's projected on the fourth line with Meyers and Gaudreau.

Update: Beniers stays at center on the top line in Edmonton after the bruised leg from blocking a shot

Matty Beniers had a bruised leg after blocking a shot in the opener, but Seattle's projected lines for Edmonton keep him between Jared McCann and Kaapo Kakko.

Update: Kindel expected off IR for the home opener; Lizotte skated in the morning and says he's available

Ben Kindel is expected to be activated and center the fourth line between Dewar and Kuzmenko. Blake Lizotte had been expected to sit, but he took part in the morning skate and said he wants to play, so his status is unclear.

Update: Kochetkov expected to make his season debut in Philadelphia after Bussi started the first two games

The Hurricanes' preview says Pyotr Kochetkov is expected in goal tonight at Philadelphia, the second half of a back-to-back, after Brandon Bussi took the 5-2 loss to Washington. Jordan Martinook is set to play his 800th NHL game.

Update: Stars confirm Casey DeSmith starts Saturday in Nashville

The Stars' game-day guide says DeSmith gets the second night of the back-to-back, after Oettinger played Friday's 4-0 loss to St. Louis.

Update: Ullmark starts the opener in Toronto, and Eklund debuts on a line with Cozens and Zetterlund

Linus Ullmark is in goal for Ottawa's opener at Toronto, with Samuel Ersson backing up. William Eklund plays his first game for the Senators on the second line with Dylan Cozens and his former Sharks teammate Fabian Zetterlund. Cameron Crotty is the extra, and Ridly Greig serves the first game of his two-game suspension.

Update: Nico Daws, not Jake Allen, gets the start Saturday on Long Island

NHL.com's status report says Daws starts for New Jersey tonight, with Allen as backup. Allen made 23 saves in Thursday's 3-2 overtime win over Philadelphia. Connor Brown and Johnathan Kovacevic stay out, and Jesper Boqvist is scratched.

Joseph Woll starts again for the Flyers at home against Carolina

Woll gets his second straight start after 41 saves in Thursday's overtime loss at New Jersey, so Dan Vladar sits again. Simon Benoit and Garrett Wilson are scratched.

Sebastian Cossa makes his Mammoth debut in goal at Columbus

Cossa, acquired from Detroit in the summer, starts Saturday's game in Columbus, the first half of a back-to-back that ends Sunday against the Rangers. Karel Vejmelka, who stopped 15 shots in the 6-0 opener win over Chicago, backs up.

Update: Leevi Merilainen makes his first Canucks start tonight against Calgary

Merilainen gets the net after stopping 10 of 11 shots in relief of Kevin Lankinen in Thursday's 9-7 loss to Edmonton.

Update: Devin Cooley starts tonight in Vancouver

Cooley makes his first start of the season, at Vancouver. Dustin Wolf played the 6-1 opening loss to Seattle.

Update: Kochetkov confirmed in goal at Philadelphia, his first game since December surgery

NHL.com's status report says Pyotr Kochetkov starts for Carolina tonight after Brandon Bussi started the first two games.

Jakub Dobes gets the start again for Montreal in Pittsburgh

The Canadiens go back to Dobes after his one-goal win in Toronto on opening night, per TSN and NHL.com.

Update: DiPietro now lined up for Saturday in Minnesota, his first NHL start since January 2022

Swayman played Friday's 4-3 overtime win in Winnipeg, so DiPietro is likely to start the second half of the back-to-back against the Wild. It would be his Bruins debut and his first NHL start since he played for Vancouver in January 2022.

Philipp Grubauer projected to start tonight in Edmonton; Joey Daccord lined up for Monday's home opener

Seattle's game preview lists Grubauer in goal for the second game of the season, at Edmonton. Daccord, who stopped 24 of 25 in the opener in Calgary, is expected to start Monday's home opener.

Devon Levi expected to start again against Seattle despite allowing seven goals in Vancouver

Levi is the likely starter against the Kraken after giving up 7 goals on 22 shots in Thursday's 9-7 win, his first NHL game since January 2025. Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins remain out, and Andersen is out until December.

Casey DeSmith likely starts Saturday in Nashville, the second half of the back-to-back

Jake Oettinger stopped 20 of 22 in Friday's 4-0 home loss to St. Louis, so DeSmith is the probable goalie in Nashville. Dallas hasn't named a starter.

Wallstedt expected back in net for the Wild's home opener against Boston

Jesper Wallstedt, who stopped 19 of 20 in Thursday's 3-1 win in Nashville, is expected to start again. Calvin Pickard backs up while Filip Gustavsson recovers from hip surgery.

Update: Jake Allen expected in goal again Saturday on Long Island

The Devils' game preview has Allen, who made 23 saves in the opening overtime win over Philadelphia, expected to start against the Islanders. The team kept its opening-night lineup at Friday's practice.

Update: Silovs gets the net again for the Penguins' home opener against Montreal

Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski reports Arturs Silovs starts Saturday, after his 19-save shutout in Philadelphia.

Mackenzie Blackwood expected in goal against St. Louis; O'Connor doubtful, L'Heureux a game-time call

Colorado hasn't named a starter, but previews expect Blackwood to go again. Bednar didn't sound optimistic about Logan O'Connor and said Zachary L'Heureux depends on how he looks at the morning skate.

Darcy Kuemper expected back in goal in San Jose after allowing eight in the opener

No starter has been announced, but a Field Level Media preview expects Kuemper to start again. He stopped 21 of 29 shots in the 8-4 loss in Colorado.

Update: Luukkonen projected to start the home opener against Chicago

NHL.com's projected starters have Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal for Buffalo's home opener against the Blackhawks, after he started Thursday's 6-3 loss in Columbus. The Sabres say they'll confirm their goalie after warmups. Tyson Kozak, Justin Danforth and Zach Metsa are projected scratches.

Update: Bobrovsky in goal against Ottawa; Hiller keeps Cowan's line together

Sergei Bobrovsky is set for his second start of the season Saturday against the Senators. At practice, coach Jim Hiller kept Easton Cowan's line with Nick Paul and Jake Sissons together instead of moving Cowan up. Kirill Marchenko stayed with Auston Matthews and Ryan Roslovic. Zack MacEwen and Nick Blankenburg are projected scratches.

Jet Greaves expected back in goal for Columbus against Utah

Greaves stopped 23 shots in the opening win over Buffalo and is projected to start again Saturday at home, with Cam Talbot backing up. Luca Del Bel Belluz is the Blue Jackets' only listed scratch.

Update: Anton Forsberg, not Kuemper, expected in goal in San Jose tonight

The Kings are expected to go with Anton Forsberg against the Sharks after Darcy Kuemper allowed eight goals in the opener. Kuemper had been expected to get the start.

Yaroslav Askarov gets a second straight start, against Los Angeles

Warsofsky said Askarov earned another start with his play in the opener. He'll be in goal tonight against the Kings.

Predators recall goalie Matt Murray with backup Justus Annunen believed to be sick

Nashville brought Murray up from Milwaukee before the Dallas game as cover. Annunen was at the rink Friday but didn't practice.

Detroit fans boo Larkin at the home opener; McLellan says he feels bad for him

Larkin was booed when he was introduced as a scratch at Friday's opener, his first home game since asking for a trade. McLellan said Larkin has to live with what comes from asking out, and that the situation isn't comfortable for anyone.

Rookie Cole Hutson scores in his NHL debut and Alex Tuch scores twice as Washington beats Carolina 5-2

Hutson scored in the first period of his NHL debut, set up by the Protas brothers. Tuch scored twice in his first game as a Capital, and Logan Thompson made 31 saves as Washington beat the defending champions in the opener.

Huska reshuffles the Flames' defense after the 6-1 loss: Bahl back with Whitecloud, Hanley alongside Nemec

At Friday's practice before Saturday's game in Vancouver, Calgary reunited Kevin Bahl and Zach Whitecloud and put Joel Hanley, a scratch in the opener, with Simon Nemec.

Bowen Byram out against Buffalo while he deals with a family matter

Coach Jeff Blashill said defenseman Bowen Byram won't play Saturday in Buffalo because he is tending to a family matter. Sam Rinzel is also listed as a scratch.

Update: Perry and Gustafsson make their season debuts as Kings dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen

Corey Perry and Erik Gustafsson both play tonight in San Jose. Forwards Samuel Helenius and Andre Lee come out, and Laviolette says he'll rotate forwards through the game. Gustafsson is the seventh defenseman.

Update: DeBrusk out sick against Calgary, and Aatu Raty makes his season debut

Jake DeBrusk was sent home from the morning skate with an illness, so he isn't a healthy scratch. Aatu Raty draws in for his first game of the season. Mancini and Brisebois stay out on defense.

Update: Lyubushkin expected to draw in against his former team with Ufko sent down

With Ryan Ufko assigned to Milwaukee, Ilya Lyubushkin is expected to play against Dallas. Brunette said the defense pairs will be set after the morning skate.

Tocchet reshuffles the Flyers: Michkov moves up to the top line and David Jiricek makes his season debut

At morning skate Michkov skated with Konecny and Dvorak, Martone dropped to the third line, and Jiricek replaced Simon Benoit on defense. Joseph Woll looks set for a second straight start, though no starter has been named.

Korchinski and Del Mastro make their season debuts in Buffalo; Spencer Knight listed to start

With Byram out, Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro draw in as a pair after being scratched for the first two games. Kaiser plays with Levshunov and Vlasic with Cole. NHL.com lists Spencer Knight as the starter, with Arvid Soderblom backing up.

Brennan Othmann draws in for Connor Zary in Vancouver

Othmann, a scratch in the opener, comes into the lineup after a strong preseason, and Connor Zary comes out. Jonathan Huberdeau is still unavailable.

Update: Penguins activate Ben Kindel from IR and waive David Gustafsson to make room

Kindel, 19, missed only the opener with a preseason lower-body injury and is activated for tonight's home opener against Montreal. Gustafsson, acquired from Winnipeg this offseason, never played for Pittsburgh; he was put on waivers and goes to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton if he clears.

Update: Edvinsson wants seven years at $9M-11M a year; Detroit prefers a bridge deal, and other teams have called

David Pagnotta reports the unsigned defenseman is after a seven-year deal at $9M to $11M a year. Friedman and Johnston say the Red Wings won't commit long-term and are mainly offering a short deal. LeBrun says several teams have asked about trading for him, but interim GM Shawn Horcoff says re-signing him is still the priority.

Barkov leaves the San Jose game with a left leg injury; the Panthers expect an update Friday

Aleksander Barkov's left leg buckled in a board battle in the second period of Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose, and he did not return. Paul Maurice said the injury has nothing to do with the right knee that cost Barkov all of last season, and that the team would know more Friday afternoon.

