NHL Hockey Player News

Buffalo has signed Ryan McLeod to a four-year contract extension worth $5 million AAV ($20M total).

In his first season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, McLeod scored a career-high 53 points (20G / 33A) in 80 games. He returns to the Sabres on a four-year contract extension worth $5 million AAV. The 25-year-old McLeod will likely be relied upon for even more offensive production after the loss of JJ Peterka in the offseason.

Ryan McLeod
New York has signed Will Cuylle to a two-year, $7.8 million contract extension ($3,900,000 AAV).

Cuylle had a breakout 2024-25 season, emerging as one of the league's better power forwards, earning himself a two-year, $3.9 million AAV contract extension with the Rangers. The 23-year-old Cuylle had a career-high 45 points (20G / 25A) in 82 games last season while being amongst the league leaders with 301 hits.

Will Cuylle
San Jose has acquired Alex Nedeljkovic from Pittsburgh for a 2028 3rd round pick.

The Sharks are heading in a different direction between the pipes in the 2025-26 season, now with Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaroslav Askarov battling for the crease. The 29-year-old Nedeljkovic posted a subpar 3.12 GAA and .894 SV% in 38 appearances last season (14-15-5) on a Pittsburgh Penguins team that struggled defensively.

Alex Nedeljkovic
New Jersey has signed Evgenii Dadonov to a one-year, $1 million contract.

After spending most of the previous three seasons with the Dallas Stars, Dadonov has signed a one-year contract worth $1 million with the New Jersey Devils. The 36-year-old Dadonov was effective in a sheltered role with the Stars, averaging 13:39 time-on-ice and scoring 78 points (35G / 43A) in 154 combined games. He will likely play a similar bottom-six role for the Devils in 2025-26.

Evgenii Dadonov
Toronto has signed Travis Boyd to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Boyd is a veteran of 299 NHL games but only played three last season with the Minnesota Wild. Boyd returns to the Maple Leafs on a one-year, $775K contract after spending a portion of the 2020-21 season with them, scoring eight points (3G / 5A) in 20 games.

Travis Boyd
Toronto has signed Bo Groulx to a two-year, $1.625 million contract ($812,500 AAV).

Groulx was the 54th overall pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs after spending most of his career with the Ducks organization. The 25-year-old scored 37 points (15G / 22A) in 47 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Bo Groulx
Chicago has signed Dominic Toninato to a two-year, $1.7 million contract ($850,000 AAV).

Toninato played 77 games with the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021-22 season, scoring 14 points (7G / 7A), but only played 25 combined NHL games over the next three seasons. The 31-year-old scored 36 points (18G / 18A) in 60 games with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) last season and will hope for a more prominent NHL role in 2025-26 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Dominic Toninato
Columbus has signed Isac Lundestrom to a two-year contract worth $1.3 million AAV ($2.6M total).

Lundestrom was a first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 25-year-old forward spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and will have a change of scenery in 2025-26, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two-year contract worth $1.3 million. He has 84 points (35G / 49A) in 337 career games.

Isac Lundestrom
Utah has signed Vitek Vanecek to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Vanecek joined the Florida Panthers and the trade deadline last season and served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky during the run to a Stanley Cup Championship. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has battled consistency over the previous few seasons and will hope to emerge as a reliable option for the Utah Mammoth in 2025-25.

Vitek Vanecek
San Jose has signed Adam Gaudette to a two-year contract worth $2 million AAV ($4M total).

Gaudette played a career-high 81 games last season and scored a career-high 19 goals with the Ottawa Senators. The 28-year-old has split most of his career alternating between the AHL and NHL and will hope to continue a trend from last year, playing as an NHL regular in the 2025-26 season.

Adam Gaudette
Vegas has signed Jaycob Megna to a two-year, $1.6 million contract ($800,000 AAV).

Megna has played 193 career NHL games but spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL. The 32-year-old defenseman scored 16 points (2G / 14A) in 62 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL). He provides the Vegas Golden Knights with depth at the defence position after signing a two-year deal worth $800K AAV.

Jaycob Megna
The Ducks have signed Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract worth $7.0M AAV ($21.0M total).

The Dallas Stars were reportedly interested in bringing Granlund back after meshing with the team after joining before the trade deadline. However, the Stars were not able to match the $7 million AAV, three-year contract from the Anaheim Ducks. Granlund provides some depth at the center position after losing Trevor Zegras in a trade last week. The 33-year-old Granlund had 66 points (22G / 44A) in 80 games last season.

