They assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after he was a healthy scratch for Wednesday's season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers.
It also comes after forward Ben Kindel fully participated in Thursday's practice. Kindel is currently week-to-week with an injury that he aggravated during the Penguins' first pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres.
McGroarty played in 24 games for the Penguins last year, compiling three goals and six points. He also played eight games in the 2024-25 season, scoring one goal and totaling three points.
Overall, he has racked up four goals and nine points in 32 NHL games.
He'll now go down to the AHL to help WBS get off to a strong start to its 2026-27 AHL season. He'll likely be back with the NHL club later this year, especially if he plays well or injuries pile up.
The Penguins will play the Montreal Canadiens in their home opener at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Darcy Kuemper’s return to the Kings’ crease could hardly have gone worse.
In Wednesday night’s season opener at Ball Arena, Kuemper surrendered eight goals on 29 shots, including four on the power play, as Los Angeles was overwhelmed by a Colorado Avalanche team that has given it fits for quite some time.
Yes, the Kings didn’t do their goaltender many favors. There were defensive breakdowns throughout the night, and Colorado made them pay for virtually every mistake. But Kuemper’s preseason struggles followed him into the opener, raising an immediate question about head coach Peter Laviolette’s decision to hand him the start.
That decision looks even more puzzling given what happened the last time these teams met.
The Kings were swept by Colorado in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in April, but they were far more competitive than the final result might suggest. A big reason for that was Anton Forsberg, who repeatedly gave Los Angeles a chance to stay in games against a talented Avalanche roster.
Colorado’s power play, meanwhile, was hardly a factor during the regular season despite the Avalanche entering the postseason as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. That clearly wasn’t the case Wednesday.
Colorado scored four times with the man advantage, turning what was already a difficult night for the Kings into a rout.
And while it would be unfair to pin all eight goals on Kuemper, it’s also fair to question why Laviolette went back to him in the first place.
Kuemper struggled through the preseason, and Forsberg had already shown he could handle the pressure against Colorado. Yet when the regular season arrived, Laviolette opted for the more expensive, more established option.
The result was an eight-goal night and a very bad start to the season.
Here’s the bottom line: If you put Forsberg in net, the Kings at least give themselves a legitimate chance to win that game.
Look back at the four-game playoff series against Colorado. Forsberg allowed an average of 3.25 goals per game and, despite the Kings being swept, repeatedly gave them an opportunity to stay within striking distance. Mackenzie Blackwood, meanwhile, gave up four goals in his season debut Wednesday.
You can make the argument that Kuemper had to get the start because he’s the Kings’ $5.25 million goaltender while Forsberg makes $2.25 million. But if that’s the reasoning, fine.
Just understand that when your decision results in an eight-goal embarrassment on opening night, criticism is going to come with it.
Laviolette made the call. Now he has to own this. Either way, the Kings’ goaltending situation has suddenly become one of the biggest storylines of their young season.
The Kings don’t have much time to dwell on the loss. They’ll head to San Jose on Saturday to face Macklin Celebrini and the Sharks, giving Laviolette his first opportunity to respond to what happened in Colorado.
The San Jose Sharks continue to build something special on the ice in California's Silicon Valley. They're coming off the first winning season since 2019 and have established themselves as one of the younger, more promising teams in the NHL despite failing to make the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.
The Sharks have built their core through the draft over the years bringing in Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov. They continued that blueprint in the 2026 NHL Draft with three first round picks selecting Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick, Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 and Ryan Lin at No. 21.
One of the areas of focus was their defense and the team's physicality. They added Kiefer Sherwood during the 2025-26 season and his impact was felt immediately. They kept on adding guys that fit that mold during the offseason, a necessary move especially after rugged Ryan Reaves announced he's retiring.
They added defenseman Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Michael Kesselring, but traded forward William Eklund. Collin Graf was another big re-signing over the offseason, inking a three-year extension in San Jose.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky was signed to a multi-year contract extension with the Sharks, after last season's 34-point improvement. Sharks GM Mike Grier puts a formidable team together. The Sharks are ready to get rolling as the team begins play on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Here's a breakdown of the San Jose Sharks' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NHL season:
San Jose Sharks offseason review
Record last season: 39-35-8, 86 points (11th in Western Conference)
Is the Sharks' young core ready to take the next step and make a postseason appearance?