Update: Barkov to have an MRI Friday; Maurice says the left-knee injury isn't related to last year's

Pierre LeBrun reports Barkov has an MRI on Friday after his left knee buckled in a board battle in San Jose. Paul Maurice said the injury has nothing to do with the right-knee ACL/MCL tear that cost him last season, and the team expects to know more Friday afternoon. No diagnosis or timeline yet.

Update: Seamus Casey has knee surgery and will miss 8-10 weeks

The Devils say Casey had knee surgery after getting hurt in a Sept. 24 preseason game against the Rangers. At 8-10 weeks he could be back in late November or early December. Declan Chisholm played on the third pair with Brenden Dillon in the opener.

Update: Davidson says there's still no new timeline for Bedard; any news is expected in October

GM Kyle Davidson said the team is still working from the original timeline for Connor Bedard's return from shoulder surgery, which was about four months, so November at the earliest. He expects new information sometime in October.

Update: Forsling day-to-day and could return Sunday in Anaheim; Balinskis stays in if not

Maurice says defenseman Gustav Forsling, a late scratch in San Jose with an upper-body injury, could play as soon as Sunday against the Ducks. Uvis Balinskis stays in the lineup if Forsling can't go.

Update: Kovacevic practices with the Devils but stays out this weekend after a minor knee procedure

Johnathan Kovacevic took part in his first full team practice Friday. The Devils list him out for the weekend while he recovers from a minor knee procedure, so he won't play Saturday on Long Island.

Devils say Nick Bjugstad is out until January with a torn left pectoral muscle

The Devils' injury report gives Bjugstad, who opened the season on injured non-roster, a return of January as he recovers from a torn left pectoral. That is roughly three months, longer than an early-season absence.

Toropchenko hurt in the opener; Montgomery calls it more than day-to-day with an MRI pending

Alexey Toropchenko grabbed his right arm and left early in the second period at Dallas after Lian Bichsel and Tyler Seguin hit him behind the Blues' net. Jim Montgomery said the upper-body injury is more than day-to-day and the team expected MRI results by Saturday, so Dillon Dube or Zach Dean likely draws in at Colorado.

Update: Canucks hope to have Thatcher Demko back from hip surgery before Christmas, with no firm timeline

Co-president Henrik Sedin said the club is aiming for a return before the Christmas break but will wait until Demko is fully healthy. He has been doing on-ice work for over a month. Until then, Lankinen and Merilainen share the net.

Update: Zub ruled out of Saturday's opener but back at practice in a non-contact jersey

Defenseman Artem Zub won't play in Toronto as he works back from a knee injury. Nikolas Matinpalo is projected beside Jake Sanderson, who expects to play.

Update: O'Connor and L'Heureux skate in non-contact jerseys; both uncertain for Saturday

Both forwards practiced Friday in non-contact jerseys. L'Heureux took the full practice and looks likelier to play; O'Connor left early. Bednar called their status for the Blues game up in the air and kept the opening-night lines.

Update: Lizotte misses Friday practice and is expected out Saturday; Kindel still undecided for the home opener

Blake Lizotte, hurt in the opener a day after coming off IR, missed Friday's practice with a lower-body injury and isn't expected to play Saturday against Montreal. Ben Kindel took a second straight full practice, but his status for Saturday hasn't been settled and he is still listed week-to-week.

Red Wings put Larkin on IR, backdated to August, and activate claimed defenseman Andreas Englund

Because the IR move is backdated, Detroit can activate Larkin as soon as he's healthy. Englund, claimed from Calgary, comes off the immigration list. The Wings now carry 13 forwards and 8 defensemen, so a rookie defenseman likely goes to Grand Rapids when Larkin returns.

Update: Zellweger cleared from concussion protocol and expected to make his Sabres debut Saturday vs. Chicago

Olen Zellweger practiced fully Friday on the second pair with Owen Power, and Lindy Ruff expects him in the lineup Saturday. Alex Lyon (upper body) is still out with no timeline. Luukkonen and Colten Ellis split starter's reps, and Saturday's goalie hasn't been decided.

Update: Sanderson back on the ice Friday on the top pair and could play Saturday's opener in Toronto

Jake Sanderson skated with the Senators Friday after missing time with an undisclosed injury and could play Saturday against the Maple Leafs. Warren Foegele is expected to play. Artem Zub (knee) and Andre Burakovsky (upper body) skated in non-contact jerseys.

Andrei Kuzmenko back at Penguins practice after his father's death; set to debut Saturday vs. Montreal

Kuzmenko went through a full practice Friday after leaving the team on Sept. 24 to be with family in Russia following his father's death. He skated on a line with Ben Kindel and Connor Dewar, switched to No. 62, and is expected to make his Penguins debut in Saturday's home opener against the Canadiens.

Senators activate Warren Foegele off IR for the opener; he's expected on the top line with Stutzle and Batherson

Foegele had surgery for an injury left over from last spring's playoffs and missed all of the preseason. Ottawa activated him Friday into the spot Hoyt Stanley's loan to Belleville opened up, and he's projected for the top line Saturday in Toronto.

Update: Arvid Soderblom, not Spencer Knight, started in Utah and made 26 saves in a 6-0 loss

Knight had been expected to start again Thursday, but Soderblom made his season debut in Salt Lake City and faced 32 shots as Chicago fell to 0-2. The Blackhawks end their road trip Saturday in Buffalo.

Update: Brandon Bussi, not Kochetkov, starts again against Washington

Rod Brind'Amour confirmed Bussi gets his second straight start Friday after the opening-night overtime loss to Florida. Pyotr Kochetkov now lines up for Saturday's game in Philadelphia.

Update: Swayman, not DiPietro, starts in Winnipeg tonight

The Bruins say Jeremy Swayman starts Friday against the Jets, coming off his 24-save shutout of the Rangers, with Michael DiPietro backing up. Boston plays the second half of a back-to-back Saturday in Minnesota.

Joel Hofer starts the opener in Dallas; Jordan Binnington gets Saturday's game in Colorado

Hofer makes his first opening-night start Friday against the Stars, and Binnington takes the second half of the back-to-back against the Avalanche on Saturday, per NHL.com's Lou Korac.

Stuart Skinner starts the Jets' opener against Boston

Skinner gets the start in Winnipeg's home opener Friday, with Clay Stevenson backing up while Hellebuyck stays suspended in his holdout.

Update: Dylan Garand confirmed in net tonight in Detroit

The Rangers' beat writer Vincent Z. Mercogliano reports that Garand starts the second half of the back-to-back against the Red Wings, as expected. Shesterkin started Thursday's 5-1 win over Tampa Bay, and Korpisalo is on IR.

Dylan Garand gets his first NHL shutout, 22 saves in a 2-0 win at Detroit, days after clearing waivers

Garand was waived Sunday and recalled after Korpisalo's injury. He blanked the Red Wings in his fourth NHL game, making him the fourth Rangers goalie with a shutout within his first four games. With Korpisalo week-to-week, he stays Shesterkin's backup.

Update: Sabres' home-opener goalie undecided as Luukkonen and Ellis split starter reps

Luukkonen started Thursday's 6-3 loss in Columbus, but he and Colten Ellis both took starter reps at Friday's practice and Buffalo hasn't named Saturday's goalie. Luukkonen is 6-0-0 in his career against Chicago.

Pyotr Kochetkov expected to make his season debut against Washington; Bussi likely starts Saturday in Philadelphia

The Hurricanes' own game preview says Kochetkov is expected in goal Friday against the Capitals. Brandon Bussi, who started the opener against Florida, would then likely face the Flyers on Saturday. Brind'Amour had not publicly committed to a starter after Thursday's practice.

Lankinen pulled after allowing 8 goals on 20 shots; Merilainen and Lankinen both expected to start this weekend

Kevin Lankinen was pulled midway through Thursday's 9-7 home loss to Edmonton. Leevi Merilainen stopped 10 of 11 shots in his Canucks debut. With Calgary in town Saturday and Vegas on Sunday, each goalie is expected to get a start, but Saturday's starter hasn't been named.

Michael DiPietro expected to start in Winnipeg on the first night of a back-to-back

Boston plays the Jets Friday and the Wild Saturday. The Bruins haven't named a starter, but the beat writer expects DiPietro to get the first game after Jeremy Swayman shut out the Rangers in the opener.

John Gibson projected to start tonight's opener against the Rangers after missing practice with an illness

NHL.com's projected lineup and Detroit Hockey Now both list Gibson in goal for Detroit's opener, with Daniil Tarasov backing up. Gibson had missed practices this week with an illness. McLellan has not confirmed it publicly.

Update: Oettinger first goalie off at the morning skate, set to start the opener vs St. Louis

Jake Oettinger led the goalies off the ice at Friday's morning skate, which points to him starting the opener against the Blues. That backs up Wednesday's report after his late-preseason lower-body injury.

Carter Hart gets the start at home against Anaheim tonight

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Danny Webster says Carter Hart will start against the Ducks. Hart made 24 saves on 26 shots in the 5-2 opening win over Chicago, and Adin Hill backs up.

Lukas Dostal expected to start the Ducks' opener in Vegas

The Athletic's Jesse Granger says Lukas Dostal will start Friday's opener against the Golden Knights, the team that knocked Anaheim out in last spring's second round. Ville Husso is the backup.

Friedman: the Leafs tried to flip Miles Wood the day of the Marchenko trade; they'll chase any available defenseman

Friedman says Toronto tried to move Wood elsewhere right after getting him from Columbus. Wood is now with the Marlies, with two years left at $2.5M and a six-team no-trade list. James Mirtle says the Leafs, with cap room from LTIR, will be in the mix whenever a defenseman comes available.

Friedman: the Leafs are much less keen to trade Easton Cowan after his strong camp and start

Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that Toronto considered offseason deals that could have included Easton Cowan. He said the team's desire to move him has dropped sharply because Cowan has been one of its best players in the first two games.

Senators loan rookie defenseman Hoyt Stanley to AHL Belleville a day before the opener

Stanley, 21, made the initial 23-man roster but goes to Belleville. He's in year one of a three-year entry-level deal ($1.075M AAV). The move points to Sanderson being available Saturday.

Predators send defenseman Ryan Ufko to AHL Milwaukee after one game

Nashville assigned Ufko to the Admirals the day after the 3-1 opening loss to Minnesota, with no corresponding move, leaving 22 players. Brunette said Ufko got a bit overwhelmed in the opener; a forward recall is likely before Saturday's game against Dallas.

Update: Dennis Gilbert reportedly back to Rochester as Zellweger is cleared to debut

Defenseman Dennis Gilbert, recalled before the opener, was reportedly loaned back to the AHL after Olen Zellweger cleared concussion protocol. Zellweger practiced on the second pair with Owen Power.

Cooper rips the Lightning after the 5-1 opening loss: the game seemed like 'an inconvenience' to his team

Cooper said the team showed little pushback against the Rangers and played as if the game got in the way of summer. Tampa went 0-for-7 on the power play. The Lightning host Washington on Saturday.

