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NHL Hockey Player News

The Oilers have signed Theodor Lennstrom to a one-year, entry-level contract.

Lennstrom was an undrafted free agent out of Sweden. The 25-year-old defenseman picked up three goals and 12 assists (15 points) in 31 games with Frolunda HC of the Swedish Elite League. Lennstrom is likely headed to Bakersfield (AHL) for the 2021 campaign.

Theodor Lennstrom
The Red Wings signed Mathias Brome to a one-year, entry-level contract.

Brome was an undrafted free agent from Sweden, who was sixth in the SHL in scoring in 2020, posting 43 points (17G / 26A) in 52 games with Orebro HK. Brome will make the trip to North America for the 2021 season and could be an immediate contributor in the Red Wings top-9.

Mathias Brome
The Oilers have signed Gaetan Haas to a one-year contract extension worth $915K.

Haas was an undrafted free agent from Switzerland, who came to North America for the 2019-20 campaign. The 28-year-old spent most of the season in the NHL, where he had five goals and five assists (10 points) in 58 games with the Oilers. He's projected to be a part of Edmonton's bottom-6 in 2021 after signing a one-year extension on Tuesday.

Gaetan Haas
The Coyotes have signed Matias Maccelli to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Coyotes selected Maccelli in the fourth-round of the 2019 draft. The 19-year-old winger finished his first season in the Finnish Elite League with 13 goals and 17 assists (30 points) in 43 games with Ilves Tampere. While representing Finland in the World Juniors, Maccelli had two goals and three assists (five points) in seven games.

Matias Maccelli
The Blue Jackets have signed Elvis Merzlikins to a two-year contract extension worth $8.0 million ($4.0M AAV).

Merzlikins exploded onto the scene in his first year in North America, going 13-9-8 with a 2.35 GAA, .923 SV% and five shutouts. Merzlikins went on an eight-game winning streak from mid-January to mid-February and was hurt right before the season paused. This signing comes less than a week after Columbus signed Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year, $5.6 million extension ($2.8M AAV), so they've got their young goaltending duo tied up for the next two seasons at a $6.9M AAV cap-hit.

Elvis Merzlikins
The Golden Knights have signed Nicolas Roy to a two-year contract extension worth $1.5 million ($750K AAV).

After being acquired from t he Hurricanes as a part of the Erik Haula trade, Roy split the 2020 campaign between the NHL and AHL. With the Golden Knights, he had 10 points (5G / 5A) in 28 games while scoring seven goals with 15 assists (22 points) in 27 games. Signing a two-year contract means he's signed through 2022 and will still be an RFA at the end of the deal.

Nicolas Roy
The Canadiens signed Vasili Demchenko to a one-year, $700K contract.

Demchenko was an undrafted free agent goalie out of the KHL, who 9-17-3 with a .908 SV% in 36 games between Chelyabinsk Traktor and Magnitogorsk Metallurg. With Carey Price, Charlie Lindgren and Cayden Primeau all already under contract, Demchenko will likely start in a time-share in Laval (AHL) in 2021.

Vasili Demchenko
The Kings have signed Jacob Ingham to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Kings selected Ingham in the sixth-round in the 2018 draft and the 19-year-old netminder finished the 2019-20 campaign with a stellar 33-8-5 record with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). His 33 wins paced the OHL while his .917 SV% was third-best and 2.96 GAA ranked fifth.

Jacob Ingham
The Lightning re-signed Daniel Walcott to a one-year, two-way contract.

Walcott was picked by the Rangers in fifth-round in 2014 but was traded to the Lightning for a seventh-round pick in 2015. Since then, Walcott has appeared in 239 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) and set new career-highs in goals (7) and points (19) while playing in 55 games in 2019-20.

Daniel Walcott
The Blue Jackets have signed Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract extension worth $5.6 million ($2.8M AAV).

Korpisalo was set to become a restricted free agent this offseason but got a two-year extension on Friday. Korpisalo will make $2.2 million in 2021 and $3.4 million in 2022, which would be the first season of his UFA years. In the first year without Sergei Bobrovsky, Korpisalo went 19-12-5 with a 2.60 GAA and .911 SV% in 37 games (35 starts) while splitting the crease primarily with Elvis Merzlikins. Throughout his five-year career, Korpisalo has gone 60-43-14 with a 2.80 GAA And .908 SV%.

Joonas Korpisalo
The Blues have signed Mackenzie MacEachern to a two-year extension worth $1.8 million ($900K AAV).

After splitting the 2018-19 campaign between the NHL and AHL, MacEachern spent the entire 2019-20 season (until it was paused) with the Blues, scoring seven goals with three assists (10 points) in 50 games. The 26-year-old, former third-round pick now has 10 goals and five assists (15 points) in 79 career NHL games and will now be a fixture in St. Louis' bottom-6 for at least the next few seasons.

MacKenzie MacEachern
Andrei Markov announced his retirement from professional hockey on Thursday.

Markov hangs up his skates after an illustrious career in Montreal and Russia. Markov had 572 points (119G / 453A) in 990 career regular-season games with the Canadiens and played three more years in the KHL after finishing his NHL career. He had eight goals and 46 assists (54 points) in his final 127 KHL games. He retires with a World Championships gold and bronze medals, World Juniors silver and bronze medals and a KHL Gagarin Cup Championship.

Andrei Markov
The Jets and Dustin Byfuglien have mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Byuglien did not receive any money from the Jets as part of agreeing to resolve his grievance and terminate his contract. He walked away from $14 million due to him over this season and next according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. The earliest Byfuglien can join an NHL team is the 2020-21 season. Byfuglien finishes his Jets career with 363 points (102G / 261A) in 528 regular season games.

Dustin Byfuglien
The Blues have signed Marco Scandella to a four-year contract extension worth 13.1 million ($3.275M AAV).

Scandella was acquired from the Canadiens in mid-February for a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2021--the condition was if St. Louis re-signed Scandella, so it's officially a 2020 second and a 2021 fourth round pick for the 30-year-old blueliner. After joining the Blues, Scandella picked up one assist, 15 hits and seven blocked shots while playing 20:18 ATOI in 11 games. When the season was paused, he had nine points (3G / 6A) in 31 games in 2019-20.

Marco Scandella
The Blues signed Sammy Blais to a two-year contract extension worth $3.0 million ($1.5M AAV).

After splitting time between the NHL and AHL in the last two years, Blais was a full-time NHLer in 2019-20. He missed some time due to right wrist surgery in November but produced 13 points (6G / 7A) in the 40 games he appeared in before the league was paused. Blais was a physical force when in the lineup, leading the Blues with 155 hits (3.9 Hits/GP).

Sammy Blais
The Predators have signed Alexandre Carrier to a three-year contract extension worth $2.2 million (733K AAV).

Carrier, who was selected in the fourth round back in 2015, spent most of his fourth professional season in Milwaukee (AHL), amassing 37 points (5G / 32A) in 55 games, which was tied for seventh-best among AHL blueliners. He also appeared in three games with the Predators but failed to get on the scoresheet. With Dan Hamhuis, Korbinian Holzer and Yannick Weber all set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, there is a path for Carrier to be a full-time third-pairing defenseman in Nashville next season.

Alexandre Carrier

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!