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Injury Notes: Blackwood, Jensen, Garland, Aitcheson

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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

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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

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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

Alex Pietrangelo Remains Unlikely To Play In 2025-26

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09/24/2025: TSN’s Darren Dreger spoke on Pietrangelo’s comments on the network’s Insider Trading segment Tuesday and stated that the blueliner’s comments were met with “too much optimism.” Dreger said that those close to Pietrangelo noted how much effort it took for Pietrangelo to simply be able to play in games last season, a sentiment that echoes reporting surrounding fellow defenseman Shea Weber’s retirement from several years ago, which was also brought on by severe injury trouble.

Dreger said that Pietrangelo’s current recovery process is entirely focused on returning him to as much health as possible “lifestyle-wise” and that the defenseman definitely “is not playing this year.” So despite how things may have appeared based on Pietrangelo’s comments and the many reports that emerged yesterday, it does not seem at this stage that a return to the ice in 2025-26 is at all realistic.

09/23/2025: In June, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that star defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was dealing with significant injury issues, to the point that Pietrangelo himself stated that the “likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play” hockey again. But today, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported that Pietrangelo elected not to undergo surgery to repair his lingering hip issue and is instead continuing a rehab program that has thus far “given him positive results.”

Wyshynski added that despite his earlier statement, Pietrangelo would not rule out potentially returning to play. Pietrangelo said “Nothing is really concrete. I’m just going to continue to take it day-by-day and see where it goes,” which, while far from a confirmation that he’s looking to return to the ice, sounds considerably different from earlier this summer, when he appeared to rule out a return to play.

This past summer, it appeared Pietrangelo’s situation would be similar to that of recently-traded netminder Carey Price, whose knee issues forced a premature end to his playing career. Pietrangelo would not be the first NHL star to prioritize his long-term health over pushing for a return to the game, but today’s news indicates that he might be headed in a different direction than Price.

Should Pietrangelo ultimately recover enough to return to NHL action, it would be a major boost to the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup hopes. Although there’s no telling at this stage to what extent Pietrangelo’s playing abilities have been sapped by the injury, his return would nonetheless add a blueliner with an elite résumé back into the Vegas lineup. The 35-year-old has been a number-one defenseman on two Stanley Cup-winning teams, and he has finished a season top-five in Norris Trophy voting three times.

Pietrangelo has nearly 1,100 games of regular-season experience and has skated in 149 postseason contests. Even if his abilities are diminished compared to where they were when he was fully healthy, he’d still most likely be a highly valuable NHL contributor.

Financially, the picture becomes a little cloudier should Pietrangelo return. His $8.8MM cap hit would not, at this moment, fit into the team’s financial structure in a way that would allow them to remain cap compliant. And with the NHL now enforcing the salary cap in the postseason, the pathway for making a potential Pietrangelo return work on the team’s balance sheet is now all the more complex.

Today’s news isn’t Pietrangelo announcing a return to play, of course, it’s just him changing his tune slightly to leave the door open for a potential return. Accordingly, since his hypothetical return is far from imminent, at the very least Vegas’ hockey operations department will have ample time to figure out how to make it all fit.

But stepping away from the finer details of a potential Pietrangelo return, today’s news is undoubtedly a positive one for not just the Golden Knights, but hockey in general. Pietrangelo has been one of the most consistent, widely-respected figures of the game’s current era. To see him hang up his skates prematurely due to injury would be an unfortunate way to end the career of one of this generation’s finest defensemen.

Photos courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images

West Injury Updates: White, Klingberg, Buium

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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.

Ville Koivunen Expected To Make Penguins’ Roster

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Rookie winger Ville Koivunen “is a lock to start the season” on the Penguins’ opening night roster, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports Tuesday. The 2021 second-round pick was always a strong candidate to land a job after impressing in a short call-up down the stretch last season, but his waiver-exempt status made the roster math not in his favor with the Pens holding onto more veterans than expected over the summer.

Where exactly he fits on the depth chart is still in question. During last year’s eight-game call-up, during which the 22-year-old went nearly point-per-game with seven assists, he split time equally in Pittsburgh’s top six on the left wing with either Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust or Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. Daily Faceoff’s most recent lineup projection has him sticking with Malkin, but this time with free-agent pickup Anthony Mantha on the right flank while Rakell and Rust slot in as Crosby’s wingers.

