NHL Player News

Matthews (knee) has been on the ice for informal skates ahead of training camp and "looks amazing," according to teammate Chris Tanev, Mark Masters of TSN reports Thursday.

Matthews had surgery back in March to repair an MCL injury and looks poised to resume his place on the first line for the Maple Leafs. In his 60 regular-season games last year, the 28-year-old center notched 27 goals and 26 assists, including 12 power-play points. If he can stay healthy, Matthews should be in the mix for the Rocket Trophy at the end of the year.

Robidas signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Robidas has spent most of the past two campaigns playing for AHL Chicago, while appearing in only four NHL games during that span. He logged 23 goals, 37 assists and 14 PIM across 58 regular-season appearances in the minors last year. He will likely spend most of 2026-27 in the AHL, assuming he clears waivers.

Brind'Amour signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Hurricanes on Wednesday.

Brind'Amour has appeared in six regular-season games with the Hurricanes across the past two years, recording a goal, six hits, four PIM and a blocked shot while averaging 15:32 of ice time per game. He generated 16 goals, 18 assists and 36 PIM across 68 regular-season appearances with AHL Chicago in 2025-26. He'll likely spend most of the 2026-27 campaign in the minors.

Fantilli is still a restricted free agent, but general manager Don Waddell is confident that a deal will be reached before training camp, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports Wednesday.

Fantilli is coming off his entry-level contract. The 21-year-old had 24 goals and 59 points in 82 regular-season outings in 2025-26, which marked his second straight campaign with over 20 goals and 50 points. It seems fair to believe he's due for a big payday, especially after Leo Carlsson -- who signed a five-year, $90 million contract after supplying 29 goals and 67 points in 70 regular-season appearances with Anaheim last year -- redefined what promising young forwards can expect. Fantilli was taken with the No. 3 overall pick and has the potential to take a meaningful step forward offensively in 2026-27.

Bedard's recovery from shoulder surgery is going as planned, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports Tuesday.

Bedard is expected to be on the ice but limited at this point. It's unclear how much he'll be participating in activities at training camp -- he will be restricted by his ongoing recovery, which is set to have him sidelined into November. At this point, the Blackhawks aren't sure if he is ahead of schedule, so fantasy managers taking Bedard should still expect him to be out for at least a month, if not longer. More information should be available once team activities begin in earnest in the second half of September.

Jost signed a professional tryout agreement with Nashville on Tuesday, according to PuckPedia.

Jost produced eight goals, 16 points, 95 shots on net, 31 blocked shots and 67 hits across 69 regular-season appearances with the Predators in 2025-26. If he secures a standard contract for the 2026-27 campaign, he will probably occupy a depth role.

Minten agreed to terms on a seven-year, $50.4 million contract extension with Boston on Tuesday.

Minten put together a solid 2025-26 campaign in which he racked up 17 goals and 18 assists in 82 regular-season contests. It was the 22-year-old center's first full NHL campaign, but it seems the Bruins aren't too concerned about it being a one-off year. If Minten can secure more opportunities with the man advantage, he should be capable of pushing those career-best numbers even higher in 2026-27.

Dea has announced his retirement from professional hockey, according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports on Monday.

Dea played in the KHL and DEL for the last three seasons. His last year in the NHL was during the 2022-23 campaign, when he was with the Coyotes. The 32-year-old put up five goals and seven points over 37 career regular-season NHL games.

Wright is fully focused on the Kraken after his trade request didn't lead to a change of scenery this offseason, Josh Frojelin of Emerald City Spectrum reports Friday.

Wright's agent, Kurt Overhardt, told Frojelin that the center is fully committed to Seattle and that is where his focus is heading into the season. That doesn't necessarily rule out a trade in the future. Wright's development with the Kraken has been slow, and he's unlikely to begin the year higher than the third line. The Kraken will wait for a fair price, so this situation appears set to linger into the season, though the team may try to showcase Wright in a larger role to boost his value early in the campaign.

Eriksson Ek (heel) has skated hard recently and is healthy ahead of training camp, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Friday.

Eriksson Ek missed the Wild's final five postseason games due to a heel injury, but he's back with the team ahead of training camp. Eriksson Ek appeared in 70 regular-season matchups last year, recording 19 goals, 32 assists, 106 hits, 34 blocked shots and 32 PIM while averaging 19:05 of ice time.