NHL Hockey Player News

Ottawa has signed Hunter Shepard to a one-year, two-way contract.

Ottawa has secured a myriad of goaltending depth this offseason, including the signing of 29-year-old Hunter Shepard. The undrafted Shedpard playing one NHL games with the Washington Capitals last season but spent most of the campaign in the AHL, posting a 2.80 GAA and .891 SV% in 39 games (23-11-4) with the Hershey Bears.

Hunter Shepard
Ottawa has signed Hayden Hodgson to a two-year, two-way contract.

Hodgson is an undrafted 29-year-old winger who joined the Ottawa Senators organization last season and made enough of an impact to earn himself a two-year, two-way contract extension. He played two games with Ottawa but spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring 11 points (5G / 6A) in 43 games with Belleville.

Hayden Hodgson
Ottawa has signed Arthur Kaliyev to a one-year, two-way contract.

After a promising 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 28 points (13G / 15A) in 56 games, Kaliyev had a tough time asserting himself as an NHL regular in the following two seasons. He spent portions of the 2024-25 campaign as a healthy scratch, as well as playing in the AHL. The 24-year-old winger has 75 points (38G / 37A) in 202 career NHL games.

Arthur Kaliyev
Detroit has signed Elmer Soderblom to a two-year contract worth $1.125 million AAV ($2.25M total).

The towering 6'8 Soderblom has shown glimpses of being an effective power-forward, something the Red Wings hope he can do more consistently in the 2025-26 season. The 23-year-old Soderblom scored 11 points (4G / 7A) in 26 games with the Red Wings last season.

Elmer Soderblom
Montreal has signed Marc Del Gaizo to a one-year, two-way contract.

Injuries on Nashville's blueline last season helped Del Gaizo become a lineup-regular for the first time at the NHL level, scoring nine points (2G / 7A) in 46 games. The 25-year-old defenseman has primarily played in the AHL, including scoring 12 points (8G / 4A) in 30 games with the Milwaukee Admirals last season.

Marc Del Gaizo
Montreal has signed Sean Farrell to a one-year, two-way contract.

Farrell was Montreal's fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old played six games for the Canadiens in the 2022-23 season but has exclusively played in the AHL since. He scored 44 points (20G / 24A) in 67 games with the Laval Rocket (AHL) last season.

Sean Farrell
Edmonton has signed Curtis Lazar to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Lazar battled injuries throughout the 2024-25 season with the New Jersey Devils, limited to only 48 games, and will head to Edmonton for a change of scenery in 2025-26. The 30-year-old Lazar scored five points (2G / 3A) with last season, a sizeable decline from the career-high 25 points (7G / 18A) he set in 71 games in 2023-24.

Curtis Lazar
New Jersey has acquired Thomas Bordeleau from San Jose for Shane Bowers.

In a trade that swaps two high-end draft picks that have been unable to establish themselves at the NHL level, Bordeleau heads to New Jersey for a change of scenery. The 23-year-old Bordeleau played 59 games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) last season, scoring 38 points (14G / 24A).

Thomas Bordeleau
San Jose has acquired Shane Bowers from New Jersey for Thomas Bordeleau.

Bowers was a first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft but the 25-year-old has not been able to establish himself at the NHL level, limited to only 13 career games. He had 17 points (3G / 14A) in 65 games with the Utica Comets (AHL) last season.

Shane Bowers
Minnesota has signed Bradley Marek to a one-year, entry-level contract.

After two AHL seasons, Bradley Marek has earned himself an NHL contract by signing a one-year, entry-level contract with Minnesota (AHL) on Wednesday. The 24-year-old left-winger appeared in 50 games with Iowa (AHL) in 2024-25, putting up eight goals, 13 points and 67 PIMs. He is expected to report to Iowa for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Bradley Marek
Los Angeles has signed Samuel Bolduc to a one-year, two-way contract.

Los Angeles added to its defensive depth on Day 2 of Free Agency by signing Samuel Bolduc to a one-year, two-way contract. The 24-year-old has 52 career NHL games to his name, but spent the majority of the 2024-25 season with Bridgeport (AHL), where he had nine goals and 35 points in 69 games played. He is expected to compete for one of Los Angeles' final defensive spots to start the 2025-26 season.

Samuel Bolduc
Washington has signed Graeme Clarke to a one-year, two-way contract.

Washington continued to add to its depth on Wednesday by adding Graeme Clarke on a one-year, two-way contract. The 24-year-old appeared in three games with New Jersey back in 2023-24, but failed to pick up a point. He spent the entire 2024-25 season with Iowa (AHL), where he had 16 goals and 37 points in 64 games played. He is expected to report to Hershey (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Graeme Clarke
Washington has signed Louie Belpedio to a one-year, two-way contract.

After three seasons in Philadelphia's minor league system, Louie Belpedio has left to sign a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals. The 29-year-old has appeared in 16 career NHL games but spent the entire 2024-25 season wiith Lehigh Valley (AHL) and had five goals, 28 points and 88 PIMs in 66 games played.

Louie Belpedio
Washington has signed Calle Rosen to a one-year, two-way contract.

Washington added to its defensive depth on Day 2 of Free Agency by signing six-year NHL veteran Calle Rosen to a one-year, two-way contract. The 31-year-old Swedish defenseman spent 2024-25 with the Colorado Eagles (AHL), where he had 10 goals and 34 points in 62 games played. He is expected to report to Hershey (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Calle Rosen
San Jose has signed Pavol Regenda to a one-year, two-way contract.

Regenda spent 2024-25 split between San Diego (AHL) and San Jose (AHL), but has found a home in the Barracuda after signing a one-year, two-way contract to remain in San Jose on Wednesday. The 25-year-old is expected to return to San Jose (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season, where he had 13 goals and 41 points in 72 games played last season.

Pavol Regenda
Pittsburgh has signed Phil Kemp to a one-year, two-way contrct.

Bakersfield (AHL) lost one of its most reliable defensemen on Wednesday after it was announced that Pittsburgh had signed Phil Kemp to a one-year, two-way contract. The 26-year-old made his only NHL appearance with Edmonton in 2023-24 but has spent the last four years with Bakersfield (AHL), where he had seven goals and 12 points in 56 games in 2024-25. He is expected to report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) to start 2025-26.

Phil Kemp
Pittsburgh has signed Rafael Harvey-Pinard to a one-year, two-way contract.

After four up-and-down seasons in Montreal, Rafael Harvey-Pinard will join his second NHL organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old only appeared in one game for the Canadiens in 2024-25, spending the majority of his season with Laval (AHL), where he had five goals and 19 points in 40 games played.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Minnesota has signed Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year, two-way. contract.

After a down season split between Buffalo and New York in 2024-25, Nicolas Aube-Kubel has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with Minnesota. The 29-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth NHL season with his seventh organization after putting up just a goal and two points in 22 games in 2024-25. He is expected to compete for one of the final roster spots for the Wild when the 2025-26 season starts.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel

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!