NHL Player News

General manager John Chayka said Wednesday that Villeneuve is recovering from knee surgery, Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reports.

It's not clear when Villeneuve underwent his procedure, but the procedure was described as an ACL "construction" that is expected to sideline the defenseman for a long-term period, Jonas Siegel and Joshua Kloke of The Athletic report. Villeneuve signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs in July after he generated 30 points across 61 regular-season appearances with AHL Toronto last year.

Rielly will be limited in camp due to a viral issue, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Night against the Canadiens, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports Wednesday.

Rielly will have less than two weeks to recover before the Leafs open the campaign with a back-to-back. The 32-year-old blueliner logged just six power-play points over 78 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. He figures to be relegated to the second unit again this campaign following Toronto's acquisition of Darren Raddysh in the offseason. As such, Rielly could again be in danger of missing the 40-point threshold.

General manager John Chayka said Wednesday that Domi (back) failed his physical and will be out indefinitely, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

Domi likely won't participate in training camp, and unconfirmed reports suggest that he could miss a significant chunk of the 2026-27 campaign. Domi made 80 regular-season appearances for Toronto in 2025-26, recording 12 goals, 24 assists, 95 PIM, 37 hits and 35 blocked shots while averaging 14:53 of ice time per game.

Johansson is not expected to serve as the backup for the Lightning this season, with that role going to Dennis Hildeby, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports Wednesday.

According to general manager Julian Brisebois, the team is working with Johansson's agent to find him a better landing spot that would include playing time and could help the Lightning shed his $1.25 million cap hit. The 30-year-old backstop saw action in 25 regular-season games last year, going 11-10-2 with a 3.29 GAA and .884 save percentage.

Hildeby is expected to serve as the Lightning's No. 2 goaltender to begin the 2026-27 campaign, Benjamin Pierce of the Lightning's official site reports.

Tampa Bay acquired Hildeby from the Maple Leafs in early July. He's slated to be Andrei Vasilevskiy's primary backup, as the Lightning seek a trade for Jonas Johansson. Hildeby posted a 5-7-4 record with a 2.85 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 20 regular-season games with Toronto last year.

Holmberg (collarbone) is expected to be available for the start of the 2026-27 season, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports Wednesday.

General manager Julien BriseBois listed several players Wednesday who aren't expected to be available to begin the campaign, and Holmberg wasn't mentioned after he missed the end of the 2025-26 campaign due to a fractured clavicle. Prior to his injury, Holmberg appeared in a career-high 70 regular-season games during his first year with the Lightning, and he recorded 11 goals, 11 assists, 66 hits, 31 blocked shots and 31 PIM while averaging 13:21 of ice time.

James has a broken hand and is expected to miss the first two weeks of the regular season, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports Wednesday.

James had seven goals and 15 points in 43 regular-season appearances with the Lightning in 2025-26. His absence at the start of the campaign might create an opening for Jakob Pelletier, Scott Sabourin or Conor Geekie to begin the season as a member of the fourth line.

Gourde underwent offseason hip surgery and will not be available until December, Lightning reporter Gabby Shirley reports Wednesday.

Gourde played in all 82 regular-season games last year, generating nine goals and 19 helpers. He missed the 30-point threshold for the first time since 2016-17. With Dominic James (hand) also unavailable to start the season, the Bolts suddenly find themselves thin at center, which could create an opportunity for Jansen Harkins. Look for Gourde to start the year on long-term injured reserve, though the move may not become official immediately.

Vasilevskiy doesn't believe the shortened training camp will impact his readiness for the 2026-27 campaign, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports Wednesday.

The NHL has reduced the number of preseason games each team plays to four to accommodate the increase in regular-season tilts from 82 to 84. The Lightning will naturally lean heavily on Vasilevskiy as they always do when he's healthy, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him reach 60 regular-season starts for the fifth time in his career. He fell just short of that mark in the 2025-26 regular season, posting a 39-15-4 record, 2.31 GAA and .911 save percentage in 58 appearances.

The Canadiens announced Wednesday that Guhle is recovering from minor adductor muscle surgery that he underwent over the summer, and he's expected to return in 4-5 weeks.

Reports surfaced early in the week that Guhle would miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign following offseason surgery, and the nature of his procedure and a return timetable have now been revealed. The 24-year-old's timeline suggests that he could return as early as mid-October. However, the Canadiens could exercise caution with his recovery since he's slated to miss the entirety of training camp. Guhle recorded two goals, nine assists, 86 hits, 63 blocked shots and 41 PIM while averaging 19:28 of ice time per game across 39 regular-season appearances last year.