NHL Player News

Joshua (abdomen) has been moved from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve, PuckPedia reports Wednesday.

Joshua was already considered week-to-week, and this move reinforces that he's going to be out for a while. More specifically, he will be forced to miss at least Toronto's first 10 games, and it's possible he will be on the shelf for longer than that. The 30-year-old had 10 goals, 18 points, 49 PIM and 195 hits in 55 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Karlsson signed a two-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Golden Knights on Wednesday, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Karlsson will play out the final season of his eight-year, $47.2 million contract before his new deal begins with the 2027-28 campaign. Although his upcoming $6.75 million cap hit is a somewhat modest increase in the context of the ballooning salary cap, it's also a reflection of his recent difficulties. He had four goals and seven points across just 14 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, and he finished the 2024-25 regular season with nine goals and 29 points in 53 outings. Karlsson is capable of serving in a top-six capacity, as evidenced by his 30 goals and 60 points in 70 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, but his injury history and inconsistent offensive production make him something of a risk.

Lizotte (upper body) has been activated off injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's opener versus Philadelphia.

Lizotte figures to slot into a fourth-line role now that his upper-body problem is behind him and will likely see time on the penalty kill, where he averaged 2:29 of ice time last season. The 28-year-old forward came one point shy of reaching the 20-point threshold in 2025-26, but he should be capable of pushing for that mark this time around, especially with two additional games.

Domi (back) was transferred from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve Wednesday, per PuckPedia.

There's no timetable for Domi's return after he had complications while undergoing surgery over the summer. The 31-year-old had 12 goals, 36 points and 95 PIM in 80 regular-season appearances with Toronto in 2025-26. Domi will likely serve in a middle-six capacity once he's ready to return.

Duchene (lower body) is doubtful to play Friday versus St. Louis, per Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News.

Duchene also dealt with the same injury during training camp, and he recently suffered a setback in his recovery. The Stars are planning to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen Friday due to the expectation that Duchene will miss the game. Kyle Capobianco, who might have otherwise been a healthy scratch, is now projected to play against the Blues.

Larkin (upper body) is considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's season opener versus the Rangers, Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News reports.

Larkin has reached the 30-goal mark in each of the previous five seasons and should be capable of hitting that threshold again in 2026-27, assuming he isn't sidelined for too long. Once given the all-clear, Larkin should reclaim his spot on the first line.

McQueen was reassigned to AHL San Diego on Wednesday.

McQueen had 11 goals and 27 points in 36 outings with Providence College as a freshman in 2025-26. He also had a goal and three points in seven AHL regular-season appearances with San Diego last year. Although it seems McQueen will begin the campaign in the minors, it wouldn't be surprising to see him get a chance to play with Anaheim later in the season.

Barzal (knee) might resume skating this weekend or early next week, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Wednesday.

Barzal isn't expected to need long to recover after he resumes skating. However, it's safe to say he won't play Wednesday in Toronto or Saturday against New Jersey. Barzal is likely to serve on the top line and first power-play unit once he's ready to return.

Eichel scored a goal on two shots and added two assists in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.

He set up Victor Olofsson on the power play in the first period, then scored a goal of his own in the second before feeding Mark Stone for an empty-netter in the third. Eichel's tally was the 700th point of his NHL career, coming in his 691st game. The star center was a hot starter in 2025-26 as well, opening last year with six goals and 10 assists over the first seven games before settling in at a more sustainable pace. Eichel is likely to be worth the early-round pick it cost his fantasy managers to acquire his services this year.

McDavid registered two assists in Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the Canucks.

McDavid helped out on the last two goals of Evan Bouchard's hat trick. The 29-year-old McDavid had multiple points in 46 games during the 2025-26 regular season, so fantasy managers can expect him to continue chipping in plenty of offense consistently. He's one of a handful of players with a real shot at averaging 1.5 points per game, and he should be a mainstay in all fantasy lineups.