Welcome to the NHL Buzz. With the regular season set to begin Tuesday, NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Florida Panthers
Sam Bennett is doubtful for the season opener at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSWI, BSN, BSFL) because of a lower-body injury.
“I would list him as longer than day to day,” coach Paul Maurice said Saturday. “He is doubtful for the opener. I would say he misses a couple weeks, maybe.”
Bennett played 9:43 and did not have a point in a 6-3 preseason win against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on Thursday.
The 27-year-old forward had three points (one goal, two assists) in three preseason games. -- Derek Van Diest
New York Rangers
Filip Chytil returned to the ice Saturday, but Alex Laferriere did not practice because of a lower-body injury.
Chytil had not practiced since Sept. 28 because of an upper-body injury.
Lafreniere, who is day to day, didn’t have a point in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins on Thursday.
The Rangers open the season at the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; MSG, MSG-B.) -- Derek Van Diest
Seattle Kraken
Shane Wright, the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, was assigned to Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
The Kraken received a special exemption allowing them to send the 19-year-old forward to the AHL instead of back to Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League.
“We see advancements in each part of his game,” coach Dave Hakstol said Friday. “He’s played each of the four available (preseason) games. We’ve put him into different situations, a couple of games where he’s been higher up in the lineup, a couple of games where he’s had a depth role in the lineup.”
Wright had two assists in four preseason games with Seattle. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in eight games for the Kraken last season, and six points (four goals, two assists) in eight games for Coachella Valley. He also helped Canada win the gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Wright then finished the season with Windsor, where he had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 20 games.
“It’s a process, and we all have to understand it’s a different process for everybody,” Hakstol said. “There’s never a race to get there, and in our society, in this day and age, everybody thinks it is and that it should be. But that’s not the case. For the young guys we want them to get here when they’re ready and for everybody else just have the opportunity to come in and be at their best.”
The Kraken begin the season against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tueday (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS). -- Derek Van Diest
Vegas Golden Knights
Grigori Denisenko was claimed off waivers by the Golden Knights from the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The 23-year-old forward had three assists in 18 games last season, and no points in one Stanley Cup Playoff game. He had 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 56 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League.
Denisenko, who has seven assists in 26 NHL games, was expected to compete for a spot on the opening night roster for the Panthers.
The Golden Knights open their regular season against the Kraken on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).
New York Islanders
Kyle Palmieri made his preseason debut in a 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
The forward had only skated twice with the Islanders since sustaining an offseason injury. He said earlier this week that even if he didn't play a preseason game, he was still optimistic about being ready for the Islanders' regular-season opener against the Sabres on Oct. 14 (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG-B).
Palmieri had two shots on goal in 14:12 of ice time.
"I liked him," New York coach Lane Lambert said. "It was his first game, but he looked like a power forward tonight. He used his body, drove pucks to the net. I liked his game."
Palmieri had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 55 games last season. -- Stefen Rosner
Winnipeg Jets
Ville Heinola will be out 8-12 weeks for the Jets because of an ankle injury.
The defenseman was injured when he collided with Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Brannstrom in the first period of a 3-0 preseason loss Thursday.
"He has a fracture around his ankle so the next step, we're not 100 percent sure yet, probably will be determined later today or tomorrow morning," Jets coach Rick Bowness said Friday. "But as I said last night, he's out for a while. ... You're looking at ... eight weeks, 8-10, 12 weeks. Who knows? But it's a fracture, so you've got to look at a minimum of eight weeks."
Heinola had one assist and averaged 13:16 of ice time in 10 regular-season games last season.
"He worked hard all summer to mentally and physically to get ready for training camp," Bowness said. "And he's going have to do it again. ... We're going to send him home (to Finland). There's no sense in sitting around here for that long of time. So that first couple of weeks it's better to be surrounded by his family and then when we need him to come back ... then we'll get him back."
The Jets open the season at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; SNW).
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon is out week to week because of an upper-body injury.
The defenseman was injured in a 3-2 preseason shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday. He did not return for the third period after he was hit by Reese Johnson late in the second.
"You can't really replace a guy like him, but fortunately the organization has seven good defensemen," Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton said Friday. "Even more down in Iowa (of the AHL) that are going to be able to help us out."
Spurgeon had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 79 games last season.
Minnesota opens its regular season against Florida on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; BSFL, BSN, BSWI).
