NHL Player News

Kulich (undisclosed) will not play in Saturday's preseason finale against the Penguins.

Kulich saw action in just 12 regular-season games last year in which he tallied three goals and two assists while averaging a career-high 16:22 of ice time. If the 22-year-old winger can get into the lineup on a more regular basis, he should be capable of pushing for the 30-point threshold.

MacKinnon will make his first and only preseason appearance Friday against the Jets, Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette reports.

MacKinnon didn't appear in Colorado's first two preseason games, but he'll suit up Friday before sitting again Saturday against the Mammoth. Despite his limited appearances during the preseason, the 31-year-old is healthy ahead of the regular season and is in line for a massive workload once again after he recorded 53 goals, 74 assists, 64 hits, 39 PIM and 35 blocked shots while averaging 22:16 of ice time across 80 regular-season appearances during the 2025-26 campaign.

Larkin (upper body) has been ruled out for Saturday's preseason finale against the Blue Jackets, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Head coach Todd McLellan said Friday that Larkin is progressing in his recovery, but he'll ultimately be held out for the Red Wings' final preseason game. Larkin participated in Wednesday's practice session and will now shift his focus toward Detroit's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers on Oct. 2. It's not yet clear whether the 30-year-old will be able to suit up for the regular-season opener, but he's at least progressing in the right direction in his recovery process.

Poitras (lower body) isn't on the roster for Friday's preseason finale against the Capitals, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI reports.

Poitras is considered day-to-day due to a lower-body injury that he sustained during Tuesday's practice session, and he'll be held out for the team's final preseason game. The 22-year-old was ultimately limited to just one preseason appearance due to his injury, and it's not yet clear whether the lower-body issue will impact his availability for Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against the Rangers.

Dunne was placed on waivers by the Capitals for the purpose of reassignment to AHL Hershey on Friday.

Dunne made a career-high 34 regular-season appearances with the Sabres last year and recorded a goal, three assists, 40 hits, 38 PIM and 16 blocked shots while averaging 9:29 of ice time. After signing a one-year deal with the Capitals during the offseason, he'll head to the minors to begin the regular season, assuming he clears waivers.

Lundestrom (Achilles) was placed on non-roster injured reserve by the Blue Jackets on Friday.

Lundestrom underwent offseason Achilles surgery and had already been expected to be sidelined until at least early November. As a result, it isn't particularly surprising to see him placed on non-roster injured reserve just under a week before Opening Night. Once the 26-year-old is healthy, he'll likely handle a bottom-six role for Columbus.

Misa scored a goal on three shots, added three assists and went plus-3 in Thursday's 10-0 preseason win over the Ducks.

Misa didn't pop as a rookie last year, producing 21 points over 45 games. The 19-year-old is poised to take a big leap as the Sharks look to grow as a team in 2026-27. Misa looks likely to feature in a top-six role and on the power play, so keep an eye on this potential breakout candidate.

Eichel scored a goal on three shots and added two assists in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime win over the Mammoth.

Eichel looks good to go to start 2026-27. The 29-year-old's tally was the overtime winner Thursday. Eichel will center the top line and see ice time in all situations as the leader of the Golden Knights' offense. He's posted consecutive seasons of at least 90 points, though he hasn't reached the 30-goal mark since 2023-24.

Stenlund posted three assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 5-4 preseason overtime loss to the Golden Knights.

Stenlund's position with the Mammoth will likely depend on how many prospects make the Opening Night roster. He carries a $2.75 million cap hit, which might deter other teams from claiming him if he lands on waivers. Stenlund is unlikely to see anything more than fourth-line minutes in 2026-27.

Beniers logged two assists and a plus-2 rating in Thursday's 4-3 preseason shootout win over the Flames.

Beniers is poised to enter the season as the Kraken's top-line center once again. He reached the 50-point mark for the second time in four full seasons last year, but he's more of a steady two-way center rather than a true do-it-all leader. Beniers has some appeal in fantasy, particularly in formats that count blocked shots -- he had 69 of those last year, which is a good total for a forward.