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Devils Discussing Extension With Jacob Markstrom

September 18, 2025 at 8:28 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

After being speculatively linked to New Jersey for a big portion of the 2023-24 season, goaltender Jacob Markstrom accepted a trade to the Devils last summer a little before the draft with a first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl going the other way.  The netminder is now entering the final year of his contract and speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated that there are talks about signing Markstrom to a contract extension.

The 35-year-old had a decent first season with the Devils in 2024-25.  While he dealt with a knee injury late in the year, he still got into 49 games where he posted a 2.50 GAA and a .900 SV% along with four shutouts.  While those aren’t elite numbers, they were still a fair bit better than the 3.12 GAA and a .896 SV% that New Jersey’s netminders played to the year before so it’s understandable that Fitzgerald would like to keep that stability in the fold a little longer.  Markstrom also stated a willingness to sign a new deal back in the spring after the team was eliminated in the first round.

Markstrom is set to make $6MM this season although the Devils are only responsible for $4.125MM of that with Calgary picking up the rest as part of the trade.  In order to keep him around, they’ll likely have to give him a raise on his current full salary, given the inflationary rate of salaries.

While he’s no longer in the tier of netminders that have pushed past the $8MM mark on their respective deals in recent seasons, there’s a case to make that Markstrom could split the difference and land somewhere in the $7MM territory.  That, coupled with the $1.8MM that Jake Allen will take home for the next half-decade, would allow them to have their goaltending tandem locked up at a reasonable combined rate.

The future of Nico Daws is in question now with Allen signed for so long, while their other prospects (Jakub Malek, Tyler Brennan, and Mikhail Yegorov) aren’t close to being NHL-ready (or even signed, in Yegorov’s case).  Accordingly, getting Markstrom signed for another two or three seasons would give them continued short-term competitiveness between the pipes while allowing them ample time to assess if any of their prospects have a viable NHL future.  This isn’t necessarily a pressing case, especially compared to unsigned defenseman Luke Hughes but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides work something out in the coming weeks.

New Jersey Devils Jacob Markstrom

4 comments

Injury Updates: Kraken, Holloway, Hayes, Woo

September 18, 2025 at 7:26 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

The Kraken announced (Twitter links) that defenseman Brandon Montour is set to miss the next two weeks after undergoing a procedure to remove a bursa on his ankle.  The 31-year-old fit in rather well in his first season with Seattle, notching a career-best 18 goals while his 41 points were the second-most he’d had in a single season.  The timeline suggests that he still should be available to start the season but he might not get into any preseason action.

Meanwhile, the team also provided injury updates on several other players.  Veteran forward Max McCormick is out indefinitely and won’t participate in training camp.  He wasn’t up with the Kraken last season so there won’t be a prorated cap charge while he sits on season-opening IR.  Also, winger Lleyton Roed is expected to miss the next two months with an upper-body injury while forward Nathan Villeneuve is out with a lower-body injury that is still pending evaluation.  Villeneuve isn’t able to play full-time in the minors this season so he will likely be returned to OHL Sudbury when he’s cleared to return.

Other injury notes from around the NHL:

  • Blues winger Dylan Holloway underwent abdominal surgery after sustaining an early in early April that kept him out for the stretch run and playoffs. However, team reporter Chris Pinkert relays that the 23-year-old was a full participant at practice today while Holloway indicated that the injury wound up healing quicker than originally anticipated, allowing him to get a good summer of training in.  It’s already a contract year for and after putting up 63 points in a breakout effort last season, Holloway appears to be in line for a significant raise on the $2.29MM he’ll be making this season.
  • Penguins center Kevin Hayes left practice early today after taking a hit from Ryan Graves. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays (Twitter link) that head coach Dan Muse didn’t have an immediate update after practice and that he’s still being evaluated.  The 33-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is coming off a relatively quiet year last season where he scored just 13 goals and 10 assists in 64 games, his first year with Pittsburgh.
  • Canucks defenseman Jett Woo underwent surgery to repair an upper-body injury this summer and is listed as out month-to-month, relays Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province. He played through the injury to help AHL Abbotsford win the Calder Cup back in the spring.  The 25-year-old had 18 points in 67 games in the minors last season but will be waiting a while to make his 2025-26 debut.

