NHL Player News

Samuelsson (upper body) is expected to be in the lineup for Thursday's clash with the Rangers, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

In addition to Samuelsson, the Sabres are also planning to have Owen Power (strain) in the lineup, though he'll need to be activated off IR first. For his part, the 25-year-old Samuelsson will be hoping he can avoid any more injuries, something he's been unable to do so far in his career. In the last four seasons, Samuelsson has played in over 60 contests just once and has never logged 70 games in a year.

Head coach Lindy Ruff said Wednesday that Power (strain) should be available for Thursday's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Power was placed on injured reserve Monday due to a minor strain, but it doesn't appear as though he'll be forced to miss time to begin the regular season. The 22-year-old made 79 regular-season appearances last year, racking up seven goals, 33 assists, 109 blocked shots, 26 hits and 16 PIM while averaging 21:19 of ice time.

Kleven (undisclosed) hasn't been ruled out for Ottawa's season opener against Tampa Bay on Thursday, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports Wednesday.

Kleven was put on injured reserve Monday due to an injury he sustained Sept. 21, so it's a little surprising that he might still play Opening Night. Donovan Sebrango is likely to get into the lineup if Kleven can't play. The 23-year-old Kleven had four goals, 10 points, 27 PIM, 105 hits and 97 blocks in 79 regular-season outings with Ottawa in 2024-25.

Ekholm secured a three-year, $12 million contract extension with Edmonton on Wednesday.

Ekholm will take a slight cut in his AAV when his extension kicks in next season, as he is currently earning $6.25 million against the cap in 2025-26. It seems the leadership of captain Connor McDavid, who also signed an extension well below market value, is rubbing off on the rest of the squad. Injuries limited Ekholm to just 65 games last year, but he still managed to generate nine goals and 24 helpers, including seven power-play points.

Shea recorded an assist, three blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Rangers.

Shea ended 2024-25 in a top-four role, and that's where he started 2025-26 as well, logging 22:31 of ice time in the season opener. The 28-year-old had just five points in 39 outings last year, so he shouldn't be considered a significant scoring threat on the blue line. Shea should still be able to maintain a sizable role as long as he takes care of business in his own zone, but he offers minimal fantasy appeal since he doesn't stand out in any one area.

Makar registered two assists, including one on the power play, and two PIM in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kings.

Makar set up the Avalanche's last two goals of the game, scored by Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas. The 26-year-old Makar wasn't able to find twine himself Tuesday, but he did so 30 times last year while adding 62 assists over 80 regular-season games. The reigning Norris Trophy winner offers elite offense from the back end and will look to keep his scoring pace high in 2025-26 as he tries for a third straight 90-point campaign.

Malinski scored a goal in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Kings.

Malinski skated in his 100th career game Tuesday, all of which have come with the Avalanche. The 27-year-old defenseman is facing a new challenge this season, playing on his off side as a right-shot blueliner on the left. He'll eventually be challenged by Ilya Solovyov for playing time once Solovyov's visa situation is resolved. Malinski had just 13:13 of ice time Tuesday and may be sheltered for a while as he adjusts to his new role. He had 15 points in 76 regular-season outings in 2024-25.

Thompson was labeled day-to-day due to a lower-body injury, Max Miller of NHL.com reports Tuesday.

The Sharks previously placed Thompson on non-roster, injured reserve without clarifying that the blueliner was dealing with a lower-body injury. With the Ontario native deemed day-to-day, he could still suit up in Thursday's season opener against the Golden Knights.

Walman (undisclosed) is not expected to be available for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Flames, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports.

Walman recently suffered a setback while recovering from an undisclosed injury, but his timeline is a bit unclear at this point. The 29-year-old inked a seven-year, $49 million contract Monday, so he'll be a major player on the blue line once he's back in the fold. Alec Regula is poised to play on the second pairing alongside Darnell Nurse on Wednesday as a result of Walman's expected absence.

Joseph (undisclosed) was moved to injured reserve Tuesday.

Joseph is retroactive to Sept. 30, meaning he can be activated whenever he is ready to return. Still, it's unclear when he will receive clearance to play. The Canucks recalled Victor Mancini from AHL Abbotsford on Tuesday to replace Joseph on the roster.