NHL Player News

Chytil (face) participated in a scrimmage Wednesday and told reporters afterward that he feels good heading into 2026-27, Chris Faber of the Canucks' official site reports.

Chytil's last official game action was Feb. 2. "I feel good. It was long, since I had [an] offseason since February, so I had a lot of time to focus on certain things, and I think it went well off the ice and on the ice as well," said Chytil. "I'm ready for [the] season." While his lengthy injury history will remain a concern -- he's played in a total of just 78 games over the last three campaigns -- Chytil is projected to see at least middle-six minutes for the Canucks. His best year was 2022-23 with the Rangers, as he put up 45 points in 74 regular-season contests, and getting back to that level would make him a decent in-season pickup for fantasy managers.

Thomas is set to become the 25th captain in Blues history, the team announced Wednesday.

Thomas is taking over for Brayden Schenn, who was traded to the Islanders in March. The 27-year-old Thomas is entering the fourth campaign of his eight-year, $65 million contract, so he's set to wear the 'C' for years to come. He had 25 goals and 64 points in 64 regular-season outings in 2025-26, which made it his fifth straight regular season with over 60 points.

Marchessault (undisclosed) is expected to be available for training camp, Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey reports Tuesday.

General manager Chris MacFarland believes the Predators will have all their players ready for camp. Marchessault will be trying to bounce back from a tough 2025-26, in which he was limited to 31 points in 62 regular-season contests. The 35-year-old winger can be tentatively penciled in for a top-six role with power-play time, but he could slide to the third line and second power-play unit if some of Nashville's prospects take a big leap heading into the year.

Jarnkrok inked a three-year contract with Brynas IF (Sweden) on Monday.

After 13 seasons in the NHL, Jarnkrok will return to Brynas IF, the club for which he played his junior hockey before spending four seasons with the professional team. During his time in the NHL, the 34-year-old center logged 774 regular-season games, producing 143 goals and 173 assists, with the bulk of those games coming with the Predators. Given the length of his deal, this will likely end Jarnkrok's NHL career, with him eventually retiring overseas.

Benak will join the University of Western Michigan ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, the team announced Thursday.

Benak racked up 28 goals and 49 assists in OHL Brantford last season, adding another 11 points in 15 postseason tilts. Selected by the Wild in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old center figures to spend at least another year or two developing before making the jump to the professional ranks.

The Oilers announced Wednesday that Savoie (undisclosed) has been ruled out for training camp so he can rehab from an injury that occurred during an offseason training session.

Ryan Rishaug of TSN adds that Savoie is unlikely to be available until late October. While the exact nature of Savoie's injury isn't yet known, it's serious enough to sideline him for training camp activities in September. This news hurts Savoie's stock in upcoming fantasy drafts, but managers should keep an eye on him when he returns to the lineup -- he could be an appealing option if he winds up in a top-six role. The 22-year-old appeared in all 82 regular-season games last year and recorded 18 goals, 19 assists, 37 blocked shots, 24 PIM and 14 hits while averaging 14:47 of ice time.

The Oilers announced Wednesday that Janmark (undisclosed) isn't expected to participate in training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Janmark underwent season-ending surgery in late March to address a chronic injury, and he hasn't yet recovered enough to be ready for training camp in September. While the Oilers haven't officially revealed his status for the start of the regular season, it wouldn't be surprising to see him miss time since he'll presumably need to ramp up before he's in the mix to return to game action. Across 43 regular-season appearances with Edmonton last year, he recorded a goal, seven assists, 22 PIM, 13 blocked shots and 10 hits while averaging 11:51 of ice time.

Raty will likely have opportunities to take on an expanded role during the 2026-27 season, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Drance reports that there were times last season in which Raty wasn't in the good graces of former head coach Adam Foote, but the 23-year-old center should benefit from a fresh start under new bench boss Manny Malhotra. Across 66 regular-season appearances last year, Raty generated four goals, 10 assists, 165 hits, 22 PIM and 16 blocked shots while averaging 12:01 of ice time, and he should have plenty of chances to showcase his two-way prowess this season.

Cootes will likely see more games in the NHL during the 2026-27 campaign, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic on Monday.

Cootes appeared in three games with Vancouver last October after claiming an NHL roster spot out of training camp. He will be in the mix for an Opening Night position again ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, but he is also eligible to play in the AHL or return to the junior ranks. The Canucks selected Cootes with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Draisaitl feels healthy and is hopeful for the start of the 2026-27 campaign, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports Friday.

Draisaitl was limited to 65 regular-season appearances during the 2025-26 campaign, his lowest mark over a full season during his NHL career. After missing the final month of the regular season due to a lower-body injury last year, he returned for the start of the postseason and recorded points in each of the Oilers' six first-round matchups against Anaheim. Draisaitl said that Edmonton's first-round exit gave him additional time to recover during the offseason, and he hopes that new head coach Mike Babcock will help the team find additional cohesion during the 2026-27 season. Across his 65 regular-season appearances last year, Draisaitl generated 35 goals, 62 assists, 34 hits, 26 PIM and 15 blocked shots while averaging 21:35 of ice time, and he remains one of the league's top fantasy options heading into this year.