His path to minutes got clearer when Rutger McGroarty, the organization’s top forward prospect and a 2022 first-rounder, reported to camp with an upper-body injury that has him out indefinitely. One of the Pens’ top young forwards was always likely going to get a crack in the top six to begin the season as the retool begins to accelerate; it was more a question of whether that would be Koivunen, McGroarty, or a wildcard name when the dust settled. More will be in competition for those premier minutes when names like Rakell and Rust are presumably offloaded in trades, but for now, it’ll be Koivunen coasting to those minutes with McGroarty not currently a factor.

Koivunen was the crown jewel of the Penguins’ haul they received from the Hurricanes in exchange for winger Jake Guentzel at the 2024 trade deadline. The 6’0″ Finn has developed like a dream since his draft year, peaking with an excellent 56-point showing in 59 games for Liiga’s Kärpät in the 2023-24 season. He came to North America last year and fit like a glove in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, leading the Pens’ farm team with a 21-35–56 scoring line in 63 games. He still slots in as their No. 2 prospect to McGroarty for now, at least according to NHL.com, but has a legitimate case to claim the No. 1 throne – or work his way out of “prospect” designation entirely this year.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/25

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We’re nearly through the first week of training camps. Teams are still making initial cuts, trimming amateur invites and AHL-contracted players as they inch closer to their final 23-player opening night rosters. You can keep track of full training camp rosters here. We’re keeping track of all of today’s trimmings here:

Calgary Flames (via team announcement)

F Jacob Battaglia (to Kingston, OHL)
D Axel Hurtig (to Calgary, WHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team announcement)

G Evan Gardner (to WHL Saskatoon)
F Owen Griffin (to OHL Oshawa)
D Marcus Kearsey (released from ATO to QMJHL Charlottetown)
F Nicholas Sima (released from ATO to OHL Saginaw)

Dallas Stars (via team release)

F Jaxon Fuder (to WHL Red Deer)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Shea Busch (to WHL Everett)
D Carson Cameron (released from ATO to OHL Peterborough)
D Dennis Cesana (to AHL Charlotte)
F Riley Hughes (to AHL Charlotte)
D Cole Krygier (released from PTO)
F Josh Lopina (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Robert Mastrosimone (to AHL Charlotte)
F Shamar Moses (to OHL North Bay)
D Eamon Powell (to AHL Charlotte)
G Michael Simpson (to AHL Charlotte)
F Christophe Tellier (to AHL Charlotte)
D Mitchell Vande Sompel (to AHL Charlotte)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Phip Waugh (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Nicholas Zabaneh (to AHL Charlotte)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team announcement)

F Travis Hayes (to OHL Soo)

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team announcement)

D Owen Conrad (to QMJHL Charlottetown)

Washington Capitals (via team announcement)

F Grant Cruikshank (to AHL Hershey)
G Seth Eisele (to AHL Hershey)
D Nick Leivermann (to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (to AHL Hershey)
F Justin Nachbaur (to AHL Hershey)
F Miroslav Satan (to OHL Saginaw)
F Maxim Schäfer (to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
F Dalton Smith (to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Toporowski (to AHL Hershey)

Martin Fehervary Trending Toward Playing In Preseason

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It’s looking highly likely that the Capitals will have defenseman Martin Fehervary available for their opening night lineup. Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters today, including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, that he’s an option to play preseason contests as soon as this week .

Fehervary has been present at camp but skating in a non-contact jersey as he deals with some inflammation in his knee, the final remnants from season-ending meniscus surgery he underwent back in April. The 25-year-old regular in the Caps’ top six group of defenders sustained the corresponding injury in Washington’s penultimate game of the regular season, keeping him sidelined for their playoff run that came to an end in the second round against the Hurricanes. After spending the vast majority of the regular season as either John Carlson or Matt Roy’s left-hand man in Washington’s top four, his absence meant a regular role for former first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev, who subsequently left for the Penguins in free agency.

His health is an important storyline for the Caps, who have one of the deepest everyday defense lineups in the league but are lacking an excess of organizational depth past their top six. Fehervary’s absence lingering would have meant Washington was one injury away from having to give veteran minor-league mainstays Dylan McIlrath or Calle Rosen regular minutes, or giving another chance to still-developing prospects like Vincent Iorio. The Caps did make a move this summer to give themselves a more capable two-way option to have in their press box with everyone healthy, picking up Declan Chisholm from the Wild via trade.

