NHL Player News

Merkulov (undisclosed) was put on non-roster injured reserve Monday.

It wasn't immediately clear when Merkulov was injured or how long he is expected to be on the shelf for. The 25-year-old will probably suit up for AHL Colorado once he's given the green light to appear in a game.

Gaudette (upper body) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

Gaudette was ruled day-to-day near the start of training camp and didn't log any preseason appearances. The 29-year-old forward was a solid role player for San Jose in 2025-26, where he posted 17 goals, 25 points, 96 shots on net, 53 hits and 33 blocked shots across 66 regular-season outings. When he's ready to return, Gaudette will likely slot somewhere in the team's bottom six or if there's no spot available for him, he could be optioned to AHL San Jose.

Barre-Boulet (undisclosed) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on injured reserve, per Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News.

After the Sharks stated that Barre-Boulet was day-to-day for an undisclosed injury Wednesday, the issue has been deemed to warrant a stint on IR. The 29-year-old forward was efficient with AHL Colorado in 2025-26, where he posted 26 goals and 70 points across 70 regular-season games. While he's expected to play primarily with AHL San Jose in 2026-27, the six-year veteran could play a couple of stints at the NHL level if the team's center depth experiences any injuries.

Bedard (shoulder) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list.

Bedard continues to recover from a shoulder procedure he underwent in early July. The expectation for the 21-year-old superstar is for him to rejoin the team sometime in November, barring any setbacks. When he's ready to return, he expected to lead the team offensively after posting 30 goals and 75 points across 69 regular-season games in 2025-26. He holds one of the highest ceilings across the NHL, and while he might not reach the 100-point mark in the upcoming campaign, he could post the necessary pace to reach that number across a full season upon his return. He should be placed on IR in all fantasy leagues that have a spot for it, otherwise he's a worthy bench stash until he's healthy.

Pinto (undisclosed) participated in Monday's practice, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Pinto should be available for Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday. He produced 23 goals, 46 points, 157 shots on net and 94 hits in 72 appearances for the Senators during the 2025-26 regular season.

Lorentz, alongside Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies and a second-round pick, was traded to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

After the Maple Leafs placed Lorentz on waivers Thursday, the veteran center will be given a change of scenery in the Blue Jackets' organization. The 30-year-old forward played his role well in the 2025-26 campaign, where he compiled seven goals, 18 points, 70 shots on net, 154 hits and 48 blocked shots across 71 regular-season appearances. There's still a chance that he could begin the season in the minors, but Lorentz could slot into the fourth-line center role for Columbus due to his proven grit compared to Luca Del Bel Belluz, who is more of a skill-based center. If the Jackets deem that Del Bel Belluz needs another year to develop in the minors, Lorentz would likely be the one who claims the last center spot, giving him a major boost to his fantasy outlook for the 2026-27 campaign.

Huberdeau (hip) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM.

Huberdeau missed the final 26 games of the 2025-26 regular season. He won't be available at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign, and it's unclear when he will be available to return.

Barkey (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday.

Barkey is eligible to be activated whenever he is healthy, but he will likely miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign. He generated five goals, 17 points, 43 shots on net and 43 hits in 43 regular-season appearances for Philadelphia in 2025-26.

Gourde (hip) was placed on the injured non-roster list Monday.

Gourde won't be available to play until at least December after having offseason hip surgery. He contributed 19 assists, 28 points, 114 shots on net, 115 hits and 66 PIM in 82 regular-season games with Tampa Bay in 2025-26.

The Lightning placed James (hand) on non-roster injured reserve Monday.

James entered training camp with a broken hand and was expected to miss the first two weeks of the regular season, so his move to non-roster injured reserve isn't surprising. Conor Geekie and Scott Sabourin are candidates to see increased time in the lineup early in the year while James is sidelined.