Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Injury

Evening Notes: Chinakhov, Oilers, Golden Knights, Stevenson

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that Yegor Chinakhov has not been happy with his role of late. The tantalizing 24-year-old has been skating on the Jackets’ fourth line, with no attention on the power play either. When asked about the role, Chinakhov said, “No comment.” 

Portzline also mentioned Head Coach Dean Evason’s thoughts on the situation. The Jackets’ bench boss complimented the Russian forward’s play, but emphasized the team’s forward depth. 

The remark is interesting, considering that Chinakhov requested a trade over the summer, only to backtrack just 10 days ago, saying he had reached an understanding with Evason and was open to staying with the Blue Jackets. 

Columbus’ first-round choice in 2020 (21st overall), Chinakhov has flashed his high skill, lighting up the AHL in short stints, but has yet to put everything together in the NHL. The emergence of other forwards such as Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko has had Chinakhov on the outside looking in. It appears the former top prospect is at a crossroads that many have found themselves at: accepting a lesser role for the greater good to stick in the NHL, or finding a home elsewhere. 

Elsewhere across the league:

  • In Edmonton, Tony Brar of Oilers TV reported that Jake Walman, who has had rumblings of an extension lately, is day-to-day, but is expected to be ready for opening night. Vasily Podkolzin is expected to resume skating on Wednesday, after the tragic loss of his father.
  • SinBin.vegas noted that two Golden Knights, Pavel Dorofeyev and Jeremy Lauzon, are both progressing, per Head Coach Bruce Cassidy. They will remain sidelined tomorrow and are questionable for the Knights’ remaining preseason games. Dorofeyev was an 82-game player last year, breaking out with an eye-popping 35 goals, while Lauzon only notched 28 games in Nashville due to injury, before an offseason trade to Vegas.
  • Having been mentioned by Kevin Weekes last week, Elliotte Friedman echoed that the Capitals will likely lose goaltender Clay Stevenson on waivers, as reported by Russian Machine Never Breaks. The undrafted 26-year-old has yet to make a sizeable NHL impact (just one game played) but has caught the eye of many clubs, and could be the latest under-the-radar goaltender to burst onto the scene. Interestingly, Friedman noted the Rangers as a possible suitor, saying they pursued the Alberta native as a college free agent before the Capitals won out. Such a claim would especially be a blow to the marquee AHL franchise, the Hershey Bears. With Weekes pointing it out and Friedman following suit, Stevenson will be a name to watch closely.

Mammoth Notes: AHL Franchise, Peterka, Cooley, McBain

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports that Utah Mammoth owner Ryan Smith has discussed bringing an AHL team to Utah; however, it is likely years away. In the process, Smith said he and Smith Entertainment Group have considered the best locations in Utah for the franchise, and that somewhere “up north” stands out; perhaps Salt Lake City or St. George. 

With the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies (West Valley City) reaching 20 years in the state, the prospect of Utah continuing to grow the game with an additional professional team is an exciting concept. Hypothetically, they would join an exclusive club (California, New York, and Pennsylvania) as the only states to hold a team in all three of the top North American hockey leagues. 

Such news may raise a few eyebrows of those within the Tucson Roadrunners, the Mammoth’s current AHL affiliate, but only time will tell what the future may hold. 

AHL or not, Smith has his eyes on growing the game in Utah, akin to markets such as Dallas, Nashville, and Vegas, which have become youth hockey hotbeds after the NHL came to town. Bagley added that Smith’s offer to help build more rinks in Utah has been well received, as he says he has heard from 20 different communities that have shown interest. 

Finally, Bagley provided injury updates for the club as they wind up for their second season. Key offseason acquisition JJ Peterka returned to the ice today, per Bagley, having missed Saturday’s practice. The 23-year-old looks to build off a 68-point campaign in Buffalo last year and star for the Mammoth. 

Logan Cooley and Jack McBain remain sidelined, Head Coach Andre Tourigny told Bagley. Neither is expected out long term, but they will not play tomorrow vs the Kings.

Goalie Notes: Dostal, Vasilevskiy, Hellebuyck

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that young starting netminder Lukáš Dostál will be day-to-day with a lower-body injury. 

