NHL Hockey Player News

The Canadiens have signed Karl Alzner to a five-year contract worth $23.125M ($4.625M AAV).

Alzner spent the first nine years of his NHL career in Washington after the Capitals made him the No.5 overall pick in 2007. Alzner is a solid two-way defenseman that is capable of playing heavy minutes against the other team’s best and posting modest offensive numbers. Alzner has not missed a game in seven seasons and has averaged three goals and 14 assists (17 points) per 82 games over that stretch. Alzner could see regular time next to Shea Weber as the Habs’ No.1 pairing.

Karl Alzner
The Jets have signed Steve Mason to a two-year deal worth $8.2M ($4.1M AAV).

After four and a half years in Philadelphia, Mason is on his way to Winnipeg. Like most goalies, he can be volatile from year to year and was 26-21-8 with a 2.66 GAA and .908 SV% in 58 games with the Flyers a season ago. With Ondrej Pavelec now in New York, Mason will likely share the crease with Connor Hellebuyck to start the 2017-18 season and they’ll go from there.

Steve Mason
The Jets have signed Dmitry Kulikov to a three-year deal worth $12.99M ($4.33M AAV).

Kulikov broke into the NHL with a bang, but has struggled in recent years, culminating in him being traded to Buffalo last summer and him only posting five points (2G / 3A) in 47 games with the Sabres. Still only 26-years-old, the Jets obviously see something they like in the former No.14 overall pick (2009). Kulikov will be leaned on as a No.4/No.5 defenseman in Winnipeg, which should help him in the defensive aspect of the game.

Dmitry Kulikov
The Devils have signed Brian Boyle to a two-year deal worth $5.1M ($2.55M AAV).

Boyle was with the Lightning since the 2015 season before being dealt to the Maple Leafs at last year’s deadline. Boyle finished the campaign with 13 goals and 12 assists (25 points) in a combined 75 games, but just three assists in 21 games in Toronto. Boyle is a solid bottom-6 forward that is solid on the face-off dot, winning over 50 percent for his career.

Brian Boyle
The Rangers have signed Ondrej Pavelec to a one-year deal worth $1.3M.

Pavelec has been with the Jets’ organization since he was drafted No.41 overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005. His game started to slip the last few years, leading to him starting the 2016-17 season in the AHL. He ended up making it to Winnipeg and appeared in eight games, going 4-4-0 with a 3.55 GAA and .888 SV%. Despite a few rough seasons in a row, the Rangers have had a lot of success with backups over the years, making it possible the Pavelec could be a serviceable handcuff to Henrik Lundqvist in 2017-18.

Ondrej Pavelec
The Canucks have signed Anders Nilsson to a two-year deal worth $5.0M ($2.5M AAV).

The Canucks let Ryan Miller walk in free agency, so Anders Nilsson has been brought in to serve as Jacob Markstrom’s backup. The 27-year-old netminder appeared in 26 games with the Sabres a season ago, going 10-10-4 with a 2.67 GAA and .923 SV%.

Anders Nilsson
The Sabres have signed Chad Johnson to a one-year deal worth $2.5M.

Johnson was brought into Calgary last season to be Brian Elliott’s backup, but ended playing a more important role than originally thought. Johnson went 18-15-2 with a 2.59 GAA and .910 SV% in 36 games and will return to Buffalo to serve as the primary backup to Robin Lehner. The Sabres No.1 has had a tough time staying in the crease, so Johnson could be in line for 30-plus starts again in 2017-18.

Chad Johnson
The Canucks have signed Michael Del Zotto to a two-year deal worth $6.0M ($3.0M AAV).

Del Zotto is not the best defenseman in his own end, but posts solid offensive totals. The 27-year-old had six goals and 12 assists (18 points) in 51 games last season and missed a total of 79 games due to injury over three years in Philadelphia. Del Zotto has had a hard time staying healthy, but can be a useful Fantasy piece when he’s on the ice.

Michael Del Zotto
The Blackhawks have signed Patrick Sharp to a one-year deal worth $800K.

After spending two years in Dallas, Sharp hit the open market and returns to Chicago on a value deal. Sharp’s production dropped off with the Stars, only scoring 28 goals in 124 games in two seasons. Back with the Blackhawks, he should see regular time in their top-6 with Marian Hossa sidelined for the season.

