Seth Jarvis won’t be in the Hurricanes’ lineup when the regular season opens, but the winger says his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery is moving the right way.
Jarvis told reporters, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that the rehab process is on schedule. He was initially projected to miss four to six months after the surgery he had following the Stanley Cup Final, which puts the earliest possible return in late October.
It’s not clear whether the latest update points to the shorter end of that window, but it is a positive sign for Carolina. Jarvis is also LTIR-eligible to begin the season, a detail that could matter with Alexander Nikishin still needing a new deal.
Around the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs are being cautious with Gavin McKenna. Toronto listed the first-overall pick from June for rookie camp, but Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan said Friday that McKenna will not travel with the team to Gatineau for this weekend’s prospects tournament. McKenna is expected to have a major role with the Maple Leafs, so the decision to keep him out of a rookie tournament game is a straightforward one.
Buffalo will also be short a key prospect this weekend. Topias Leinonen sustained a lower-body injury during offseason training, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News, and he will miss the Sabres’ rookie games.
Rochester head coach Michael Leone said he is unsure when Leinonen will be able to return. The 22-year-old spent his first season in North America in 2025-26, splitting time between the Amerks and ECHL Jacksonville.
The Senators, meanwhile, will have Jonas Lagerberg Hoen at rookie camp, but only in a limited capacity. Callum Fraser of Postmedia reported that the 25th pick in June will practice this weekend and not play.
Lagerberg Hoen is working back from ACL surgery, and Ottawa is taking the cautious route with the 18-year-old. Before the injury, he put up 16 points in nine junior games with Leksands in Sweden.
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From there, Buffalo went back to the blue line and made its bet on Daxon Rudolph, a defender with the profile of a player the organization can let develop on a patient timeline. He is headed to the University of Denver for NCAA hockey and is also expected to be in the mix for Team Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championships, which gives Sabres fans another name to track closely as the organization keeps trying to turn its stockpile of young talent into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
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For Buffalo, the intrigue is obvious because a goalie of that caliber changes the conversation fast. The Sabres are among the clubs linked to the pursuit, alongside Utah and Carolina, which sets up a bidding situation where the price could climb quickly if the Jets hold firm on wanting a true hockey trade. For a team trying to keep building the right way, the question is not just whether Hellebuyck is available, but what Buffalo would have to give up to get serious enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Will Love Why McAvoy's Complaint Rings Hollow
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From the Sabres perspective, the broader picture matters more than McAvoys complaint. Buffalo moved on to the next round while McAvoy now faces a suspension that carries into the start of next season, and the optics around the game only make his argument harder to sell. When a players night included more than one heated exchange and ended with league discipline, it is not exactly the kind of rsum that invites much benefit of the doubt. [Read more 🡒]