NHL Player News

Rifai was put on waivers Sunday, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Rifai supplied two goals and 19 points in 57 contests for AHL Toronto during the 2023-24 regular season. He could see playing time with the Maple Leafs in 2024-25, assuming he doesn't get claimed by another team.

Doughty (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Sunday.

Doughty is considered month-to-month following ankle surgery. He sustained a fracture during the preseason, and an exact timeline for his recovery remains unclear. The 35-year-old defender accumulated 15 goals, 50 points, 135 shots on net, 142 blocked shots and 109 hits in 82 games in the 2023-24 regular season. Jordan Spence, Kyle Burroughs and Brandt Clarke could see increased roles during Doughty's absence.

Ruhwedel (undisclosed) was a full participant in Sunday's practice, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

Ruhwedel is expected to be available for Opening Night against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, but it's unclear if he will be in the lineup. He provided one goal, four points, 90 hits and 44 blocked shots in 52 regular-season games between the Rangers and Penguins in 2023-24.

Robertson was placed on waivers Sunday, PuckPedia reports.

Robertson had four goals and 21 points across 68 regular-season outings with AHL Hartford in 2023-24. He will likely spend most, if not all, of the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.

Vancouver acquired Brannstrom from Colorado on Sunday in exchange for Tucker Poolman (head) and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick.

Brannstrom signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Avalanche in July after Ottawa declined to issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year-old defender had three goals, 20 points, 77 shots on net and 111 blocked shots in 76 games with the Senators in the 2023-24 regular season. Following the trade, Brannstrom was placed on waivers with the intent to assign him to AHL Abbotsford.

Brown was put on waivers Sunday.

Brown signed a three-year, $3 million contract with the Oilers in July. He produced three goals, 10 points, 75 PIM, 112 hits and 85 blocked shots in 51 contests with the Coyotes in the 2023-24 regular season. If he begins the 2024-25 campaign with AHL Bakersfield, he will probably be among the first call-ups for the Oilers if reinforcements on defense are needed.

Skinner was returned to AHL Springfield on Sunday.

Skinner accounted for three goals, 10 points and 94 PIM across 50 AHL regular-season appearances in 2023-24. The 23-year-old defender doesn't have any NHL experience yet, and he will probably spend most of the 2024-25 campaign in the minors.

Ekblad notched three assists, one on the power play, in Saturday's preseason win over the Kings.

The 28-year-old blueliner had a helper in every period, giving him a full head of steam heading into the regular season. Ekblad's had difficulty staying healthy in his career and is coming off a disappointing 2023-24 campaign in which he managed only four goals and 18 points in 51 regular-season games, but with Brandon Montour now in Seattle, the Panthers will be counting on Ekblad to bounce back in a big way this season.

Mateychuk was loaned to AHL Cleveland on Sunday.

Mateychuk registered three assists in four playoff contests with Columbus' top minor-league affiliate in 2023-24. He should see plenty of ice time in the AHL this campaign and could make his NHL debut at some point in 2024-25.

McNabb logged two assists, two hits and two PIM in Saturday's 6-5 preseason loss to the Sharks.

McNabb isn't known for his offense, but he was able to contribute in the Golden Knights' preseason finale. Last year saw the defenseman record a career-best 26 points and 207 blocked shots while adding 148 hits and a plus-18 rating over 82 contests. The 33-year-old's physicality may continue to drop as he ages, and if he remains on the third pairing for most of 2024-25, he'll have a tough time getting back to the 20-point mark.