NHL Player News

Lorentz will be placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs on Thursday, per Chris Johnston.

After playing a sizable role for the Maple Leafs in the 2025-26 campaign, Lorentz is currently on his way to the AHL via the waiver wire. The 30-year-old center appeared in 71 regular-season games during the 2025-26 campaign, where he posted seven goals, 18 points, 70 shots on net, 154 hits and 48 blocked shots. While the Leafs would ideally like to retain his rights in the AHL, he has proven to be somewhat effective in a bottom-six role at the NHL level, so there's a chance he could be scooped up over the next 24 hours. If he clears waivers, he'll likely open the 2026-27 campaign with AHL Toronto.

Head coach Jim Hiller said Thursday that Paul (undisclosed) is considered day-to-day, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Paul exited Wednesday's preseason game against the Senators due to his injury, and Hiller initially downplayed the severity of the issue. However, Hiller said during his press availability Thursday that he can't say with certainty whether Paul will be available for Tuesday's Opening Night matchup against Montreal.

The Penguins announced Thursday that Kindel (lower body) is undergoing further testing and is considered week-to-week, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports.

Kindel suffered a lower-body injury during Monday's preseason game against the Sabres and was initially labeled as day-to-day. However, the team is seeking out further information about the injury, which now seems as though it could impact his availability for Opening Night against the Flyers on Wednesday. If Kindel is healthy to begin the regular season, he's expected to handle a third-line role for the Penguins.

Demidov (foot) was deemed day-to-day, but is not expected to miss the start of the regular season, per Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette.

While Demidov was originally planning to resume skating Thursday, he took a second therapy day to fully heal up after taking a shot off the foot in Monday's preseason game.The 20-year-old right winger is expected to be a large part of Montreal's future plans after signing an eight-year, $73 million contract extension back in July. He showcased his bundle of potential during the 2025-26 campaign, where he posted 19 goals, 62 points and 127 shots on net across 82 regular-season outings. Barring any setbacks, Demidov will likely make an impact in all fantasy formats to open the 2026-27 campaign.

Murashov will start Thursday's preseason game on the road against Columbus, Dan Potash of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.

Murashov was sharp during Monday's preseason opener against Buffalo, turning aside all 13 shots he faced in the victory. He played approximately half of that matchup but is expected to play the full game against Columbus. The 22-year-old is competing for a roster spot with the Penguins ahead of the 2026-27 regular season.

Binnington will guard the home crease in Thursday's preseason contest against the Blackhawks, per Lou Korac of NHL.com.

Binnington will make his second appearance of the preseason Thursday after stopping 16 shots on 18 attempts in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Dallas. The 33-year-old netminder will look to bounce back after a 2025-26 campaign filled with struggles, where he compiled a 13-20-7 record, a 3.33 GAA and a .873 save percentage across 41 regular-season outings. He'll enter the season as the No. 2 option behind Joel Hofer, and if the season goes south for the Blues, Binnington could be a trade candidate ahead of the 2027 deadline.

Pinto (undisclosed) was absent from Senators' practice on Thursday, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Pinto's absence is out of the blue, as Thursday's practice was the first one he missed during training camp. He appears to be dealing with an undisclosed injury, which will be closely monitored in the coming days. If the 25-year-old center is out for an extended period of time, the Senators will have a temporary hole in their center depth, as he was solid in the 2025-26 campaign with 23 goals, 46 points, 157 shots on goal, 94 hits and 50 blocked shots across 72 regular-season outings.

Donovan was absent from practice Thursday due to an undisclosed injury, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.

Donovan was likely a long shot to make the roster even prior to getting hurt, though other injuries on the blue line could have opened the door for him. At this point, the 22-year-old defenseman will likely be sent down to AHL Belleville once given the all-clear to resume playing.

Moore agreed to a five-year, $21.25 million contract extension with the Blackhawks on Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

After making nine regular-season appearances with the Blackhawks during the 2024-25 campaign, Moore saw more regular playing time in the NHL last year, recording five goals, 14 assists, 25 hits, 19 PIM and 13 blocked shots while averaging 12:51 of playing time across 51 regular-season games. He missed the end of the 2025-26 season due to a lower-body injury but played in the IIHF World Hockey Championship in May and appears to be fully healthy ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Lohrei (undisclosed) resumed skating at Thursday's practice, per Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald.

Head coach Marco Sturm stated that Lohrei was to underdog additional testing Wednesday for his undisclosed injury, and it seems that the 25-year-old defenseman passed them. Across 73 regular-season games in the 2025-26 campaign, he posted seven goals, 26 points, 72 shots on net and 93 blocked shots. Barring he stays healthy prior to puck drop on opening night, he could be in line for a heightened role during Charlie McAvoy's six-game suspension.