Pacioretty has sat out training camp and the preseason to this point, but his knee injury has gotten to a point where the doctors were able to clear him for practice. This is a big step in Pacioretty’s road to being ready for the first game of the season on October 7th.
Arizona is trying to replace Keith Yandle on the power-play after trading him to New York last March. Bodega has never played the point in the NHL, but used to play there alongside Oliver Edman-Larsson when they were both in the AHL. Boedker could be a good fit on the blueline and it could lead to more power-play points for the 25-year-old.
Said had his 2014-15 season cut short when he underwent neck surgery. He is in training camp with the Flames, but has yet to be cleared for full contact. He was cleared for some light bumping which is a good step in his recovery. The Flames will see how he responds to light contact before giving him full clearance.
This is a tough break for Brodie and the Flames to start the season. If he misses just three weeks, he would only miss the first week of the season, but there is a chance he could be sidelined until the first week of November. With Brodie out, the Flames will have to find someone to fill in—Tyler Wotherspoon and Jakub Nakladal are likely the front runners.
Higgins suffered the injury while blocking a shot in Monday’s preseason game. This injury could open the door for the Canucks to give Brendan Gaunce a look for the first week or two of the season.
After trading Dougie Hamilton this summer, the Bruins were already coming in with a weaker blueline than last season and now Seidenberg will be out of commission until late-November. Seidenberg had 14 points (3G / 11A) in 82 games with the Bruins last season. Seidenberg's injury could open the door for 22-year-old Colin Miller to make the opening day roster.
Higgins was spotted wearing a walking boot on his right foot at Tuesday’s morning skate, which is never a good sign. Higgins sustained the injury while blocking a Brenden Dillion slapshot. The Canucks have not released any information about the severity of Higgins’ injury, but wearing a walking boot isn’t a good sign for him being available to start the season.
Griffith sprained his left knee in the Bruins preseason opener. Griffith had 10 points (6G / 4A) in 30 games with the Bruins last season and was poised to battle for a roster spot in training camp. This injury will likely force Griffith to start in the AHL, where he had 31 points (12G / 19A) in 39 games a season ago.
Gibson is expected to start this season in the AHL after the Ducks signed Anton Khudobin this offseason. Gibson was going to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Khudobin will become a UFA after this year. Which paves the way for Gibson to be a full-time NHLer next year. However, there is still a chance he is on the Ducks roster throughout this season.
Elliott, 24, was acquired for Brandon Gormley earlier in the week and signed with the team yesterday. He had 19 goals and 21 assists (40 points) in 64 games with Lake Erie (AHL).
Clitsome underwent two spinal surgeries over the last 13 months and will not play hockey this year after failing his physical with the Jets.
Backstrom continues to rehab his hip after undergoing offseason surgery. He has not been cleared for practice, but he is expected to make his season debut before the end of October.
Zidlicky had seven goals and 27 assists (34 points) in 84 games between the Red Wings and Devils last season. The 38-year-old blueliner joined the Islanders in training camp on Friday and will likely bump Brian Strait from the mix for 2015-16.
Rozsival, 37, had 13 points (1G / 12A) in 65 regular season games and one assist in 10 playoff games before fracturing his ankle in Game 4 versus the Minnesota Wild. There was speculation that Rozsival might retire, but he will go for another Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015-16.
Helm suffered a grade 1 slight separated shoulder in the first day of training camp on Thursday. Helm has had a difficult time staying healthy throughout his career and this is not the way he wanted to start his 2015-16 season. If he misses just two weeks, he could be ready for the Red Wings season opener, but if he misses four weeks he would miss the first four or five games of the Red Wings’ season.
Ho-Sang’s training camp ended before it even started. He reportedly slept in and showed up late for the first day of Islanders’ training camp on Thursday. Ho-Sang was the 28th overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft. He was considered a top-10 talent, but slipped due to reported discipline issues. He will head back for another year in Niagra, where he registered 14 goals and 48 assists (62 points) in 49 games last season.
Elias has been held out of the first couple days of training camp because of an issue with his right knee. The 39-year-old is coming off of a disappointing season in 2014-15 and missing a portion of training camp could slow his production to start the 2015-16 season.
Beck was acquired from the Predators in mid-July but will not get a chance to play for the Maple Leafs as he heads to Long Island to join a potential playoff contender. Beck had 16 points (8G / 8A) in 62 games last year.
Grabner, 27, was limited to 34 games last season due to a multitude of injuries including sports hernia surgery. In the 34 games he played in, the speedy winger tallied eight goals and five assists (13 points). He had a career-high 34 goals in 2010-11, but since then he has scored just 56 goals in four seasons. This trade helps his fantasy value because he moves from a team with an ultra crowded top-six to a team who is very thin at forward.
Crouse, 18, was selected 11th overall in this summer’s draft. The 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. winger tallied 29 goals and 22 assists (51 points) in 56 games with the Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) last season. Crouse has some competition to make the squad, but his size could prove to be a key factor in the Panthers decision. After the nine-game tryout, the Panthers will decide what is best for his future.
