Stempniak underwent an MRI last week, but the Hurricanes have not released a statement regarding his injury status. The veteran winger’s status for the season opener remains up in the air, but his injury opens the door for this summer’s No.12 overall pick (Martin Necas) to start the season in the NHL.
This is an unfortunate injury for Bertuzzi, who was expected to open the season with the Red Wings after dazzling in the AHL playoffs last spring. Bertuzzi could still be a Red Wing when he’s healthy, but this injury opens the door for Martin Frk or Luke Witkowski to open the season as their No.12 forward.
Fabbri is coming off of a knee ligament injury in February and re-injured the surgically repaired knee in training camp. Fabbri was a late scratch prior to the Blues’ first preseason game and will miss the rest of the preseason. Fabbri was expected to get a look at centre, but with him joining Alex Steen and Patrik Berglund on the sideline, that leaves the Blues with Paul Stastny, Brayden Schenn, Wade Megan and Kyle Brodziak as their centre options.
Karlsson skated for the first time since undergoing foot surgery this offseason on Saturday, but was given Sunday and Monday off. Despite returning to the ice, the Senators still have not put a timetable on Karlsson’s return, but one has to believe that he has a chance to be ready for the season opener on October 5th.
Fast, who underwent offseason hip surgery could be cleared for contact in the next couple of weeks, but is not expected to return to the Rangers lineup until late-October. With Fast out, one of the Rangers’ first-round picks, Lias Andersson and/or Filip Chytil, are expected to make the opening night roster.
Juulsen was a first-round pick of the Canadiens’ in 2015 and had a chance to crack the opening night roster this October. Juulsen, who had 34 points (12G / 22A) in 49 games with Everett (WHL) last year, had earned preseason praise from Claude Julien but will now likely start the year with St. John’s (AHL).
The veteran winger is expected to be sidelined for at least a few days after suffering a foot injury during the Bruins’ preseason game on Monday. Beleskey is coming off of an ugly 2016-17 season—3G / 5A (8 points) in 49 games—and his injury will allow the coaching staff to get a closer look at some of their younger wingers.
Forsbacka-Karlsson suffered an upper-body injury during the Bruins’ preseason game vs. the Red Wings on Tuesday and is considered day-to-day. The Swedish centre has a good chance to make the team out of training camp and has been centring a line with David Backes and Frank Vatrano on his wings throughout the preseason. The 2015 second-round pick had 33 points (14G / 19A) in 39 games during his sophomore season at Boston University.
Krug took a puck to the mouth in the Bruins’ preseason win on Tuesday night. Krug will likely miss at least the first three games of the regular season. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks and a new update is expected to be released.
This summer the Flyers drafted Nolan Patrick at No.2 overall, creating a logjam down the middle in Philadelphia. With Nolan expected to make the roster out of training camp, the Flyers gave Giroux a look on the left side of Sean Couturier with Jakub Voracek on the wing. Couturier and Patrick would likely serve as the No.1 and No.2 centres with the likes of Valtteri Filppula and Jori Lehtera likely being the No.3 and No.4 pivots. The centre depth will allow the Flyers to get creative and putting Giroux on the wing with Couturier and Voracek could give them a dominant first line without sacrificing depth. It’s only been one day of practice, but Giroux would definitely see an uptick in fantasy value if he were to gain dual position eligibility (C/LW).
Brassard continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery and while he’s not expected to be sidelined for much longer, it doesn’t look like he’ll be ready for Ottawa’s season opener (Oct.5). Rookie Colin White was hoping to fill-in for Brassard and make the team out of camp, but broke his wrist in their preseason game on Monday, which opens the door for fellow rookies Logan Brown and Filip Chlapik to potentially crack the roster.
Sanford will need surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder that he suffered in training camp and is expected to be sidelined until at least early-February. Sanford joined the Blues following a trade from Washington on February 27th and tallied five points (2G / 3A) in 13 games with St. Louis.
Bouwmeester, who is entering his sixth season with the Blues will be sidelined with a left ankle fracture that he suffered in training camp. The Blues will re-evaluate Bouwmeester one-week into the season and they’ll likely release a more detailed timetable at that time. Look for Joel Edmundson to take on a larger role at even strength while Bouwmeester is sidelined.
White suffered the injury while blocking a shot during the Senators’ preseason game vs. Toronto on Monday. White will be sidelined until at least early-November and will likely start the 2017-18 season with Binghamton (AHL). The 20-year-old had three points (1G / 2A) in three AHL games after turning pro following his second year at Boston College. He was third in Boston College scoring with 33 points (16G / 17A) in 35 games.
The Senators’ first-round pick in 2015 (No.21 overall) was hurt during their preseason win over the Maple Leafs. The Senators have no released a statement on White’s injury, but the initial prognosis was not encouraging. White was expected to battle for a roster spot in training camp, but this injury will likely see the 20-year-old start the season in Binghamton (AHL).
The Stars’ offseason signing has not skated with his new team as he’s dealt with an ankle injury during the start of training camp. Hanzal has had a tough time with injuries throughout his career, so Stars fans should get used to this. When Hanzal begins skating, he is expected to be paired with Radek Faksa and the third member of that line is expected to be either Antoine Roussel or Tyler Pitlick.
Koivu was heading into the final year of his seven-year contract that carries a $6.75M cap-hit, but the Wild inked the 34-year-old to a deal that will take him through the 2019-20 season. The Wild captain had 18 goals and 40 assists (58 points) in 80 games last season and is tied for 30th in the NHL in assists (113) and tied for 45th in points (162) while only missing four games over the last three seasons.
Girgensons had a massive drop-off in production during the Dan Bylsma era, but it looks like he’ll get a fresh start with Phil Housley behind the bench. Girgensons has spent the first few days of training camp on the first line with Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo, which showcases the new regime’s belief in him. In 2014-15, while playing over 19 minutes per night, Girgensons had 15 goals and 15 assists (30 points) in 61 games—that’s a 20-20 pace over 82 games. He’s got the tools for be a top-6 forward and it looks like the Sabres will give him every chance possible to get his career back on-track.
Anisimov has played almost exclusively with Patrick Kane during his first two years in Chicago, recording 42 goals and 45 assists (87 points) in 141 games. However, so far in training camp, Nick Schmaltz has been skating on the second line with Kane and Anisimov is centering the third line with Patrick Sharp and Ryan Hartman. This affects Anisimov’s upside drastically, but it’s still early in training camp and he could find himself back in his regular role before too long.
During the first few days of training camp, Schmaltz has taken Artem Anisimov’s spot on the Blackhawks’ second line next to Patrick Kane. Anisimov, who has been very successful in that spot in year’s past, is skating on the third line with Ryan Hartman and Patrick Sharp. Head coach Joel Quenneville likes the chemistry between Schmaltz and Kane, which bodes extremely well for Schmaltz’s potential heading into 2017-18. The 21-year-old is coming off of 28 points (6G / 22A) in 61 games during his rookie season.
