Faksa took a hard hit along the boards during last Tuesday's preseason game and had to get stitches on his face. He was not in concussion protocol, so there's a good chance that Dallas' fourth-line centre is available for opening night.
Johnston had a "little bit of a procedure," according to head coach Pete DeBoer. The Stars will be forced to shuffle their lineup around and Craig Smith will likely dress if Johnston isn't able to play on Thursday.
Hintz practiced with the team for the first two days of training camp but hasn't been with the team recently due to an upper-body injury. He's been skating on his own and head coach Pete DeBoer is still optimistic that Hintz will be ready for Game 1. His availability for practice this week will be a good indication of if he'll play vs. the Blues or not.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour called it a "not serious shoulder injury," but it's still expected to sideline him for at least on week. The 2019 No.28 overall pick has yet to make his NHL debut, but had 32 points (13G / 19A) in 50 AHL games a season ago.
Francouz has been placed on the injured reserve as he continues to recover from a groin injury. Francouz battled injuries last season as well, recording a 2.61 GAA and .915 SV% while playing in only 16 games (8-7-1). Justus Annunen will serve as the backup to Alexandar Georgiev to start the season as Francouz's timeline for return remains uncertain.
Pelletier is expected to be out long-term after undergoing shoulder surgery. Last season he made his NHL debut, recording seven points (3G / 4A) in 24 games for the Flames. In his absence, Dryden Hunt is expected to make the opening-night roster and center the 4th line for Calgary.
Killorn will have to wait a little longer to make his Anaheim Ducks debut as he is expected to miss at least a month on the injured reserve with a fractured finger. The 11-year veteran is coming off a career-best 64-point campaign (27G / 37A) with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was signed by the Ducks to add some much-needed goal-scoring to the league's 31st-ranked offence (2.51 GPG). Until he makes his full recovery, expect Frank Vatrano to have an elevated role to start the season.
After being limited to only eight games last season because of his shoulder, Norris' availability for the upcoming season remains up in the air after suffering a setback last week. Any absence for Norris poses major concerns for Ottawa as it leaves a huge void in their second-line center position. Expect Ridley Greig, who recorded nine points (2G / 7A) as a rookie with the Senators last season, to take on a bigger role for the duration of Norris' injury.
Bennett is unlikely to be ready for the opening game of the season and could miss two weeks as he recovers from a lower-body injury. Last season, Bennett scored 40 points (16G / 24A) in 63 games for the Panthers while predominantly playing in a second-line role. Eetu Luostarinen, who recorded 43 points (17G / 26A) in 82 games last season, is expected to handle some extra responsibility on the second line and second powerplay unit during Bennett's absence.
Heinola suffered a fractured ankle in the Jets' final preseason game and is now expected to miss anywhere from eight to 12 weeks. It is a big loss for Winnipeg's back six as the 22-year-old was entering his fifth season with the Jets after producing an assist, five SOG and a -5 plus/minus through 10 games in 2022-23. He has one goal and 10 assists across 35 career games played in the NHL but has never appeared in more than 12 for the Jets in any one season.
Svechnikov is still making his recovery after having knee surgery at the end of last season. Before his injury, Svechnikov had 55 points (23G / 32A) in 64 games for the Hurricanes. His status for opening night remains to be seen as he is yet to be a full participant at practice but his status should be confirmed in the coming days. If he is unable to suit up on opening night, look for Teuvo Teravainen to jump into the top-6.
Spurgeon is expected to be out week-to-week as he deals with an upper-body injury and his presence will be greatly missed on Minnesota's back end. Last season, he led all Wild defensemen with 34 points (11G / 23A) and was second in time on ice, averaging 21:49 per game. With Spurgeon out, Alex Goligoski will likely become a regular in the lineup and Jonas Brodin and Brock Faber will be thrust into larger roles.
Whitecloud was hurt after receiving a hit from Colorado's Kurtis MacDermid in Vegas' preseason game vs. the Avalanche and is considered week-to-week after undergoing successful surgery on an area on the upper body. The 26-year-old was expected to be a big part of Vegas' defensive unit this season after collecting five goals, seven assists, 41 PIMs, and a +10 plus/minus through 59 games in 2022-23.
De Leo was the target of Arthur Kaliyev's knee infraction which saw him suspended four games (two preseason, two regular season) and is now expected to miss eight weeks due to a sprained MCL. The 27-year-old was battling for a final roster spot after scoring nine goals, and 14 assists in 22 games with San Diego (AHL) in 2022-23. He last played in the NHL for New Jersey in 2021-22 for two games.
Simek suffered a lower-body injury during a preseason game in late-September and is questionable to play in the season opener. Simek has yet to resume skating, which makes it seem unlikely that he'll be in the lineup vs. The Golden Knights next Thursday.
Couture was considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury he suffered in offseason training. According to head coach David Quinn, Couture continues to progress but he seems highly questionable for the start of the regular season.
“Little bit of — I don’t know if it was a setback — but we’re hopeful he plays on Saturday,” head coach D.J. Smith said when asked about Norris’ surprising absence from the practice on Wednesday. Norris will not play Thursday and is questionable for Saturday's pre-season finale. This leaves his status for the regular season opener in question, a huge issue for the Senators, who haven't re-signed RFA Shane Pinto yet. This could leave them without two of their top-3 centres to start the year.
Rooney had an assist, 14 SOG, seven PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 17 games played with Calgary in 2022-23 but will be forced to miss the start of the 2023-24 season as he is out long-term with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old forward was expected to battle for one of the Flames' final roster spots but will be added to their injured reserve which is also occupied by Jakub Pelletier (shoulder surgery).
The NHL injury report is updated daily so that you can see the latest injury news ahead of puck drop in any of today’s matchups. Seeing timely updates to the NHL injury report can make a major impact on your daily fantasy sports picks and wagers on a particular game. All information provided on the NHL injury report is provided directly by the NHL and each respective franchise to ensure accuracy.
While the minimum amount of time spent on the injured reserve list is seven calendar days, there is no maximum amount of time that a player can be placed on the injured reserve list. If a player is set to be sidelined for longer than 24 calendar days or 10 NHL games, then a club may opt to place them on the long-term injured reserve instead. This allows franchises with the ability to exceed the salary cap while a player is placed on this reserve list.
No injury recovery timeline is the same as another as there are several factors that go into the rehab process for a player being affected by injury. Factors include but are not limited to, injury severity, player injury/medical history, age, as well as the location of the injury. Some injuries are able to clear up in a matter of days, while others may take an athlete out of action for the entirety of a season.