Igor Shesterkin scores a goal in the home-opening win over Tampa Bay, the first by a goalie in Rangers history

Shesterkin is the first Rangers goaltender ever to score and the 18th goalie in NHL history to do it, in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Lightning.

Brandon Carlo ejected in his Blues debut for a knee-on-knee hit on Roope Hintz, who came back into the game

Carlo got a five-minute kneeing major and a game misconduct early in the third period of the 4-0 win in Dallas. Hintz needed help off the ice but returned. Watch for word from the league on any further discipline.

Rookie defenseman Anton Johansson makes his NHL debut on the second pair with Justin Faulk

The 22-year-old fourth-round pick from 2022 draws in for the opener against the Rangers. Edvinsson is unsigned and Bernard-Docker is hurt, so Albert Johansson moves up to the top pair with Moritz Seider.

DeBoer reshuffles Islanders lines after opening loss; Sorokin to start Saturday's home opener vs. New Jersey

At Friday's practice Emil Heineman stayed on the top line with Horvat and Palmieri, Duclair joined Holmstrom and Pageau, and rookie Victor Eklund skated with Cal Ritchie and Brayden Schenn. The defense pairs didn't change. DeBoer said the team needs more 5-on-5 scoring. Ilya Sorokin starts Saturday against the Devils at UBS Arena.

Blashill splits up Byram and Vlasic after the 6-0 loss in Utah; Byram moves to his natural left side with Levshunov

The Byram-Vlasic top pair was outshot 12-1 early in the shutout loss in Utah, so Jeff Blashill moved Bowen Byram back to the left side with Artyom Levshunov and reshuffled his forward lines at practice before Saturday's game in Buffalo, where Byram used to play.

Update: Perry and Gustafsson could return Saturday in San Jose; Laviolette undecided

Corey Perry and Erik Gustafsson practiced on the second power-play unit Friday, and Laviolette said there's a chance both play. The Kings spent the day on video, penalty killing and discipline after the 8-4 loss in Denver.

Marchenko skates on Matthews' line at his first Leafs practice; Bobrovsky projected to start Saturday vs. Ottawa

At his first practice since the trade, Kirill Marchenko skated with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic and stayed on PP1. The other lines were unchanged after Wednesday's win. Sergei Bobrovsky is projected to start against the Senators, with Anthony Stolarz backing up.

Predators shuffle defense pairs at practice before Dallas: Josi with Hague, Skjei with Perbix

At Friday's practice Nashville tried Roman Josi with Nic Hague, Brady Skjei with Nick Perbix, Jack Ahcan with Ilya Lyubushkin, and William Trudeau with Adam Wilsby. Brunette said the pairs will be set after Saturday's morning skate and he wants someone to grab a job.

Canucks shuffle lines mid-game: Pettersson back with DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson

After a bad first period against Edmonton, Malhotra reunited Pettersson with DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson. He also moved Cotter up between Boeser and Ohgren, put Lekkerimaki with Bains and Rossi, and had Sasson center O'Connor and Gallagher.

Update: Draisaitl back with McDavid, and Podkolzin takes Hyman's spot on the top line

In the 9-7 win in Vancouver, Edmonton put Draisaitl back on McDavid's line, with Vasily Podkolzin filling the top-line spot left by the injured Zach Hyman. The two had centered separate lines in the opener. McDavid had five points and Draisaitl three.

Update: Kapanen expected to sit again in Pittsburgh as Montreal keeps its opening-night lines

TVA's Renaud Lavoie reports that the Habs practiced in Pittsburgh with the same lines and pairs as the opener, with Kapanen and Florian Xhekaj out. St-Louis said he didn't know yet whether Kapanen would play. The starting goalie hasn't been named.

Malhotra moves Rossi to wing with Pettersson and Karlsson; DeBrusk skates as the extra and could sit vs. Calgary

Vancouver changed all four forward lines at Friday practice. Marco Rossi moved from center to left wing on Elias Pettersson's line, which opens a center spot for Aatu Raty. Jake DeBrusk took line rushes as the extra forward and said he isn't 100 percent, so he could be scratched Saturday against the Flames.

Kraken trade prospect David Goyette to the Flyers for winger Devin Kaplan

Seattle sent center David Goyette, a 2022 second-rounder, to Philadelphia for Devin Kaplan, a 22-year-old winger and 2022 third-rounder who had 13 points in 49 AHL games last season. Both are AHL players: Kaplan goes to Coachella Valley and Goyette to Lehigh Valley.

Veteran defenseman Derek Forbort joins AHL Calgary on a tryout

The Wranglers, Calgary's AHL affiliate, signed Derek Forbort, 34, to a professional tryout. Hip problems limited him to two games with Vancouver last season. It gives the Flames' organization another veteran defenseman.

Update: Johnston says the Bruins and Zacha are struggling to agree on a number, which could make him a trade candidate

Pavel Zacha is in the last year of his deal ($4.75M cap hit) after a career-best 30 goals and 65 points. Chris Johnston reports that talks continue but agreeing on a number has been hard, and Zacha is said to be in no rush. Without a deal he could become a trade candidate.

Update: LeBrun says Quinn Hughes hasn't yet let his agent close an extension with the Wild

Hughes's agent Pat Brisson and GM Bill Guerin have talked several times. Hughes is in no rush and hasn't told his camp to finish a deal. LeBrun says that once he does, an extension shouldn't take long to work out.

Sabres sign defenseman Louis Crevier to a four-year, $16M extension ($4M AAV)

Crevier came from Chicago in the Bowen Byram trade and was due to be a restricted free agent next summer. The extension starts next season and runs through 2030-31. The 6-foot-8 defenseman makes his Sabres debut in Thursday's opener at Columbus.

Ducks sign defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year, $43.2M extension ($7.2M AAV) after 14 NHL games

Anaheim extended the 22-year-old right-shot defenseman for six years at a $7.2M cap hit, starting next season. GM Pat Verbeek said the team sees him as a top-four defenseman. Luneau spent most of last season with AHL San Diego and was recalled for the opener.

Update: Cheveldayoff says there's still no timeline for a Hellebuyck trade; he misses his first paycheck Oct. 3

Cheveldayoff said Hellebuyck's camp told the team from the start that a deal could take a while. TSN's Dreger says no offer has yet matched fair value for an elite goalie with years left on his deal. Skinner and Stevenson are in goal for Friday's opener against Boston.

Scott Arniel coaching the Jets in the final year of his contract, with no extension rush

LeBrun reports that Arniel is entering the last year of his deal, and Winnipeg seems comfortable letting the season play out before dealing with an extension.

Matt Roy and Dylan Strome named Capitals alternate captains alongside Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson wears an A full time. Strome wears the second A at home and Roy wears it on the road, the first time either has held the letter for a full season.

Jack Drury will wear an 'A' for the Predators, the first of his career

The Predators say Drury will be an alternate captain starting with tonight's opener against Minnesota. Nashville also reports its whole roster healthy for opening night.

Provorov out of the opener and week-to-week, his first missed game through injury in 778 NHL games

Ivan Provorov hurt his lower body in the preseason finale and won't play Thursday against Buffalo. With Severson and Fabbro also out, Columbus pairs Andrae with Soucy and Christiansen with Gudbranson behind Werenski and Mateychuk.

Update: Lizotte hurt again in the opener and being evaluated; Kindel a full participant in practice

Blake Lizotte was activated for the 7-0 win in Philadelphia, but he took a lower-body injury in that game and was being evaluated Thursday. Ben Kindel practiced in full, including 3-on-3 drills, though coach Dan Muse still lists him as week to week.

Lundestrom month-to-month after Achilles surgery; Columbus hopes for an early-November return

Forward Isac Lundestrom is still recovering from Achilles tendon surgery in July and is listed month to month. The team hopes he returns by early November.

Zach Hyman out about two weeks with an upper-body injury from the preseason finale

Hyman was hurt in the last preseason game against Calgary and did not travel for tonight's rematch in Vancouver. He is expected to miss about two weeks, another top-six forward gone along with Nugent-Hopkins.

Update: Larkin ruled out of the first two games with an upper-body injury; McLellan hopes for Game 3

Dylan Larkin will miss Friday's opener against the Rangers and Sunday's game against Winnipeg with an upper-body injury from offseason training. McLellan said he hopes Larkin can play in Game 3, Tuesday against Ottawa, and called him day-to-day.

Gustav Forsling a late scratch in San Jose with an upper-body injury; Balinskis draws in

Forsling took part in warmups before Thursday's game against the Sharks but was then ruled out with an upper-body injury, and Uvis Balinskis took his place. He is considered day-to-day. Florida plays next on Sunday in Anaheim.

Update: Johnathan Kovacevic joins the Devils' morning skate for the first time this season

Kovacevic is recovering from offseason knee surgery and skated with his NHL teammates Thursday morning, a step forward in his recovery. He remains on injured reserve.

Matty Beniers had his knee iced after blocking a shot in the win at Calgary

Beniers took a painful block on the penalty kill in the first period and finished the game, but had his knee wrapped in ice afterward. The Kraken haven't given a status update yet.

Korpisalo goes on IR, week-to-week with a lower-body injury; Garand recalled from Hartford to back up

The Rangers put backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve with a lower-body injury that keeps him out week to week, and recalled Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford. Shesterkin starts tonight against Tampa Bay, and Garand could get Friday's back-to-back game in Detroit, the start Korpisalo had been lined up for.

Update: Provorov placed on injured reserve, out at least the first week

Columbus put Ivan Provorov on IR on Thursday. A shot hit his left ankle in the preseason finale. With Provorov, Fabbro and Severson all out, three of the Blue Jackets' top five defensemen miss tonight's opener against Buffalo.

Update: Stars move Matt Duchene to long-term injured reserve, retroactive to Sept. 22

Dallas put Duchene on LTIR with the lower-body injury he has had since the start of camp, so he misses at least the first 10 games. The Stars recalled forwards Colin Blackwell and Arttu Hyry from AHL Texas.

Update: Nugent-Hopkins goes on IR, Savoie and Regula move to LTIR, Samanski recalled

The Oilers put Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve (Babcock expects about two weeks) and moved Matt Savoie and defenseman Alec Regula to long-term IR, both listed month-to-month. Josh Samanski was recalled from Bakersfield on an emergency basis.

Update: Frederik Andersen moved to long-term injured reserve and expected out until December

Edmonton moved goalie Frederik Andersen to LTIR before Thursday's game in Vancouver, according to the Edmonton Journal's Jim Matheson. He isn't expected back before December, which leaves Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi as the tandem.

Update: Samuelsson expected to play in Thursday's opener at Columbus

Lindy Ruff said after the morning skate that Mattias Samuelsson looks able to go, putting him back next to Rasmus Dahlin.