The 25-year-old is a major key for the Ducks this season, fresh off signing a five-year contract in July. Having made additional offseason moves that affirm the team is pushing for a step forward, much will ride on Dostál and his ability to fill the void left by stalwart John Gibson, who was finally dealt over the summer. Anaheim has steadily developed the talented goaltender, with a workload that has gradually increased year by year. 

Now, with Gibson moving on, Dostal is the undisputed #1, with a fellow Czech, veteran Petr Mrázek in waiting. The Ducks have another notable former Red Wing in their goaltender room as well, in Ville Husso. Yet the 30-year-old, who once flashed serious potential, is likely set to hold things down for AHL San Diego, barring any setbacks from Dostál. 

Additional goaltender notes:

Metro Notes: Miller, Ovechkin, Milano

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

A concerning story emerged out of New York today, as J.T. Miller left practice after an apparent leg injury. The new Rangers captain was seen lunging after a loose puck and came up favoring his leg, in a video posted by Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic.

Fortunately, Peter Baugh of The Athletic updated this evening that Miller is expected to be fine, a few days missed at worst. The 32-year-old will be relied on heavily in his second stint with the Rangers, as they seek a big turnaround this season, as outlined earlier today.

Meanwhile, the Capitals had a pair of key updates on their forward core today. Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post confirmed Alex Ovechkin has been fully cleared for contact and was a regular participant in practice. Head coach Spencer Carbery told Johnson that the legend had no setbacks and looked the part. 

Carbery does not expect Ovechkin to appear in tomorrow’s preseason tilt against the Blue Jackets, but he could do so in the last two tune-up games for the Capitals. 

Johnson also noted that Sonny Milano is sidelined with an upper-body injury, which is unrelated to the ailment that cost Milano almost the entirety of last season. It is unfortunate timing for the 29-year-old former top prospect as he looks to return to the Capitals lineup, having carved a role as a solid contributor in the last few seasons.

Buffalo Sabres Injury Updates

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With 10 days remaining until their opening game of the 2025-26 season, the Buffalo Sabres are dealing with injuries on multiple fronts of their roster. Earlier today, the Sabres provided updates on several injured players, including Bowen Byram, Mattias Samuelsson, Jiri Kulich, Jordan Greenway, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Fortunately, aside from Samuelsson, it doesn’t appear that any player is expected to miss opening night, though there is some cause for concern. Byram, who the team shares is dealing with an undisclosed injury, is expected to practice with the team tomorrow. However, he’ll miss their preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Luukkonen, who is the de facto top netminder in Buffalo, has only recently returned to practice after suffering a lower-body injury toward the end of his offseason training. The Sabres expect Luukkonen to play in Buffalo’s contests on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and there’s no doubt in the organization that he’ll play opening night. It will be an important year for Luukkonen’s trajectory, as he followed up a promising 2023-24 campaign with a disappointing effort last season.

Kulich (undisclosed) and Greenway (middle body) are expected to return to practice either this week or next, though the latter has yet to practice with the team at all this preseason. Although Greenway, who signed a two-year, $8MM extension with the Sabres last season, may be healthy enough to play on opening night, Buffalo may wait a week or two to allow him time to ramp up after missing several weeks already.

Unfortunately, Samuelsson, who has dealt with injury concerns every season of his professional career, may not start the season on time due to an upper-body injury suffered last week. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said that Samuelsson is expected to miss multiple weeks, which would take his recovery timeline beyond Buffalo’s opening night contest on October 9th. The update is becoming a theme with Samuelsson, who played in a career-high 62 games last season. He has five years and $21.43MM remaining on his contract.

Flyers’ Tyson Foerster To Make Preseason Debut

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that top winger Tyson Foerster is set to make his preseason debut in Monday’s matchup against the Boston Bruins. This will mark a full recovery from an elbow injury and infection that required Foerster to undergo surgery over the summer. He sustained the injury while playing for Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship.

Foerster was originally feared to be set for a long-term absence when he sustained his infection in July. Instead, he’ll hit his target of reaching full health before the start of the regular season. Foerster told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic that, while trainers may be watching him closely, he’ll be “full go” from here on out.