Sharks general manager Mike Grier has slowly, but surely rebuilt this roster into a team that looks like it can be competitive and make a postseason run. Hired in 2022, Grier has methodically drafted and made complementary moves, whether through free agency or trades, to help improve the roster. Entering the 2026-27 season, San Jose has a roster made up of young stars led by Macklin Celebrini. One of the youngest teams in the league, the Sharks' average age is 24. Veterans Darnell Nurse, Michael Kesselring and Jacob Trouba are ready to help support and guide the young group. The Sharks were in the mix for the wild card spot last season, now they are on everyone's radar to make the leap as a playoff contender.
Projected lines and defensive partners
#SJSharks practice lines, trending toward Dickinson sitting on opening night:
The Sharks aren't a surprise team anymore. They have talent and it's known around the league. The Shark Tank will be rocking and it will feel like a playoff environment. This will fare well for the Sharks as they attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought. Macklin Celebrini will make his first NHL All-Star Game appearance and could even an MVP favorite if San Jose makes the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings by an 8-4 final score on Wednesday night, and former Montreal Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen certainly played a role in it.
Lehkonen scored two goals for the Avalanche in their season-opening win against the Kings. With this, there is no question that the former Canadiens forward has kicked off his 2026-27 campaign on the right foot for Colorado.
Seeing Lehkonen have a strong opening night for the Avalanche is not too surprising. He has had plenty of success during his time with the Avalanche and has emerged as one of their key players because of it.
In 70 games during the 2025-26 season with the Central Division club, Lehkonen posted 21 goals, 27 assists, 48 points, and a plus-32 rating. This was after the former Canadiens forward had 27 goals, 18 assists, 45 points, and a plus-36 rating in 69 games for the Avs in 2024-25.
It will now be interesting to see how the former Canadiens forward builds off his strong start to the campaign from here. In 396 games over six seasons with Montreal from 2016-17 to 2021-22, he posted 74 goals, 75 assists, and 149 points.
Mar 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) skates with the puck in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Rick Osentoski/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
DETROIT — Simon Edvinsson remained unsigned as a restricted free agent the day before the Detroit Red Wings were to open the season at home against the New York Rangers.
Edvinsson did not skate with the Red Wings, but the 23-year-old defenseman was seen training with a team in his native Sweden.
“The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives,” interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said.
Edvinsson had nine goals and 25 points in 72 games last year, his second full season in the NHL. Detroit drafted him No. 6 overall in 2021 and he has 19 career goals and 60 points in 175 games.
Dylan Larkin, meanwhile, still is in limbo heading into the opener.
Larkin asked for a trade in the offseason with the franchise mired in a decade-long playoff drought. After he was not traded, the team stripped him of his captaincy. Larkin has been limited during training camp after saying he got hurt working out.
He has five seasons left on the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed in 2023. That deal includes a no-trade clause and he initially told the Red Wings he would only accept a move to Florida, Minnesota or Las Vegas. Larkin recently declined to share which teams he’s willing to be traded to.
He has played his entire NHL career in Detroit, which took the former Michigan star with No. 15 draft pick in 2014. Larkin ranks 10th in franchise history in scoring with 643 points. Larkin was an important role player for the United States when it won the Olympic gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games in February.
The Vegas Golden Knights soundly beat the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. This was the first of a three-game road trip to kick off their 2026-27 season. Chicago improved slightly as the game went on, but Vegas proved too strong that night.
Now, Chicago’s second of three road games will be on Thursday against the Utah Mammoth. This is the first game of the season and the home opener for Utah. The Mammoth are another strong team trying to build on what was a fantastic 2025-26 season for them.
Scouting Utah
The Utah Mammoth have a roster capable of challenging for a top-3 spot in the Central Division. Will they beat out one of the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, or Minnesota Wild for it? Can they bypass all of them and win the division? Everything is in play for them heading into the new season.
