NHL Player News

Avon registered a shorthanded empty-net goal and two power-play assists in Sunday's 4-2 preseason win over the Flames.

Avon had his best AHL season in 2025-26 -- he delivered 10 goals and 24 points over 45 regular-season contests with Coachella Valley. The undrafted forward has yet to make his NHL debut, and while Sunday's performance is encouraging, Avon doesn't need to be on fantasy managers' radars at this time.

Point recorded an assist and a shot during Sunday's 2-1 preseason win over the Predators.

Point saw a decrease in production during the 2025-26 campaign, recording 18 goals, 32 assists, 23 blocked shots, 14 PIM and eight hits while averaging 18:15 of ice time across 63 regular-season appearances. He dealt with a pair of injuries last year and will attempt to bounce back this season while maintaining a top-six role for Tampa Bay.

Frost has been working as Calgary's No. 1 center to begin training camp, Chris Wahl of the Flames' official site reported Saturday.

Frost had a decent season offensively in 2025-26, as he put up 22 goals and 43 points over 82 appearances, which marked the first time he played in every regular-season game during his career. The 27-year-old averaged just 15:30 of ice time per game last year, but if he stays in the top-line center role, that number will certainly increase. While Frost could be an interesting flier in deeper formats, his fantasy value could be capped by playing on what is expected to be one the NHL's weaker teams.

Salminen signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Florida on Sunday, PuckPedia reports.

Salminen notched 11 goals and 29 points in 43 games for the University of Denver in 2025-26. The 23-year-old forward will join the Panthers for training camp, but he will likely begin his professional career with AHL Charlotte in 2026-27.

Danault recorded two goals on four shots and a hit in Saturday's 4-1 preseason win over the Maple Leafs.

Danault spent time with the Kings and Canadiens last year, and his production took a significant hit despite appearing in 75 regular-season games. He recorded 11 goals, 17 assists, 63 hits, 40 blocked shots and 26 PIM while averaging 15:34 of ice time. He improved after being dealt to Montreal, and he could put together a bounce-back performance during the 2026-27 campaign.

Joshua didn't play in either of the Maple Leafs' split-squad games Saturday because he is dealing with an undisclosed injury, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Joshua is a veteran winger, so it's not necessarily a problem for him to be sitting out preseason games. However, he was limited to 55 appearances in 2025-26 and hasn't played in more than 63 games in any of the last three years. Joshua will fill a bottom-six role when healthy, but until the Maple Leafs provide a more detailed update, it's unclear when that will happen.

Washe signed a four-year, $9 million contract extension with Anaheim on Saturday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Washe will play the final season of his two-year, $1.63 million contract in the 2026-27 campaign. He contributed two goals, five points, 33 shots on net, 25 blocked shots and 91 hits in 39 appearances with the Ducks during the 2025-26 regular season. Washe will likely be a regular in the lineup this year as part of the team's bottom-six forward group.

Gaudette (upper body) is day-to-day, per Max Miller of NHL.com on Saturday.

Gaudette didn't participate in Saturday's practice and probably won't play in Sunday's preseason matchup against Anaheim. He collected 17 goals, 25 points, 96 shots on net and 53 hits in 66 regular-season contests for the Sharks in 2025-26.

Blackwell (undisclosed) needed to be helped off the ice during Saturday's practice, per Robert Tiffin of NHL.com.

Blackwell had four goals, 15 points, 40 PIM and 112 hits in 70 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He will likely serve in a bottom-six role when he's healthy this campaign. Joel Kiviranta's chances of dressing for the season opener would increase if Blackwell needs some time to recover.

Luostarinen focused on adding muscle during the offseason, Rob Darragh of the Panthers' official site reports Friday.

Luostarinen is slated to be on the third line to begin 2026-27, though he has occasionally moved up in the lineup. The longer offseason created by the Panthers missing the playoffs last spring opened the door for Luostarinen to do more in his offseason workouts. He has recorded at least 24 points in each of the last five years, so he'll have some appeal in deeper fantasy formats.