But with Fehervary in the mix, he won’t be much of a factor, at least to start. His presence gives the Caps one of the more well-rounded left sides in the league with Jakob Chychrun and Rasmus Sandin manning the other two pairs. As far as Fehervary’s value goes, the 2018 second-rounder has been a quietly rock-solid top-four piece for a few years now. He recorded a career-high 25 points and a +18 rating in 2024-25, averaging 19 minutes per game while logging 150 blocks and 139 hits to rank second and third on the team, respectively. He’s arguably Washington’s most physically involved defender and signed a seven-year, $42MM extension at the beginning of free agency.

Oilers Sign Vasily Podkolzin To Three-Year Extension

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The Oilers and Vasily Podkolzin will avoid restricted free agency next summer. The club announced it has signed him to a three-year extension carrying an AAV of $2.95MM for a total value of $8.85MM. The deal breaks down into a $1MM signing bonus and $1.95MM base salary each season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports.

Back in April of 2024, Podkolzin had agreed to a two-year, $2MM deal with the Canucks that looked to keep the former top-10 pick in Vancouver for another couple of years. He never played a game for the club on that contract, though. After the Oilers lost winger Dylan Holloway to an offer sheet four months later, they moved to recoup some forward depth and acquire Podkolzin from the ’Nucks in exchange for a fourth-round pick. That was a buy-low price for the 2019 draft choice, who had two years of term and four years of team control remaining. He was set to have arbitration rights next summer, but instead will walk to unrestricted free agency in 2029 with this extension.

In Edmonton, Podkolzin reestablished himself as an NHL regular after spending his final few seasons in Vancouver watching his playing time dwindle. He skated in all 82 games for the first time, supplying an 8-16–24 scoring line with a +1 rating while averaging a career-high 13:13 per game. He spent a good portion of the year up in the top six as a checking presence on Leon Draisaitl’s line, although he more routinely moved to bottom-six duties when the postseason rolled around. The 6’1″, 190-lb Russian led the club with 211 hits in the regular season and finished second among Edmonton forwards with 53 blocks.

Podkolzin, now 24, no longer has the offensive ceiling Vancouver hoped for when they selected him 10th overall six years ago. He’s nonetheless solidified himself as a reasonably valuable middle-six checking presence, although his point production still leaves much to be desired given how much time he saw along Draisaitl at even strength last year. He did score 14 goals in 79 games in his rookie campaign with Vancouver back in 2021-22, though. If he can rediscover that shooting touch, his nearly $3MM cap hit over the next few years should be more palatable as the cap continues to rise. If not, that’s a bit of a gamble the Oilers are taking on a type of talent that could be easily replaceable for a lower salary on the free agent market.

The Oilers now have nearly $62MM in salary commitments to just 12 players for their 2026-27 active roster. That leaves them with over $42MM in space to fill up to 11 jobs – a relatively reasonable target, but a number that will also drop quickly if they manage to extend franchise center Connor McDavid in the near future.

Stars Sign Jaxon Fuder To Entry-Level Deal

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The Stars have signed undrafted forward Jaxon Fuder to a three-year entry-level contract, the club announced. He had been in training camp as an amateur tryout invite. As part of the move, he’s also been formally cut from Dallas’ roster and loaned to WHL Red Deer.

Fuder, 19, was initially eligible for selection in the 2024 draft. At the time, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar. He spent his draft year in the junior ’A’ BCHL, recording 16 points in 31 games for the Cranbrook Bucks and Powell River Kings. Only last season did he make the jump to high-level junior hockey, slotting in as a top-nine presence with Red Deer and notching an 11-15–26 scoring line in 46 games.

Dallas has had their eyes on Fuder all summer long. He was also invited to their development camp in July. His performance there and in the Stars’ rookie camp games earlier this month – he scored twice in two games against the Red Wings’ prospect group – has been enough to land him a deal.

Since Fuder will still be 19 on September 15 of this year, his entry-level contract is eligible for one slide. Since he won’t hit 10 NHL games played in 2025-26, he’ll earn his initial signing bonus but nothing else, and the deal will slide to 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent following the 2028-29 season.

The Stars have three open contract slots. All of those will remain open because players subject to an entry-level slide do not count against the 50-contract limit.

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