Their captain, Clayton Keller, is the best player on the team. A Gold Medal winner with Team USA back in February, Keller has the tools to be a major contributor on a Stanley Cup-caliber team. It’s on the organization to keep building around him, which they have done a great job of since moving to Salt Lake City.
Alongside Keller are a ton of forwards who are blossoming stars. Nick Schmaltz has been an established great player for a long time, but Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Barrett Hayton all help them have tremendous scoring depth.
Utah also added veteran forwards Vincent Trochek and Anders Lee during the off-season. Each of them has been a great NHL leader for a long time in a big market like New York, and now they have the task of helping this young Utah group take that next step.
On defense, it’s a mixed bag led by Mikhail Sergachev, who has Stanley Cup pedigree himself. Behind their defense is goalie Karel Vejmelka, whois projected to start against the Blackhawks.
Their lineup as a whole in front of Vejmelka, based on practice, should look like this:
Keller - Schmaltz - Trocheck
Lee - Cooley - Guenther
Crouse - Hayton - McBain
O’Brien/Carcone - Stenlund - Yama/But
Sergachev - Weegar
Schmidt - Marino
Simashev - Peeke
Duda - DeSimone
Vejmelka
Cossa
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks shook things up with their lines at practice on Wednesday. They reflect some of the adjustments that head coach Jeff Blashill made during the loss to Vegas on Tuesday. The most notable is placing Patrick Kane with Tyler Bertuzzi. Anton Frondell sits between them.
There is no morning skate ahead of this Thursday night Utah match, so it will have to be assumed for now that they will roll with those changes that were made during practice:
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Kane
Teravainen-Kantserov-Lardis
Donato-Nazar-Moore
Smith-Greene-Greenway
Vlasic-Byram
Kaiser-Levshunov
Cole-Rinzel
Soderblom
Knight
For now, it is assumed that Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro will be the two defensemen scratched again. However, if they repeat their Tuesday night performance against the Vegas Golden Knights, there will be changes that follow.
The Blackhawks are down to 12 healthy forwards with them on the trip as Andrew Mangiapane went back to Chicago for further evaluation on an injury. After all, Teuvo Teravainen will get his chance to play and possibly stick in the lineup.
Teravainen will play on what appears to be the second line with Roman Kantserov and Nick Lardis. He is known for being a playmaker, so these two snipers may help him get back on track.
Arvid Soderblom is the projected starter based on the fact that Spencer Knight played in Game 1 and faced more than 30 shots. We won't know for sure, however, until warmups, which will also confirm the lines and pairs to start the game.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. You can stream it on ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney+. The puck will drop shortly after 8:30 PM CT.
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It hasn’t
always been easy for Arber Xhekaj to not only get into the Montreal Canadiens’
lineup but also to get some playing time once in it. In fact, in the last playoffs,
after playing the seven games of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he
only saw five games of action against the Buffalo Sabres and none in the
Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Worse, in his last playoff game against Buffalo, he got only 1:52 of ice time, so it was hardly surprising that it took him some time to sign a new contract with the Habs. At 25, he needs to think about his future and establish himself as an NHL regular.
On Tuesday
night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he played on the third pairing with Jayden Struble and got 12:20 of
ice time, including 1:29 on the penalty kill. He hadn’t seen that much action
since the last regular-season game, when Noah Dobson was unavailable and
Kaiden Guhle was being rested. As for the penalty kill, that was very out of the ordinary for him, and Derek Lalonde now being in charge of
that aspect of the game may explain why he's getting that new opportunity.
In his 16
shifts, the 6-foot-4 and 240-pound blueliner didn’t land a single hit. The occasion didn’t present itself, and he didn’t go on the ice seeking the big hits. Xhekaj kept things simple and made the low-risk play whenever he was on the ice. At one point, first-overall pick Gavin McKenna pressured him in his own end, but Xhekaj turned the other way and easily escaped the highly touted prospect.
In the
second frame, Brandon Duhaime rocked him with a big hit behind the Canadiens’ net, and he ended up down on the ice. Once upon a time, he would have
gotten up and tried to avenge the hit right away, but he didn’t. He got back up and got right back to the task at hand: defending. The Habs led 2-1 at that point, and there was no time for extracurriculars.
