Snapshots: Finnie, Girard, Klingberg
The Detroit Red Wings entered training camp looking to find the right left winger to skate on the team’s first line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. After four preseason games, an unexpected candidate appears to have emerged: 2023 seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie. The 20-year-old winger has scored a goal and registered an assist this preseason, and has generated positive reports due to his performances in training camp.
Today, The Athletic’s Max Bultman wrote that Finnie is a legitimate contender to start the season on the Red Wings’ top line. Veteran James van Riemsdyk entered the preseason as the favorite for the role, but has missed all of camp attending to a family matter. Elmer Soderblom was a possibility, but did not make a big impact when given the chance to play with Larkin and Raymond. That leaves Finnie in line to begin the season in that role, which would be quite the way for him to start his full-time pro career. Finnie spent most of last season in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, and scored five points in 13 games in a late-season cameo with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Other notes from across the NHL:
- This morning, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano that veteran defenseman Samuel Girard is nearing a return to the ice, albeit in a non-contact capacity. Girard is currently managing a lower-body injury, and Bednar said the target for the blueliner is to make a return in time for opening night. Girard was Colorado’s number-three defenseman by ice time last season, averaging 20:50 time-on-ice per game including time on both sides of special teams.
- San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg returned to practice as a non-contact participant, and is nearing a return to full participation according to San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng. Klingberg has missed a portion of the last week of training camp recovering from an upper-body injury, but based on today’s reporting it appears his availability for the start of the regular season is not in question. Klingberg signed a one-year, $4MM contract in San Jose this past summer after skating in 19 playoff games for the Edmonton Oilers en route to a Western Conference title.
East Notes: Grebenkin, Norris, Mateychuk
The Philadelphia Flyers have quite a few talented young forwards vying for a limited number of available NHL roster spots this preseason, and one player who has reportedly taken a lead in the race for an NHL job is winger Nikita Grebenkin. The 22-year-old Russian winger is “the clubhouse favorite” to earn an NHL role at this stage of the preseason, according to PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor.
Grebenkin scored in yesterday’s preseason loss to the Boston Bruins, and is reported to have had an impressive camp. Grebenkin arrived in the Flyers organization late last season as part of the team’s trade of Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 6’2, 220-pound winger scored 28 points in 50 AHL games last season and was recently ranked by Elite Prospects as the club’s 11th-best prospect. If he ends up claiming a spot on the team’s NHL roster, it could come at the expense of another young player vying for a role such as Alex Bump or Jett Luchanko.
Other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris appears to have a massive opportunity in front of him entering his first full campaign in Western New York, reports Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe. Norris, who was traded to Buffalo in 2023-24 in a deal that included 2019 seventh-overall pick Dylan Cozens, is currently centering the Sabres’ top line alongside Zach Benson and Tage Thompson, as well as skating with the team’s top power play and penalty-kill units. It appears Norris has the chance to become an all-situations number-one center for the Sabres, something that was not entirely possible with his former team, the Ottawa Senators, due to the presence of star Tim Stutzle. Norris, who has dealt with persistent injuries (namely a shoulder issue) so far in his NHL career, scored 21 goals and 35 points last season and has a career high of 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games from the 2021-22 season.
- Team reporter Jeff Svoboda reports that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk did a full skate with the team this morning, something Svoboda calls a “very good sign” given Mateychuk has been dealing with a groin injury this preseason. Mateychuk, 21, is one of the Blue Jackets’ top young players and is coming off of a season where he was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team.
Waivers: 9/28/25
With more and more cuts to training camp rosters being made, the waiver wire is becoming increasingly active. Today is another busy day on waivers as PuckPedia reports that 23 players have been waived. All of yesterday’s waived players have cleared.
Anaheim Ducks
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Hudson Fasching
F Brendan Gaunce
F Mikael Pyyhtia
Chicago Blackahwks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
D Kyle Capobianco
F Kole Lind
F Antonio Stranges
Montreal Canadiens
F Alex Belzile
D Nathan Clurman
F Lucas Condotta
D Marc Del Gaizo
F Sean Farrell
New Jersey Devils
St. Louis Blues
F Matt Luff
D Corey Schueneman
Tampa Bay Lightning
G Ryan Fanti
D Simon Lundmark
F Scott Sabourin
D Steven Santini
Today’s set of waived players is a more diverse mix, both with veteran players likely to play most of 2025-26 in the AHL and some younger players who have some NHL experience and still, theoretically, more room to grow. Jones, from Buffalo, appears to have lost a battle for an NHL job on the team’s blueline, but got into 46 NHL games for the New York Rangers last season and is still just 24 years old.