Those are encouraging words the Flyers, who will be getting one of their top offensive drivers back with this news. Foerster posted career-highs across the board in his second NHL season last year – notching 25 goals, 43 points, and 49 penalty minutes in 81 games last season. His goal totals ranked second on the team, behind rookie Matvei Michkov’s 26 goals. That’s impressive standing for the 23-year-old winger, and should set him up to only continue growing as Philadelphia’s team-wide offense continues to improve.

The Flyers reeled in flashy playmaker Trevor Zegras with an offseason trade. They also have emerging rookie Nikita Grebenkin, Alex Bump, and Jett Luchanko all vying for NHL minutes. While there may not be enough spots to go around, that list of additions will speak to the growing support Foerster will receive. Philadelphia seems ready to lean into the sentiment of strong depth this season – with Foerster lining up next to his usual linemates, Noah Cates and Bobby Brink, in his return on Monday. Should that line stick, the Flyers will be able to roll scoring threats Michkov, Foerster, and Travis Konecny – their top-three goal-scorers last season- on three separate lines to start the year.

Red Wings’ Nate Danielson Out Indefinitely Among Injury Updates

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The race for an NHL roster spot has been cut short for one of the Detroit Red Wings’ top prospects. Centerman Nate Danielson sustained an injury during the team’s Saturday preseason loss to the Buffalo Sabres, head coach Todd McLellan relayed to Ansar Khan of Michigan Live. No specifics were provided on Danielson’s injury or timeline to return. McLellan also shared that defenseman Simon Edvinsson will continue to sit out of the next two preseason games, but is expected to be at full health for opening night. Edvinsson has missed the majority of training camp with a lower-body injury.

This news will come as a major blow for Danielson, who was making the Red Wings’ decisions tougher with his camp performances. He had averaged just over 11 minutes of ice time through three preseason games and was one of only seven Red Wings to score a goal. Now, the 2023 ninth-overall selection will be sidelined in a move that’s sure to default him to the AHL when he’s back to full health. Danielson played through his first professional season with the Grand Rapids Griffins last season. He emerged as one of the club’s top three centers by the end of the year, and notched a commendable 12 goals and 39 points in 71 games. Danielson was highly regarded through a four-year career in the WHL, where his shifty playmaking earned him 217 points in 199 career games. He’s expected to be main pillar in Detroit’s new era, but will need to overcome this new injury before he can solidify that standing with a strong sophomore season.

The Red Wings’ lineup will get some relief with positive news on Edvinsson’s recovery. He was a core piece of Detroit’s blue-line last season, averaging over 21 minutes of ice time through 78 games in his first full NHL season. Edvinsson made good work of the minutes, notching 31 points – second-most among Red Wings’ defenders behind Moritz Seider’s 46 points. He’ll be in line for a premier role again this season, and could close the gap in scoring with Seider, assuming Edvinsson remains in line to take the ice on opening night.

Morning Notes: Noesen, Koppanen, Malott, Quenneville

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils will have to wait a little while longer to see winger Stefan Noesen in action. Head coach Sheldon Keefe relayed that Noesen is continuing to progress in his return from a groin injury, but will need the entire preseason before he’s back to full health, to James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Noesen first sustained the injury last season, then re-aggravated it over the summer. That forced the 32-year-old to receive surgery, which he appears to still be recovering from.

The Devils will be adding a high-impact player back to the fold when Noesen returns to full health. He scored a career-high 22 goals and 41 points in 78 games last season, while rotating between New Jersey’s second and third lines. He was an important glue piece all year long, though played through this groin injury for much of the year. He’s paying for that with a delayed start to the season this year. In the meantime, New Jersey has elevated Dawson Mercer to Noesen’s vacant role next to Timo Meier and Nico Hischier at training camp.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins depth forward Joona Koppanen will be out of action for the short-term. He has been designated as out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Koopanen played more NHL games last season than in any prior year – appearing in 11 games and scoring one goal with the Penguins. The rest of his year was spent in a hardy role with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he scored 23 points in 56 games. He doesn’t appear to be headed for an NHL role out of camp, but will be looking to vindicate his spot on the call-up sheet when he comes back from injury.
  • Little-known names break into the Los Angeles Kings roster seemingly every year. This season, it could be forward Jeff Malott who earns the honor this season, per Austin Stanovich of Mayor’s Manor. Malott was a core piece of the AHL’s Ontario Reign last season. He finished the year third on the team in scoring, with 51 points in 61 games. He also led the team with 80 penalty minutes. That mix of high-motor offense, and imposing physicality, could be a sneaky addition to a Kings lineup that elevated the feisty Alex Laferriere to a 42-point season last year.
  • Former New Jersey Devils centerman John Quenneville has opted to pursue a coaching season this year. He has joined the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)’s Binghamton Black Bears, per a team release. Quenneville spent the last four seasons on tours around European pro leagues. He spent two seasons in the Switzerland National League, one season in Sweden’s SHL, and one season in Finland’s Liiga. He averaged about 0.5 points-per-game in every league. Should this turn to coaching mark the end of his career, Quenneville will move on from playing with five points in 42 NHL games and 158 points in 215 AHL games.