Injury| Pittsburgh Penguins| Seattle Kraken| St. Louis Blues| Vancouver Canucks Brandon Montour| Dylan Holloway| Jett Woo| Kevin Hayes| Lleyton Roed| Max McCormick| Nathan Villeneuve

2 comments

Latest On Ducks RFA Mason McTavish

September 18, 2025 at 6:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 15 Comments

There are only a handful of remaining restricted free agents around the NHL with training camps now underway.  One of those is Ducks center Mason McTavish, a player who there has been plenty of speculation about this offseason.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that discussions on a contract were last held on Monday.  From there, McTavish flew to Ottawa to skate with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s to try to stay in playing condition while waiting for a deal to be finalized.  LeBrun adds that the two sides are still apart on both term and money.

While it was speculated early on that Anaheim’s preference would be to sign the 22-year-old to a bridge deal as they did with Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale (both since traded) in the past, recent reporting suggests that GM Pat Verbeek’s preference is to get a long-term deal in place.  Eric Stephens of The Athletic adds (subscription link) that the desire to do a long-term agreement is mutual.

The price point of such a contract will be pricey.  McTavish is coming off his best statistical season so far, one that saw him collect 22 goals and 30 assists in 76 games while primarily anchoring the second line.  Meanwhile, his first two NHL campaigns saw him put up 43 and 42 points.  Given his progress and draft status (he went third overall in 2021), it’s clear that both sides think he still has another level or two to get to offensively.  In a long-term pact, Anaheim will be paying for that anticipated upside in the price tag.

Recent comparable long-term agreements across the NHL generally fall within the $7MM to $8MM range per season and there is often a premium paid for centers which only helps McTavish’s case.  That means going that route would likely push his price past that of teammate Troy Terry, who checks in at $7MM and is Anaheim’s highest-paid forward.  Terry has produced a higher point total than McTavish’s best in each of the last four seasons so it’s understandable that Verbeek might want to use Terry’s deal as an artificial ceiling.  However, in this escalating salary cap environment, accomplishing that would be tricky.

While there was some speculation that McTavish’s camp would try to solicit an offer sheet, none came through and at this stage of the offseason, it’s even less likely to now.  Considering that Anaheim has more than $20MM in cap space per PuckPedia, they would have easily been able to match, snuffing out any possible threat before it could even start.

Meanwhile, Verbeek told reporters today including Greg Beacham of the Associated Press that it’s “disappointing” that McTavish isn’t with the team to start camp.  With a new coaching staff headlined by Joel Quenneville in place, the young forward will have a lot of catching up to do.  That said, Verbeek also added that a lot of progress has been made over the summer before adding that “We’re closing in, I would say, but we’re not there yet.”

While Verbeek is no stranger to prolonged contract talks (something he has had with Zegras, Drysdale, and Terry, in particular), all of those deals were done by the start of the season.  We’ll find out over the next couple of weeks if that streak will continue when it comes to McTavish.

Anaheim Ducks Mason McTavish

15 comments

Anze Kopitar Announces Retirement Following 2025-26 Season

September 18, 2025 at 5:39 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 23 Comments

Kings franchise center Anze Kopitar will retire following the 2025-26 campaign, he said in a press conference Thursday. He confirms what he alluded to last month as he enters the final season of the two-year, $14MM extension he signed in 2023.

It’s a trying day for L.A. sports fans, who also saw MLB’s Dodgers announce future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 campaign. “This will be my last year in the NHL,” Kopitar said. “[My family has] been by my side for 20 years. They now deserve a husband and a dad. I want to get this announcement out of the way now, so it’s not a distraction. I don’t want the attention on me. The moves we made made us better. I can’t wait to start.”

Like his baseball counterpart, Kopitar was a first-round pick by his club and spent his entire career in Los Angeles. The 11th overall pick of the 2005 draft from Sweden’s Södertälje SK wasn’t only the first player from Slovenia to be drafted in the first round, he was the first to even make his NHL debut when he arrived in North America one year later. He hit the ground running in 2006-07, breaking camp with the Kings and immediately stepping in as their top-line center with 61 points in 72 games while seeing north of 20 minutes per game as a rookie. That wasn’t enough to make him a Calder Trophy nominee in a stacked class that included Evgeni Malkin, Paul Stastny, and Jordan Staal, though.