23-year-old Farrell, waived by Montreal, is a former top prospect who was, just a few years ago, ranked as the Canadiens’ second-best prospect by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. The former USHL and NCAA star had a strong back half of his 2024-25 AHL season and had six points in four games at the 2022 Winter Olympics, but hasn’t found a way to land an NHL role yet in his two-year pro career.
Beyond those younger names, there are also notable veterans on today’s waiver wire. Fasching, waived by Columbus, played in at least 43 NHL games in each of the last three seasons. Del Gaizo, waived by Montreal, got into 46 games with the Nashville Predators last season. And Toninato, waived by Chicago, has almost 200 NHL games to his name, although he only registered five NHL GP in 2024-25.
Snapshots: Connor Extension, Knoblauch, Huska, Leskovar
With so many headlines devoted to the looming unrestricted free agency of Minnesota Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, it can be easy to forget that another one of the game’s most lethal scoring wingers is also set to hit free agency next summer: Kyle Connor. Connor’s $7.14MM AAV deal expires at the end of the season, and Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman commented on the player’s contract status in an interview with RG Media’s James Murphy. While he acknowledged that he’s not directly involved in the negotiations, Chipman said that he does not envision Connor leaving Winnipeg. He added that he expects a contract to be agreed upon “sooner rather than later.”
AFP Analytics currently projects Connor’s next deal to be worth nearly $12MM annually, which would make him the highest-paid player in Winnipeg. Given how well he’s played thus far in his NHL career, it’d be hard to argue Connor isn’t worth $12MM annually (or more), especially since reports indicate Kaprizov could make as much as $16MM AAV on his next contract, if not more. Kaprizov is a superior player to Connor, of course, but Connor isn’t extraordinarily far behind. Connor led the Jets in scoring with 97 points last season, and he added 17 points in just 13 playoff games. He’s the offensive engine behind one of the league’s top regular-season juggernauts, and it’s crucial for the Jets’ competitive hopes that they find a way to retain his services beyond 2025-26.
Some other notes from around the NHL:
- Insider Darren Dreger reported on TSN’s Insider Trading segment that Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska are both entering the final season of their current contracts, and while neither coach has a firm extension offer on the table, both coaches are names to watch entering 2025-26. Knoblauch has been nothing but a success in Edmonton, and although a Stanley Cup championship remains elusive, he’s still widely respected for guiding the team to back-to-back Western Conference titles. Huska hasn’t had the same level of success as Knoblauch, though he also doesn’t get to dress Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in his lineup on a nightly basis. While the third-year coach didn’t reach the playoffs in either of his first two seasons on the job, he oversaw a stellar rookie campaign from netminder Dustin Wolf and improved the team’s performance in 2024-25 compared to where it was in 2023-24.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith reported today that Minnesota Wild defenseman Stevie Leskovar injured his wrist during a training camp scrimmage, and as a result the start to his season with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, will be delayed as he recovers. The 21-year-old 2024 sixth-round pick signed an entry-level contract in March of this year and is set to begin his first professional campaign whenever he’s healthy once again. The 6’3, 216-pound blueliner was an alternate captain for the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads last season and got a taste of pro action late in the year, playing in Iowa’s April 19th loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Injury Notes: Blackwood, Jensen, Garland, Aitcheson
Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters today, including The Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal, that starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is currently progressing in his recovery from a lower-body injury but is questionable to play in the team’s season opener October 7th in Los Angeles. Blackwood is firmly entrenched as the Avalanche starter, a status the team confirmed last December when they signed him to a five-year, $5.25MM contract extension.
Blackwood played well to begin his time in Colorado, posting a .913 save percentage in 37 games, and an .892 in a tough seven-game first-round series loss to the Dallas Stars. Should Blackwood’s injury linger into the regular season, veteran Scott Wedgewood would slot in as the Avalanche’s starting goalie. Interestingly, if Blackwood misses the game in Los Angeles, this would become the second consecutive season in which Wedgewood has gotten the chance to start a season-opener due to injury – he played in the Nashville Predators’ 2024-25 opener due to an injury to starter Juuse Saros. Wedgewood, who is a pending UFA with a $1.5MM cap hit, posted a .917 save percentage in 19 games for the Avalanche after a mid-season trade.
