Line Change
Durzi will be a healthy scratch on Thursday.
Durzi had one assist and three shots in 22:58 TOI in his season debut on Tuesday but will come out of the lineup on Thursday. Brandt Clarke will replace Durzi and make his NHL debut.
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Utah Mammoth News
Goalie Start
Vejmelka will start the Coyotes' season opener in Pittsburgh.
Vejmelka draws a tough opening night matchup as the Coyotes head to Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. The 26-year-old Czech netminder struggled mightily in his rookie season in 2021-22 posting a .898 SV% alongside finishing third last among starters with a 3.68 GAA. Vejmelka will hope 2022-23 brings his win rate up after securing victory in only 25% of the games he played.
Yamamoto (undisclosed) is not expected to play on Wednesday.
Yamamoto skated once again this morning but did not take part in line rushes, and it appears as if he'll be scratched for the Oilers' season opener. Jesse Puljujarvi will skate on the top line, and Devin Shore was recalled from the AHL to take his place in the lineup.
Suspension
The Lightning suspended Ian Cole after allegations surfaced of underage sexual assault and grooming.
The Lightning suspended defenseman Ian Cole on Sunday, approximately 48 hours after an anonymous and newly created social media account posted disturbing allegations that Cole groomed and sexually assaulted a woman while she was underage. The team suspended Cole with pay pending investigation, which was launched by the NHL on Sunday.
Yamamoto (undisclosed) is questionable to play in the Oilers season opener.
Yamamoto was on the ice for Monday's practice and head coach Jay Woodcroft called it a "positive sign" but still listed him as questionable for Wednesday. Jesse Puljujarvi skated on the Oilers top line in practice, with Yamamoto skating as an extra.
Waiver Move
The Coyotes claimed Juuso Valimaki off waivers from the Flames.
Valimaki was a first-round pick in 2017 and has collected 16 points (3G / 13A) in 82 career NHL games with the Flames. Last season he spent most of the year in Stockton (AHL), where he had 18 points (2G / 16A) in 35 games. In Arizona, he should be able to land a role on the third pairing.
Sergachev (undisclosed) is expected to be ready for the Lightning's season opener.
Sergachev was banged up in Thursday's preseason game and has yet to practice since, but head coach Jon Cooper expects him to play good-to-go on Tuesday. Sergachev had seven goals and 31 assists (38 points) in 78 games a season ago.
Perunovich will undergo surgery to repair a fractured left shoulder on Thursday.
Perunovich was injured on September 27th and will undergo surgery this week and will be re-evaluated in six months. The injury effectively ends Perunovich's season unless the Blues want him to make his season debut in the playoffs after a lengthy layoff.
The Coyotes signed Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract extension worth $3.55 million ($1.775M AAV).
Hayton was the No.5 overall pick in 2018 and has 31 points (13G / 18A) in 94 career NHL games, including 24 points (10G / 14A) in 60 games a season ago. With limited competition for minutes down the middle in Arizona, Hayton could be their No.1 option between Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz in 2022-23.
The Coyotes have signed Maveric Lamoureux to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Coyotes have re-signed Lawson Crouse to a five-year deal worth $21.5 million ($4.3M AAV).
The Oilers have re-signed Kailer Yamamoto to a two-year, $6.2 million contract.
The Devils have signed Vitek Vanecek to a three-year, $10.2 million contract.
The Devils have acquired John Marino from the Penguins for Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round pick.
Marino is a solid two-way, puck-moving defenseman that is an upgrade defensively from Smith. Marino should fill a top-4 role in New Jersey and will chip in a little offence, averaging 27 points (4G / 23A) per 82 games throughout his career.
The Blues have signed Scott Perunovich to a one-year deal worth $750K.
Perunovich was excellent in his first AHL season, posting 22 points (3G / 19A) in 17 games before being promoted to the NHL. He had six assists in 19 games before undergoing left wrist surgery in March. Perunovich may start the 2022-23 season in the AHL and have to work his way back to the NHL.
The Sharks have signed Andrew Agozzino to a two-year contract.
Agozzino has bounced around the league recently, and the Sharks will be his fifth team in five years. The 31-year-old has posted great numbers at the AHL level but has never been able to stick in the NHL. He has just nine points (2G / 7A) in 47 career NHL games since 2015.
The Jets have signed Kevin Stenlund to a one-year, two-way contract.
Stenlund appeared in 32 games with the Blue Jackets in 2021 but only played three in 2022. He spent most of the season with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL), where he had eight goals and 17 assists (25 points) in 42 games. The two-way contract suggests he'll start 2022-23 with Manitoba (AHL).
The Flames have re-signed Nick DeSimone to a two-year, two-way contract.
Desimone has been in the AHL since 2017 and has never sniffed the NHL. The 27-year-old had 25 points (4G / 21A) in 68 games with Stockton (AHL) a season ago.
The Flyers have re-signed Kevin Connauton to a two-year, two-way contract.
The Lightning have signed Mikhail Sergachev to an eight-year contract extension worth $68.0 million ($8.5M AAV).