NHL Player News

Pinto (undisclosed) participated in Monday's practice, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Pinto should be available for Ottawa's season opener against Toronto on Saturday. He produced 23 goals, 46 points, 157 shots on net and 94 hits in 72 appearances for the Senators during the 2025-26 regular season.

Sandin (knee) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on the injured non-roster list.

Sandin continues to recover from the procedure he underwent in April to repair his torn ACL. Prior to injuring his right knee, the 26-year-old blueliner was a regular contributor for the Capitals, as he posted five goals, 29 assists, 90 shots on net, 88 hits and 127 blocked shots across 73 regular-season outings in 2025-26. Barring any major setbacks, his recovery will likely keep him out for the first one to four months of the upcoming season.

DeBrusk (lower body) is expected to play in Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against the Oilers, Ben Kuzma of Postmedia reports.

DeBrusk missed Monday's practice session due to a lower-body contusion that he sustained during Saturday's preseason finale against the Kraken, but the issue isn't expected to force him to miss time to begin the regular season. The 29-year-old made 81 regular-season appearances with Vancouver last year, logging 23 goals, 19 assists, 66 hits and 34 blocked shots while averaging 16:52 of ice time.

Englund (not injury related) was moved to the non-roster list Monday.

Englund has to resolve an immigration issue before being eligible to play for the Red Wings. Detroit claimed him off waivers from Calgary on Saturday.

Faber (upper body) will begin the 2026-27 regular season on injured reserve, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.

Faber suffered the upper body injury during Friday's preseason matchup against the Stars. While he stayed in the game until the end of the second intermission, the issue has been revealed to be serious enough to keep him off the ice for Opening Night. It's a tough loss for the Wild's defensive unit, as Faber had a career year in the 2025-26 season with 15 goals, 51 points, 173 shots on net and 148 blocked shots across 80 regular-season games. His status will be monitored closely until more information about his timetable for return is released. Regardless, he will likely return to a role on the team's top pairing next to Quinn Hughes when healthy.

Stillman (undisclosed) was moved to the injured non-roster list Monday.

Stillman notched three goals and nine points in 24 appearances for AHL Abbotsford during the 2025-26 regular season. Once he is ready to play, he will likely be assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.

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.