NHL Player News

Merzlikins (shoulder), Kirill Marchenko and Miles Wood were traded to the Maple Leafs from the Blue Jackets on Monday in exchange for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a second-round pick, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

It's not yet clear when Merzlikins will be ready to make his 2026-27 debut after he underwent shoulder surgery in late August. The 32-year-old is entering the final season of his five-year, $27 million contract, and the Blue Jackets will retain 18 percent of his salary as part of Monday's deal. Merzlikins made 30 regular-season appearances for Columbus last year and went 14-11-3 with a 3.39 GAA and .883 save percentage. Once he's healthy, he'll likely compete for playing time with Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.

Lorentz, alongside Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies and a second-round pick, was traded to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

After the Maple Leafs placed Lorentz on waivers Thursday, the veteran center will be given a change of scenery in the Blue Jackets' organization. The 30-year-old forward played his role well in the 2025-26 campaign, where he compiled seven goals, 18 points, 70 shots on net, 154 hits and 48 blocked shots across 71 regular-season appearances. There's still a chance that he could begin the season in the minors, but Lorentz could slot into the fourth-line center role for Columbus due to his proven grit compared to Luca Del Bel Belluz, who is more of a skill-based center. If the Jackets deem that Del Bel Belluz needs another year to develop in the minors, Lorentz would likely be the one who claims the last center spot, giving him a major boost to his fantasy outlook for the 2026-27 campaign.

Gustavsson (hip) was placed on injured reserve Monday, according to Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

Gustavsson is expected to be out until at least early November. He posted a 28-15-6 record with two shutouts, a 2.69 GAA and a .903 save percentage in 50 appearances for Minnesota during the 2025-26 regular season. Once he returns, Gustavsson will be in the mix for starts with Jesper Wallstedt.

Wood, Kirill Marchenko and Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder) were traded to the Maple Leafs from the Blue Jackets on Monday in exchange for Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a second-round pick, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Wood was waived by Columbus on Saturday and cleared waivers a day later, but he'll get a change of scenery ahead of the 2026-27 regular season. The 31-year-old appeared in 54 regular-season games with the Blue Jackets last year and recorded eight goals, six assists, 63 hits, 26 PIM and 19 blocked shots while averaging 11:51 of ice time.

Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz and a second-round pick were traded to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs on Monday in exchange for Kirill Marchenko, Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder), Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

After spending the last three seasons with the Flyers, Andrae signed a two-year, $3.1 million contract with the Maple Leafs in July, but he'll be on the move before ever suiting up for Toronto in a regular-season game. He made a career-high 61 regular-season appearances with Philadelphia last year, recording two goals, 11 assists, 68 hits, 58 blocked shots and 22 PIM while averaging 15:20 of ice time. The 24-year-old will likely serve as depth on Columbus' blue line early in the regular season.

Knies, alongside Emil Andrae, Steven Lorentz and a second-round pick, was traded to the Blue Jackets from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Kirill Marchenko, Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Knies was the centerpiece of the package Columbus received in Monday's deal. The 23-year-old forward has a high ceiling as a developing two-way winger, which made him the ideal player to get in return if the Jackets were to trade away Kirill Marchenko. Across 79 regular-season outings in the 2025-26 campaign, Knies posted the best offensive numbers of his career, compiling 23 goals, 66 points, 140 shots on net, 152 hits and 32 blocked shots. While he'll no longer be skating on a line with Auston Matthews, Knies will have the opportunity to develop a connection with rising center Adam Fantilli, who will likely be the new focal point in the forward room with Marchenko's departure. Regardless, Knies still holds a high ceiling in fantasy leagues that value all-around play.

Huberdeau (hip) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per Pat Steinberg of QR Calgary 770 AM.

Huberdeau missed the final 26 games of the 2025-26 regular season. He won't be available at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign, and it's unclear when he will be available to return.

Marchenko, Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder) were traded to the Maple Leafs from the Blue Jackets on Monday in exchange for Matthew Knies, Emil Andrae, Steven Lorentz and a second-round pick, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Marchenko didn't plan to sign a long-term deal with Columbus, but he signed a six-year, $72.5 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs on Monday upon being traded, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports. Marchenko handled a prominent role for the Blue Jackets in recent years, most recently recording 27 goals, 40 assists, 61 hits, 40 blocked shots and 32 PIM while averaging 18:57 of ice time across 76 regular-season appearances during the 2025-26 campaign. He could have an opportunity to play on a line alongside Auston Matthews in Toronto while continuing to see time on the power play.

Lamoureux will miss 4-6 months following surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder, the team announced Monday. Additionally, the blueliner was placed on injured reserve.

Lamoureux was a lock for injured reserve given his recovery timeline. Even if healthy, the 22-year-old blueliner faced an uphill battle to secure a spot on the Opening Night roster. Once given the all-clear, Lamoureux should be expected to head down to the minors before being on the shortlist of potential call-ups.

Rathbone was placed on injured reserve by the Sabres on Monday for an undisclosed reason.

The nature of Rathbone's injury isn't yet clear, but he'll be sidelined for the start of the regular season. Across 49 regular-season appearances with AHL Rochester last year, he recorded five goals, 13 assists and 26 PIM.