Other injury updates from across the NHL:
- TSN’s Claire Hanna relayed word from Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen today that Jensen is currently without a firm return timeline regarding his hip injury. Jensen said he feels he’d probably be able to handle playing if the season started tomorrow, but since he hasn’t tested himself in a game-like situation this preseason, it’s difficult to tell for sure. Jensen added that when it comes to his recovery, he’s looking to balance getting back as soon as possible with being able to “hit the ground running.” Jensen has a spot on the Senators’ second defensive pairing waiting for him whenever he is healthy, as the 35-year-old pending UFA is set to resume his pairing with Thomas Chabot.
- Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote told the media today (including Rink Wide Vancouver’s Jeff Paterson) that winger Conor Garland will not play in the club’s preseason game tomorrow as he manages a minor injury. Foote clarified that the absence is more about maintaining Garland’s health in advance of the regular season than it is about recovery from anything serious, so it does not appear this preseason absence will in any way impact Garland’s readiness for the team’s season opener. The tenacious Garland is an integral middle-six piece for the Canucks and is coming off of a 19-goal, 50-point season.
- New York Islanders 2025 first-round pick Kashawn Aitcheson had a bit of an injury scare in the club’s first preseason game, but it appears he’s now fully healthy. Aitcheson dressed for the team’s preseason game tonight against the New Jersey Devils, meaning he has another chance to impress Islanders brass before he is, in all likelihood, reassigned to his junior team. The third of the Islanders’ trio of 2025 first-rounders, Aitcheson is a rangy two-way blueliner who was recently ranked as the club’s No. 4 prospect by EliteProspects.
Rasmus Andersson, Calgary Flames Could Revisit Extension Talks
Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was one of the most talked-about players this past summer due to the persistent trade rumors surrounding him. Andersson was nearly dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights before the trade fell through, and in August Andersson’s teammates openly acknowledged that he was a near-certainty to be traded.
But today, Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading that it is not a guarantee that the Flames trade Andersson, rather than sign the pending UFA to a contract extension.
According to LeBrun, neither the Flames nor Andersson “want to totally close the door on maybe having extension talks again at some point this year.” LeBrun’s reporting indicates that it’s the Flames’ preference to see how the early part of their 2025-26 season unfolds before revisiting contract talks. For Andersson’s part, LeBrun reported that the player might be swayed to re-sign in Calgary “if there was an eight-year offer on the table,” but also added that he does not believe the Flames are “ready to go there” at this stage. 
LeBrun concluded by saying that a trade remains the most likely outcome regardless of this new development.
This news changes the tone surrounding Andersson in a notable way, as it had previously appeared as though he was as close to a lock to be traded as one can get in the NHL.
But with a high-stakes unrestricted free agency looming, one that represents what is likely to be Andersson’s best chance at a long-term, extremely lucrative contract, it appears Andersson and his camp (led by 4Sports Hockey’s Claude Lemieux) don’t want to completely close the door on a potential bidder for Andersson’s services.
The soon-to-be-29-year-old Swedish blueliner has a very real chance at being the top defenseman available in next summer’s UFA market. Andersson is a true top-pairing right-handed defenseman, something that would make him a rare, highly sought-after player on a free agent market. Andersson averaged 24 minutes of ice time per night in 2024-25, including the most penalty-kill ice time of any Flames player.
Andersson is a highly competitive blueliner who plays with an edge, and he matches his ability to weather difficult defensive assignments with a solid level of offensive ability. He scored a career-high 50 points in 2021-22 and while his scoring numbers have steadily climbed down since that season (49 points in 2022-23, 39 in 2023-24, and 31 in 2024-25) he remains an all-around force and one of head coach Ryan Huska’s most trusted contributors.
The Flames’ alternate captain is the kind of player nearly every NHL team would like to add to its lineup, though his future free agent case is not without its risks. Andersson is set to play out the vast majority of his next contract in his 30s, and while he’s still a capable offensive contributor, his steady decline in production in recent years could give some teams pause. It could be fair to question whether the team that signs Andersson, due to the multiple seasons of 40-plus points on his resume, will ultimately end up paying for a level of production Andersson is no longer able to provide.