That marked the beginning of what will be a 20-year career, one of the most consistent of its kind. Kopitar continued to flirt with the point per game mark in his second year, making the All-Star Game after tallying 77 points in 82 appearances. He spent a few years struggling to carry the burden of a Kings club that was exiting a rebuild, but after he made the playoffs for the first time in 2010, he finished top 15 in Selke Trophy voting for eight consecutive seasons, cementing himself alongside Patrice Bergeron as the best two-way forward of the 2010s.

While the Kings have had some star power in their lengthy franchise history, Wayne Gretzky notwithstanding, it was Kopitar who first managed to bring the Stanley Cup to Hollywood. The Kings advanced to three straight Western Conference Finals from 2012-14 and ended up converting those into championships on the first and last occasion. During that three-year run, Kopitar’s 188 points in 211 regular-season games ranked 12th in the league, and his +60 rating ranked ninth. No one had more playoff points than Kopitar’s 55 in 64 games during that span.

L.A. had rewarded Kopitar nicely coming off his entry-level deal, giving him a seven-year, $47.6MM commitment following his sophomore season. Before that deal was due to expire in the summer of 2016, the Kings extended him on his big payday – an eight-year, $80MM contract that coincided with him assuming the captaincy from Dustin Brown. While the Kings’ team success dipped in the latter half of the 2010s, that contract saw Kopitar have his career year in 2017-18. He posted a 35-57–92 scoring line in 82 games, remarkably his only time over the point-per-game threshold, with a +21 rating to take home his second Selke Trophy and finishing third in MVP voting, his highest-ever finish for the Hart.

Even as Kopitar enters his age-38 season, he remains an effective top-six center. The slow signs of decline are there, though. His 21 goals and 67 points in 81 games last season tied for his lowest output since 2019, and his usage has ’dwindled’ to a few ticks under 19 minutes per game. He’s still one of the league’s best faceoff men, winning 57.2% of his draws last year, and has continued to rattle off four consecutive top-10 Selke finishes. One noticeable dropoff is his willingness to deliver and take contact. While never an overtly physical center, he recorded a career-low 31 hits in 2024-25. The tradeoff is durability – he’s only missed four games in the last eight seasons.

Those hoping for Kopitar to be a part of the Kings’ bench or front office next year will be disappointed. He’s planning on moving his family back to Slovenia after the season ends and isn’t leaving the door open to change his mind on retirement, he told Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period. Nonetheless, he’ll retire sitting right alongside Gretzky, Marcel Dionne, and Luc Robitaille as the most impactful players in franchise history, and he’s the only one to spend his entire career in California. His 1,278 career points rank second in franchise history behind Dionne’s 1,307, so he’ll end up as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer barring a highly disappointing sendoff campaign. With two Cups, two Selkes, and likely over 1,300 career points when all is said and done, he’s a virtual lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame when he’s eligible in the class of 2029.

Kopitar now looks to deliver at least a playoff series win in his final season, something the Kings haven’t accomplished since winning the Cup 11 years ago. He’ll do so as his successor as the club’s leading offensive producer, winger Adrian Kempe, is also a pending unrestricted free agent.

All of us at PHR congratulate Kopitar on a spectacular career.

Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images.

Los Angeles Kings| Newsstand| Retirement Anze Kopitar

23 comments

Hurricanes Trialing Logan Stankoven As Second-Line Center

September 18, 2025 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 6 Comments

Instability at the second-line center position has been a hallmark for the Hurricanes organization in recent years. After not adding a middleman via trade or free agency this offseason, they’re looking at some higher-ceiling internal solutions. That includes shifting forward Logan Stankoven from the wing over to center a second line between Jackson Blake and Andrei Svechnikov, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today (via Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer). Brind’Amour wouldn’t commit to Stankoven starting opening night down the middle, but said it was something they’ve discussed as far back as exit interviews last year.

Stankoven, 22, arrived in Carolina from the Stars as the centerpiece of the return for Mikko Rantanen at last year’s trade deadline. He had 14 goals and 38 points in 78 games last year – technically his rookie season after making 24 appearances for Dallas in 2023-24 – to finish seventh in Calder Trophy voting. He had a 5-4–9 scoring line in 19 games to close out the regular season for the Canes before posting a similar 5-3–8 line in 15 postseason appearances. He averaged north of 15 minutes per game in both the regular season and the playoffs.