Hedman plays his first game since March 19 in Thursday's opener at the Rangers

Victor Hedman is in the lineup for the first time since March 19. He missed the last 15 regular-season games and seven playoff games on a mental-health leave, and is projected on the third pair with Charle-Edouard D'Astous.

Update: Oliver Kapanen back at practice in Pittsburgh ahead of Saturday's game against the Penguins

Kapanen missed the opener in Toronto with a lower-body injury and practiced with the team Thursday in Pittsburgh. His status for Saturday isn't set. If he plays, it could move Newhook off the second-line center spot.

Update: Poitras back at practice but skips the Winnipeg-Minnesota trip; could return next week

Matt Poitras (lower body, on IR) practiced Thursday for the first time in over a week. Sturm said one practice isn't enough, so Poitras won't travel for the back-to-back in Winnipeg and Minnesota. He could join the lineup during the homestand that starts Oct. 6 against Ottawa.

Update: Devon Levi confirmed to start tonight in Vancouver in place of Tristan Jarry

Babcock confirmed Levi gets the start in Vancouver, his first for Edmonton. Jarry allowed six goals on 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss. Projected forward lines: Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl, Jones-Dach-Kapanen, Formenton-Michaels-Joseph, Howard-Samanski-Frederic.

Update: Kraken confirm Joey Daccord in goal for the opener in Calgary

The team's game preview lists Daccord as tonight's starter, with Grubauer backing up. Berkly Catton centers the third line between Winterton and Shane Wright; Samoskevich and O'Brien are on IR.

Akira Schmid makes his Panthers debut in goal at San Jose after Markstrom's opening shutout

Schmid starts Thursday against the Sharks in place of Jacob Markstrom, who made 15 saves in a shutout in the opener at Carolina. Florida is expected to use the same skaters as in the opener.

Logan Thompson starts Friday's opener at Carolina; Charlie Lindgren gets Saturday in Tampa Bay

The Capitals will split their season-opening back-to-back in goal: Thompson in Raleigh on Friday, Lindgren against the Lightning on Saturday.

Spencer Knight expected to start again Thursday in Utah

The game preview lists Knight in goal for Chicago against the Mammoth, two nights after he allowed four goals on 36 shots in Vegas. Karel Vejmelka is set to start for Utah, with Sebastian Cossa backing up.

Joey Daccord in line to start the Kraken's opener in Calgary

Seattle's preview projects Daccord in goal Thursday, with Philipp Grubauer backing up. Mackie Samoskevich stays out on injured reserve, and Ryan Winterton keeps his place on the third line.

Joseph Woll expected to make his Flyers debut in goal at New Jersey after Vladar allowed seven

The Flyers skipped their morning skate after the 7-0 loss to Pittsburgh. Woll is expected to start tonight's second game of the back-to-back against the Devils. Vladar gave up seven goals on 38 shots in the opener.

Jet Greaves gets the opening-night start against Buffalo

Greaves was first off the ice at the morning skate and is projected to start tonight's opener against the Sabres. Werenski and Mateychuk make up the top pair, and Soucy and Andrae fill in for the injured defensemen.

Jake Oettinger expected to start Friday's opener against St. Louis

Oettinger is in line to start the Stars' home opener against the Blues on Friday, with Casey DeSmith backing up. Dallas then plays the second half of a back-to-back in Nashville on Saturday.

Canucks keep the lineup that beat Edmonton; Kevin Lankinen starts the home opener

At morning skate Vancouver showed no changes from Tuesday's 6-5 overtime win, and Lankinen (32 saves Tuesday) is in goal for what would be his 100th start as a Canuck. The team reported no new injuries.

Dylan Garand likely to start Friday in Detroit, the second half of the back-to-back

Shesterkin played Thursday's home opener, and Korpisalo is on IR. That makes Garand, just recalled from Hartford, the likely starter against the Red Wings unless Shesterkin plays both nights. Garand went 2-0-1 with a .948 save percentage in three NHL starts last season.

Linus Ullmark expected in goal for Saturday's opener in Toronto; Ersson gets one of the Monday-Tuesday back-to-back

The Hockey News' Senators site projects Ullmark to start the opener. Samuel Ersson is lined up for one of the back-to-back games against Boston (Monday) or Detroit (Tuesday).

Update: Seravalli floats Edmonton as a long-shot Hellebuyck landing spot, with Jarry going to Winnipeg

Frank Seravalli asked whether Hellebuyck's wish to play in the U.S. is a firm demand or only a preference, and floated an Oilers deal that would send Tristan Jarry to Winnipeg after Jarry's rough opener. He called it a long shot because Edmonton has little cap room and few assets. Hellebuyck is losing about $38,700 a day while suspended.

Update: Friedman says Montreal lost out on Marchenko because it wouldn't take on the Wood and Merzlikins contracts

On 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman called Montreal the most active suitor for Kirill Marchenko all summer. He said the Canadiens fell short because they wouldn't take on the contracts of Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins, which Toronto did. He also hinted that Montreal tried to bring another team's player into a three-way deal.

Marek: Nashville is looking at Canadiens defensemen Struble, Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj

Jeff Marek said on DFO Insider that the Predators are interested in Montreal's extra left-shot defensemen. A trade would also open a spot for prospect David Reinbacher, who was sent to Laval.

Sabres recall defenseman Dennis Gilbert and move Olen Zellweger to injured reserve

Gilbert came up from Rochester on opening day as blue-line insurance and is likely the extra defenseman. Zellweger, still in concussion protocol, went on IR; Saturday against Chicago is still possible.

Rutger McGroarty sent to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after sitting as a healthy scratch in the opener

McGroarty, 22, made the opening roster mainly because of injuries and was scratched for the 7-0 win in Philadelphia. The Penguins then assigned him to the AHL.

Stars recall Colin Blackwell and Arttu Hyry from AHL Texas, using cap room freed by Duchene's LTIR move

Duchene's $4.5M cap hit came off when he went on long-term injured reserve, and Dallas used the room to call up both forwards before Friday's opener against St. Louis. Blackwell had cleared waivers earlier in the week. Duchene can't play before Oct. 25.

Bettman says players using no-trade clauses to force trades to teams they choose is not good for the game

On Sportsnet 590 Thursday, Gary Bettman said no-trade clauses were meant to protect players who sign long-term, not to let them demand a trade to a team of their choosing. He named cases like Brady Tkachuk, Larkin and Hellebuyck. The league will watch the trend and could raise it with the players' union.

Matt Rempe a healthy scratch for the home opener; Jaroslav Chmelar draws in on the fourth line

Coach Mike Sullivan sat Rempe for Thursday's 5-1 win over Tampa Bay and put Chmelar on the fourth-line right wing in his season debut. Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow were also scratched.

Update: Martone and Bump benched for most of the third as Tocchet shortens his bench in the OT loss at New Jersey

Porter Martone played 12:27 and took only four third-period shifts. Alex Bump played 8:18 with one shift in the third. Tocchet said he went with his best nine forwards to handle Jack Hughes, and Tippett took Martone's spot on the Dvorak-Konecny line.

Tocchet shuffles lines in the 7-0 loss: Martone drops to the fourth line, Michkov moves up to the first

Tocchet went through eight forward combinations against Pittsburgh. He benched Porter Martone and then moved him down to the fourth line, and moved Matvei Michkov up to the top line. He said more changes may come before Thursday's game in New Jersey.

Spacek and Sturm projected as scratches in Nashville; Hunt and Bogosian form the third pair

NHL.com's projected lineup for tonight has David Spacek and Nico Sturm out. With Faber out, the pairs are Hughes-Spurgeon, Maatta-Brodin and Hunt-Bogosian. Wallstedt starts and Pickard backs up.

Adam Jiricek set for his NHL debut Friday in Dallas

The 2024 first-round defenseman is expected to debut in Friday's opener against the Stars. He is part of a seven-man blue line, with Mailloux and Tucker on IR. Binnington and Hofer are the goalies.

Wolf starts the home opener; Othmann, Pachal and Hanley expected to sit as scratches

Dustin Wolf starts against Seattle, with Cooley as backup. Othmann, Pachal and Hanley are projected scratches. Projected lines put Gridin-Frost-Coronato on top and Middleton with Parekh on the third pair. Huberdeau, on IR, is aiming for about Oct. 10.

Sam Dickinson a healthy scratch for the opener; Nolan Allan wins the spot next to Trouba

The 2024 11th-overall pick stayed out after the main group at morning skate, which signals he won't play against Florida. Tom Dellandrea is also out. Allan has skated with Jacob Trouba through the end of camp.

Update: Cirelli, not Harkins, centers Guentzel and Hagel in the projected opener lines; Harkins drops to the fourth line

NHL.com's projected lines for Thursday at the Rangers have Mikheyev-Point-Kucherov, Guentzel-Cirelli-Hagel, Viel-Girgensons-Holmberg and Goncalves-Harkins-Geekie, with Vasilevskiy in goal. Projected pairs: Moser-Carlson, McDonagh-Cernak, Hedman-D'Astous. Sabourin, Lilleberg and Crozier are the projected scratches.

With Larkin out, Andrew Copp centers DeBrincat and Raymond in the projected lines for tonight's opener

Detroit's practice lines for Friday's opener against the Rangers: DeBrincat-Copp-Raymond, Finnie-Compher-Arvidsson, Rasmussen-Kasper-Kolesar and Appleton-Danielson-Brandsegg-Nygard, with Carter Mazur as the extra forward. Larkin did some drills but took no line rushes.

Update: Greer set to return on the top line; Judd Caulfield to debut and Nick Jensen a projected scratch

NHL.com's projected lineup has A.J. Greer back with Carlsson and Gauthier after he missed the preseason. Judd Caulfield makes his NHL debut on the fourth line. Travis Mitchell plays on the second pair, and new defenseman Nick Jensen sits out with Colangelo and Klepov.

Update: Cayden Primeau clears waivers and goes to AHL Chicago

Nobody claimed Primeau, so he heads to the Wolves as their No. 1 goalie. Kochetkov stays as Bussi's backup in Carolina.

Update: LeBrun says Kucherov has no plans to test free agency; both sides expect an extension

Nikita Kucherov is in the last year of his $9.5M-a-year deal after summer talks with agent Dan Milstein didn't land. LeBrun reports he doesn't intend to reach the open market and both sides remain confident they'll agree.

Stars extend backup goalie Casey DeSmith: two years, $5M ($2.5M AAV)

The 35-year-old's extension covers 2027-28 and 2028-29. He is in the last year of a three-year, $3M deal. Jim Nill called the Oettinger-DeSmith tandem the team's anchor.

Golden Knights extend William Karlsson two years at $6.75M AAV

Vegas signed the 33-year-old center, an original Golden Knight, to a two-year, $13.5M extension through 2028-29. ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported it first and the team announced it. It keeps a top-nine center in place after this season, when his current deal was set to expire.