It wasn’t a
spectacular game for Xhekaj and he didn’t even come close to dropping his
gloves, there was one sequence during which Nick Suzuki was sent down to the
ice after the play had been whistled and he looked frustrated, but Xhekaj was
on the bench. The camera cut to hit, looking on intently and most probably
noting the number of the guilty party, but with the Canadiens up by two goals
at that point in the final frame, it wasn’t time to start anything up and he
didn’t. The gritty blueliner has learned to pick his moments which can only
help him stay in the lineup.
Of course,
when Guhle is healthy, he’ll get back in the lineup and that means that one of
Struble or Xhekaj will have to come out. It’s still early, but one game in,
Xhekaj has the upper hand. If he can make himself useful enough on the penalty
kill, that could be a deciding factor. Of course, there’s also the matter of
Adam Engstrom. St-Louis said he was kept with the big club because he’s ready
for the NHL. That’s just one more body to get into the lineup. The team won’t
want him to sit for too long and once Guhle return, it will be interesting to
see if the team decides to keep eight defensemen on the roster. Right now, they’ve
also got 14 forwards which has allowed Florian Xhekaj to remain with the big
club, but when Oliver Kapenen is ready to reintegrate the lineup, that will be
two forwards to sit. When Guhle’s back, the Habs won’t be able to keep 14
forwards and 8 defensemen. Someone will have to go down.
For the sake of the older Xhekaj, Engstrom would be better. He’s still
waiver-exempt, and it would make the blueline less busy. If that happens, it will mean Stuble and Xhekaj have won their three-way battle with the young Swede, at least for now. Up front, there’s no denying
that the Canadiens could use some grit, especially when they take on teams who
play a physical style of play, such as the Florida Panthers, who now have the
Tkachuk brothers in their lineup, but the first duel between the two sides will
only take place in early December.
Sep 30, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Jaden Schwartz (71) and center Nathan MacKinnon (29) after the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice in a four-goal second period and capped his night with a rare fight, and the Colorado Avalanche opened the season with an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.
Hours before the game, Colorado coach Jared Bednar was given a four-year contract extension. Bednar, who led Colorado to the 2022 Stanley Cup title, was in the final year of his current contract. The extension ended speculation on his future after being swept by Vegas in the Western Conference finals last spring.
“I didn’t want him to go through the whole year and have those distractions of being asked that same question, especially as the year goes on,” Avs president and general manager Joe Sakic said before Wednesday night’s game.
Artturi Lehkonen had two goals, Brock Nelson had a goal and two assist and Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves for Colorado, which scored four times on the power play and allowed two short-handed goals.
MacKinnon, who had a career-high 53 goals last season, scored on a 5-on-3 just 23 seconds into the second period and gave the Avs a 4-2 lead with his second at 8:33.
The 2024 MVP, whose last fight was four years ago, dropped the gloves with Kings defenseman Brandt Clark with Colorado leading 6-4 late in the third. Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog scored less than a minute later and Lehkonen iced it with his second 1:03 later.
Trevor Moore, Joel Armia and Brian Dumoulin scored for Los Angeles, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 shots.
Nelson and Kelly scored in the first period to give the Avs a 2-1 lead, and Moore and Armia had goals in the second period for the Kings.
Artemi Panarin scored on a delayed penalty midway through the third.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a goal against Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Evgeni Malkin, Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander scored in the second period and Arturs Silovs stopped 19 shots to help the Pittsburgh Penguins steamroll the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on Wednesday night.
Silovs posted his third career shutout in his 57th start. Nick Robertson scored two goals and Ville Koivunen and Egor Chinakhov also scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby added an assist.
The Penguins’ season ended on the same Philadelphia ice in April when the Flyers won a first-round playoff series in six games.
The Flyers left the clincher to a roaring ovation on Cam York’s winner. Five months later, the Flyers were soundly booed off the ice – reaching a crescendo after the second period – and the opening night festivities were spoiled for a team trying to become a force in the Eastern Conference.
The Penguins are trying to run it back at least one more time between the longtime core of Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang. Malkin signed a one-year deal to remain in Pittsburgh, and the hope is there’s enough magic left to help put the Penguins in position to win a playoff series for the first time in nearly a decade.
