NHL Player News

Vlasic (lower body) will travel with the Blackhawks ahead of Tuesday's season opener versus the Panthers, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.

Vlasic, as expected, did not participate in the remainder of the preseason after getting cut by a skate last Sunday during a game versus the Wild. The defenseman is targeting an Opening Night return, and his presence on the road trip suggests that it's still possible. Vlasic figures to fill a top-four role this season but may not get as much power-play time if Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov can keep their spots in the lineup.

Roy sustained an upper-body injury Saturday versus the Blue Jackets and will be evaluated further, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports.

The Capitals also lost Dylan McIlrath (lower body) in Saturday's contest, leaving their defense potentially thinned out before the start of the regular season. More information on Roy's status should be available before the Capitals' first regular-season game Wednesday against the Bruins.

Gagne was reassigned to AHL Colorado on Saturday.

Gagne was up with the big club for Saturday's preseason finale. Barring a standout performance in the AHL, the 23-year-old figures to spend most of 2025-26 with the Eagles.

McIlrath won't return to Saturday's preseason game against Columbus after sustaining a lower-body injury.

McIlrath had two assists, 28 PIM and 38 hits in 17 regular-season appearances with Washington in 2024-25. He's been in the mix for a spot on Washington's Opening Night roster. However, there's a chance McIlrath will make the team but be scratched in the opener versus Boston on Wednesday, even if he's healthy enough to play.

Ekblad (undisclosed) won't finish Saturday's preseason game versus the Lightning.

Ekblad was on the receiving end of a hit from Scott Sabourin, leading to the first of many ejections in the game. The 29-year-old Ekblad's exit may be precautionary, but nonetheless, his status for Opening Night versus the Blackhawks on Tuesday is now in question. If Ekblad misses time, Seth Jones and Gustav Forsling will likely help cover his absence, while Jeff Petry might gain power-play time.

Behrens (undisclosed) sustained an injury in Saturday's preseason game versus the Stars, Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reports.

The details of Behrens' injury weren't revealed after the contest. The 22-year-old defenseman missed all of 2024-25 while recovering from a torn ACL, and it's possible he could end up on season-opening injured reserve again if this is a substantial injury.

Carlsson (lower body) won't play in Saturday's preseason game versus the Mammoth, per the NHL media site.

Carlsson has been unable to play in the preseason while continuing to recover from a lower-body surgery. The 28-year-old defenseman has been skating for about 10 days but may still end up on the injured non-roster list Monday if he isn't cleared to play. Once healthy, Carlsson figures to be waived for assignment to AHL San Jose.

Hague (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

Hague is still approximately 2-3 weeks away from returning to action after sustaining an injury in the Predators' first preseason contest. The defenseman will be in the mix for bottom-four minutes once healthy. Look for Nick Blankenburg to get the first chance to fill in for Hague on the blue line.

Kleven (undisclosed) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's preseason game against Montreal, per Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette.

Kleven hasn't played since exiting a preseason tilt against Toronto on Sept. 21, so it's not clear if he will be an option for Ottawa's regular-season opener against Tampa Bay on Thursday. If Kleven can't play, then Jordan Spence might land a spot on the third pairing.

Cernak (undisclosed) is set to miss Saturday's preseason game against Florida, per Lightning radio announcer Dave Mishkin.

Cernak had three goals, 21 points, 50 PIM, 157 hits and 99 blocks across 76 regular-season appearances with Tampa Bay last year. If he's not available for the Lightning's regular-season opener versus Ottawa on Thursday, then that would significantly increase the chances of Max Crozier being in the lineup.