St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (foot) expects to be ready for his team's season opener on Oct. 12 against the Dallas Stars. The Blues had announced that Krug suffered a right foot injury on Sept. 13, only stating he would be reevaluated on Oct. 1. "I'll be ready", Krug said on Tuesday, music to the ears of Blues fans as the tight-lipped nature of the original announcement seemed to suggest it could be a long-term ailment. The 12-year veteran registered seven goals and 32 points across 63 games last season, his third with the Blues. Krug has notched at least 51 points on three separate occasions but an inability to stay healthy has hurt his fantasy stock in recent seasons.
New York Rangers center Filip Chytil is listed as day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's practice early with an apparent upper-body injury. The 24-year-old joins Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad as Rangers forwards nursing what appear to be minor injuries while the trio will not participate in Tuesday's preseason opener versus the New York Islanders. The 21st overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft notched a career-high 22 goals, 45 points, and 177 shots on goal across 74 games last season, his fifth full campaign with the Rangers. In 327 career games, Chytil has notched 64 goals and 138 points and could be a sneaky late-round fantasy pick as center-ice depth.
New York Rangers left winger Artemi Panarin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and did not take part in Tuesday's practice. Panarin wasn't originally scheduled to take part in the Rangers' preseason opener versus the New York Islanders Tuesday night while head coach Peter Laviolette said "We're hoping day to day" when it comes to Panarin. Certainly, fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on Panarin's status throughout camp as he is ranked 19th overall and the sixth-ranked left winger in RotoBaller's recently released points leagues rankings. The Russian is coming off of a 29-goal, 92-point season while skating in all 82 regular-season games, the third straight non-COVID season in which he has reached at least 92 points.
San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered while training and appears likely to miss the club's season opener on Oct. 12 versus the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights. Sharks head coach David Quinn said there's still no clear sign as to when Couture will skate again and the club would rather have their captain return a week late than a week too early, signaling a cautious approach. The 34-year-old registered 27 goals and 67 points while skating in all 82 regular-season contests last season but has a weakened fantasy outlook given his early-season ailment and a general lack of talent surrounding him in the Sharks' top-six forward group.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan impressed in his preseason debut with the club on Monday night versus the Ottawa Senators. The 28th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft collected a power-play goal and added an assist while also failing to score on a first-period penalty shot. Additionally, he logged four shots, one block, one hit, and a plus-one rating on the night. Following the contest, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Cowan impressed to the point the club is going to give him an extended look in camp with the main group. The Strathroy, Ontario native collected 20 goals and 53 points across 68 regular-season games with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights last season, adding nine goals and 21 points across 20 postseason contests en route to a loss in the OHL final.
Vancouver Canucks forward Ilya Mikheyev (knee) took part in Canucks practice on Tuesday but departed early and reportedly wasn't very involved in the on-ice session. The speedy winger underwent season-ending ACL surgery in January after initially suffering a partially torn ACL during a pre-season game in September of 2022. The Russian signed a four-year, $19 million contract with the Canucks prior to last season after spending three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The oft-injured Mikheyev tallied 13 goals and 28 points across 46 games in his first season with Vancouver but he will certainly endure another injury-shortened season in 2023-24, making him a risky fantasy investment on draft day.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is very happy that Connor Clifton is now his teammate, not a pesky opponent. "On the ice, you see his toughness," Dahlin said of Clifton. "I remember playing him in Boston. I was scared of him. I hated to play against him." Clifton likes the physical part of the game a lot, having led the Bruins with 208 hits last season. His defensive stats could be set for a further boost in Buffalo, as Clifton has worked as Dahlin's partner in training camp and should see more ice time with his new team.
Seattle Kraken right wing Kailer Yamamoto made an excellent first impression with his new team, scoring two goals in a 5-3 victory over Calgary Monday. Both of his goals came in power-play situations, as the former Oiler was used heavily throughout the contest. Yamamoto led all Seattle forwards in ice time with 20:24, and he also produced a team-high three blocks while tallying four shots on goal with one hit. This was a great performance by Yamamoto, but he's expected to be more of a bottom-six guy in Seattle and won't be able to make the same kind of impact every night.
Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun provided two goals as the team defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime Monday. The talented blue-liner netted a power-play goal in the opening period and finished the game in overtime with an even-strength marker. Chychrun enjoyed a busy night with six shots on goal, five blocks, and two hits in 29:47 of ice time. This was his first outing since suffering a lower-body injury on March 23 in a contest versus Tampa Bay. Chychrun has unfortunately hit multiple health issues in recent years and has been limited to less than 50 games in back-to-back seasons. He made 48 appearances last term, registering 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) with 144 shots on goal, 83 blocks, and 55 hits. His ability to rack up stats at both ends of the ice makes Chychrun an appealing fantasy target, but his injury history is definitely something to consider.
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier was finally back in action on Monday, logging 18:05 of ice time in a 6-0 defeat to New Jersey. The game marked Couturier's first outing in 646 days. He last suited up on Dec. 21, 2021. The game ended in a heavy defeat, but it must have been a special night for Couturier after his lengthy battle with back problems. Couturier has been a big two-way force for the Flyers and should be amped up for the 2023-24 campaign. Hopefully, he can stay away from further injury troubles.
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