Update: Unsigned Edvinsson goes home to Sweden and skates with Frolunda

The RFA defenseman left Detroit and is working out with Frolunda of the SHL while contract talks continue. LeBrun calls the talks a grind, and Detroit is still pushing for a long-term deal.

Friedman: Nikishin turned down an eight-year offer at $5.5-6M a season and wants about $9M over five

Per Elliotte Friedman, the unsigned RFA defenseman rejected Carolina's long-term offer. He is said to like Los Angeles, though the Kings are tight on cap space. St. Louis and Winnipeg are also linked.

Avalanche extend coach Jared Bednar through 2030-31

Colorado gave Bednar a four-year extension on opening day; he had been heading into the last year of his deal. He is the franchise's winningest coach and won the Cup in 2022.

Seravalli: executives expect Bill Daly to succeed Bettman, possibly in three to five years

Frank Seravalli reports that well-connected executives widely expect deputy commissioner Bill Daly to be the next commissioner. Bettman could stay three to five more years and then take an advisory role, while some owners want a formal search.

Backlund stays captain; Whitecloud and Huberdeau get the A, with a rotation while Huberdeau is out

Mikael Backlund returns as captain for a fourth season. Zach Whitecloud and Jonathan Huberdeau are the alternates. While Huberdeau is on IR after hip surgery, Joel Farabee, Jake Middleton and Ryan Strome will take turns wearing the A.

Sharks name Toffoli, Wennberg, Goodrow and Darnell Nurse alternate captains under Celebrini

Goodrow and Wennberg will wear the A at home, and Toffoli and Nurse on the road. Nurse arrived from Edmonton this summer and gets a letter in his first season with San Jose.

Andrew Mangiapane hurt in the opener and out at least the next two games

Mangiapane took one shift in the second period of the 5-2 loss in Vegas and left with a lower-body injury. Blashill says he won't play again on this road trip, which likely opens a spot for healthy scratch Teuvo Teravainen.

Update: Zellweger ruled out of Thursday's opener; Saturday vs. Chicago still possible

Olen Zellweger has been in concussion protocol since Sept. 22 and did not pass his tests, so he will not play Thursday at Columbus. Lindy Ruff did not rule him out for Saturday against the Blackhawks, and he will be tested again Thursday.

Update: Sanderson skates alone and is uncertain for Saturday, though Staios says he's confident

Jake Sanderson skated on his own Wednesday and skipped the full practice because he didn't feel right. Travis Green says the earliest he can rejoin the group is Friday. GM Steve Staios told TSN 1200 he is confident Sanderson will be ready for Saturday's opener in Toronto.

Update: Burakovsky out this weekend; Foegele hopeful for Saturday, Zub on schedule

Andre Burakovsky (upper body) has not skated since leaving the preseason finale, and Travis Green doesn't expect him to play this weekend. Warren Foegele (undisclosed) practiced and hopes to play Saturday in Toronto. Artem Zub (knee) is on schedule to return early in the season.

Connor Brown hurt, out for the first two games; Stefan Noesen draws in for the opener

Brown aggravated a lower-body injury on Monday and will miss Thursday's opener against Philadelphia and the game after it. The Devils are waiting on imaging but don't expect him to be out long. Noesen takes his spot on a line with Cody Glass and Amadeus Lombardi.

Update: Barzal could skate by the weekend; next Tuesday against the Rangers is a possible return

GM Mathieu Darche says Mathew Barzal has progressed and should be back on the ice this weekend or early next week. He shouldn't need long after that. He still misses tonight in Toronto and Saturday against New Jersey.

Update: Tyler Tucker has knee surgery and will be re-evaluated in six weeks

Tucker had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday and is out indefinitely. GM Alexander Steen says he will be re-evaluated in six weeks. He was already on injured reserve.

Update: Matt Duchene doubtful for Friday's opener after a setback

Glen Gulutzan says Duchene had a setback on the road with the same lower-body injury he had at the start of camp and is doubtful against St. Louis. Without him, Dallas could dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Provorov misses a third straight day and is questionable for Thursday's opener; Andrae would draw in

Ivan Provorov blocked a shot in Saturday's preseason finale and has not been on the ice since. Columbus calls him day-to-day and hasn't ruled him out against Buffalo. If he can't go, Emil Andrae, who came over in the Knies trade, is expected to take his spot.

Update: Rust and Kindel practice in no-contact jerseys; Lizotte activated from IR

Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel took part in Wednesday's practice in no-contact jerseys. Both are still listed week-to-week, and Rust's return is pegged at about one to two weeks. Blake Lizotte was activated from injured reserve before the opener in Philadelphia.

Update: Barzal ruled out of the opener and Saturday's game

Newsday's Andrew Gross reports Mathew Barzal (knee) won't play Wednesday in Toronto or Saturday against New Jersey, and may start skating again this weekend or early next week.

Update: Grebenkin ruled out of tonight's opener and unlikely for Thursday at New Jersey

Nikita Grebenkin (undisclosed injury) won't play against Pittsburgh tonight. Rick Tocchet says he is further from a return than Denver Barkey, which makes Thursday's game at New Jersey doubtful too.

Update: Stars put Matt Duchene on injured reserve after his setback; he is doubtful for Friday's opener

Dallas moved Duchene to IR on Wednesday after his lower-body injury flared up on the team's road trip. Gulutzan says he's back on a maintenance program. The Stars expect to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen against St. Louis, with Sam Steel likely moving to center.

Update: Drew Helleson placed on injured reserve, so he won't be ready for Friday's opener

Helleson had been day-to-day and aiming to play Friday in Vegas. The Ducks put him on IR instead, which keeps him out of the opener. Troy Terry formally moved to long-term IR as he recovers from hip surgery.

Update: Samuelsson practices Wednesday and could play Thursday's opener

Mattias Samuelsson (lower body, hurt Sept. 22) practiced with the team Wednesday and could return Thursday at Columbus, which would ease a thin Sabres blue line.

Update: Joel Edmundson cleared to play in tonight's opener after being day-to-day

Edmundson took the morning skate and Peter Laviolette cleared him to play tonight in Colorado. He is expected to pair with Brandt Clarke. Dumoulin-Doughty and Anderson-Ceci make up the other two pairs.

Update: Marchand practices in San Jose and Maurice says he's ahead of his October timeline

Brad Marchand, on IR after August surgery, practiced with the Panthers Wednesday in San Jose. Paul Maurice said he's further along than expected and could be back before the end of October. Gus Forsling and Brady Tkachuk sat out the practice but are expected to play Thursday against the Sharks.

Update: Ovechkin says he'll play Friday's opener at Carolina after missing the preseason

Ovechkin has been practicing fully for about a week after a lower-body injury in camp, and he confirmed he will play against the Hurricanes. Carbery says he may manage the 41-year-old's minutes early on. Washington plays at Tampa Bay on Saturday, the second night of a back-to-back.

Update: A.J. Greer back in full-contact practice and trending toward Friday's opener

Greer has been recovering from an upper-body injury since the first day of camp. He took part in full-contact practice, which makes him likely to play Friday in Vegas. The Ducks haven't confirmed it yet.

Update: Silovs confirmed as the Penguins' opening-night starter

The Penguins say Arturs Silovs starts tonight in Philadelphia, against the team that knocked them out last spring. Sergei Murashov backs up.

Update: Tocchet confirms Vladar starts the opener

Rick Tocchet said on WIP radio Wednesday morning that Dan Vladar, back from a preseason upper-body injury, starts against Pittsburgh.

Update: Luukkonen expected to start Thursday's opener at Columbus

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been in the starter's net at practice for two straight days after tweaking a lower-body injury in the preseason finale. He is expected to start Thursday against the Blue Jackets.

Mackenzie Blackwood starts in goal for the Avalanche's opener against Los Angeles

Blackwood gets the opening-night start tonight after a strong camp and preseason. T.J. Hughes makes his NHL debut on the top power play with MacKinnon, Makar, Necas and Landeskog, and Noah Juulsen comes in as the seventh defenseman.

Stolarz expected to start the second half of the back-to-back against the Islanders

After Bobrovsky started the 3-2 opening loss to Montreal, Anthony Stolarz is expected in net Wednesday against the Islanders. The Leafs don't plan to have either goalie play both nights this early in the season.

Update: Stolarz starts against the Islanders; Bo Groulx draws in

TSN's Mark Masters reported after Wednesday's optional skate that Anthony Stolarz starts the back half of the back-to-back. Jim Hiller said Groulx makes his season debut but didn't say who comes out.

Darcy Kuemper expected to start the opener against Colorado, with Forsberg backing up

Kuemper was the first goalie off the ice at the morning skate, which usually marks the starter. Anton Forsberg is the backup. The projected top line is Panarin-Byfield-Kempe.

Juuse Saros set to start Thursday's opener against Minnesota; Wallstedt goes for the Wild

Saros is expected in net for Nashville's home opener, coming off a season with a 3.16 GAA and .894 save percentage. Minnesota counters with Jesper Wallstedt, with Calvin Pickard backing up while Gustavsson recovers from hip surgery.

Devon Levi expected to start Thursday's rematch in Vancouver after Jarry's rough opener

Tristan Jarry allowed six goals on 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss. Levi is expected to start the second game of the home-and-home on Thursday. Babcock hasn't publicly named his starter.

Dustin Wolf expected to start the Flames' last Saddledome home opener against Seattle

Wolf is projected to start Thursday's opener, with Devin Cooley as his backup. The Flames have no morning skate because of the early start, so the full lineup will only be known at warmups.

Update: Dreger says the Jets will stay patient on Hellebuyck and won't take a futures-only return

TSN's Darren Dreger says Winnipeg won't settle for picks and prospects alone. A deal likely needs a team hit by a goalie injury, or one that decides Hellebuyck is worth the Jets' price. Hellebuyck is losing about $38,000 a day while suspended.

Friedman: talk linking the Kings to Patrik Laine keeps coming up, and keeps getting denied

Elliotte Friedman said he has heard rumors connecting Los Angeles and Patrik Laine several times, but each time they have been denied.

Update: Dreger says a Larkin trade to Montreal is dead because he still won't go to a Canadian team

Darren Dreger said on TSN 690 that 'the Larkin ship has sailed' for the Canadiens. Larkin has added teams to his list but still won't accept a trade to a Canadian club, which takes Montreal out of it.

Flyers looking to trade for a bigger defenseman, with over $12M in cap space

Pagnotta and Daily Faceoff's DiMarco report that GM Daniel Briere wants a defenseman with size to go with York and Drysdale. David Jiricek, a healthy scratch after a poor camp, could be the one displaced. None of the remaining free agents look like a top-six fit, so it would likely take a trade and may take some time.

LeBrun: the Islanders tried to trade for Marchenko but had no Knies-type player to offer

LeBrun reports the Islanders went after Kirill Marchenko and were confident they could extend him, but couldn't match Toronto's offer built around Matthew Knies. GM Mathieu Darche wouldn't confirm it but said the team calls whenever a good player is available, and insists the Islanders aren't rebuilding.