The British Columbia native played center in juniors and has always been viewed as a high-potential offensive prospect, touted as a potential top-15 pick in his draft year. Yet concerns over his 5’8″, 165-lb frame led to him slipping to Dallas midway through the second round. He’ll never play the most physical brand, but he hasn’t shied away from contact entirely, recording 48 hits and 33 blocks last year.

His performance on faceoffs has been acceptable for a player still in the early stages of his career, having just over 100 games of experience. He’s averaged about two draws per game while playing mostly on the wing thus far, going 98-112 for a 46.7% win rate. That isn’t as much of a concern for the Canes as having someone in the 2C slot who can properly support Svechnikov and Blake offensively. While their first line is getting loaded up with UFA splash Nikolaj Ehlers flanking Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, getting Svechnikov going after a trying 2024-25 campaign is also a clear goal for Brind’Amour out of the gate. The 2018 No. 2 overall pick had his worst offensive showing since his rookie year last season, limited to 20 goals and 48 points in 72 games.

That’s partially because Svechnikov bounced between lines last year as Brind’Amour looked to keep him and Aho on separate units. A good idea in theory to give the Canes some more secondary scoring, that meant pairing him with checking center Jordan Staal or Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who’s only averaged 33 points per 82 games for his career. Understandably, his scoring dipped.

If Stankoven can’t gel with Svechnikov out of the gate, that would presumably make general manager Eric Tulsky aggressive in looking to patch that hole as soon as possible. Cap space won’t be an issue if they need to make a pickup – they still have north of $10MM in flexibility, per PuckPedia, along with four first-round picks in the next three drafts to leverage. But whether at center or wing, the organization is committed to Stankoven as a long-term fixture in their top nine. He inked an eight-year, $48MM extension this summer that kicks in for the 2026-27 campaign.

Carolina Hurricanes Logan Stankoven

6 comments

Oilers Targeting November Return For Zach Hyman

September 18, 2025 at 3:53 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 1 Comment

Top Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman will need just a bit longer to recover from the wrist fracture he sustained in the 2025 Western Conference Finals. In speaking with reporters ahead of training camp on Thursday, head coach Kris Knoblauch shared that Hyman’s goal will be to return by November 1st, per TSN’s Ryan Rishaug. That will set Hyman up to miss the first 12 games of the Oilers’ season. The high-scoring winger spoke more in-depth about his injury during an extended press conference this morning.

An extended absence is no way to start a season, especially for Hyman – who hasn’t played fewer than 73 games in a single season in any of his four years with the Edmonton Oilers. He has been a pillar of lineup consistency and averaged over 19:30 in ice time through 308 games with the Oilers. He’s averaged a lofty 38 goals per 82 games played with Edmonton, leaving the Oilers with a major hole to fill right out of the gate.

Who will step up will become the question to be answered at training camp. Top Oilers prospects Matthew Savoie and Ike Howard seem poised to break camp with the team, but their readiness to fill a top-line role has yet to be proven. Superstar centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could mitigate those concerns – and give the reigning Hobey Baker Award-winner, Howard, and the second-highest Bakersfield Condors scorer, Savoie, a chance to show their full potential.

If not one of their top prospects, Edmonton could also turn towards the veteran presence of a player like Andrew Mangiapane. Mangiapane is in his first season with the Oilers after spending last year racking up 28 points in 81 games with the Washington Capitals. He brings 498 games, and 243 points, worth of NHL experience – though has never filled a consistent top-line role.

Edmonton Oilers| Injury| NHL Zach Hyman

1 comment

Metro Notes: Devils, Ovechkin, Capitals, Hart, Foerster, Bonk

September 18, 2025 at 2:45 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

Before taking the ice for the first session of training camp, the New Jersey Devils shared several updates on absent players. Netminder Jacob Markström, defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, forward Stefan Noesen, and prospects Shane Lachance and Lenni Hämeenaho were all absent from today’s skate.

