Welcome to the 2024-25 NHL training camp buzz. Training camp is underway and NHL.com has you covered with all the latest news.
Dallas Stars
Jason Robertson is expected to miss the majority of training camp after having surgery on July 31 to remove a cyst from his foot, general manager Jim Nill said Wednesday.
The forward is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season.
"During his training, his foot was giving him discomfort," Nill said. "We did a MRI, which revealed a cyst on his foot which would require surgery to remove. Six weeks of non-weight bearing activity on his foot is what he's been going through. Jason is just starting to skate. He's in camp, but he won't skate with the main team. We are going to restrict his activity and monitor his foot to make sure it's healed."
This will be the second time in the past three seasons that Robertson has missed the majority of training camp. He missed all of training camp at the start of the 2022-23 season while negotiating a contract. He had the best offensive season of his career after that, scoring 46 goals and 109 points in the regular season.
"Like Jason told me, the last time he missed training camp he started with a point per game in the first 40 games or something, so he's not worried about it. Or he's less worried about it than I am," Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. "I'd much rather go through it now and have him miss training camp than have him miss regular-season games.
"He's a different athlete than he was three or four years ago. He's a mature athlete. I think he understands how to handle it. He's keeping himself in great shape. He's a hungry guy, I think he wants to do more than he did last year. You've got a motivated guy there, so that eases my mind a bit."
Robertson led the Stars with 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists) and 28 power-play points in 82 games last season and tied for the team lead with 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stars begin the preseason against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and open the regular season at the Nashville Predators on Oct. 10. -- Taylor Baird
Pittsburgh Penguins
Erik Karlsson is day to day with an upper-body injury.
The defenseman did not practice when the Penguins opened their training camp Wednesday.
"We'll see where it goes," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I haven't even had a conversation yet with our medical team to discuss where he's at. I know some of this stuff is precautionary."
Karlsson did not miss a game last season. He led Pittsburgh's defensemen with 56 points (11 goals, 45 assists) after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Aug. 6, 2023, in a three-team trade also involving the Montreal Canadiens.
The 34-year-old routinely played with Marcus Pettersson on the second defense pair but replaced long-time Penguins defenseman Kris Letang at the point on the top power play.
Karlsson has 817 points (189 goals, 628 assists) in 1,002 NHL games for the Ottawa Senators, Sharks and Penguins. -- Wes Crosby
Buffalo Sabres
Rasmus Dahlin left early into the first practice of training camp Wednesday with an injury and did not return.
"I've got no update but it's just one those things, you pass the puck and something happened," coach Lindy Ruff said. "Precaution, got him off. He’s going to get looked at and then we'll find out what's going on."
The defenseman participated in a few drills before leaving the ice with what Ruff said was a "mid-range" body ailment.
Dahlin led the Sabres with 59 points (20 goals, 39 assists) last season and was fifth in the NHL in ice time per game (25:25).
"That guy is a game-changer each and every night," forward Alex Tuch said. "His consistency on the compete factor has been incredible ever since I got to town, and I've seen it grow and just blossom into the player that he's become."
The Sabres play their first preseason games against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, and begin the regular season against the New Jersey Devils in Prague in the 2024 NHL Global Series Czechia presented by Fastenal on Oct. 4-5. -- Heather Engel
Toronto Maple Leafs
William Nylander will start training camp at center on a line with Max Domi, coach Craig Berube said.
Nylander, who had 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists) in 82 regular season games last season, was experimented with at center briefly to start training camp last season, but played primarily at right wing once the season began.
"I think that with his skillset, he can be a great transporter of the puck from our zone to the offensive zone," Berube said. "He's strong, big, skilled. Any time you can get someone like that in the middle of the ice, I believe that is a real important piece."
Forward Connor Dewar will not participate in camp after having shoulder surgery in the offseason.
"He is progressing, no setbacks but he won't be starting with us as he continues with (his rehab)," general manager Brad Treliving said.
