NHL Player News

Soderstrom signed a two-year contract with Brynas IF of the SHL on Sunday, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

Since being selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by Arizona, Soderstrom has one goal and 10 assists in 53 career NHL appearances. The 23-year-old blueliner notched nine goals and 32 points in 62 regular-season contests with AHL Tucson in 2023-24. Utah HC retained Soderstrom's NHL rights in June by giving him a qualifying offer, which could lead to his return to North America in the future.

Mukhamadullin is dealing with general soreness and won't play in any rookie games for the Sharks, Max Miller of The Hockey News reports Friday.

Mukhamadullin is expected to be good to go for main camp, which suggests the issue is indeed a minor one. The 22-year-old blueliner will be competing for a depth role with the Sharks, though it's likely he'll see some time with AHL San Jose in 2024-25.

McWard won't play in rookie games for the Canucks while recovering from a minor injury, Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province reports.

McWard's injury was described as a nagging issue from last season. The defenseman had 17 points in 57 games with AHL Abbotsford in his first full professional season. He's got six NHL games to his name, but there's no guarantee he'll begin 2024-25 with the big club, especially if his injury costs him preseason action.

Hughes is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a left shoulder injury but will not require surgery, the club announced Thursday.

Even on the short end of his injury timeline, Hughes figures to miss the opening 10 games of the season at a minimum, making him a strong candidate to start the campaign on long-term injured reserve. The 21-year-old blueliner avoided injury as a rookie last year, featuring in all 82 regular-season contests in which he tallied nine goals and 38 helpers, including 25 power-play points. With Hughes out of action for the start of the season, Dougie Hamilton will almost certainly move up to the No. 1 power-play unit while Jakub Zboril, who comes into camp on a PTO, could earn his way into a full-time deal.

Lindstrom penned a professional tryout agreement with Anaheim on Thursday, Keith Allen of Detroit Hockey Now reports.

Lindstrom was not qualified by the Ducks in June and comes back on a tryout basis. Lindstrom had three goals and 10 points in 46 regular-season games last season, split between Anaheim and Montreal. He will battle for the seventh spot on the blue line in training camp.

Ristolainen (triceps) was seen skating with his teammates Sept. 3 and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, Jon Bailey of Philly Hockey Now reports.

Ristolainen sustained the injury in February but didn't undergo surgery until April. While it was described as a ruptured triceps tendon, the procedure was never expected to keep Ristolainen out at the start of the preseason. He should be in the mix for a bottom-four role in 2024-25, though he's unlikely to provide much offense since he's reached the 20-point mark in just one of his three years with the Flyers.

Nurse is continuing to recover from an undisclosed injury suffered last season, Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk reports Wednesday.

Nurse is not expected to miss any regular-season games but is unlikely to be available early in camp. As such, look for Nurse to miss the preseason opener versus Winnipeg on Sept. 22. The absence of the veteran blueliner will likely give Travis Dermott more opportunities to show he still has something left in the tank while on his tryout. Once Nurse is cleared to play, he figures to be paired with offseason acquisition Ty Emberson on the second pairing. Nurse may also be in the mix for power-play time, though he'll likely be competing with Emberson and Mattias Ekholm for a spot on the second unit.

Hakanpaa (knee) signed a one-year, $1.47 million contract with Toronto on Wednesday.

Hakanpaa had reportedly secured a two-year deal back in July but that contract was never officially announced by the team, leading to speculation regarding the severity of his knee issue. It seems the two sides were finally able to come to an agreement on a one-year deal instead. The blue line in Toronto is pretty packed, from veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson to youngster Conor Timmins. As such, Hakanpaa is far from a lock to suit up for Opening Night against Montreal on Oct. 9.

Bowey agreed to terms on a professional tryout agreement with the Rangers on Wednesday, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports.

Bowey figures to be a long shot to actually make the Opening Night roster considering the Rangers have plenty of blue-line depth, including veterans Chad Ruhwedel and Ben Harpur. The 29-year-old Bowey hasn't logged an NHL game since 2021-22. He spent all of last season in the KHL, and is more likely to be a candidate for an AHL-only deal with the Hartford Wolf Pack once he's cut from training camp.

Levshunov sustained a foot injury that will sideline him for the Blackhawks' prospect tournament, Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports Wednesday.

Levshunov's injury could impact his ability to make the 23-man roster for Opening Night versus Utah on Oct. 8. With Michigan State last year, the 18-year-old blueliner garnered nine goals and 26 assists in 38 outings. Even if Levshunov makes the team out of training camp, he may still need time in the minors during parts of the 2024-25 campaign.