Accordingly, despite major factors set to act in Andersson’s favor next summer (such as the rarity of top-pairing right-handed defensemen on the open market) it would be understandable for Andersson to give serious thought to signing an eight-year extension in Calgary during the season should the club offer one.
At this stage, though, such speculation remains premature. As LeBrun reported, even with the revival of the slight prospect that Andersson re-signs in Calgary, the overwhelmingly likely scenario is that he is eventually traded. But until that happens, it appears Flames fans will be able to hold onto hope that their team’s longest-tenured defenseman may yet stay in Calgary.
Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Devils, Luke Hughes “Still A Ways Apart” In Contract Talks
As the New Jersey Devils continue their training camp and play through their slate of preseason games, they do so without a notable name: Luke Hughes. Hughes remains a restricted free agent without a contract for this upcoming season, and today The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Hughes’ camp and the Devils remain “a ways apart” in their contract talks. LeBrun added that the two sides talked Monday and negotiations remain “amicable.” But while the two sides have agreed to pursue a long-term contract extension, the parties have not been able to agree on an AAV for that potential deal.
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald had previously expressed optimism that the looming presence of the start of training camp would help move talks along and eventually lead to a signed contract, but that did not end up happening. It does appear, based on LeBrun’s reporting, that there has been some progress at least. Previous reports indicated that the Devils were looking to sign Hughes to a contract of either a two or eight-year term, whereas Hughes had his sights set on a five-year term that would walk him right to unrestricted free agent status. But according to LeBrun, the term of the contract is no longer the sticking point of the negotiation – it’s the value of the deal.
Hughes, 22, has had an exceptional start to his NHL career with two consecutive seasons of exemplary point production for a young defenseman. The 2021 fourth-overall pick had a 47-point rookie season, after which he finished third in Calder Trophy voting and with a spot on the league’s All-Rookie team. Hughes scored 44 points in 71 games in his second year in the NHL, and looks every bit like a future star offensive defenseman.
His defensive contributions are not as highly regarded, but he did lead all Devils defensemen in time-on-ice per game as a rookie (21:28) indicating coaches do have some genuine level of trust in his play, even if he’s not a true shutdown force.
The combination of Hughes’ young age and his already very strong NHL resume naturally means he’s likely looking to secure a significant financial commitment on any long-term deal, especially given how the salary cap is set to rise in coming seasons.
While there has been no firm reporting that this is the case, it’s possible Hughes and his representation (Pat Brisson of CAA) are approaching these deals with a heightened level of caution because of the long-term deal Luke’s brother Jack Hughes signed with New Jersey after his own. In late 2021, Hughes signed an eight-year deal carrying an $8MM AAV, and for much of that contract Hughes’ on-ice value has certainly exceeded that cap hit. It would be entirely fair to speculate that the immense surplus value the Devils continue to receive from Jack Hughes’ contract has led the Hughes camp to more aggressively price future years on any Luke Hughes extension.
AFP Analytics currently projects Hughes’ worth on an eight-year contract extension to be $8.386MM AAV. Such a contract would make Hughes the second-highest-paid Devils defenseman behind Dougie Hamilton, and it’s worth noting that per PuckPedia’s tracking, the Devils do not at this stage project to have the cap space to fit in such a cap hit.
In any case, this is not an overly encouraging development for the Devils. While it’s certainly a positive that the disagreement appears to be narrowed down to contract value, rather than both term and value, it remains less than ideal for Hughes to be missing so much of the team’s training camp. The Devils are set to compete in what is likely to be a fiercely contested Metropolitan Division, and it’s possible this delay impedes Hughes’ ability to get off to a fast start – and that’s assuming he ends up signing a deal in the preseason.
If he misses any regular-season time, the overall impact of Hughes’ absence would obviously be all the more pronounced. While Hamilton’s presence means the Devils don’t need to rely on Hughes exclusively to bring offensive punch to their blueline, the Devils are most definitely a weaker team without him.
While there’s no indication at this point that this contract standoff is set to last until then, it is important to note that an RFA must sign a contract by 5pm EST on December 1st, 2025 in order to be eligible to compete in the 2025-26 NHL season.
