NHL Player News

Casey (lower body) moved to injured reserve Monday.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe conveyed Friday that Casey won't skate in the near future, so the 21-year-old defenseman shouldn't be expected to play during the early portion of the 2025-26 campaign. Casey flashed some potential in limited action last year, generating four goals, eight points and a plus-3 rating over 14 regular-season appearances.

MacDonald was designated for non-roster, injured reserve Monday.

MacDonald had hip surgery in September and is expected to miss 5-6 months. The blueliner racked up 31 goals and 24 assists in 63 games with AHL Colorado last season. However, given the timing and severity of his injury, he's unlikely to make an impact in the NHL this season and can be ignored in fantasy leagues.

Kovacevic (knee) was put on non-roster injured reserve Monday.

The Devils ruled Kovacevic out indefinitely as of Sept. 18 while he works his way back from offseason knee injury. The 2017 third-round pick accounted for one goal, 16 assists, 102 hits and a plus-10 rating over a career-high 81 regular-season contests in 2024-25. Simon Nemec is expected to receive an uptick in playing time while Kovacevic is on the shelf.

Power (strain) landed on injured reserve Monday.

Power is in danger of missing the regular-season opener Thursday against the Rangers, though it's unclear exactly how long he'll be sidelined for. Michael Kesselring (undisclosed) was also placed on injured reserve Monday, so Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram will likely log heavy minutes during the early portion of the campaign. Power hit the 40-point mark for the first time in his career (seven goals, 33 helpers) in 2024-25, so he should be a key player for the Sabres when healthy this year.

Moser will serve a two-game suspension for boarding, the Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

Moser joins teammate Scott Sabourin, who was hit with a four-game ban for his actions in Saturday's preseason contest, on the NHL's suspended list to open the season. With Moser unavailable, Emil Lilleberg and Max Crozier figure to be in the lineup, while Declan Carlile could be recalled from AHL Syracuse. In 54 regular-season games last year, the 25-year-old Moser notched two goals on 48 shots, 12 assists and 34 hits while averaging 18:51 of ice time.

Kesselring (undisclosed) will start the 2025-26 season on injured reserve.

Kesselring had already been ruled out for Opening Night against the Rangers on Thursday, and he'll now start the season on IR. The right-shot blueliner was deemed week-to-week by head coach Lindy Ruff on Friday. Jacob Bryson could see consistent ice time on the third pairing until Kesselring is ready to return.

Ahcan, who was waived by Colorado on Friday, remains on the NHL roster ahead of Tuesday's clash with the Kings, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.

Ahcan will avoid being immediately demoted to AHL Colorado for the start of the season while the newly acquired Ilya Solovyov resolves his visa issues. Once that gets cleared up, fantasy managers can expect Ahcan to be reassigned to the minors, where he will likely play the bulk of his games this season.

Solovyov was designated as a non-roster player by the Avalanche on Monday.

Solovyov was claimed off waivers by Colorado from Calgary on Friday and is likely still figuring out his visa. With that situation unresolved, the Avs will keep Jack Ahcan on the roster ahead of Tuesday's season opener versus the Kings. Once eligible to play, Solovyov should at least challenge Sam Malinski or Josh Manson for a spot on the blue line.

Legault was assigned to AHL Chicago on Monday.

Despite a strong training camp, Legault will begin the season with the Wolves, where he served as one of the team's defensive anchors last year. With a mix of both size and offensive upside, he'll be one to watch early as he's likely just an injury or two away from getting a chance with the big club.

Goldsmith was placed on non-roster injured reserve Monday with an undisclosed injury.

Goldsmith wasn't going to make the team coming out of training camp anyway, so his injury will have little impact on his fantasy value. Once given the all-clear, the 20-year-old blueliner is expected to report to WHL Tri-City for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.