Kaapo Kakko Out Six Weeks With Broken Hand

at CDT | by 1 Comment

It has been a busy day for the Kraken today.  After making 21 cuts from their training camp roster earlier today, they will now be without a key forward when the regular season gets underway.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to miss the next six weeks due to a broken hand.

Kakko was acquired midseason from the Rangers last season in exchange for defenseman William Borgen, plus 2025 third and sixth-round picks.  The move worked for New York as they quickly locked up Borgen to a long-term deal while it also worked quite well for the Kraken.

Before the swap, Kakko had just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games but the change of scenery helped him rediscover his offensive form.  He picked up 10 goals and 20 helpers in 49 games with Seattle while his playing time went up by nearly four minutes per game to a little over 17 minutes a night as he became a regular in their top six.  He also had a pair of assists in two games in this month’s preseason action.

In the 2024 offseason, Kakko looked like a possible non-tender candidate before effectively accepting his $2.4MM qualifying offer before it was even officially tendered.  But the way he finished up with Seattle gave him much more leverage heading into an arbitration-eligible summer and he was able to ink a three-year, $13.575MM pact that gives him some security and the Kraken two extra years of club control.

It’s a tough blow for the 24-year-old as that second-half positive momentum is now on hold since he’ll miss at least the first month of the season.  While Seattle shouldn’t need to put him on LTIR given that they have plenty of cap flexibility at the moment, Kakko will be eligible to go on there if necessary as he’ll miss at least 10 games and 24 days.  From there, he’ll hope to pick up where he left off as Seattle will be counting on him to be a top-six piece for them upon his return.

East Notes: KeyBank Center, Ovechkin, McLaughlin, Dorwart

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Buffalo Sabres are staying in their current home for a few more years. As part of its agreement with Erie County, the Sabres have declined an opt-out clause in their lease at the KeyBank Center and have extended the deal for another five years, according to a team announcement.

The KeyBank Center has been home to the Sabres since 1996, although it has been known as Marine Midland Arena, HSBC Arena, and First Niagara Center during that time. Once the lease concludes after the 2030-31 NHL season, it will have served as Buffalo’s home arena for 35 years, which is on the shorter side compared to the typical NHL stadium’s lifespan.

If the Sabres’ ownership decides to build a new arena for the 2031-32 NHL season, it likely won’t be very far from the KeyBank Center. As cited in the team’s announcement, a third-party consulting firm conducted a study, revealing that the arena had an economic impact of $694.2 million in 2023, generating tax revenue of $48.6 million.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • For more than a week, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been struggling with a lower-body injury, which has limited his participation in the team’s practices and preseason games. Fortunately, Ovechkin continues to take positive steps back to action, as Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck reported that Ovechkin is participating in the team’s practice this morning, albeit in a non-contact jersey. There are no concerns for Ovechkin’s availability for Washington’s first game on October 8th.
  • The New Jersey Devils have lost a potential depth forward for the rest of training camp. Earlier this morning, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News passed along a note from Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, saying that Marc McLaughlin has sustained a significant injury. In the report, Keefe said, “There’s a definite injury there that will require him to miss some time. [..] He is not going to be available for the remainder of this camp, for sure.“
  • In another injury update from the Metropolitan Division, a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier in training camp. According to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, forward Karsen Dorwart is taking part in on-ice activity before the team’s practice. Despite playing in a handful of games for the Flyers last season, the Michigan State University alumnus will have a difficult time cracking Philadelphia’s opening night roster after missing so much time.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top