It remains extremely unlikely that this situation extends that far, though. Hughes is one of the Devils’ most important players, he’s the brother of the face of their franchise, and he’s one of the NHL’s top young blueliners. With stakes this high, it’s difficult to imagine both sides not coming to some sort of agreement before Hughes misses too much game action.
Photos courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
West Injury Updates: White, Klingberg, Buium
San Jose Sharks forward Colin White is dealing with an upper-body injury that will sideline him on a week-to-week recovery timeline, reports Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest. It’s a tough blow for the 28-year-old center as he’ll miss an opportunity to compete in training camp and preseason games that could help him push for an NHL role. The 28-year-old 2015 first-round pick was a full-time NHLer from 2018-19, when he scored 41 points for the Ottawa Senators, through 2022-23. But persistent injury issues (White missed most of 2021-22 due to shoulder surgery) along with declining performance led to White losing his status as a full-time NHL player.
White played in 24 AHL games in 2023-24 and spent most of 2024-25 as an AHL player. He scored 25 points for the San Jose Barracuda and got into a total of three NHL games. Despite the fact that he played in his fewest NHL games of any season in the past half-decade as a Shark, White elected to re-sign in San Jose on a one-year, two-way contract carrying a $775K NHL salary, $425K AHL salary, and $475K guarantee. Now sidelined by this upper-body injury, White won’t be able to compete for a spot on the Sharks’ opening-night roster.
Some other injury updates from the Western Conference:
- Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky also issued an update on a second injured player, veteran blueliner John Klingberg. Klingberg is also dealing with an upper-body injury and is out on a day-to-day timeline. Warsofsky added that Klingberg’s injury isn’t related to the hip issues that cost Klingberg significant time over the last two years. After signing with the Edmonton Oilers and helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final, Klingberg signed a one-year, $4MM contract in San Jose with the expectation that he’d play in a top-four role. This injury appears to be a slight setback for him, but thankfully not one likely to impact his status for the start of the season.
- There had been some concern among fans in the Twin Cities when Minnesota Wild rookie Zeev Buium, considered by many to be a leading Calder Trophy contender, missed a third consecutive day of training camp due to injury. But Buium was a full participant at practice today and Wild coach John Hynes told reporters (including The Athletic’s Joe Smith) that Buium is progressing well and is likely to dress for the club’s preseason game on Thursday. That Buium appears to have avoided any major injury trouble is great news for the Wild, who are likely to rely on Buium quite a bit in his rookie campaign. The 19-year-old former University of Denver star is an elite puck distributor and could very well start the season quarterbacking a power play unit ahead of one of Brock Faber or Jared Spurgeon.
Panthers Release Daniel Walcott, Josh Lopina From PTOs
Sep. 23: The Panthers released Walcott and Lopina from their NHL PTOs today (via our training camp roster tracker). The club said they’ve been reassigned to AHL Charlotte’s camp. They remain without guaranteed contracts there, so they’re still positioning themselves for minor-league deals.
Sep. 12: The Florida Panthers remain active in the PTO market. Earlier this week, the Panthers added veterans Tyler Motte, Noah Gregor, and Ben Harpur on PTOs, and now, according to insider Frank Seravalli, they’ve added two additional players to the mix in advance of their training camp: forwards Daniel Walcott and Josh Lopina.
Walcott, 31, is without question the more experienced player of the two. The 31-year-old Quebec native is beloved in Syracuse, New York, as the all-time franchise leader in games played for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Walcott played his first full professional season in 2015-16 with the Crunch, and remained with the club through the 2024-25 season. Walcott wore a letter for the Crunch for the majority of that period, and was a valuable, versatile presence who set a career-high in offensive production with 13 goals and 32 points in the 2022-23 season.
It was the year prior, 2020-21, that Walcott played in the only NHL game of his career thus far. Walcott’s 2024-25 season was definitely a disappointment, as he only managed to register four goals and 12 points across 61 games played. It is likely that the steep decline in offensive production played a role in ending his time with the Crunch, but now with this PTO, he returns to Florida, at least temporarily, to compete for a full-time playing role within the Panthers organization.
At this stage, it looks highly unlikely that Walcott will be a legitimate contender for an NHL role with the Panthers, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions and possess one of the league’s most talent-rich rosters. But with a strong training camp and preseason, it is not out of the question that he earns a role with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, albeit it could be via an AHL contract offer, rather than on a deal where he’d occupy one of a club’s 50 contract slots.