The 40-year-old Malkin ripped a one-timer from the slot early in the second period for the 3-0 lead that also gave him 100 career points against the Flyers. He became the sixth player with at least 100 points against the Flyers. Crosby’s assist on Robertson’s game-opening goal extended his record with 140 career points against Philly.
The Penguins scored five goals on their first 18 shots against Dan Vladar. Vladar didn’t play a full period in the preseason as he battled an unspecified injury, and with the Flyers in the first game of a back-to-back set, he was left in the game to take the beating.
Vladar knocked Robertson’s second goal of the game into the net with the back of his skate in a gaffe that made it 6-0.
Up next
Penguins play their home opener Saturday against Montreal.
The preseason auditions are over. Now it counts for Maxim Shabanov.
The Minnesota Wild will open the 2026-27 regular season Thursday night against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, and Shabanov will be one of the more intriguing players to watch as Minnesota begins a new season.
After signing with the Wild during the offseason, Shabanov spent much of training camp getting an opportunity alongside Kirill Kaprizov and Danila Yurov.
Now comes his first chance to show what that combination can do when the games count.
Shabanov steadily improved throughout training camp and started to look increasingly comfortable as the preseason progressed.
"He got better and better as the game went," Wild head coach John Hynes said during the preseason. "I think overall in camp, he's gotten better and better. He understands kind of what's going on."
Shabanov also found the back of the net during the preseason while creating several other scoring opportunities.
The 25-year-old made it clear during camp that the opportunity to play alongside Kaprizov is something he wants to earn.
"He a good player," Shabanov said of Kaprizov. "I happy to play with him. I need try everyday work to play with him. Such a good guy and good skill."
Shabanov also said one of the reasons he chose Minnesota was the opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup.
"It's a good team," Shabanov said. "This team have chance to win [Stanley] Cup and I want help team win a Cup."
Thursday represents the first real test.
Playing alongside Kaprizov comes with an obvious opportunity, but Shabanov will have to show he can complement one of the NHL's top offensive players once the pace and intensity increase in the regular season.
Watch how involved Shabanov is in creating offense, whether he can get himself into scoring areas and, perhaps most importantly, whether he can make plays with Kaprizov rather than simply looking to get him the puck.
Minnesota entered training camp with openings higher in its lineup following significant turnover on the wings during the offseason. Shabanov was given an opportunity to seize one of those spots and did enough throughout camp to remain there entering the regular season.
Now he gets the chance to prove he belongs.
The Wild won't learn everything about Shabanov from one night in Nashville. But after weeks of practices and preseason games, Thursday provides the first meaningful look at what Minnesota might have in its new winger.
And that makes Maxim Shabanov the Wild player to watch in Game 1.
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Sep 29, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) and Chicago Blackhawks right wing Roman Kantservo (80) face off during the second period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Trim-Imagn Images
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists to reach 701 career points, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 in their season opener Tuesday night.
Victor Olofsson notched Vegas’ first goal of the season, rookie Trevor Connelly scored in his NHL debut and Noah Hanifin and Mark Stone added goals as Ryan Craig earned his first victory as the Golden Knights’ head coach. Carter Hart made 24 saves.
Jordan Greenway and Patrick Kane scored for Chicago, and Spencer Knight stopped 32 shots.
Kane marked his return to the franchise he helped lead to three Stanley Cup championships with a third-period goal, but Chicago couldn’t complete the comeback.
Craig took over after six seasons as a Vegas assistant and three coaching its AHL affiliate in Henderson. He inherited a veteran team that reached last season’s Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas got scoring from five players after trading Pavel Dorofeyev, its leading goal scorer last season with 37, including 20 on the man advantage.
Olofsson opened the scoring midway through the first period when his power-play wrist shot found the top shelf from the far side.
Connelly doubled the lead when he flipped a rebound over Knight’s pads.
Greenway scored late in the second when his shot from the right circle flew past Hart, cutting Vegas’ lead to 2-1.
Kane trimmed the deficit to one early in the third with a slick backhand, but Hanifin answered shortly thereafter to restore the two-goal cushion.
Stone’s empty-netter provided the final margin.
