NHL Hockey Player News

Gostisbehere (undisclosed) will miss the Flyers' season opener on Wednesday.

Gostisbehere has missed the last couple of practices and will miss the season opener vs. the Penguins. Gostisbehere was skating on the top-pair in the middle of camp but Justin Braun will assume that role on Wednesday. Gostisbehere is not on IR, so he shouldn't miss an extended period of time.

Shayne Gostisbehere
Johnson (undisclosed) is not expected to play on opening night.

Johnson remains unfit to participate and has not been in training camp, so Conor Timmins will take his place in the opener on Wednesday. Timmins will draw in and skate with Samuel Girard at even-strength. Consider Johnson as day-to-day until the Avalanche release more information.

Erik Johnson
Price is expected to start the Canadiens season opener in Toronto.

Price led the NHL in games played and minutes played (3440) in 2020 but could get more breathers this year with Jake Allen in as his backup. Price, who was 27-25-6 with a 2.79 GAA and .909 SV% in 58 starts, draws a tough assignment in the season opener. The Maple Leafs were third in the NHL in scoring last year but Price was 3-0-0 with a 2.58 GAA and .912 SV% against them.

Carey Price
Bobrovsky (undisclosed) is not expected to be ready for the start of the season.

Bobrovsky has yet to take the ice for training camp and remains on the unfit to play list. With Bobrovsky still not on the ice, it seems highly unlikely that he will be available for Sunday's season opener vs. the Blackhawks. With Bobrovsky out, Chris Driedger and Samuel Montembeault will be the Panthers' goaltending duo.

Sergei Bobrovsky
The Panthers have claimed Noah Juulsen off of waivers from the Canadiens.

Juulsen was a first-round pick (No.26 overall) in 2015 but only played in 44 NHL games since. Juulsen has dealt with headache issues in recent years, last year playing just 13 games with Laval (AHL). Still, he is just 23-years-old and has a bright future as long as he can stay healthy and on the ice.

Noah Juulsen
Rask will start the Bruins season opener in New Jersey.

Bruins' head coach Bruce Cassidy named Rask as his game one starter and said that Rask is expected to start roughly 35 of the 56 games. The 33-year-old netminder was 26-8-6 while leading the NHL with a 2.12 GAA and .929 SV% (2nd). In two starts vs. the Devils, Rask went 2-0-0 while allowing just one goal on 57 shots (.982 SV%).

Tuukka Rask
The Devils have signed Jesper Bratt to a two-year contract worth $5.5 million ($2.75M AAV).

Bratt was the Devils' last remaining unsigned RFA but got a two-year deal on Sunday night. Bratt set a new career-high in goals (16) while adding 16 assists (32 points) in 60 games a season ago. Bratt will miss the start of the regular season but is expected to be in the Devils top-6 when he makes his debut.

Jesper Bratt
Granlund is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

Granlund has yet to arrive at Predators' training camp but hopes to travel to Nashville this week. Granlund will have to quarantine upon his arrival, which means he will miss the start of the regular season. Granlund figures to slot in on the Predators' second line once he joins the team.

Mikael Granlund
Grubauer is expected to start opening night vs. the Blues.

Grubauer went 18-12-4 with a 2.63 GAA and .916 SV% in 36 starts in 2020. Grubauer comes into 2021 as the No.1 netminder for one of the best teams' in the NHL but Pavel Francouz is one of the more capable backups in the league, so he will need to play well to earn himself a large share of the starts. Grubauer was 2-2-0 with a 3.26 GAA and .882 SV% in four starts vs. the Blues a season ago.

Philipp Grubauer
Rossi is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.

Rossi's seven-day quarantine after arriving from the World Juniors has ended but the Wild unexpectedly announced that he is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury without ever practicing with the team. Rossi was expected to start the season with the Wild and play the maximum six games before decided whether to keep him on the roster or send him back to Zurich (Swiss-A). Expect the Wild to provide another update after Rossi undergoes further testing.

Marco Rossi
The Panthers have claimed Gustav Forsling off of waivers from the Hurricanes.

Forsling is familiar with new Panthers bench boss Joel Quenneville from their days together in Chicago. Forsling has had a tough time becoming a full-time player in the NHL, never playing more than 43 games in a single-season (2019). He has 27 points (8G / 19A) in 122 career NHL games and will likely continue to serve a similar, fringe roster player role in Florida.

Gustav Forsling
The Red Wings have claimed Christian Djoos off of waivers from the Ducks.

Djoos, who was originally a seventh-round pick of the Capitals in 2012, has appeared in 119 career NHL games with Washington and Anaheim. Djoos is a modern-day NHL defenseman, who is mobile and a solid puck-mover from the back-end. He has 27 points (5G / 22A) in his brief NHL career thus far and will likely be the seventh defenseman in Detroit.

Christian Djoos
Crawford has announced his retirement from the NHL.

One day after taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Devils, Crawford announced his retirement. Crawford said in a statement that he believes he's "given all I can to the game of hockey." Crawford played 10 full NHL seasons, going 260-162-53 with a 2.45 GAA and .918 SV% in 488 regular-season games. He is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and has twice been a part of the William M. Jennings Trophy tandem.

Corey Crawford
The Islanders have re-signed Mathew Barzal to a three-year contract extension worth $21.0 million ($7.0M AAV)

Barzal debuted in Islanders' camp on Saturday, fresh off of a three-year contract extension. The 23-year-old centre had 19 goals and 41 assists (60 points) in 68 games a season ago and has averaged 14 goals and 36 assists (50 points) per 56-games over the last three years. Given the depth at the position, Barzal is a strong No.2 fantasy centre now that he'll be there for the start of the 2021 season.

Mathew Barzal

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!