-
Alex Barre-Boulet C | SJ
Sharks' Alex Barre-Boulet: Starts season on shelf
Barre-Boulet (undisclosed) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on injured reserve, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.
After the Sharks stated that Barre-Boulet was day-to-day for an undisclosed injury Wednesday, the issue has been deemed to warrant a stint on IR. The 29-year-old forward was efficient with AHL Colorado in 2025-26, where he posted 26 goals and 70 points across 70 regular-season games. While he's expected to play primarily with AHL San Jose in 2026-27, the six-year veteran could play a couple of stints at the NHL level if the team's center depth experiences any injuries.
-
Connor Bedard C | CHI
Blackhawks' Connor Bedard: Starting on injured non-roster list
Bedard (shoulder) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list.
Bedard continues to recover from a shoulder procedure he underwent in early July. The expectation for the 21-year-old superstar is for him to rejoin the team sometime in November, barring any setbacks. When he's ready to return, he expected to lead the team offensively after posting 30 goals and 75 points across 69 regular-season games in 2025-26. He holds one of the highest ceilings across the NHL, and while he might not reach the 100-point mark in the upcoming campaign, he could post the necessary pace to reach that number across a full season upon his return. He should be placed on IR in all fantasy leagues that have a spot for it, otherwise he's a worthy bench stash until he's healthy.
-
Shane Pinto C | OTT
Senators' Shane Pinto: Back at practice
Pinto (undisclosed) participated in Monday's practice, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.
Pinto should be available for Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday. He produced 23 goals, 46 points, 157 shots on net and 94 hits in 72 appearances for the Senators during the 2025-26 regular season.
-
Steven Lorentz C | CLB
Blue Jackets' Steven Lorentz: Dealt to Blue Jackets
Lorentz, alongside Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies and a second-round pick, was traded to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
After the Maple Leafs placed Lorentz on waivers Thursday, the veteran center will be given a change of scenery in the Blue Jackets' organization. The 30-year-old forward played his role well in the 2025-26 campaign, where he compiled seven goals, 18 points, 70 shots on net, 154 hits and 48 blocked shots across 71 regular-season appearances. There's still a chance that he could begin the season in the minors, but Lorentz could slot into the fourth-line center role for Columbus due to his proven grit compared to Luca Del Bel Belluz, who is more of a skill-based center. If the Jackets deem that Del Bel Belluz needs another year to develop in the minors, Lorentz would likely be the one who claims the last center spot, giving him a major boost to his fantasy outlook for the 2026-27 campaign.
-
Jonathan Huberdeau C | CGY
Flames' Jonathan Huberdeau: Lands on IR
Huberdeau (hip) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM.
Huberdeau missed the final 26 games of the 2025-26 regular season. He won't be available at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign, and it's unclear when he will be available to return.
-
Denver Barkey C | PHI
Flyers' Denver Barkey: Moves to IR
Barkey (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.
Barkey is eligible to be activated whenever he is healthy, but he will likely miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign. He generated five goals, 17 points, 43 shots on net and 43 hits in 43 regular-season appearances for Philadelphia in 2025-26.
-
Yanni Gourde C | TB
Lightning's Yanni Gourde: Lands on non-roster list
Gourde (hip) was placed on the injured non-roster list Monday.
Gourde won't be available to play until at least December after having offseason hip surgery. He contributed 19 assists, 28 points, 114 shots on net, 115 hits and 66 PIM in 82 regular-season games with Tampa Bay in 2025-26.
-
Dominic James C | TB
Lightning's Dominic James: Placed on non-roster injured reserve
The Lightning placed James (hand) on non-roster injured reserve Monday.
James entered training camp with a broken hand and was expected to miss the first two weeks of the regular season, so his move to non-roster injured reserve isn't surprising. Conor Geekie and Scott Sabourin are candidates to see increased time in the lineup early in the year while James is sidelined.
-
Benjamin Rautiainen C | TB
Lightning's Benjamin Rautiainen: Loaned to Finnish club
Rautiainen was loaned to Tappara of Finland's Liiga on Monday, Diandra Loux of The Hockey News reports.
Rautiainen notched 25 goals and 77 points in 59 games for Tappara during the 2025-26 regular season. He has already scored one goal in one appearance with the club this campaign.
-
Blake Lizotte C | PIT
Penguins' Blake Lizotte: Upgraded to day-to-day
Lizotte (upper body) was labeled day-to-day ahead of Opening Night against the Flyers on Wednesday, Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official site reports.
Lizotte could still be activated in time to face Philadelphia, considering his designation for IR was retroactive to Sept. 19. Getting the 28-year-old forward back would be a huge win for the Penguins, as there are several forwards that have been deemed week-to-week, including Bryan Rust (upper body) and Ben Kindel (lower body).