Injured defenseman Mattias Havelid sent to the Barracuda

Havelid, 22, missed the preseason with an upper-body injury. He was reassigned to AHL San Jose because the Sharks have no room for him on the 23-man roster.

Ducks recall defensemen Luneau, Mitchell and Noah Warren for Friday's opener

With Helleson on IR and Ian Moore hurt, Anaheim brought up three defensemen from San Diego: Tristan Luneau, Travis Mitchell and Noah Warren. It is Warren's first NHL recall. Luneau is projected on the top pair with LaCombe.

NHL launches 'Hot for Hockey', short romance-novel-style audio stories about real players, aimed at new fans

The league launched a Spotify series of 60-to-90-second stories written and read by hockey-romance authors, built on real players and storylines. Bettman said the data shows many new fans found the sport through shows like Heated Rivalry and Off Campus.

Amadeus Lombardi set to make his NHL debut in Thursday's opener against the Flyers

Lombardi, a young forward, will play his first NHL game Thursday against Philadelphia. Coach Sheldon Keefe praised his work ethic and his better checking and puck-hunting. Brett Pesce starts the season healthy and paired with Luke Hughes.

Update: Roger McQueen and Cruz Lucius sent to San Diego after Terry goes on LTIR

McQueen and Lucius were on the opening roster only to help the Ducks' cap math. With Troy Terry now on long-term injured reserve, the Ducks assigned both to AHL San Diego and recalled defensemen Tristan Luneau, Travis Mitchell and Noah Warren.

Islanders' projected opener: Ritchie centers the second line, Sorokin in goal, Mayfield scratched

The Islanders' preview for Wednesday in Toronto has Cal Ritchie centering Matias Maccelli and Brayden Schenn, and rookie Victor Eklund on the third line with Pageau and Heineman. Scott Mayfield, Kyle MacLean and Matt Kessel are the expected scratches. Ilya Sorokin is expected to start.

Couturier and Acciari skip the optional skate but will play; they share a fourth line tonight

Sean Couturier and Noel Acciari sat out the morning skate but are healthy for the opener. They'll anchor the fourth line, swapping center duties depending on the faceoff side, with Grundstrom and Garrett Wilson rotating at left wing. Tocchet says Barkey (day-to-day) is improving.

Update: Corey Perry is back from personal leave but won't play in tonight's opener in Colorado

Perry rejoined the Kings after a few days away for personal reasons and took the morning skate. He was one of the last players on the ice with the extras, which usually means a scratch, and he is not expected to dress against the Avalanche.

Lightning opener lines: Harkins centers Hagel and Guentzel, Cirelli on the third line, Vasilevskiy in goal

The Lightning's projected lines for the opener at the Rangers, from Wednesday's practice: Mikheyev-Point-Kucherov, Hagel-Harkins-Guentzel and Goncalves-Cirelli-Geekie. John Carlson is paired with JJ Moser, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is listed in goal with Dennis Hildeby. The team called the lines subject to change.

Blackhawks shuffle lines after the Vegas loss: Frondell centers Kane and Bertuzzi, and Teravainen comes back in

At Wednesday's practice, rookie Anton Frondell centered Patrick Kane and Tyler Bertuzzi. Teravainen, a healthy scratch in the opener, skated with Kantserov and Lardis, and Oliver Moore dropped to a line with Nazar and Donato. With Mangiapane hurt, the changes point to Teravainen drawing in Thursday in Utah.

Perfetti moves up to the top line and rookie Viggo Bjorck centers the second; Bjorck and Tyrel Bauer debut vs Boston

At practice Connor-Scheifele-Perfetti made up the top line, with Rosen-Bjorck-Vilardi second and Barron-Lowry-Lambert third. Ferraro and Bauer were the third defense pair and Koepke was the extra forward. TSN says Bjorck, the No. 8 pick in June, and Bauer both make their NHL debuts Friday.

Update: Conor Sheary clears waivers and goes to Rochester

Veteran winger Conor Sheary went unclaimed on waivers and is assigned to the AHL's Rochester Americans.

Hurricanes waive goalie Cayden Primeau to send him to AHL Chicago

Carolina put Primeau on waivers Wednesday so it can assign him to the Chicago Wolves, a day after he made the opening roster as the third goalie. Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov stay as the NHL tandem. Primeau is on a two-year, one-way deal at $912,500 a year.

Update: Vincent Iorio clears waivers and heads to AHL Hartford

Nobody claimed the defenseman after the Rangers waived him once he was healthy, so he can go to the Wolf Pack. Scott Morrow stays with the Rangers as the extra defenseman.

Update: Blue Jackets sign Carson Soucy to a one-year, $1.15M deal after his camp tryout

Columbus signed defenseman Carson Soucy, 32, to a one-year contract worth $1.15 million after he spent camp on a PTO. GM Don Waddell said Soucy earned the deal with his camp. He is expected to play in the top six with Fabbro and Severson hurt.

Flames sign 2026 second-rounder Chase Harrington to a three-year entry-level deal ($1.075M AAV)

The 18-year-old forward went 36th overall in 2026 and was just named captain of the WHL's Spokane Chiefs, where he will play this season. Because of his late birthday, the deal can slide this season and next.

Friedman: Vince Dunn and the Kraken have talked extension, but there is work to do

Dunn can become a free agent next summer, and Friedman ranks him the second-best defenseman on that market after Quinn Hughes. He said the two sides have talked but are not close yet.

Update: Johnston says no real progress on a Larkin trade, even with his wider list

Chris Johnston reports that Dylan Larkin's longer list of acceptable destinations hasn't produced new talks. Detroit plans to start the season supporting him while working toward a deal, and a move isn't expected soon.

Avalanche promote Andrew Cogliano to assistant general manager

Colorado named the former Avalanche forward an assistant GM on Tuesday.

Schaefer and Schenn named Islanders alternate captains; Schaefer, 19, is the youngest in team history

Matthew Schaefer and Kyle Palmieri will wear the A at home, and Brayden Schenn and Ryan Pulock on the road, under captain Bo Horvat. At 19, Schaefer is the youngest alternate captain in franchise history.

Thomas Chabot named Senators captain; Giroux, Stutzle and Sanderson are the alternates

Ottawa named defenseman Thomas Chabot its 11th captain on Tuesday, filling the spot Brady Tkachuk left when he was traded to Florida in June. Chabot is the longest-serving active Senator. Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson will wear the A.

Canucks name six rotating alternate captains and still no captain

Boeser, Pettersson and Buium will wear the A on the road, and Hronek, Linus Karlsson and Drew O'Connor at home. The rebuilding Canucks are going without a captain again.

Update: Marchenko's work visa still pending on game day; his Leafs debut tonight is up in the air

Kirill Marchenko reached Toronto after Monday's trade and extension, but his Canadian work visa wasn't finalized Tuesday morning. GM John Chayka says the plan is for him to play against Montreal, but it's in immigration's hands.

Update: Marchenko's visa comes through; he makes his Leafs debut tonight against Montreal

Kirill Marchenko's Canadian work visa was finalized in time, so the winger acquired Monday from Columbus is cleared to play in Toronto's opener against the Canadiens, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN.

Update: Barzal traveled to Toronto but is now expected to miss Wednesday's opener

Mathew Barzal went to Toronto with the team but is expected to sit out the opener against the Maple Leafs. Coach Pete DeBoer said Barzal is doing everything with the team except skating.

Update: Brock Faber had surgery for a skull fracture and is out indefinitely

The Wild say Faber fractured his skull when a shot hit him near the ear in Friday's preseason game against Dallas, and he had surgery Sunday. GM Bill Guerin gave no timeline and says the team will follow the doctors. Spurgeon and Quinn Hughes are among those taking on his minutes.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins hurt at Monday's practice and out for tonight's opener

Nugent-Hopkins suffered a lower-body injury at practice and will miss the opener against Vancouver, so McDavid and Draisaitl will center separate lines. He joins Savoie, Dickinson, Janmark and Andersen on the sidelines.

Update: A.J. Greer and Drew Helleson day-to-day and aiming to play Friday's opener in Vegas

Joel Quenneville said both are targeting opening night. If Greer can't go, rookies Roger McQueen, Judd Caulfield and Nikita Klepov are all set to make their NHL debuts. Dostal and Husso are the goalies.

Update: Sanderson misses Tuesday's practice too, putting Saturday's opener in Toronto in some doubt

Jake Sanderson was expected back on the ice Tuesday but missed practice again after leaving the preseason finale as a precaution. Ottawa opens Saturday at Toronto.

Merzlikins out three to five more months after shoulder surgery; Miles Wood starts the season with the Marlies

GM John Chayka said goalie Elvis Merzlikins, acquired in the Marchenko trade, needs three to five more months after August shoulder surgery and will rehab in Switzerland. Winger Miles Wood, also from Columbus, starts with the AHL Marlies. He had already cleared waivers with the Blue Jackets.

Update: Zellweger still in concussion protocol and misses practice; day-to-day for Thursday's opener

Olen Zellweger was expected back for the opener, but he missed Tuesday's practice and Lindy Ruff lists him as day-to-day in concussion protocol. Buffalo wants seven healthy defensemen in Columbus, so a roster move may come if he or Samuelsson isn't ready.

Update: Nugent-Hopkins likely out about two weeks, not just the opener

Mike Babcock said that when he's told a player is day-to-day, it usually means two weeks, so Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (lower body, hurt at Monday's practice) is expected to miss several games after the opener. McDavid and Draisaitl stay split down the middle until he's back.

Update: Babcock says Savoie is about eight weeks away and Andersen may not return until December

Babcock put Matt Savoie at eight weeks as of the start of the week, which means late November. GM Stan Bowman had said later in October. Babcock guessed December for goalie Frederik Andersen (knee), so Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi hold the net well into the season.

Grebenkin misses the last practice before the opener and is day-to-day; Vladar says he's ready

Nikita Grebenkin missed Tuesday's practice and is day-to-day for Wednesday's opener against Pittsburgh. Dan Vladar said after practice that he is ready to play.

Rookie defenseman Frederic Brunet missed the opener with a minor camp injury

Brunet got hurt late in training camp and sat out Tuesday's opener against the Rangers. Marco Sturm expects him back very soon. Will Borgen moved to the top pair with McAvoy suspended.

Update: Larkin saw a doctor Monday and is skating as an extra; his status for Friday's opener is uncertain

Dylan Larkin is on the roster but skated as an extra forward rather than on a regular line. The Detroit Free Press's Helene St. James reports the team isn't sure he'll be ready for Friday's opener against the Rangers.

