Opening-night rosters are still moving across the league, with St. Louis losing a projected top-pair defenseman, New York waiting on Mathew Barzal, and Buffalo sorting out its crease after two preseason injury scares.
Key takeaways
- Blues defenseman Logan Mailloux is expected to miss about eight weeks after right-hand surgery.
- Mathew Barzal could still be available when the Islanders visit Toronto on Wednesday.
- Montreal moved Alex Newhook to second-line center in practice while Oliver Kapanen deals with a lower-body issue.
- Pittsburgh is evaluating Bryan Rust, while Ryan Graves is sidelined indefinitely with problems in both knees.
- Minnesota awaits further word on Brock Faber after a puck struck him in the head during a preseason game.
- Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was removed as a precaution, and Alex Lyon will miss at least several days.
Blue line changes and center questions before the opener
St. Louis placed Mailloux on injured reserve Monday, one day after he underwent surgery on his right hand. He will be checked again in eight weeks. Mailloux had been tracking toward a role on the right side of one of the Blues’ leading defense pairs.
General manager Alexander Steen said Mailloux had put together a strong camp before the setback. “It is never the right time for something like this, especially when things are going well,” Steen said. “But it is part of hockey. He is in a good place mentally, the procedure went well, and now the priority is his rehab and getting ready to rejoin the group when he can.”
The Blues also put defenseman Tyler Tucker on IR with a lower-body injury. He is considered week to week. St. Louis recalled Adam Jiricek from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Sunday and claimed Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators. Jiricek, Barron, or both could draw in when the Blues open at the Dallas Stars on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO Max, truTV, TNT and SN1.
On Long Island, Barzal remains listed as an injured non-roster player, though he has not been ruled out for the Islanders’ Wednesday opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The forward is expected to take the ice Wednesday morning after missing all of camp practices and each of New York’s four exhibition games. He aggravated an earlier injury that led to inflammation. Puck drop in Toronto is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Prime and MSGSN.
The Canadiens are dealing with a possible change at center before their Tuesday visit to Toronto. Oliver Kapanen missed Monday’s practice with a lower-body injury and is day to day. He had been skating between Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov on Montreal’s second line, but Alex Newhook filled that spot in practice.
Coach Martin St. Louis pointed to Newhook’s versatility, describing him as a player who can handle nearly any assignment. St. Louis said Newhook has improved away from the puck, uses his speed effectively on defense, and can play either wing or center while contributing on both special-teams units. Montreal faces the Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET on TVAS and SN.
Preseason injuries put pressure on Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Buffalo
Pittsburgh forward Bryan Rust is undergoing evaluation after suffering an upper-body injury in Saturday’s 3-1 preseason win over the Buffalo Sabres. Rust departed early in the second period. Penguins coach Dan Muse called him a major piece of the club and said the injury was unfortunate after an excellent camp.
The Penguins also will be without Ryan Graves for an undetermined period as the defenseman deals with issues in both knees. Fourth-line center Blake Lizotte practiced Sunday while recovering from an upper-body injury, but he remains day to day. Forwards Justin Brazeau and Ben Kindel are each listed as week to week with lower-body injuries.
Minnesota is giving Brock Faber time before determining his status. The defenseman took a puck to the head on a point shot with 9:36 left in the second period of Friday’s 2-1 preseason loss to Dallas. Faber was briefly down, got to the bench on his own, returned for the following shift and completed the period before leaving the game. He was away from the rink over the weekend.
Wild coach John Hynes said the nature of the injury requires patience even if Faber feels well. An update is expected Tuesday. Minnesota begins its regular season Thursday at the Nashville Predators, with the 8 p.m. ET game available on Wild+, MINNHL and SCRIPPS.
Buffalo’s goaltending picture took two hits in the final preseason games. Luukkonen exited early in the third period of Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh after what coach Lindy Ruff described as a lower-body tweak. Ruff said the Sabres simply did not want to risk making it worse.
Lyon, meanwhile, is expected to be out for at least a few days after sustaining an upper-body injury during Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. He had sprawled forward to cover a loose puck, flexed his left arm, and immediately headed to the bench. The Sabres open Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus at 7 p.m. ET on CBJHN, CBJNHL and MSG-B.
