Kase has not been on the ice since last Monday when he took an elbow to the head from Kings forward Jeff Carter. Kase finished the game and the Ducks haven’t pinpointed what is ailing the oft-injured winger, but he is “close” according to head coach Dallas Eakins. The only way Kase plays in the season opener is if he gets onto the ice over the next few days, so monitor his status leading up to Thursday’s opener.
Eakin was hurt in Friday’s preseason game and is danger of missing the start of the regular season. While he is only day-to-day, Eakin’s injury opens the door for Cody Glass to start the season as the Golden Knights’ No.3 centre.
Tuch crashed hard into the end boards and left the ice during Friday night’s preseason game. The Golden Knights have listed their right-winger as “week-to-week.” With Tuch out, Reilly Smith is guaranteed a spot in the top-6 and it opens the door for Cody Glass to start the year in the NHL.
Rinaldo spent the 2019 season with the Predators but only appeared in 23 games, posting three points (1G / 2A) and 20 PIMS. He also had one assist in three AHL contests. He is expected to start the season in Stockton (AHL) if he clears waivers.
Rieder did not score a goal while compiling 11 assists in 67 games with the Oilers last season. He was able to earn a contract while on a PTO with the Flames and could be part of their fourth line in 2019-20.
Connor was looking for term and he got it. The 22-year-old winger has scored 30-plus goals in back-to-back seasons and set a new career-high in points (66) in 2018-19. Connor is expected to be a fixture on the Jets top-line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler again in 2019-20 and should have no trouble approaching 30 goals again.
Rantanen and the Avalanche came down to the wire but finally came to terms on a six-year deal. The soon-to-be 23-year old has posted back-to-back 80-plus point seasons, including 31 goals and 56 assists last year. He is expected to re-join the Avalanche and should be available for their season opener on Thursday.
Meloche is a former second-round pick of Colorado and is coming off of a 21-point (6G / 15A) season with the Colorado Eagles (AHL). He will report to the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
The Avalanche bolster their goaltending depth a bit by adding the 25-year-old Bibeau. The former sixth-round pick was 16-18-3 with a 2.89 GAA and .904 SV% with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) last year. He will report to the Colorado Eagles.
Sabourin has bounced around the AHL over his career, never appearing in an NHL game. The 27-year-old winger had just four goals and four assists (eight points) in 43 games with the Stockton Heat (AHL) last year.
Laine is coming off of a forgettable season but gets a two-year bridge deal close to $7.0M AAV. Laine’s SH% unsurprisingly fell off of a cliff last year after shooting 18 percent in his first two seasons. Even in a “down year,” Laine still scored 30 goals, which showcases how good he is. Look for his SH% to bounce-back a little bit, making Laine a 40-goal threat again in year-4.
Petrovic appeared in 35 NHL games last season, 26 with Florida and nine with Edmonton, posting just two assists total. Petrovic is big blueliner (6-foot-4, 216 lbs.) that plays a physical brand of hockey in his own end, ranking 11th in the NHL in hits per game (3.3) last year.
The Stars selected Barteaux in the sixth-round (No.168 overall) in the 2018 draft. The 19-year-old defenseman had 34 points (7G / 27A) in 67 games with the Red Deer Rebels (WHL) last year and is in Red Deer again this season, for what will be his fourth WHL campaign.
Patrick will not be going to Europe to start the season and is officially listed as week-to-week. With Patrick missing a couple of weeks, Connor Bunnaman is expected to serve as the Flyers fourth-line centre to begin the season.
After failing to eclipse 50 points in his first two NHL seasons, Tkachuk broke out for 34 goals and 43 assists (77 points) in 80 games. As good as Tkachuk played in 2018-19, he could see some regression in 2019-20, after relying on a 16.4 SH% and 10.2 on-ice SH%. Being stuck behind Johnny Gaudreau on the depth chart also limits Tkachuk’s chances of approaching a point-per-game this season.
Krejci left Monday’s preseason game following a collision with Shayne Gostisbehere and did not return or practice on Tuesday. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said that he will be “re-evaluated on Wednesday” and added that they are going to “take [their] time with it.” With the Bruins season set to start in just over one week, Krejci’s status for the season-opener is in jeopardy.
Boeser took an ugly hit from behind from Senators centre Chris Tierney and Canucks head coach Travis Green announced that Boeser is in concussion protocol. With the regular season just over one week away, Boeser’s status for the season opener is suddenly in question.
Faulk is headed into the final year of a deal that carries a $4.833M AAV cap-hit but gets a deal that will carry him through the 2026-27 NHL season when he will be 35-years-old. Faulk has failed to top 40 points in four straight seasons and is coming off of an 11-goal, 24-assist season in 2019.
Bokk was the No.25 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and is set to play in his second full season with Rögle BK (Swedish Hockey League). Bokk has tremendous speed and hands and is coming off of 23 points (8G / 15A) in 47 games last year.
Through four NHL seasons, Edmundson has never played more than 69 gams and is coming off of just 11 points (2G / 9A) in 64 games last year. The 6-foot-4, 215 lbs. defenseman plays a physical brand of hockey tying for 22nd among D-men in hits (531) over the last four years. Playing on a loaded blueline in Carolina will likely mean third-pairing minutes for Edmundson in 2002.