Dewar had five points (one goal, four assists) in 17 regular-season games last season after being acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on March 8.
Center Fraser Minten will be out "weeks" according to Treliving after sustaining a high ankle sprain against the Montreal Canadiens at the 2024 Rookie Showdown on Sunday when he was checked into the boards by defenseman David Reinbacher.
"The timeline is unknown, but we are probably talking weeks," Treliving said.
Minten, 20, was expected to compete for a spot on the Maple Leafs roster at training camp.
Defenseman Ben Danford, who was selected No. 31 at the 2024 NHL Draft, sustained a concussion at practice last Thursday in preparation for the Rookie Showdown and will not be available to start camp.
"He's progressing quite well," Treliving said. "He's been out of action but is moving forward." -- Dave McCarthy
St. Louis Blues
Oskar Sundqvist will not participate in any preseason games for the Blues, general manager Doug Armstrong said on Wednesday.
Sundqvist, who sustained a torn right ACL on March 25 against the Vegas Golden Knights, has been skating with teammates regularly and will be able to take part in some non-contact activities during training camp. Sundqvist is expected to be ready for the season-opener against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 8.
"The contact part will come a little later," Armstrong said. "There's basically just months after surgery where you've got to get checked and you hold them back until that point. That will come at the end of camp. I don't expect once he gets cleared, he's going to take long before he'll be ready to play but we're just going to follow the doctor and trainers' advice on when he can get back into full participation."
Defenseman Torey Krug, who will miss the season with a pre-arthritic condition in his left ankle, had surgery on Tuesday.
Defenseman Adam Jiricek, the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, will remain in St. Louis rehabbing from a knee injury sustained at the 2024 World Junior Championship before returning to Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League to resume full activities.
"He'll be a non-participant in training camp as far as exhibition games," Armstrong said. "Still getting stronger. We're going to keep him here through camp and when he gets back to juniors, he'll be ready to play." -- Lou Korac
Ottawa Senators
Josh Norris is healthy and on track to play in the season opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 10.
"[We had] honest conversations [in the offseason] about where he's at physically, mentally," coach Travis Green said of Norris. "And obviously, we'll continue to have a dialogue with him to see where he's at.
"There's always bumps and bruises along the way, especially when you're coming off injury and we'll monitor it daily to assess where he's at and what he needs to be ready for the home opener."
Norris, who missed 96 games over the past two seasons due to a recurring shoulder injury, took part in fitness and medical testing Wednesday at Canadian Tire Centre on the first day of training camp. The 25-year-old underwent the third shoulder operation of his career in March.
"Everybody's healthy and ready to go," general manager Steve Staios said. "We'll go over fitness tests and results, but I feel like this group has taken a step in the right direction. I think the emphasis that Travis and the coaching staff have had on fitness and being prepared for the start of the season, I think, hopefully will help us not only get off to a good start but stay healthy."
Norris, who had 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 50 games last season, is expected to begin the season at center.
"It's his natural position," Green said. "He's had success at this level at this position. So, I think, to start, it's important to put him in that spot. But just in my conversations without knowing him in the past, he seems very confident and excited to get going and mature, as well."
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed fitness and medical testing, but was expected to arrive in Ottawa on Wednesday evening and be on the ice Thursday. He and wife Emma recently welcomed their first child. -- Callum Fraser
Anaheim Ducks
Pavel Mintyukov will miss the start of training camp for the Ducks on Thursday because of a lower-body injury. He is day to day.
The 20-year-old defenseman had 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 63 games for Anaheim last season, finishing third among NHL rookie defensemen in points and assists.
Selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Mintyukov missed 11 games last season with a separated shoulder and the final eight games with a lower-body bone contusion.
Forward Nathan Gaucher is also day to day with a lower-body injury.
Selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old forward had 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 72 games with San Diego of the American Hockey League last season. -- Dan Arritt
