NHL Player News

General manager Craig Conroy said Wednesday all Flames players are healthy for on-ice practice Thursday, indicating Sharangovich (foot) has recovered from his injury, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Sharangovich sustained a broken foot in the final game of the 2024-25 season. He was limited to 32 points in 73 contests last year. The 27-year-old is expected to fill a versatile role in Calgary's middle six and should be a candidate for power-play minutes as well.

General manager Craig Conroy said all of the Flames' players are healthy for Thursday's first practice at training camp, indicating Zary (knee) has recovered from his injury, Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan reports.

Zary signed a three-year deal in September as a restricted free agent. The 23-year-old had 27 points in 54 contests in his second NHL campaign, a small step back from his 34-point rookie season. Zary will be in contention for a top-six role this season, though it's not yet clear if he'll center his own line or play on the wing.

Backlund signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension with the Flames on Wednesday.

Backlund was slated to enter the final year of his contract this season, but his new agreement with the team will keep him under contract with Calgary through the 2027-28 campaign. The 36-year-old made 76 regular-season appearances for the Flames last year, racking up 15 goals, 17 assists, 51 blocked shots, 41 hits and 32 PIM while averaging 18:44 of ice time.

Hyman (wrist) won't be ready to join the Oilers for the beginning of training camp, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports.

Hyman underwent surgery to address a wrist injury in late May and is progressing in his recovery, but he'll need some additional rehab time ahead of the regular season. He's no longer in a cast and has resumed skating, but he'll spend some time away from the team to begin training camp. It isn't yet clear whether he'll be ready for the Oilers' regular-season opener against the Flames on Oct. 8, but it seems likely that he'll at least be in the mix to return around that time.

Paul underwent surgery to address an upper-body injury and will be out until early November, Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com reports Wednesday.

Paul had been dealing with this injury last season. He initially tried rehab before ultimately settling on surgery. The 30-year-old had 22 goals and 41 points across 76 regular-season appearances with Tampa Bay in 2024-25, which made it his second straight campaign with at least 20 goals and 40 points. While Paul is out, Zemgus Girgensons might be moved up to the third line, which creates an opening on the fourth unit. Jakob Pelletier, Boris Katchouk and Mitchell Chaffee should be among those competing for that vacancy, with Chaffee being the most likely to win the job.

McGregor landed a professional tryout agreement with the Mammoth on Tuesday.

This will be McGregor's second PTO with Utah in as many years -- he was released in September of 2024 after failing to secure a roster spot. The 26-year-old has played five consecutive seasons with AHL Tucson, which is likely where he'll end up if he is unable to impress the Mammoth during training camp.

Horvat (ankle) will be available for the start of training camp, per Andrew Gross of Newsday on Monday.

Horvat sustained an ankle injury in May while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. He told Rachel Luscher of the Islanders' official site in August that he felt great and ready for the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign. The 30-year-old Horvat accounted for 28 goals, 57 points, 243 shots on net and 100 hits across 81 regular-season appearances in 2024-25. He will likely occupy a top-line role and skate with the first power-play unit this year.

Dach (knee) is on track to be ready to face the Maple Leafs on Oct. 8, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports Monday.

Dach has been skating with his teammates, but may not be able to get into the lineup for the Canadiens during the preseason. While that could mean the 24-year-old gets off to a slow start to the season if he has to shake off some rust, he should be capable of challenging for the 30-point threshold if he can stay healthy this year -- something that's been a significant challenge for Dach in his young career.

Cootes (undisclosed) is expected to be ready for the start of Vancouver's training camp Thursday, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Sunday.

The Canucks relayed that Cootes was held out of Sunday's prospects game versus the Kraken for precautionary reasons, per Drance. The 2025 first-round selection (No. 15 overall) will compete for a roster spot with Vancouver during training camp, but he'll most likely continue to hone his craft with WHL Seattle in 2025-26.

Cootes (undisclosed) will not play in Sunday's prospects game against the Kraken, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic.

Cootes departed Saturday's contest versus Seattle due to an undisclosed injury. It's currently unclear if the 18-year-old will be ready for the start of Vancouver's training camp, which begins Thursday.