Oilers open with five on IR, among them Frederik Andersen, Matt Savoie and Mattias Janmark

Edmonton begins the season with Andersen, Savoie, Janmark, Alec Regula and Jason Dickinson on injured reserve. After those moves the Oilers have about $303K in cap space and can bank up to roughly $1.4M by the trade deadline.

Rangers put defenseman Vincent Iorio on injured reserve before the opener in Boston

Iorio, hurt in the preseason opener, goes on IR as the Rangers set their 23-man roster. Rookie Alberts Smits is on the third pair, with Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson as the extra defensemen.

Update: Blake Lizotte back at full practice and expected to play the opener in Philadelphia

Lizotte, who opened the season on IR as day-to-day, was a full participant in Tuesday's practice and is expected to center the fourth line on Wednesday. Filip Hallander moved up to the third line with Lapierre and Koivunen, and Connor Dewar dropped to the fourth line.

Update: Luukkonen back at practice and listed day-to-day ahead of Thursday's opener at Columbus

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen practiced Tuesday after tweaking his lower body in the preseason finale, and the Sabres call him day-to-day. Alex Lyon is still out with a shoulder injury, so Colten Ellis is the fallback if Luukkonen can't start.

Update: Samuelsson expected back at practice Wednesday and could play Thursday's opener

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson started the season on IR with a lower-body injury but is expected to rejoin practice Wednesday. He is a possibility for Thursday's opener at Columbus.

Update: Vladar cleared after his upper-body injury and set to start the opener against Pittsburgh

Dan Vladar has recovered from the upper-body injury he picked up in the preseason and is lined up to start Wednesday against the Penguins, with Joseph Woll as backup. Nikita Grebenkin missed practice and is day-to-day.

Update: Friedman says Carolina is the keenest Hellebuyck suitor, with a possible three-team deal around Nikishin

Elliotte Friedman reports the Hurricanes are the most motivated team, but the deal stalls because Alexander Nikishin won't sign in Winnipeg. Carolina may look for a three-team trade, possibly with St. Louis, a steady Nikishin pursuer. Anaheim may also have checked in. Hellebuyck's unpaid suspension now covers regular-season days, about $39K US a day.

Bruins shopping defenseman Henri Jokiharju after he cleared waivers to Providence

Elliotte Friedman reports Boston is trying to trade Henri Jokiharju. He cleared waivers and was sent to Providence after the summer additions of Borgen and Clifton pushed him out of the lineup.

LeBrun: suitors say the Jets are asking too much for Hellebuyck

Interested teams think Winnipeg's price is too high given its weak bargaining position. The Jets want a young, signed roster player, ideally a second-line forward, as the centerpiece rather than picks and prospects, and nobody has met that yet.

Johnston: Leafs 'patiently aggressive' after Marchenko deal and could add a defenseman

Chris Johnston says Toronto may keep upgrading, using Colorado's 2027 first-round pick and young prospects as trade chips. Defense is a likely target after Emil Andrae went to Columbus in the Marchenko trade.

LeBrun: Marchenko preferred Montreal, but the Habs had no Knies-type piece to offer

Pierre LeBrun reports that Marchenko leaned toward Montreal, where Ivan Demidov shares his agent. Columbus wanted a young NHL player on a good contract, and Montreal wouldn't give one up. He expects the Canadiens to keep chasing a big addition, especially next summer when they have cap room.

Blues seen as the only real suitor for Carolina's Alexander Nikishin, a key to any Hellebuyck deal

With the Rangers out, Nashville unwilling to pay the price and Nikishin unwilling to sign in Winnipeg, St. Louis is reported to be the one true contender for him. He is said to want about five years at $9M a season, and Carolina's pursuit of Hellebuyck may depend on where he lands.

Flyers keeping an eye on Larkin even though they're not on his expanded trade list

Daily Faceoff reports that Philadelphia, after missing out on Marchenko, sees Larkin as a fit at center and could offer a package like the one it made for Marchenko. Larkin hasn't added the Flyers to his list, so they're only watching for now.

Friedman: executives call Ryan O'Reilly's contract year an underreported story

In his 32 Thoughts column, Friedman says two executives pointed to O'Reilly, who is in the last year of his deal at $4.5M. Teams have kept trying to pry him from Nashville. If the Predators tell him there's no extension coming, he could become available. Montreal has been linked before.

LeBrun: Habs plan a big move next summer and would be in on McDavid if he asks out of Edmonton

Pierre LeBrun says Montreal will keep hunting for a major addition, especially next summer when it has cap room. He adds that if Connor McDavid asks the Oilers for a trade, the Canadiens would be among the teams in the mix. This is speculation, not active talks.

Steven Lorentz, acquired from Toronto, sent to AHL Cleveland; defenseman Emil Andrae joins the Blue Jackets' lineup

After the Marchenko trade with Toronto, Columbus put defenseman Emil Andrae straight onto the NHL roster and assigned center Steven Lorentz and forward Jack Williams to AHL Cleveland ahead of Thursday's opener against Buffalo.

Update: Wild send rookie center Charlie Stramel to AHL Iowa

Stramel made the opening roster, but Minnesota assigned him to Iowa on Tuesday so he plays every night rather than sitting as an extra forward.

Update: DiVincentiis loaned to the Moose as Stevenson backs up Skinner; Viggo Bjorck makes the Jets

Winnipeg's roster has 13 forwards, 8 defensemen, and goalies Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson. Goalie Domenic DiVincentiis and forward Brayden Yager were loaned to AHL Manitoba. Young forward Viggo Bjorck made the team. Garrett Brown, Elias Salomonsson and Walker Duehr are listed as injured non-roster.

Update: Teravainen is a healthy scratch for the opener in Vegas; Korchinski and Del Mastro also sit

Jeff Blashill confirmed Teuvo Teravainen will be the lone scratch at forward, saying Chicago has more NHL players than lineup spots. He added that Teravainen will play at some point on this road trip. Defensemen Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are also projected to sit.

Update: Avalanche confirm 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the opener against Los Angeles

With Logan O'Connor and Zachary L'Heureux on injured reserve (lower body), Colorado will open Wednesday against the Kings with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, per the NHL's status report.

Krebs and Norris swap spots; Norris joins Tage Thompson's line for the opener

Lindy Ruff moved Peyton Krebs into a middle-six role and put Josh Norris with Tage Thompson. Ruff said the team will probably start that way Thursday in Columbus.

Update: Englund cleared to join Red Wings and practices for the first time; Gibson still out sick

Waiver claim Andreas Englund took part in his first Red Wings practice Monday, so the defenseman is now available for Friday's opener against the Rangers. John Gibson (illness) and Jacob Bernard-Docker (upper body) didn't practice. Unsigned Simon Edvinsson was also absent.

Chinakhov moves up to the Penguins' top power play

With Bryan Rust on IR, Egor Chinakhov worked on PP1 with Karlsson, Crosby, Rakell and Novak at Tuesday's practice.

Brunette pairs Roman Josi with Ryan Ufko at practice before Thursday's opener

Andrew Brunette tried captain Josi with second-year defenseman Ufko at Tuesday's practice after they looked good together in exhibition games. Nashville carries nine defensemen and is still sorting out its pairs.

Without Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid and Draisaitl center separate lines and Max Jones draws in

The projection for the opener has Howard-McDavid-Hyman and Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Kapanen, with Max Jones on the fourth line with Owen Michaels and Trent Frederic. Emberson and Stastney are the scratches.

Raty, Brisebois and Mancini projected as scratches; Lekkerimaki on the top line with Pettersson and DeBrusk

NHL.com's projection for the opener in Edmonton has DeBrusk-Pettersson-Lekkerimaki and Ohgren-Rossi-Boeser as the top two lines. Buium is paired with Hronek, and Lankinen starts with Merilainen backing up.

Flyers shuffle lines before the opener: Zegras centers Tippett and Martone, Benoit in for Jiricek [reported]

At the last practice before Wednesday's opener against Pittsburgh, Rick Tocchet had Trevor Zegras centering the top line with Owen Tippett and Porter Martone. Simon Benoit took David Jiricek's third-pair spot next to Nick Seeler. Nikita Grebenkin and Denver Barkey are unavailable, so Carl Grundstrom plays on the fourth line.

Penguins' opener lines: Hallander moves up to the third line, Silovs in goal at Philadelphia [reported]

Tuesday's practice lines for Game 1: Robertson-Crosby-Rakell, Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin, Hallander-Lapierre-Koivunen and Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom, with pairs Carlile-Karlsson, van Riemsdyk-Letang and Girard-Korczak. Arturs Silovs goes in as the No. 1 goalie, with Sergei Murashov backing up.

Knies slotted onto the top line with Fantilli and Kent Johnson for his Columbus debut

Matthew Knies, acquired from Toronto on Monday, is projected to play on the first line with Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson and on the top power play when Columbus opens against Buffalo on Thursday.

First regular-season practice: Stenberg on the second line, Cagnoni on PP1, Allan and Dickinson fighting for a spot

Lines were Marchment-Celebrini-Smith, Stenberg-Wennberg-Graf and Chernyshov-Misa-Toffoli, with Sam Dickinson as the extra defenseman behind Nolan Allan. Warsofsky says nothing is decided for Thursday's opener against Florida.

Sabres waive Conor Sheary to send him to Rochester after he returns from injury

Conor Sheary, 34, got healthy after a preseason injury and practiced Tuesday. Buffalo then put him on waivers so it can assign him to AHL Rochester if nobody claims him. He is on a one-year, $850K deal.

Update: Rangers waive Vincent Iorio once healthy, keeping Scott Morrow as the extra defenseman

Iorio came off injured reserve and was put on waivers Tuesday, hours before the opener in Boston. If he clears, he's expected to report to AHL Hartford.

Update: Tyson Jost clears waivers and is assigned to AHL Milwaukee

No team claimed Jost, and Nashville sent him to the Admirals on Tuesday.

Update: Leafs complete Marchenko trade, sending Knies to Columbus; Marchenko signs six years at $12.5M AAV

Toronto got Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood and injured goalie Elvis Merzlikins for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick. Marchenko then signed a six-year, $75M contract with Toronto.

Leafs and Blue Jackets near a Knies-for-Marchenko blockbuster that also sends Merzlikins to Toronto

Friedman and LeBrun report Toronto would send Matthew Knies to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko, who would sign an extension, and injured goalie Elvis Merzlikins. As of Monday the deal was not finalized and other pieces were unknown.

Predators sign Tyson Jost to a two-way deal, then put him on waivers for Milwaukee

Jost, in camp on a tryout, signed a one-year, two-way contract ($850K in the NHL). He was waived the same day and goes to AHL Milwaukee if he clears.

Guerin says the Wild won't pressure Quinn Hughes on an extension

GM Bill Guerin said Minnesota is giving Hughes time as extension talks go on. The defenseman can become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Sweeney says the Bruins will keep talking extension with Pavel Zacha, now in the last year of his deal

GM Don Sweeney said Boston means to keep up contract talks with Zacha and called him a big part of the club, a softer tone than last week's trade-watch talk. Sweeney also gave no timetable for Matt Poitras, who opens the season on injured reserve.

