NHL Player News

Ponomarev (upper body) was placed on season-opening injured reserve Monday.

Ponomarev will almsot certainly be reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once he is cleared to return to action. The 22-year-old Russian played in two NHL games last year for the Hurricanes, tallying one goal and one assist while averaging 9:41 of ice time. While he could earn a call-up from time to time, Ponomarev should see the bulk of his time in the minors this year.

Joshua (testicular cancer) has resumed skating and is likely a few weeks away from returning, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports Monday.

Joshua underwent surgery for testicular cancer in September, and the Canucks have been hopeful that he'll be able to return to action this season. It's encouraging that he's been back on the ice recently, but he'll likely need to ramp up before he's in the mix to return to game action. The 28-year-old made 63 regular-season appearances for Vancouver last year and logged 18 goals and 32 points while averaging 14:23 of ice time.

Lizotte (concussion) landed on injured reserve Monday.

Lizotte's designation for IR shouldn't come as a surprise considering he is out indefinitely after sustaining a concussion. Even once medically cleared, the Minnesota-born winger is far from guaranteed a spot on the Penguins' roster and could find himself heading down to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Aston-Reese was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jackets on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Aston-Reese was waived by the Golden Knights on Sunday despite a solid preseason performance, and he'll land with Columbus ahead of the regular season. The 30-year-old was limited to just three regular-season appearances in the NHL last year, and it seems unlikely that he'll have a major role with his new organization.

Lavoie was picked up off waivers by Vegas from Edmonton on Monday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Lavoie has just seven games of NHL experience, all of which came last season. In those outings, the 24-year-old center notched four shots, 13 hits and two PIM while failing to get onto the scoresheet. Even with the move to Vegas, Lavoie is far from a lock for the lineup on a nightly basis and will have to compete with the likes of Keegan Kolesar and Victor Olofsson for minutes.

Graf was assigned to AHL San Jose on Monday.

Graf got his first taste of NHL action last season, recording two points and seven blocked shots over seven regular-season appearances. He didn't earn a spot on the Sharks' Opening Night roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and will likely spend most of this season in the AHL.

Johnston, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, is still expected to suit up versus Nashville on Thursday, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports.

Johnston played in all 82 games in each of the previous two seasons, but that record could be in doubt if he suffers a setback ahead of Thursday's Opening Night contest. If he avoids any extended absences, Johnston could challenge his career-high numbers from last season when he set personal bests in goals (32), assists (33) and shots on net (216).

Head coach Pete DeBoer said Monday that Bourque (undisclosed) is doubtful for Opening Night against the Predators on Thursday, Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine reports.

Bourque dealt with an undisclosed injury during training camp but returned to practice last week. However, he wasn't on the ice for Monday's practice session and will likely be unavailable to begin the regular season due to injury. The exact nature of his ailment is unclear, and a timetable for his return isn't yet known.

Jenner (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.

According to Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch, Jenner suffered a long-term injury in Friday's practice. The 31-year-old Jenner notched 22 goals, 35 points, 155 shots on net and 119 hits in 58 appearances during the 2023-24 regular season. He is projected to be replaced on the top line by Yegor Chinakhov.

Lambert was assigned to AHL Manitoba on Monday, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site reports.

Lambert recorded an assist in his lone NHL appearance last year and will be left off the Jets' Opening Night roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. The 20-year-old should spend most of the season in the minors.