NHL Hockey Player News

The Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with forward Sean Couturier worth $3.5 million, an average annual value of $1.75 million. The contract will take effect in 2014-15, after the expiration of Couturier's entry-level contract.

The 20-year-old had four goals and 15 points in 46 games last season, his second with the Flyers, while averaging 15:53 of ice time. He appeared in 31 games with the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Adirondack Phantoms, prior to the start of the Flyers' season in January. He scored 10 goals and had 28 points with the Phantoms.

Sean Couturier
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defensemen Michael Kostka

Kostka, 27, divided the 2012-13 season between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the AHL Toronto Marlies. He had eight assists and 27 penalty minutes in 35 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs during his first NHL season; he was scoreless in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. Kostka paced Marlies defensemen and ranked fifth on the club with 34 points (six goals) in 34 games. He has 37 goals and 183 points in 341 AHL games with five teams from 2007-13.

Mike Kostka
The Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with defensemen Theo Peckham.

Peckham, 25, split the 2012-13 season between the Edmonton Oilers and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons. He was scoreless with six penalty minutes in four games with Edmonton; he recorded one assist and 29 penalty minutes in four games with Oklahoma City. Peckham has four goals, 17 points and 388 penalty minutes in 160 NHL games, all with Edmonton, from 2007-13.

The St. Louis Blues and forward Chris Stewart avoided arbitration and agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth $8.3 million.

The 25-year-old Stewart was a restricted free agent after leading the team in scoring. He played in all 48 games and had 36 points, including 18 goals. Stewart was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Monday that now isn't necessary. Stewart has 100 goals and 202 points in 319 career NHL games, including 48 goals and 89 points in 153 games with the Blues.

Chris Stewart
The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenceman Paul Postma on a new two-year contract worth $1.425 million US.

Postma, 24, played in 34 games with the Jets during the 2012-13 season. The native of Red Deer, Alta., recorded nine points (four goals, five assists) and six penalty minutes. He has played in 38 career NHL games with the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise. He was originally drafted by the Thrashers in the seventh round, 205th overall, in the 2007 NHL draft.

Paul Postma
The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Brandon Yip to a one-year contract.

Yip played 34 games for Nashville, scoring three goals with five assists. In parts of four NHL seasons with Nashville and Colorado, the 28-year-old has played in 172 games, with 29 and 27 assists. He has also three goals and three assists in 16 playoff games.

Thomas Hickey found a home on the New York Islanders' blue line, and Thursday the team rewarded the restricted free agent with a two-year contract. Terms of the deal were not announced, but Newsday reported the total value to be $1.35 million.

Hickey, 24, made his NHL debut last season and had four points and a plus-9 rating in 39 games. He appeared in two of the team's six Stanley Cup Playoff games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Los Angeles Kings made Hickey the No. 4 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, but after playing 212 games with the Manchester Monarchs in the American Hockey League, Hickey was waived and claimed by the Islanders on Jan. 15.

Thomas Hickey
The Colorado Avalanche shored up centre ice by signing Matt Duchene to a five-year, $30 million US contract extension

Duchene, 22, has 82 goals and 111 assists in 266 games with the Avalanche. Colorado selected centre Nathan MacKinnon with the first pick in last month's draft and also has Paul Stastny signed for one more season with a cap hit of US$6.6 million. Ryan O'Reilly is expected to move to wing given the Avalanche's depth down the middle. That depth could last a while with Duchene signed through 2018-19.

Matt Duchene
Kings sign Dustin Brown to 8-year, $47-million extension

The right-winger joined goaltender Jonathan Quick, defencemen Drew Doughty and Slava Voynov and forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter as players signed for at least the next six seasons. Brown is, in many ways, the Kings’ identity. The 28-year-old right-winger’s aggressive forecheck led the way during the 2012 Stanley Cup run, when he was a point-a-game player.

Dustin Brown
The Carolina Hurricanes on Monday signed their top 2013 NHL Draft pick, 18-year-old forward Elias Lindholm, to a three-year, entry-level contract during a news conference to introduce him to the local media.

Lindholm's game is said to be more of a two-way style so while GM Jim Rutherford expects Lindholm to be with the Canes when training camp starts, he isn't expected to have much fantasy impact.

Elias Lindholm
The Panthers got younger in the front and back end Monday by signing Finnish center Aleksander Barkov

Barkov might just crack the young Panthers' roster out of camp as they'll need a forward to fill Weiss' shoes. Don't expect him to reach his potential in year one but in a few years, the center should be a legitimate fantasy option.

Aleksander Barkov
The Boston Bruins have signed goaltender Tuukka Rask to an eight-year contract extension. Rask’s salary is worth an annual cap figure of $7 million.

In 36 regular season games in 2013, Rask compiled a 19-10-5 record with a GAA of 2.00 and a .929 save percentage with five shutouts. The B’s netminder finished the season tied for fourth in the NHL in wins (19), tied for first in shutouts (five), third in save percentage (.929) and tied for fourth in goals against (1.96). During the 2013 postseason, Rask led the NHL in save percentage (.940), tied for first in shutouts (three) and finished fourth in GAA (1.88) in 22 games. Rask set a club record for home playoff shutout streak at 193:16, spanning from game four of the Conference Final to game three of the Cup Final.

Tuukka Rask
The Edmonton Oilers have acquired left-winger David Perron from the Blues in exchange for left-winger Magnus Paajarvi and a 2014 second-round draft pick.

Paajarvi had 26 goals and 32 assists in 163 games with the Oilers. He was drafted 10th overall by Edmonton in 2009.

Magnus Paajarvi
The Edmonton Oilers have acquired left-winger David Perron from the Blues in exchange for left-winger Magnus Paajarvi and a 2014 second-round draft pick.

Perron, 25, was drafted by St. Louis in the 1st Round, 26th overall in the 2007 entry draft. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native had 25 points with the Blues last season, scoring 10 goals and 15 assists in 48 games. He had a career high 50 points in 2009. Perron has three more years left on his contract at a cap hit of just over $3.8 million.

David Perron
The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a three-year, entry-level contract.

MacKinnon, only 17, will report to Avs training camp and is a favourite to make the roster under his former QMJHL coach, Patrick Roy. Keeper leagues should jump all over the talented forward but as we've seen in recent seasons, overdrafting rookies in yearly leagues is unlikely to pay off.

Nathan MacKinnon

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.

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