NHL Player News

Head coach John Hynes said Wednesday that he expects Sturm (back) to miss significant time, Sarah McLellan of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Sturm missed most of training camp due to a back injury but was able to suit up in Friday's preseason finale against Chicago. However, he landed on injured reserve to begin the regular season and is apparently facing a lengthy early-season absence. It's not yet clear when he'll be in the mix to return to action, but he'll likely take on a bottom-six role once he's healthy.

Bjugstad (illness) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, per Lou Korac of NHL.com.

Bjugstad should be fine for the Blues' season opener against Minnesota on Thursday after missing Tuesday's practice. He had eight goals and 19 points in 66 regular-season outings with Utah in 2024-25. The 33-year-old will likely center the fourth line versus the Wild.

Ritchie (lower body) has resumed skating on his own, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Wednesday.

Ritchie suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday's preseason game against the Flyers and is on the non-roster injured list to begin the regular season. He initially carried a return timetable of 1-2 weeks after sustaining his injury, and he'll likely report to AHL Bridgeport once he's healthy.

Lizotte scored an empty-net goal on four shots in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

The Penguins were working on thin margins for most of the game, but Lizotte's goal stretched the lead to 3-0 just 20 seconds after Justin Brazeau potted an empty-netter. While it's a positive sign Lizotte started the year with a goal, he's unlikely to be a regular contributor on offense while in a fourth-line role. He had 11 goals and nine assists over 59 appearances in 2024-25, and that was with a career-high 21.6 shooting percentage, so expect a little regression this season. Lizotte could also be at risk of losing his place in the lineup altogether when Kevin Hayes (upper body) or Bryan Rust (lower body) return from injured reserve.

MacKinnon supplied two assists, two shots on goal, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kings.

MacKinnon's first helper, on a Martin Necas goal in the second period, set a team record for the most points by any player since the Avalanche relocated from Quebec. MacKinnon also helped out on an Artturi Lehkonen goal later in the frame. The 30-year-old MacKinnon is up to 1,017 points in 871 regular-season appearances and continues to be one of the most effective players in the NHL. He has exceeded the 100-point mark in three straight seasons and is off to a great start for 2025-26.

Verhaeghe scored a goal Tuesday in a 3-2 win over Chicago.

Verhaeghe gave Florida a 2-1 lead at 14:08 of the first period while on the power play. He wired the puck over Spencer Knight's right shoulder, who was scrambling to get in position after wandering out to play the puck. Verhaeghe delivered just 53 regular-season points last year after two straight 70-plus campaigns. However, he's also one of just six active NHLers to win three Stanley Cups. With the team missing key forwards because of injuries, Verhaeghe will be one of the players looked to for extra offense. That's a great opportunity for managers who got him a few rounds lower than expected based on last year's output.

Necas scored twice on three shots, added two hits and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kings.

Necas opened the scoring 48 seconds into the second period off a feed from Nathan MacKinnon before adding a power-play tally in the third. It's a hot start to the year for Necas, who is in a contract year and could be poised for massive production while skating with MacKinnon. In the 2024-25 regular season, Necas had a career-best 83 points over 79 games between Carolina and Colorado -- it wouldn't be surprising if he puts up similar numbers this year.

Teravainen had a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Panthers.

The line of Teravainen, Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi accounted for all of the Hawks' scoring Tuesday, with each man delivering a two-point effort. Teravainen has put up at least 53 points in six of his last eight regular seasons, with injuries curtailing his scoring in the other two. He's 31 years old, but Teravainen will provide solid veteran scoring on a young and upcoming squad.

Nazar had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to Florida on Tuesday.

Nazar, 21, is the sixth Blackhawks player age 21 or younger to put up a multi-point effort in a season-opening game in the past 40 years. The young pivot is poised for a breakout year. Nazar is coming off a 12-goal, 14-assist, 91-shot season in 2024-25 (53 games).

Malkin delivered two assists in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Malkin set up both of Justin Brazeau's goals -- a perfect backhander in the first period and an empty-netter in the final frame with 2:12 left in the game. Malkin might be past his prime, but the veteran center remains a productive player even if he's no longer the elite forward he was during his prime years. Malkin recorded 16 goals and 34 assists across 68 regular-season contests in 2024-25.