NHL Player News

Barkov (knee) underwent surgery Friday to repair injuries to his right ACL and MCL and will miss 7-9 months.

Even in a best-case scenario, it is almost certain Barkov will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 regular season. If he's on the long end of the timeline, he could also miss the playoffs. The Panthers will have to dig deep to cover Barkov's absence, which will likely lead to a bigger role for Anton Lundell and a committee approach to filling bottom-six minutes. Expect Barkov to be placed on long-term injured reserve prior to the start of the season.

Desnoyers (wrist) was reassigned to QMJHL Moncton on Friday.

Desnoyers is no longer in the Mammoth's camp and will continue his recovery from wrist surgery with his junior club. He has not signed his entry-level contract yet. The 18-year-old was selected fourth overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, so there will be high expectations for him to impress with Moncton once healthy.

McGregor was released from his professional tryout with the Mammoth on Friday.

McGregor will report to AHL Tucson's camp. If he plays well on his minor-league deal, he could earn a two-way contract later.

Acciari (abdomen) won't play in Friday's preseason game versus the Red Wings.

Acciari has been in a non-contact jersey over the last few days. He's on track to be healthy for Opening Night, but it's not yet clear if he'll draw into any preseason contests.

Stephenson (undisclosed) won't be in action versus Vancouver on Friday, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

Stephenson has reached the 50-point threshold in each of his last four seasons, including the 2024-25 campaign in which he set a new personal best with 18 power-play points. If he avoids a lengthy stint on the shelf, which seems likely considering he was classified as day-to-day, Stephenson should be capable of continuing to produce at that level in 2025-26.

O'Brien (undisclosed) has been ruled out for Friday's preseason game against the Canucks, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

O'Brien was in a non-contact sweater during Wednesday's practice session, and he'll be left off the roster for Friday's preseason game. The exact nature and severity of his injury aren't yet clear, but his next opportunity to suit up will be in Monday's preseason game against the Flames. Once he's healthy, he'll likely head to OHL Brantford for a third consecutive season.

McCann (lower body) will not be in action versus Vancouver on Friday, Alison Lukan of the Kraken Hockey Network reports.

McCann was labeled day-to-day by the team Sunday but remains on the shelf heading into Friday's contest. The 29-year-old winger hasn't been ruled out for Opening Night against the Ducks on Oct. 9 and has two more opportunities to get into a preseason contest. Barring any setbacks, McCann should be capable of reaching the 60-point threshold for the fourth consecutive campaign.

Foudy was placed on waivers by the Islanders on Friday, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports.

Foudy inked a two-way contract with the Islanders in late June after spending most of the 2024-25 campaign at AHL Bridgeport. Assuming he passes through waivers, he'll likely head back to Bridgeport for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Lund (upper body) will be in the lineup against the Golden Knights on Friday, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

In his brief cameo with the Sharks last year, Lund notched two goals and one assist in 11 contests. While the 2022 second-round pick has shown flashes of his offensive game, he likely will be headed for AHL San Jose to start the upcoming season. Still, if Lund can produce like he did in his junior season at Northeastern University -- 40 points in 37 games -- with the Barracuda, he could earn himself a call-up at some point.

Barkov is having surgery to repair a right knee injury Friday and will be sidelined indefinitely, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports.

While the team hasn't provided a specific timeline or announced the exact nature of his knee surgery, there is concern that this could end his 2025-26 campaign before it even starts. At this point, Barkov probably isn't worth the risk in re-draft formats and only has value in keeper/dynasty contests, where he can be stashed away for the 2026-27 campaign. With Barkov out, Anton Lundell will likely be pressed into the second-line center role to open the season.