Chicago opened without Connor Bedard, who is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected back until late October at the earliest.
DETROIT (AP) — Simon Edvinsson remained unsigned as a restricted free agent the day before the Detroit Red Wings were to open the season at home against the New York Rangers.
Edvinsson did not skate with the Red Wings on Thursday, but the 23-year-old defenseman was seen training with a team in his native Sweden on Wednesday.
“The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives," interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said earlier in the week.
Edvinsson had nine goals and 25 points in 72 games last year, his second full season in the NHL. Detroit drafted him No. 6 overall in 2021 and he has 19 career goals and 60 points in 175 games.
Dylan Larkin, meanwhile, is still in limbo heading into Friday night's opener.
Larkin asked for a trade in the offseason with the franchise mired in a decade-long playoff drought. After he was not traded, the team stripped him of his captaincy. Larkin has been limited during training camp after saying he got hurt working out.
He has five seasons left on the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed in 2023. That deal includes a no-trade clause and he initially told the Red Wings he would only accept a move to Florida, Minnesota or Las Vegas. Larkin recently declined to share which teams he’s willing to be traded to.
He has played his entire NHL career in Detroit, which took the former Michigan star with No. 15 draft pick in 2014. Larkin ranks 10th in franchise history in scoring with 643 points. Larkin was an important role player for the United States when it won the Olympic gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games in February.
Andre Burakovsky was looking like one of the more encouraging developments of Ottawa Senators training camp.
But now the familiar question surrounding the talented winger has surfaced again: Can he stay healthy?
Burakovsky suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens after taking a cross-check in the back near the boards. He was in the process of trying to reverse the puck and Arber Xhekaj checked him head first into the boards then fell on him.
Burakovsky was asked at the start of training camp about his second half slump in Chicago last season (Senators YouTube)..
Burakovsky hasn't been back on the ice since.
On Wednesday, Senators head coach Travis Green confirmed that Burakovsky isn't likely to play in the regular season opener in Toronto on Saturday.
“He still hasn't skated. Upper body. I don't expect him to play on the weekend,” Green said.
Burakovsky joins Artem Zub as players who won't be ready to start the season. Green sounded more hopeful about Jake Sanderson's status, though he didn't skate on Wednesday.
It's unfortunate timing for Burakovsky, who had been very noticeable throughout training camp and the preseason.
At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Burakovsky's size and skating ability stood out, and he appeared to be comfortably tracking toward a spot in the top six. That's exactly what the Senators were hoping for when they acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in June for a sixth-round draft pick.
At his best, Burakovsky has shown he's a guy who can produce at a top-six level.
His finest NHL season came with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22, when he established career highs with 22 goals and 61 points in 80 games before helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup. The previous two seasons, he produced 45 points in 58 games and 44 points in 53 games.
Even his first season in Seattle started well. Burakovsky had 39 points in 49 games and was leading the Kraken in scoring when a groin injury in February ended his season. He suffered setbacks during his rehab and eventually required surgery.
Unfortunately, injuries have been a recurring theme in his career.
Early the following season, Burakovsky required surgery after suffering an upper-body injury against the New York Rangers and was projected to miss six to eight weeks.
Even in his early days with Washington, he missed significant time with injuries to both hands, including a fractured thumb that required surgery, and also underwent another procedure after being injured during the 2018 playoffs.
Burakovsky has been healthier over the past two seasons. He played 79 games for Seattle in 2024-25 and 75 for Chicago last season, producing 11 goals and 33 points for the Blackhawks.
Last November, he missed five games after taking a brutal hit to the head from Seattle's Ryan Lindgren. But that didn't slow down his production in the first half of the season. By Jan. 7, he had 29 points in 38 games. But in the second half? Crickets. Even while playing consistently with Connor Bedard, he had only 4 points in the final 32 games.
The Hawks stuck with him on the top line because their analytics said, despite his slump, he was producing chances. But at some point, the simple goals and assist totals override everything else, which is part of why the Hawks were willing to move him for just a sixth rounder.
When Burakovsky showed up in Ottawa for camp last month, he looked like he might be in the process of rediscovering his first half magic of last season. Instead, he rediscovered the injury bug.
