NHL Player News

Power (strain) will not be in the lineup to face Pittsburgh on Friday, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Power's absence against the Penguins on Wednesday was described as a minor strain, but now the blueliner finds himself missing a second straight game, albeit a minor-league one. If Power can't suit up for Opening Night versus the Rangers on Thursday, the team will have to hope one or both of Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) or Michael Kesselring (undisclosed) return to 100 percent to avoid having to go with an untested blue line.

Kesselring (undisclosed) will miss Friday's preseason finale versus the Penguins, Heather Engel of NHL.com reports.

Kesselring should make the Opening Night roster for the Sabres, though his undisclosed injury does muddy the waters a bit. With the team also dealing with injuries to Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) and Owen Power (strain), neither of whom is playing Friday, the situation on the blue line is a little murky right now.

Cernak (undisclosed) did not play in the third period of Thursday's preseason game versus the Panthers, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports.

Cernak was in and out of the game a couple of times after taking some knocks. There was no update on his status after the contest, but it's possible the Lightning are just taking the proper precautions to have him healthy for the start of the regular season next Thursday versus the Senators.

Faulk got stitches and may need dental work after taking a stick to the mouth in Thursday's preseason game versus the Senators, Lou Korac of NHL.com reports.

It's unclear at this time if Faulk will miss any time due to the injury. The Blues' preseason finale is Saturday in Chicago, and they begin the regular season next Thursday at home versus the Wild. Assuming he can suit up, Faulk is projected to play on the second pairing at even strength while seeing time in all situations.

Pesce sustained an undisclosed injury Thursday versus the Rangers and is undergoing further evaluation, Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site reports.

Pesce didn't play in the third period of Thursday's preseason contest. The 30-year-old defenseman can be considered day-to-day for now, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Devils held him out of Saturday's preseason finale versus the Flyers.

Luneau was reassigned to AHL San Diego on Thursday.

Luneau looks to have missed out on making the roster as a seventh defenseman. The talented 21-year-old blueliner will look to continue refining his game in the minors in hopes of a call-up during the 2025-26 season.

Hinds was reassigned to AHL San Diego on Thursday.

Hinds' demotion indicates he has likely missed out on making the Opening Night roster. While the 22-year-old is poised to begin 2025-26 with the Gulls, he could be an option for a call-up if injuries arise with the big club.

Buium (undisclosed) was placed on the injured non-roster list Thursday.

The nature of Buium's injury is unknown. The 22-year-old defenseman will begin a second straight season on the non-roster list, and he'll likely report to AHL Grand Rapids once healthy.

Head coach Adam Foote said Thursday that Joseph is dealing with a minor injury and isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason finale against Edmonton, Jeff Paterson of CanucksArmy.com reports.

While the exact nature of Joseph's injury isn't yet clear, it's encouraging that Foote downplayed the severity of the issue. However, it's not yet clear whether Joseph will be available for the start of the regular season.

Hunt was waived by the Blue Jackets on Thursday, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports.

Hunt's impending demotion to the minors comes as a bit of a surprise, considering there were reports he had secured his spot on the Opening Night roster. The move could still just be temporary, as the Jackets have until Oct. 9 to recall the blueliner from the minors. For now, Denton Mateychuk appears to have secured a spot on the roster ahead of Hunt.