Patrick Sharp
The Lightning have signed Dan Girardi to a two-year deal worth $6.0M ($3.0M AAV).

Girardi’s production started to slip in recent years, leading to the Rangers buying him out this spring. Girardi will likely play a lesser role in Tampa Bay, which will be better suited for the 33-year-old defenseman, who was leaned on heavily in New York. Girardi has failed to top 20 points in three of the last four seasons.

Dan Girardi
The Flyer have signed Brian Elliott to a two-year deal worth $5.5M ($2.75M AAV).

Elliott was acquired by the Flames last season to serve as their No.1 netminder after years of success in St. Louis. It didn’t go as planned with Elliott posting a 2.55 GAA and .910 SV% in 49 starts, leading the Calgary trading for Mike Smith this offseason and letting Elliott walk. He heads to Philadelphia where he will likely share the crease with Michal Neuvirth.

Brian Elliott
The Canucks have signed Sam Gagner to a three-year contract worth $9.45M ($3.15M AAV).

Gagner, 27, resurrected his NHL career one a one-year deal in Columbus, scoring 18 goals with 32 assists (50 points) in 81 games. He did extensive damage on the power-play, scoring eight goals and 10 assists with the man-advantage. He will bring a much-needed scorer’s touch to the Canucks bottom-6.

Sam Gagner
The Avalanche have signed Jonathan Bernier to a one-year deal worth $2.7M.

After three tough years in Toronto, Bernier bounced back as John Gibson’s backup in Anaheim last season. Bernier was 21-7-4 with a 2.51 GAA and .915 SV% in 38 games with the Ducks and will serve as the oft-injured Semyon Varlamov’s backup this season.

Jonathan Bernier
The Red Wings have signed Trevor Daley to a three-year deal worth $9.534M ($3.178M AAV).

Daley, 33, is a strong skater that will add some speed to the Red Wings’ blueline and help their power-play in 2017-18. Daley won’t put up crazy point totals, but dud score 16 goals in 2014-15 and is coming off of a season where he had 19 points (5G / 14A) in 56 games with the Penguins.

Trevor Daley
The Maple Leafs have signed Garret Sparks to a two-year contract extension.

Sparks, 24, appeared in 17 NHL games with the Maple Leafs in 2015-16, but failed to make it past the AHL last season. Sparks went 21-9-0 with a 2.16 GAA and .922 SV% in 31 games with the Marlies and was 1-1-0 in two playoff starts.

Garret Sparks
The Maple Leafs have signed Curtis McElhinney to a two-year contract extension worth $1.7M ($850K AAV).

After spending three and a half years in Columbus, McElhinney was traded to the Maple Leafs last season and went 6-7-0 with a 2.85 GAA and .914 SV% in 14 appearances. McElhinney will return to the Leafs where he will serve as the primary backup to Frederik Andersen.

Curtis McElhinney
The Flames placed Ryan Murphy on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.

Murphy was in the final season of a two-year contract that carried a $787.5K cap-hit and his buyout will save the Flames $687.5K against the cap this season. Murphy was recently acquired from the Hurricanes as a part of the Eddie Lack trade, but will now hit free agency on Saturday.

Ryan Murphy
The Flames placed Lance Bouma on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.

Bouma, 27, was set to enter his final season of a three-year deal that carried a $2.2M cap hit. Bouma’s buyout will save the Flames $1.53M against the cap in 2017-18. The hard-hitting winger had just seven points (3G / 4A) in 61 gams last season nd just 67 points (27G / 40A) in 304 career NHL games.

Lance Bouma
The Jets placed Mark Stuart on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.

Stuart was entering his final season of a four-year deal that carried a $2.625M cap hit. Stuart’s buyout will save the Jets $1.2M against the cap next season. This was a longtime coming for Stuart, who suited up for just 42 games last season and has collected just three goals and four assists (seven points) in a combined 106 games over the last two seasons.

Mark Stuart
The Bruins placed Jimmy Hayes on waivers for the purpose of a buyout.

Hayes was entering the final year of a three-year deal that carried a $2.3M cap hit. His buyout will save the Bruins $1.73M against the cap this season and officially leaves the Bruins with zero pieces of their Tyler Seguin trade. After posting 29 points (13G / 16A) in 75 games in his first season in Boston, Hayes was terrible last season, recording just five points (2G / 3A) in 58 games.

Jimmy Hayes

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!