Fortunately, Markström’s absence isn’t linked to an injury, as the Devils announced he’s dealing with a family matter. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Noesen and Kovacevic. As expected, New Jersey stated that Kovacevic is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and that he’s out indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Noesen continues to deal with a nagging groin issue, which required a procedure this summer. However, unlike Kovacevic’s timeline, the Devils didn’t indicate how long Noesen would miss or his status for the start of the regular season. Lachance and Hämeenaho were injured in the team’s rookie camp, though they’re each expected to begin the year with the AHL Utica Comets, regardless of their health status.

Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Washington Capitals got a brief scare this morning when captain Alex Ovechkin left the team’s skate early, failing to return. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, as Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck shared an update from head coach Spencer Carbery saying that Ovechkin is dealing with a mild lower-body injury, and his recovery timeline is day-to-day.
  • Unfortunately, a few more members of the Capitals’ roster are dealing with mild injuries. Earlier today, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that defenseman Martin Fehérváry and Justin Sourdif are skating in non-contact jerseys for today’s skate. Still, El-Bashir, nor anyone within the Capitals organization, has indicated that the injuries will affect either of their regular-season availability.
  • If the Pittsburgh Penguins want prospect Joel Blomqvist to have more seasoning in the AHL, and Arturs Silovs doesn’t build on his excellent AHL campaign last year, the Penguins have little else behind Tristan Jarry, if he’s even capable of handling a majority of the workload. Regardless, they won’t be seeking outside help from a former top-prospect netminder who was recently allowed back into the NHL. Earlier today, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that Pittsburgh wouldn’t be one of the teams targeting Carter Hart over the next couple of weeks.
  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster continues his speedy recovery from elbow surgery. Providing an update in today’s media availability (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia), Foerster remains hopeful he could shed his non-contact jersey during training camp and is still expecting to be ready for the start of the regular season.
  • Another member of the Flyers is dealing with an injury, albeit a mild one. Philadelphia announced that defenseman Oliver Bonk is dealing with an upper-body injury, and he’ll miss the next few days. Bonk is entering his first year of professional hockey, likely with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, after spending the last three years with the OHL’s London Knights.

Injury| New Jersey Devils| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin| Carter Hart| Jacob Markstrom| Johnathan Kovacevic| Justin Sourdif| Lenni Hameenaho| Martin Fehervary| Oliver Bonk| Shane Lachance| Stefan Noesen| Tyson Foerster

3 comments

No Extension Talks Between Blackhawks, Connor Bedard

September 18, 2025 at 1:38 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 6 Comments

Although he hasn’t been mentioned in much of the extension buzz that dominated a quiet summer, Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and became extension eligible on July 1st. Still, Bedard and the Blackhawks don’t seem rushed to get anything figured out soon.

Speaking with Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, General Manager Kyle Davidson was quoted, saying, “It’s nothing we’re actively working on right now but Connor’s mentioned it and I’ll say it: I have zero concern about where that’s headed. He wants to be here for a long time, we want him here for a long time, we’re going to make that happen.”

Unlike his extension-eligible counterparts, since he’ll only experience the expiration of his entry-level deal, Bedard will become a restricted free agent next summer without arbitration rights. It is becoming more common for players with draft pedigrees similar to Bedard’s to sign long-term extensions when the opportunity arises.

In the three drafts preceding Bedard being selected first overall, each of the three before him has signed long-term extensions with their respective clubs. Jack Hughes kicked things off with an eight-year, $64MM extension with the New Jersey Devils, followed by Owen Power signing a seven-year, $58.45MM extension with the Buffalo Sabres, and finished with Juraj Slafkovsky signing an eight-year, $60.8MM extension with the Montreal Canadiens.

Although Chicago will have ample cap space to grant Bedard a long-term contract, projecting his hypothetical extension is quite challenging. Although he erased any injury concern from his rookie campaign, Bedard hasn’t necessarily taken the league by storm, as he was expected to when drafted.

Since debuting with the Blackhawks for the 2023-24 season, Bedard has scored 45 goals and 128 points in 150 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per game. For better or for worse, Bedard was strongly compared to Connor McDavid upon his entrance into the league. While also dealing with injury concerns during his rookie season, McDavid performed notably better in his first two years with the Edmonton Oilers, scoring 46 goals and 148 points in 127 contests.