Believe Burakovsky was injured after taking this hit from Xhekaj, who then fell on top of him. Didn't return and isn't skating today. #GoSensGo
It's bad timing for the Sens, and bad timing for Burakovsky.
The 31-year-old is entering the final season of the five-year, $27.5-million contract he signed with Seattle in 2022 and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. With salaries escalating around the NHL, a healthy and productive season could put him in position for another big payday.
There is still plenty of time for that to happen.
But after an encouraging start to his first training camp in Ottawa, already being shut down by injury before the Sens play their first regular-season game is not the ideal start.
Jesper Wallstedt doesn't sound like a goaltender lacking confidence entering his second full NHL season.
The Minnesota Wild open its 2026-27 season Thursday night against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, and Wallstedt enters the year in a much different position than he did 12 months ago.
After putting together one of the best rookie seasons by a goaltender in franchise history, Wallstedt will be counted on heavily early in the season with Filip Gustavsson sidelined.
And Wallstedt likes where he's at.
"I'm happy I got here early," Wallstedt said during training camp. "Got to spend a lot of time with Freddy and all the guys. Kind of made it my own little training camp, made it a little longer.
"Still played two exhibition games and feel like I'm in a great spot. I love where my game is at. So, just very excited, very pumped to finally start playing in some important games again."
The 23-year-old went 18-9-6 with a .916 save percentage and four shutouts last season. His 18 victories set a Wild franchise record for wins by a rookie goaltender in a single season.
Perhaps even more impressive was how Wallstedt performed against the NHL's better teams.
He posted a .931 save percentage against teams that qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the best mark in the NHL among goaltenders who appeared in at least 10 games against playoff teams.
Wallstedt also finished second in the NHL with a .916 save percentage overall and tied for third with four shutouts.
Now comes the next challenge.
Gustavsson will begin the season on injured reserve after undergoing hip surgery, leaving Wallstedt and veteran Calvin Pickard as Minnesota's two healthy NHL goaltenders to begin the year.
It means the Wild will need Wallstedt to carry a larger workload earlier than initially anticipated.
But unlike a year ago, when Wallstedt was still trying to establish himself as a full-time NHL goaltender, he enters this season with 18 wins and a full rookie campaign behind him.
He also had an extended runway into the season after arriving in Minnesota early and getting additional work before playing twice during the preseason.
For Wallstedt, the preseason was about getting himself ready for when the games actually mattered. Now they do.
Minnesota begins its season Thursday night in Nashville, kicking off an 84-game schedule and Wallstedt's second full season in the NHL.
And after what he accomplished as a rookie, the Wild may need his sophomore season to begin right where his first one ended.
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After traveling across the country this week, the Florida Panthers are set to take the ice for their second game of the season.
Fresh off an exciting 1-0 overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida is in northern California looking to ruin their second home opener of the week when they face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night at SAP Center.
It’s a good thing the Panthers are a team that likes being on the road, because they’re going to log plenty of miles over the first few weeks of the season.
Only three of Florida’s first 13 games take place at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.
The Panthers will also get a good test when they face the young and hungry Sharks.
San Jose missed the playoffs by only four points last season and are poised to break back into the big dance this year, led by their young superstar captain Macklin Celebrini.
The Sharks will provide a much different challenge for Florida than what they faced on Tuesday in Carolina.
Speaking after the Panthers practiced at the Sharks’ facility on Wednesday, head coach Paul Maurice discussed what he’s aiming to accomplish in terms of preparation.
“That’s the great test, because we’re going to go from a wing lock, man-to-man team to a trapping zone team, so it’s more Western Conference style,” Maurice said. “And then how do we apply our game to that, that’s a great challenge. It’s not easy to do, to switch like this, but it’s a great and valuable lesson. (San Jose has) lots of speed, an awful lot of skill, and I really like the additions to made to the weight of their team, so it’ll be a good one tomorrow.”
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s swim with the Sharks:
Brady Tkachuk – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilmanis
Photo caption: Nov 8, 2025; San Jose, California, USA;FloridaPantherscenter Carter Verhaeghe (23) shoots against the San JoseSharksduring the third period at SAP Center at San Jose. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)
