NHL Player News

Nyquist (undisclosed) has been joining Columbus' informal skates as he looks to find a new club, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports Thursday.

Nyquist scored just one goal in 51 regular-season contests last year, his lowest total since his rookie year. Still, given his extensive NHL experience, it seems likely the 37-year-old will find somewhere to land, though he may have to settle for a two-way contract or serve as a healthy scratch periodically.

Huberdeau (hip) will miss the start of the 2026-27 season, Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM reports Thursday.

General manager Craig Conroy didn't offer a specific timeline for when Huberdeau would be ready to get back into the lineup. As such, fantasy managers will likely need to take a wait-and-see approach, monitoring the winger's status during training camp. If Huberdeau can avoid missing too much time, he should still be capable of reaching the 50-point threshold this year.

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.

Honzek (upper body) is healthy ahead of training camp, Chris Wahl of the Flames' official site reports Wednesday.

Honzek spent half of his offseason in Calgary as he finished up his recovery. He's not guaranteed a roster spot, but the 21-year-old winger was establishing himself as a regular last season before the injury cut his campaign short in November. Honzek is likely to begin the campaign in a bottom-six role, but a strong showing could help him quickly move up in the lineup.

Severson (shoulder) is projected to be ready for the start of the regular season, but he isn't expected to participate in exhibition games, Mark Scheig on The Hockey Writers reports Wednesday.

While Severson is "ready to roll," according to general manager Don Waddell, the plan is to take a cautious approach with the 32-year-old defenseman. Severson had eight goals, 32 points, 45 PIM, 39 hits and 86 blocks in 71 regular-season appearances with Columbus in 2025-26. He didn't play past March 26 and underwent shoulder surgery April 2.

The Ducks placed Kreider on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Kreider has expressed an interest in playing closer to the East Coast, and he'll be free to seek out other opportunities as an unrestricted free agent if he passes through waivers. Kreider was traded to the Ducks from the Rangers in June of 2025, and he recorded 22 goals, 28 assists, 69 hits, 34 PIM and 20 blocked shots across 75 regular-season appearances with Anaheim last year.

DeBrincat has indicated that he hopes to remain in Detroit past the 2026-27 campaign, Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports Wednesday.

Although teammate Dylan Larkin requested a trade earlier in the offseason, DeBrincat has expressed interest in a long-term extension. The 28-year-old DeBrincat said that he expects contract negotiations to begin after the Red Wings hire a new general manager. DeBrincat hasn't missed a regular-season game in the past five years. He had one of the best performances of his career during the 2025-26 campaign, recording 41 goals, 44 assists, 39 blocked shots, 38 hits and 19 PIM.

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.