Update: Nikishin will miss the opener; Tulsky says both sides are looking for a resolution

The unsigned restricted free agent skipped camp and won't play Tuesday against Florida. GM Eric Tulsky said his agent change doesn't alter Carolina's position; Legault or Mike Reilly takes his spot.

Update: Unsigned Edvinsson left off the opening roster and no longer practicing with the Red Wings

Simon Edvinsson, still an unsigned restricted free agent, was not on Detroit's 23-man roster at Monday's deadline. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Edvinsson has stopped practicing with the team while talks with his camp continue.

Update: Hellebuyck's unpaid suspension now runs in the regular season, and his salary is off Winnipeg's cap

The team suspended Hellebuyck on September 17. Now that games have started, he loses his pay for every day he stays away, and his salary no longer counts against the Jets' cap, which GM Cheveldayoff called procedural. That frees cap room while trade talks go on.

Update: Friedman says Hellebuyck won't start the season with the Jets and will give up pay rather than report

Per Elliotte Friedman, Hellebuyck is ready to lose game checks, which a suspended player forfeits from Tuesday's league opener on, rather than report. Carolina is still very interested, and Nikishin's unsigned status remains the sticking point in any deal. Skinner starts for Winnipeg in the meantime.

Oliver Kapanen out for the opener in Toronto with a lower-body injury; Newhook moves to second-line center

Kapanen is day-to-day and missed Monday's practice. Martin St-Louis said he won't play Tuesday at Toronto, and Alex Newhook took his spot at second-line center. St-Louis still wouldn't name his starting goalie. Kaiden Guhle practiced in a non-contact jersey.

Update: Burakovsky's status for the opener unclear; Sanderson sits Monday but expected back Tuesday

Andre Burakovsky missed Monday's practice after taking a hit Saturday, and Travis Green had no update. Jake Sanderson also skipped Monday but is expected back Tuesday. Warren Foegele returned on the top line. Artem Zub had a setback and won't be ready for the start of the season. Hoyt Stanley and Stephen Halliday were still with the team at the deadline.

Barzal opens on injured non-roster but isn't ruled out for Wednesday's opener

Mathew Barzal aggravated an earlier injury in camp and is listed injured non-roster. He hasn't been ruled out for Wednesday's opener in Toronto and is expected to skate that morning.

Update: Wild still evaluating Faber after the puck to the head; Hynes urges patience

Brock Faber is still being evaluated after taking a puck to the head in Friday's preseason game, and coach John Hynes said the team has to give it time. The Wild open Thursday at Nashville; without Faber, Spurgeon has been skating next to Quinn Hughes.

Update: Jason Dickinson ruled out of the opener; Oilers loan Josh Samanski to Bakersfield

Dickinson skated Monday but won't play Tuesday against Vancouver because of his foot injury. The Oilers loaned forward Josh Samanski to the AHL Condors to trim the roster, which leaves 14 forwards. Savoie, Janmark and Regula are still hurt.

Update: Seth Jarvis not expected back until late October at the earliest

Jarvis skated in camp while recovering from June shoulder surgery but remains on the injured non-roster list. Eric Robinson is projected in his top-line spot with Svechnikov and Aho.

Oliver Kapanen out for the opener with a lower-body injury

The Canadiens list the second-line center as day-to-day after he missed Monday's practice, and Martin St-Louis said he won't play in Toronto. Alex Newhook moves up to center Slafkovsky and Demidov.

Update: Dakota Joshua week-to-week, will miss the start of the season

GM John Chayka said Joshua's lingering core issue will keep him out longer term. Zack MacEwen skated on the fourth line at Monday's practice.

Update: Jason Dickinson ruled out of the opener as the Oilers set their roster

Babcock confirmed the centre won't be ready for Tuesday after his foot setback. Edmonton loaned Josh Samanski to Bakersfield to reach 23 players, with Owen Michaels in line to fill the gap down the middle.

Jake DeBrusk misses practice with a lower-body injury but is expected to play the opener

DeBrusk was hit by a Brock Boeser shot in Saturday's preseason finale. Coach Manny Malhotra said the team only wanted an extra day to check on him; Arshdeep Bains skated in his top-line spot and Max Sasson on PP1.

Update: Bedard travels to Vegas but is still limited to skating on his own

Connor Bedard will be with the team for the opening road trip but is cleared only for individual skating, not team practice, and isn't expected to be cleared during the trip. November remains the timeline for his return from July shoulder surgery.

Damon Severson to miss at least the first two games as his shoulder recovery continues

Coach Rick Bowness said Severson won't play Thursday's opener against Buffalo unless a doctor clears him that day. He had shoulder surgery in April, and Columbus is aiming for the Oct. 9 game against Pittsburgh for his return, with no guarantee.

Barzal starts on the injured non-roster list with a knee problem but isn't ruled out for Wednesday

Mathew Barzal missed camp after aggravating an earlier knee injury that caused inflammation. He's traveling to Toronto and is expected to skate Wednesday morning, and the designation lets New York activate him the day he's cleared.

Update: Logan Mailloux had hand surgery and is out at least eight weeks; Tyler Tucker also on IR

The Blues put both defensemen on injured reserve. Mailloux will be re-evaluated in eight weeks, and Tucker (lower body) is week-to-week. Waiver pickup Justin Barron and recalled Adam Jiricek give St. Louis cover on the blue line.

Joel Edmundson back at practice as a near-full participant, still day-to-day for the opener

Edmundson missed the preseason finale but returned to practice Monday. Laviolette said he was pretty much a full participant. He stays day-to-day, and Erik Gustafsson is the option if he can't play in Colorado.

Sabres open with three goalies and put six on IR, including Samuelsson, Zucker and Timmins

Buffalo's 23-man roster has Luukkonen, Lyon and Ellis in goal, with Luukkonen and Lyon both nursing injuries before Thursday's opener at Columbus. Rathbone, Timmins, Samuelsson, Sheary, Zucker and goalie Leinonen start on IR. Ruff expects Zellweger to be ready.

Update: Bryan Rust placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury

The Penguins put Rust on IR after he was hurt in the preseason finale at Buffalo, so he joins Lizotte, Brazeau, Kindel and Graves. Pittsburgh set a 22-man opening roster; Kuzmenko is non-roster while on personal leave. The Penguins open Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Update: Mailloux has hand surgery and is out at least eight weeks; he and Tucker go on IR

Logan Mailloux had surgery on the right hand he hurt fighting Chicago's Cole Smith and will be re-evaluated in eight weeks. The Blues put him and Tyler Tucker (lower body, week-to-week) on injured reserve. Waiver claim Justin Barron and recalled Adam Jiricek cover the blue line for Friday's opener at Dallas.

Update: Bryan Rust goes on IR as the Penguins open with a 22-man roster

Rust (upper body) joins Lizotte, Brazeau, Kindel and Graves on injured reserve. Pittsburgh carries 13 forwards, seven defensemen and goalies Sergei Murashov and Arturs Silovs. Broz is on the injured non-roster list, and Kuzmenko is non-roster after returning to Russia.

Update: Jacob Bernard-Docker placed on injured reserve and will miss the start of the season

Detroit moved the defenseman (upper body) to IR on Monday, which opens a blue-line spot. Anton Johansson is the likely beneficiary.

Brad Marchand opens the season on injured reserve; Gadjovich listed injured non-roster

Florida's opening roster puts Marchand on injured reserve, so he misses tonight's opener at Carolina. Jonah Gadjovich is listed as injured non-roster. The team gave no timelines.

Update: Capitals make it official: Sandin opens the season on the injured non-roster list

Washington listed Rasmus Sandin as injured non-roster when it filed its 23-man opening roster on Monday. He is still skating on his own after ACL surgery in April and won't play in Friday's opener at Carolina.

Update: Barkey goes on season-opening IR and Grans is listed injured non-roster; Garrett Wilson makes the team

The Flyers' 23-man roster puts Denver Barkey on injured reserve. He was hurt in the preseason opener, and this kind of IR doesn't make him sit out a set number of games. Helge Grans is listed injured non-roster. Veteran Garrett Wilson, signed Sunday, made the team in Barkey's place.

Update: Devils confirm Kovacevic, Casey and Bjugstad on injured non-roster; Rittich loaned to Utica

New Jersey's opening roster lists Johnathan Kovacevic, Seamus Casey and Nick Bjugstad as injured non-roster. David Rittich cleared waivers and was loaned to AHL Utica. The Devils carry three goalies: Jake Allen, Nico Daws and Remi Poirier.

Update: Brock Faber opens the season on injured reserve after the puck to the head

The Wild put Faber on IR when they set their opening-night roster. IR means he sits at least seven days, so Saturday's home opener against Boston is the earliest he could be activated. Coach John Hynes's comments point to a concussion, and more is expected after Tuesday's practice.

Update: O'Connor and L'Heureux go on IR; cap-strapped Avs may dress 11 forwards and 7 defensemen

Colorado put Logan O'Connor, Zachary L'Heureux, Taylor Makar, goalie Trent Miner and Georgii Merkulov on IR, backdated to Sept. 21. With about $49K in cap space the Avs can't call up a forward, so they'll play 11 forwards and 7 defensemen Wednesday against LA unless O'Connor or L'Heureux is healthy. Blackwood and Wedgewood are the goalies.

Update: Maveric Lamoureux has shoulder surgery and is out four to six months

GM Bill Armstrong said the 22-year-old defenseman had surgery Monday on a shoulder he dislocated in camp. He opens the season on injured reserve and is likely out until around the All-Star break.

Update: Kings confirm Fiala on IR and loan Kirsanov to Ontario; Kuemper and Forsberg in goal

The Kings' opening roster has 13 forwards, seven defensemen and goalies Anton Forsberg and Darcy Kuemper, with no starter named. Kevin Fiala stays on injured reserve as he recovers from a broken leg, and defenseman Kirill Kirsanov was loaned to AHL Ontario.

Troy Terry opens on injured non-roster after hip surgery; teen Nikita Klepov makes the Ducks

Anaheim carries 16 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. Terry (hip surgery) is on injured non-roster, and Ian Moore is on IR. The 18-year-old first-rounder Klepov and Roger McQueen both made the team, and Travis Mitchell and goalie Laurent Brossoit were assigned to San Diego.

Update: Sharks put Gaudette, Couture and Barre-Boulet on IR; Askarov and Nedeljkovic in goal

San Jose starts with 14 forwards, including rookies Ivar Stenberg and Michael Misa, and seven defensemen, including Luca Cagnoni. Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic are the goalies. Adam Gaudette, Logan Couture and Alex Barre-Boulet are on injured reserve.

Update: Helge Grans goes on IR; Kolosov and Wilson head to Lehigh Valley at the deadline