NHL Player News

Rifai signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Rifai made his NHL debut in 2023-24, playing a pair of regular-season games with the Maple Leafs. The 26-year-old defenseman spent most of the season with AHL Toronto, scoring twice while adding 17 assists in 57 contests. He exploded in the playoffs with three goals and an assist in four games. Rafai is currently a depth defenseman in the Maple Leafs' organization, and he would need an injury or two to crack the lineup.

Zboril signed a professional tryout agreement with New Jersey on Thursday.

Zboril has been a disappointment since he was selected 13th overall in 2015 by the Bruins. The 27-year-old has appeared in only 76 NHL regular-season games, scoring once and adding 15 assists. Zboril spent the 2023-24 season in the minors, picking up 13 assists in 46 AHL games split between Cleveland and Providence. Should Zboril make the Devils out of training camp, he will be a depth defenseman.

Goligoski has retired from hockey, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports Thursday.

Goligoski played 17 seasons in the NHL, finding the back of the net 87 times while adding 388 assists in 1,078 games for Pittsburgh, Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota. The 39-year-old defenseman played his last three seasons with the Wild, picking up 10 assists in 36 regular-season games in 2023-24.

Staal announced his retirement from the NHL on Thursday.

Staal will join the Rangers as a Player Development Assistant after a 17-year career in the NHL. The 37-year-old compiled 53 goals and 181 assists in 1,136 regular-season games with the Rangers, Detroit, Florida and Philadelphia. The defenseman also chipped in with seven goals and 20 points across 128 playoff outings.

Xhekaj (shoulder) is skating with his Canadiens teammates ahead of training camp, per Luc Gelinas of RDS on Wednesday.

Xhekaj missed the final seven regular-season contests in 2023-24, but he's slated to be ready for the upcoming campaign. The 23-year-old defenseman had three goals, 10 points, 81 PIM and 125 hits across 44 outings last year.

Luneau (knee) is expected to participate in the Rookie Faceoff from Sept. 12-16.

Luneau had one goal and two assists in seven regular-season appearances with the Ducks in 2023-24. However, he didn't return to the ice after being diagnosed with a knee infection shortly after being loaned to Canada for the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. Luneau will get a chance to get back on track in the Rookie Faceoff before attending training camp with the Ducks. He could start the 2024-25 campaign with AHL San Diego if he doesn't land a spot on the NHL roster.

Krug is set for ankle surgery to address pre-arthritic problems and will miss the entire 2024-25 campaign, the team announced Tuesday.

Krug's ankle problem was originally announced back in July with a 6-8 week recovery timeline, but it seems the issue couldn't be addressed without surgical intervention. The team may have had an idea that this was coming, considering they pried Philip Broberg from the Oilers with an offer sheet while also signing free agents Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Ryan Suter to one-year deals. With Krug, who figures to land on long-term injured reserve, out of action, Scott Perunovich could see the biggest uptick in ice time.

Bortuzzo signed a one-year, two-way contract with Utah HC on Saturday, per PuckPedia.

Bortuzzo didn't record a point in 27 regular-season appearances between the Islanders and Blues in 2023-24 while registering 11 shots on goal, 51 blocked shots and 38 hits. He added one assist, 13 blocks and six hits in five playoff outings for the Islanders. The 35-year-old defender will compete for a depth spot with Utah at training camp.

Fehervary will not play for Slovakia at the Olympic qualifying tournament as he is suffering from a nagging minor injury, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports Thursday.

Fehervary stated last week that he would not be available to play for Slovakia if he was less than 100 percent. The 24-year-old has solidified his spot on the Washington blue line, as he has been a regular on the third unit over the last three seasons. Fehervary had three goals, 13 assists, 188 hits and 109 blocked shots in 66 regular-season games in 2023-24. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Benning (hip) is expected to be healthy to start training camp, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports.

General manager Mike Grier recently said Benning has progressed well in his recovery from hip surgery in January, which was expected to sideline the defenseman for five months. The 30-year-old blueliner will be in the running for a bottom-four role in training camp, while the Sharks' offseason additions of Jake Walman and Cody Ceci creates more competition among the team's veterans on defense.