Mikael Granlund
The Lightning have signed Pontus Holmberg to a two-year deal worth $1.55M AAV ($3.1M total).

Holmberg was a sixth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 26-year-old had spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs organization, including scoring 49 points (19G / 30A) in 159 career games. He joins the Tampa Bay Lightning on a two-year deal worth $1.55 million AAV and will add some depth to their bottom-six forward group.

Pontus Holmberg

NHL Player News: Your Ultimate Source for Hockey Player News

At Daily Faceoff you can stay in the know regarding all 32 teams and their top players this season. From trades, to injuries, and everything in between, you can find all the latest NHL player news today here. Staying up to date with player news NHL can also give you a competitive edge in your fantasy hockey leagues, as well as your NHL bets.

Check out all the latest NHL updates below and learn more about the hottest updates in the hockey world today.

Who are the top NHL players to watch this season?

There’s never been more talent scattered across the NHL than there is this season. With living legends like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin still setting records left-and-right, alongside today’s current superstars such as Connor McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon, the level of talent in the NHL is at an all-time high. Along with these established stars, there’s plenty of budding stars emerging every season such as Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matvei Michkov.

What are the latest updates on NHL player suspensions or disciplinary actions?

Already this season we’ve seen the hammer brought down by the NHL Department of Player Safety. Notable suspensions and fines include Ryan Reaves of the Toronto Maple Leafs who was given a five-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against the Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot who was dealt a three-game suspension, also for an illegal hit to the head.

In the 2023-24 season, there were a total of 14 suspensions and 17 fines issued throughout the NHL. The longest suspension served was dealt to former-Detroit Red Wing David Perron at six-games after a cross-checking penalty dealt ironically against his current team in the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Senators. Additionally, Perron was fined $148,437.48 for his actions.

How are NHL player performances impacting fantasy hockey?

NHL player performances make a direct impact on the outcome of any fantasy hockey matchup. Staying up to date with the latest news and performances of your team’s players can be the difference between winning and losing.

Some notable fantasy hockey performers that flew under the radar in most drafts this year include Martin Necas (123 ADP) of the Carolina Hurricanes and Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks. While sleeper picks are always a great get, nothing is worse than a bust taken early on. Some of the most disappointing players of the fantasy hockey season includes Zach Hyman (28 ADP) of the Edmonton Oilers and Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars (33 ADP).

Whether you’re checking out how your current rostered players are performing or scouting for hidden gems on the waiver wire, the latest player news can help you make your next winning move this season.

Which NHL players are having breakout or comeback seasons?

Every season there are several players who have breakout years, establishing themselves as some of the best up-and-coming stars in the league. In the 2024-25 season early breakout candidates have emerged such as Dylan Strome of the Washington Capitals (on-pace for his first 100-point season) and Ivan Barbashev of the Vegas Golden Knights (on-pace for career-high in points).

Additionally, nothing beats a comeback story, and that can be said about surging veterans such as Anze Koipitar of the Los Angeles Kings, and Matt Duchene of the Dallas Stars.

How often is NHL player news updated?

Our player news is updated regularly throughout the season, bringing you fresh player updates every day throughout the calendar year. Providing our users with a one-stop destination for everything you need to know from across the NHL, our player news is the go-to spot for all the biggest stories in the hockey universe.

What types of information does NHL player news cover?

Our NHL news covers every aspect of the hockey season. From injuries to trades to rumours and even suspensions, we’ve got you covered through it all with credible and fast-updates all-season long.

Are there specific sources for reliable NHL player updates?

All of our sources come from credible and reputable areas. When you’re at Daily Faceoff, you can trust that we are never going to spoon-feed you fake news. You can trust you’re only reading legitimate news that matters.

How does NHL player news impact betting lines?

Player news has a massive impact on the latest hockey betting lines. From daily game lines and prop bets, to Stanley Cup futures bets, every trade, roster change, and injury can shake up the odds set by oddsmakers.

By staying informed on the latest NHL updates, you can become a better NHL bettor as you’ll have a winning edge thanks to our in-depth news coverage.

DFO’s Specialized News Categories

Get the most out of your hockey news with our in-depth coverage of the NHL with our comprehensive player news updates. Below we’ve compiled go-to destinations for player injuries, trades, signings, line combinations, and more!