Because of this, Bedard is unlikely to ink a similar deal to the eight-year, $100MM contract that McDavid signed upon expiration of his entry-level contract. It will likely be comparable to the recent extensions signed by Hughes, Power, and Slafkovsky, if Bedard and Chicago are leaning toward a long-term deal, with the added bump of the salary cap increase.

Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard

6 comments

Central Notes: Connor, Evangelista, Zuccarello, Neighbours, Molendyk, Reid

September 18, 2025 at 12:48 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

As expected from reports a few weeks ago, the Winnipeg Jets have begun extension negotiations with All-Star winger Kyle Connor. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much substantial progress made before the start of training camp.

Murat Ates of The Athletic shared a quote from General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, saying, “We’ve had great dialogue with KC’s representatives and we continue to have that. He’s obviously a big part.” A few moments later, Cheveldayoff added, “Every conversation, you’re hopeful that this is the one that closes it. But it’s not… I don’t know that it’s a timeframe sort of thing. You just keep on working at it.”

Regardless, Connor is poised for a major payday, from the Jets or elsewhere, on the heels of a career year and with the salary cap continuing to rise. Although he didn’t match his career-high in goals, he did in points, scoring 41 goals and 97 points in 82 games, averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per game.

Other notes from the Central Division:

  • Despite being the only member of the team without a new contract heading into training camp, there’s little chance forward Luke Evangelista is moving on from the Nashville Predators. Speaking with Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, General Manager Barry Trotz said that trading Evangelista is “not even a thought.” Over the last two years, playing full-time in Nashville, Evangelista scored 26 goals and 71 points in 148 contests.
  • In a vague report from Michael Russo of The Athletic, it doesn’t appear that veteran forward Mats Zuccarello will start the Minnesota Wild’s training camp on time. Without specifying the nature of the injury, there’s some concern in Minnesota that Zuccarello will miss some of the regular season due to the injury.
  • The St. Louis Blues announced that forward Jake Neighbours would miss the first three days of the team’s training camp due to a family matter. As expected, the team didn’t share any insights into the matter, though it doesn’t appear they expect Neighbours to miss much more time. The former first-round pick has become a quality secondary scorer for the Blues over the past few years, recording 49 goals and 84 points in 159 games.
  • Moving back to the injury train, Daugherty reported that Nashville prospects Tanner Molendyk and Cameron Reid are both out with lower-body injuries. Molendyk’s injury likely stems from being on the receiving end of a large hit during the team’s rookie camp, while Reid’s injury (likely longer term) was also suffered during rookie camp.

Injury| Minnesota Wild| Nashville Predators| St. Louis Blues| Winnipeg Jets Barry Trotz| Cameron Reid| Jake Neighbours| Kevin Cheve| Kyle Connor| Luke Evangelista| Mats Zuccarello| Tanner Molendyk

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Senators Notes: Jensen, Pinto, Eller

September 18, 2025 at 11:49 am CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

In mid-May, Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen went under the knife for hip surgery. Despite the most recent update indicating he was ahead of schedule in his recovery, that assurance now seems uncertain.

Sharing a quote from head coach Travis Green, Claire Hanna of TSN quoted the coach saying, “[I]t’s too early to tell if he’ll start the season.” Still, Green remained optimistic, adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s skating with the group in the next week, he’s progressing nicely.”

Fortunately, the Senators added quality depth on the right side of the blue line this offseason in their acquisition of Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings. Still, Ottawa may have to give significant minutes to Nikolas Matinpalo, something he hasn’t demonstrated the ability to handle in his limited NHL career, if Jensen isn’t ready to start the regular season.

Other Ottawa Senators notes:

  • The Senators will open camp without an extension in place with forward Shane Pinto. During yesterday’s media availability, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch relayed a note from General Manager Steve Staios saying the two sides have had positive dialogue, and there was no timeline to getting something worked out. Pinto is entering the final year of a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Senators, scoring 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games last year.
  • One of Ottawa’s free agent pickups this past summer won’t be able to start training camp on time. According to Garrioch, Lars Eller had a minor abdominal procedure, which will eat into a few day’s of his avilability during camp. Still, there’s no indication that the 36-year-old center will be out long-term due to the injury.

Injury| Ottawa Senators Lars Eller| Nick Jensen| Shane Pinto| Steve Staios| Travis Green

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