Complicating Walcott’s likelihood of remaining in the AHL is the fact that he does not qualify as a veteran player as per the AHL’s veteran rule, which does play a role in roster construction. AHL teams have a cap on the number of veteran skaters they are permitted to dress for any given regular-season game. The rule has been cited as a reason why some veteran players, who might be qualified to remain in North America’s second-best league, often have trouble finding a job with an AHL club.
The Panthers’ other PTO signing of the day, Lopina, does not face the same problem as Walcott. He has 203 career AHL games played to his name, meaning, for the time being, he remains a “development player” per league rules. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2021 and has played the last three seasons as a member of their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The six-foot-two center had a career-high 14 goals in 2023-24, but could not build on that momentum in 2024-25, scoring just three times across 62 games.
Lopina was a stellar college hockey player at UMass Amherst, winning Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors in 2020-21 alongside an NCAA National Championship. But his near point-per-game offensive production has not translated in any real way from the NCAA to the pro ranks, and that is likely a large reason why the Ducks elected not to issue Lopina a qualifying offer a few months ago.
Now, Lopina gets a chance with another NHL organization, his first outside of the Ducks. Like Walcott, it’s unlikely Lopina will be able to win an NHL job, especially with Motte and Gregor also with the club on PTO’s. But it’s more realistic to imagine Lopina potentially seizing a role with the Checkers, especially, as mentioned, because he remains a “development player.” It will be up to him, though, to have as strong a camp and preseason as possible in order to put himself in a position to earn a spot in Charlotte.
Snapshots: Vasilevskiy, Geertsen, Walton
Tampa Bay Lightning star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy did not practice today, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina, an absence that marks a third consecutive day of practice missed. Head coach Jon Cooper told the media Saturday that Vasilevskiy’s absence was related to “player management,” adding that the Lightning will look to “manage” Vasilevskiy this season to keep him in the best possible shape. While there is no firm indication that Vasilevskiy is dealing with any injury, with each passing day Vasilevskiy misses his status becomes more of a storyline to watch in the NHL.
Encina specifically noted that this current absence “seems too much like” Vasilevskiy’s training camp absence two years ago, one that led to him missing two months due to lower back surgery. Although there is no further word on Vasilevskiy’s status than what Cooper has said, keeping Vasilevskiy in as strong shape as possible has to be one of the Lightning’s top priorities. The 31-year-old has long been one of the league’s elite netminders, and his .921 save percentage across 63 games last season was an exceptional bounce-back season after a 2023-24 campaign that was below the high standards of performance he’s set.
Other notes from around the NHL:
- Mason Geertsen is generating attention at Buffalo Sabres camp with his physical play, and it is becoming increasingly possible that the 30-year-old veteran finds his way back to an NHL roster in 2025-26. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn reported today that head coach Lindy Ruff “envisions [Geertsen] as the team’s enforcer,” and Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe wrote that Sabres fans should “expect” Geertsen “to rack up some fighting majors this season.” Geertsen is a 6’4″, 231-pound natural defenseman who is also capable of playing forward in a traditional enforcer’s role. He hasn’t played in the NHL since 2021-22, when he skated in 25 games for Ruff’s New Jersey Devils. He didn’t earn his first NHL point in that stint, but he did fight five times and rack up 77 penalty minutes. Geertsen has since played exclusively in the AHL, but with the Sabres potentially looking to up their physical edge heading into 2025-26, it appears Geertsen could be getting another chance to play in the NHL. Geertsen, who is repped by Quartexx’s Paul Capizzano, signed a two-year, two-way contract this summer that carries a $775K salary at the NHL level and a $425K AHL salary.
- Earlier this month, we covered news that Winnipeg Jets prospect Kieron Walton suffered an injury in the team’s rookie camp game against the Montreal Canadiens. Walton hasn’t skated since, but The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported today that Walton is “expected to skate soon.” Walton suffered a concussion against Montreal, but is slowly working his way back into full fitness to play. The 19-year-old is a 2024 sixth-round pick who was one of the breakout stars of the 2024-25 OHL season, scoring 92 points in 66 games. Even before his injury, Walton was not considered a likely candidate to win an NHL roster spot in Winnipeg at this time.