While it was a good day off the ice today for Jake Walman with a seven-year extension in-hand, the on-ice news isn’t as good. Team reporter Tony Brar relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner has suffered a setback in recovering from an undisclosed injury that has kept him out for most of the preseason. Instead of being expected to suit up on Wednesday against Calgary, he is now listed as questionable. The 29-year-old logged over 20 minutes a game both down and in the playoffs for the Oilers and is likely to play a similar top-four role this season; it just might take a little longer before his 2025-26 campaign actually gets underway.
More from the Pacific:
- Initially concerned about his availability for opening night, the Kings now believe winger Alex Laferriere will be able to go. Eric Stephens of The Athletic notes (Twitter link) that the 23-year-old was on his usual line in practice, not long after head coach Jim Hiller expressed some doubt that he’d be available to play on Tuesday. Laferriere is coming off a strong sophomore season that saw him notch 42 points in 77 games, earning him a three-year, $12.3MM contract this summer.
- Still with the Kings, the team announced that they’ve placed defenseman Kyle Burroughs on injured reserve. The 30-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s preseason game against Utah. Burroughs had a sparing role last season, appearing in just 33 games where he logged less than eight minutes per night. For comparison, he averaged 19:09 in 2023-24 in San Jose.
- Canucks center Teddy Blueger is ‘dinged up’, according to Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. Assistant coach Scott Young noted that the next few days will determine if he’s ultimately able to suit up in Thursday’s season opener. The 31-year-old had 26 points and a career-high 104 hits in 82 games with Vancouver last season.