NHL Status Report: Hoglander week to week for Canucks

Welcome to the NHL Status Report. Here is the latest lineup/injury news around the NHL.

Vancouver Canucks

Nils Hoglander is out week to week for the Canucks with a lower-body injury. The forward sustained the injury in the second period of a 3-1 preseason win against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. Vancouver opens its regular season against Calgary on Oct. 9. "It opens up a spot for someone here," assistant coach Brett McLean said Friday. "So, there's some guys that should be excited about that opportunity, but obviously we want to get 'Hoggy' back as soon as we can."

Toronto Maple Leafs

James Reimer signed a professional tryout contract with the Maple Leafs on Friday. The 37-year-old goalie was 10-10-2 with a 3.04 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 24 games (21 starts) for the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres last season and has 225 wins in 15 NHL seasons. Earlier this week, Toronto announced goalie Joseph Woll has taken a leave of absence to attend to a personal family matter.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Joel Blomqvist will be out a minimum of four weeks because of a lower-body injury. The goalie made 11 saves in 30:05 in a 2-1 preseason shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday but did not play in a 4-1 preseason win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. He played 15 games with the Penguins last season and likely was going to be the No. 3 goalie behind Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs.

Buffalo Sabres

Alex Tuch will play his first preseason game, against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. The forward has been dealing with a minor injury, but has been a full participant in practice since Monday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body) practiced Thursday for the first time at camp. The goalie did not play in their preseason game that night but could play in a preseason game next week and is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

Montreal Canadiens

David Reinbacher is expected to be out four weeks because of a broken bone in his hand. The 20-year-old defenseman, selected by the Canadiens with the No. 5 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, had one shot on goal in two preseason games. He missed five months last season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee sustained during a preseason game with Montreal on Sept. 28, 2024. Reinbacher returned with five points (three goals, two assists) in 10 regular-season games for Laval of the American Hockey League and had six points (two goals, four assists) in 13 AHL playoff games to help it reach the conference finals.

Nashville Predators

Nicolas Hague is out 4-6 weeks because of an upper-body injury the Predators defenseman sustained during a 5-3 preseason win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. This is Hague's first season with Nashville after he was acquired in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 30 and signed a four-year, $22 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value). The Predators play their season opener Oct. 9 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Utah Mammoth

Connor Ingram cleared waivers Friday, one day after he was placed on waivers. Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said last week the goalie would not participate in training camp and they would try and trade him. Ingram, 28, played 22 games for Utah last season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on March 9. He went 9-8-4 with a 3.27 goals-against average and .882 save percentage. Ingram was cleared by the program Aug. 20.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy will not play in preseason games this weekend, but the goalie is expected to be ready for the season opener against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 9. Coach Jon Cooper said Friday that Vasilevskiy is expected to practice Monday for the first time at camp, and could play in one of the Lightning's final two preseason games, against the Panthers on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4. "Unless there's any hiccups, hope to see him one of those games," Cooper said.

Carolina Hurricanes

Jaccob Slavin (soreness) practiced with the Hurricanes for the first time Thursday. The defenseman had skated on his own but had been held out of practice for precautionary reasons. "We could have had him out there from Day 1 (of camp)," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "That's basically how we're handling all the injuries." Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov didn't practice Thursday because of a minor injury. "He tweaked something. ... We're keeping him out of there until he's 100 percent."

Chicago Blackhawks

Joey Anderson will have a procedure for "a chronic issue that'll take him out of preseason games," Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said Thursday. Anderson, a forward, logged 11:22 of ice time in a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday and Blashill wasn't sure of the timeline for his return. Forwards Landon Slaggert and Brett Seney, who have been out since Sunday because of unspecified injuries, are expected to skate on their own Friday.

Seattle Kraken

Forwards Chandler Stephenson (undisclosed) and Jared McCann (lower body) and defenseman Brandon Montour (ankle) all are day to day, but are not expected to miss any regular-season games, coach Lane Lambert said Thursday. Forward Kaapo Kakko got slashed on the hand and left a 4-1 preseason win against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and is seeing a specialist. He may not be ready for the season opener against Anaheim on Oct. 9.