Chiasson, 27, spent last year in Calgary after two years in Ottawa and had 12 goals and 12 assists (24 points) in 81 games. Chiasson will make his Capitals debut on the third line while Tom Wilson is suspended.
Redmond split the 2016-17 season between the AHL and NHL. He had five assists in 16 games with the Canadiens and 18 points (4G / 14A) in 26 contests with the St. John’s IceCaps (AHL). He is nothing more than an AHL D-man or seventh/depth defenseman for the Sabres.
Deslauriers is a bruising winger who appeared in 42 games with the Sabres last season, picking up just two assists and 38 PIMS. He is a depth forward for the Canadiens.
Krug, who has missed time after taking a puck to the face in the preseason, was placed on IR on Tuesday but practiced in a non-contact sweater on Wednesday. Look for Krug to be sidelined for at least another week.
Bergeron left Tuesday’s practice early and wasn’t available for Wednesday’s session, which puts his status for the season opener in doubt. With Bergeron off of the ice, Ryan Spooner skated with Brad Marchand and Anders Bjork.
This doesn’t come as a surprise as White was given a 6-8 week timetable after fracturing his wrist in the preseason. With White out, Logan Brown will get a taste of the NHL.
Andersen was great in his first season in Toronto, winning 33 games with a 2.67 GAA and .918 SV%, all while playing behind a Maple Leafs team that gave up the third most shots in the NHL. They are a fast paced, high octane squad so expect him to be equally busy this season, but the offence will give a lot of goal support and opportunities for wins. The opening night matchup with the Jets is a rough one—Winnipeg was seventh in the NHL in scoring last year (3.00 GF/PG).
Forsling, 21, was “sent down” yesterday as a paper transaction to get under the salary cap ceiling before they put Marian Hossa on LTIR. In 2016-17, Forsling split time between the NHL and AHL, collecting five points (2G / 3A) in 38 games with the Blackhawks. He is expected to open this season on the Blackhawks’ third pair.
DeBrincat, 19, was “sent down” yesterday as a paper transaction to get under the salary cap ceiling before they put Marian Hossa on LTIR. The 2016 No.39 pick had 127 points (65G / 62A) in 63 games with Erie (OHL) last season and is expected to open the 2017-18 season on either the second or third line.
Murray has two Stanley Cups in two seasons, not a bad start to a career. With Marc-Andre Fleury now in Vegas, the Penguins’ crease belongs to Murray. He has just 60 career regular season starts, but could see close to that number in his third season. Murray has a career 2.32 GAA and .925 SV%, making him a strong No.1 fantasy option and his team makes him a candidate for the NHL-lead in wins.
Despite skating as a regular throughout the last few practices, the return of Andrew Copp will push Petan to the press box on opening night. The 22-year-old had just 13 points (1G / 12A) in 54 games last year, spending most of it on the fourth line with Chris Thorburn.
Following four and a half seasons in Philadelphia, Mason signed with the Jets this offseason and will hope to improve on his 2.66 GAA and .908 SV% from a year ago. Winnipeg ranked 27th in the NHL in goals against last season, so they will need much better goaltending if they want to be a playoff team this year. Mason draws a brutal matchup for his Jets debut as he goes up against the Maple Leafs, who were fifth in the NHL in scoring last year.
The Blackhawks had to wait until they moved Marian Hossa to LTIR to announce the deal, but they bring Franson to join a mostly inexperienced blueline. Franson spent the last two seasons with the Sabres, where he had five goals and 19 assists (24 points) per 82 games, but missed a combined 37 games. His value will hinge on how much power-play time he gets in Chicago.
Ehlers is entering the final year of a three-year deal, so this new deal won’t kick in until 2018-19 and it runs through the 2024-25 season. The 21-year-old is coming off of a great sophomore campaign, having collected 25 goals and 39 assists (64 points) in 82 games. Ehlers is positioned for another great year as he’s poised to start the season with Patrik Laine and Bryan Little.
Hornqvist continues to rehab his hand that underwent surgery in the summer. Originally the Penguins were hopeful that he would be ready for the start of the season, but he has yet to return to practice at this time. He’ll start the year on IR, which is not ideal for a player with an injury riddled past.
Copp was dealing with a sore knee after taking a shot off of his right leg during the preseason. Copp is expected to start the season on the third line with Adam Lowry and Joel Armia. The 23-year-old forward had nine goals and eight assists (17 points) in 64 games with the Jets last season.
Eichel is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, so this extension will kick in for the 2018-19 season and run through the 2025-26 campaign—he will be 29-years-old. Eichel is hoping for a better start to 2017-18 after last year got derailed by an injury before the first game. Upon his return to the Buffalo lineup, Eichel was 10th in the NHL in points and is pegged as one of the biggest breakout candidates coming into this season.
Wilson will miss the first four games of the regular season for boarding the Blues’ Sam Blais. This is not the ideal start to the season for the bruising winger, but it will likely give the Capitals a chance to take an extended look at Alex Chiasson.
Connor, who was the Jets No.17 overall pick in 2015, was expected to crack the opening night roster but fell down the depth chart throughout the preseason. Connor has electrifying potential thanks to his exceptional speed, but the organization obviously feels he needs a little more seasoning in the AHL--plus he doesn't need to clear waivers. The 20-year-old winger had 25 goals and 19 assists (44 points) in 52 AHL games a season ago.
Anderson missed training camp due to a contract dispute, but signed a three-year deal on Tuesday. Despite inking a new contract, head coach John Tortorella said that Anderson is out on Friday. Anderson will likely need a few practice sessions to get back into the swing of things, but don’t expect the power-forward to sit out for too many contests.
