NHL Player News

Strome (upper body) was designated for injured reserve Thursday, per the NHL media site.

Strome has already been ruled out for the Ducks' first two games of the year, so it shouldn't be a shock to see him placed on injured reserve. The 32-year-old center has logged exactly 41 points in each of his previous three seasons, making that a fairly good bet as to where he might end up in 2025-26, assuming his injury doesn't linger too long.

Hayton (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Thursday's game in Colorado, Brogan Houston of Deseret News Sports reports.

Hayton will miss Opening Night, and the Mammoth will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Hayton had the best offensive year in his NHL career in 2024-25, tallying 20 goals for the first time while adding 26 assists in 82 regular-season games. He could return as early as Saturday when Utah travels to Nashville.

Head coach John Hynes said Thursday that Sturm (back) is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.

Sturm returned to the ice for Friday's preseason finale against Chicago after dealing with a back issue during training camp, but he apparently aggravated his injury, as he was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Hynes said Wednesday that Sturm was expected to miss "significant time," and the team expects the 30-year-old to undergo back surgery that will sideline him for over a month. Hunter Haight will make his NHL debut during Thursday's Opening Night matchup against St. Louis and should have a chance to make an impact in Sturm's absence.

Kapanen scored a shorthanded goal on two shots and added three hits in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs.

Kapanen was limited to two assists in 18 regular-season appearances with the Canadiens in 2024-25. The 22-year-old was able to put away his first goal on a shorthanded rush Wednesday, cashing in at 5:39 of the first period. The 22-year-old won a job in training camp and is playing in a third-line role to begin the campaign, though he could ultimately move around the lineup. Fantasy managers will want to keep an eye on Kapanen's adjustment to the NHL ranks, as he displayed talent with 35 points in 36 outings with Timra of the SHL last season.

Lorentz provided a pair of assists, six hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canadiens.

Lorentz was active in the season opener, generating a full stat line in 12:09 of ice time. He's likely to be a fixture on the fourth line for the Maple Leafs this year after signing a three-year extension on the eve of free agency. Lorentz has never reached the 20-point mark in his career, but he offers plenty of hits and solid defensive play.

Jarnkrok scored a goal in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canadiens.

Jarnkrok has already matched his goal total from 2024-25, though last year was an injury-riddled campaign for the Swede. He's been a proven middle-six forward in the past, but he won't be asked to do that much early in 2025-26, as he opened the season on the fourth line. For now, Jarnkrok will look to stay healthy and play well enough to keep top prospect Easton Cowan in the press box.

McMann scored a goal and added four hits in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canadiens.

McMann could have more fantasy appeal this season if he sticks on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander, who both assisted on his goal one minute into the game. The 29-year-old McMann had promising stretches last year that correlated with his promotion into a top-six role, allowing him to finish the regular season with 20 goals and 34 points in 74 outings. He also shot 11.8 percent -- while a little high overall, it was a lower rate than in 2023-24, when he shot 12.7 percent over 56 games. McMann could push for something closer to the 40-45 point range while still adding plenty of hits and a few PIM in 2025-26.

Matthews scored an empty-net goal and blocked three shots in Wednesday's 5-2 win over the Canadiens.

Matthews' first goal of the season wasn't anything special, but fantasy managers won't mind the early contribution. His line with Matthew Knies and Matias Maccelli was a factor on two of the Maple Leafs' goals. Matthews may need some time to adjust to the post-Mitch Marner era, but he's still one of the elite scorers in the game. Bet on talent -- his 33-goal output in the 2024-25 regular season was a career low for a player who has six campaigns of at least 40 tallies.

Toews (undisclosed) will be in the lineup for Thursday's season opener against the Stars, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Toews will not only be making his Winnipeg debut, but he will be playing in an NHL game for the first time since 2022-23, when he was with the Blackhawks. In that final season with Chicago, the center notched 15 goals and 16 helpers in 53 regular-season tilts, including 12 power-play points. If he can produce at that level in 2025-26, his one-year deal with the Jets will be considered a success.

Gustafsson was placed on waivers by the Jets on Thursday, Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press reports.

Gustafsson made 36 regular-season appearances for the Jets last year, recording two goals, four assists, 19 hits and 18 blocked shots while averaging 8:59 of ice time. However, he'll land on waivers ahead of Thursday's Opening Night matchup against the Stars since Jonathan Toews (undisclosed) is slated to be activated by the Jets.