Alex Ovechkin’s preseason ramp-up hit a bump Monday, with the Capitals captain listed as day-to-day after suffering a lower-body injury, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.
The 41-year-old is back in Washington on a one-year contract carrying a $4.25 million AAV as he prepares for his 22nd NHL season. Last year, he produced 32 goals and 64 points in 82 games.
The Capitals are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Flyers tonight in preseason play.
Around the league, the Kraken continued trimming their roster by placing forwards J.R. Avon, John Hayden and Logan Morrison, along with goaltender Victor Ostman, on waivers Monday for assignment to the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle also cut Mitchell Stephens, Ian McKinnon and Gustav Olofsson from their PTOs and sent them to the AHL.
In Toronto, Morgan Rielly and Darren Raddysh skated together at practice Monday morning. Rielly began camp in a red sweater because of a viral condition, then rejoined the main group Friday but did not play in either split-squad game against Montreal on Saturday. Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun reported that Rielly is now past the virus and could be available Wednesday against Ottawa.
Raddysh, meanwhile, played in the Leafs’ split-squad game at home in a veteran-heavy lineup and scored Toronto’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens. The other defensive pairs at practice had Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Troy Stecher and Emil Andrae with Nick Blankenburg, who is at camp on a PTO.
Ottawa is getting ready to meet Montreal in Trois-Rivieres, Que. tonight, and the Senators’ practice lines had Dylan Cozens between William Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund on the top unit. Stephen Halliday centered Andre Burakovsky and Drake Batherson on the second line.
Montreal is bringing a lineup with plenty of regulars to Trois-Rivieres for the matchup with Ottawa. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky are all in, along with Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson. Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault also traveled with the team.
The Jets host the Avalanche tonight in preseason action, with Mark Scheifele centering Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti on the top line. Viggo Bjorck, the 2026 eighth-overall pick, is skating with Gabe Vilardi and Isak Rosen. Josh Morrissey is paired with Dylan DeMelo on the top defensive unit, and Stuart Skinner is expected to start.
Winnipeg also has Connor Hellebuyck still suspended by the team while his trade request remains in place.
In Pittsburgh, the Penguins announced that forwards Blake Lizotte and Oliver Okuliar are both out week-to-week. Lizotte, 28, had seven goals and 19 points in 55 games with the Penguins last season. Okuliar played the 2025-26 season with Skelleftea in Sweden, where he scored 15 goals and 29 points in 46 games.
In Other News...
Senators Blue Line Suddenly Has An Opening Night Concern
The Senators are still sorting through their defense as they head into the second night of preseason action, and the timing is not ideal with the club splitting into two groups for simultaneous games against Montreal. Ottawa has been using these exhibition looks to evaluate players and defensive combinations, but the blue line has already been forced to absorb some early absences while the coaching staff keeps a close eye on who can handle more responsibility.
Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub both remain unavailable, leaving a noticeable hole in the mix on a unit that is trying to get settled before the games start counting. Travis Green has said Sandersons issue is minor, which offers some reassurance, but the bigger question for Ottawa is how long this patchwork situation lasts and what it means for the opening night picture if the defense does not get whole again soon. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Roster Battle Took A Tough Turn Against Toronto's Split Squad
The Senators roster competition got another layer of urgency Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, where Torontos split squad came away with a 4-2 preseason win even without its biggest stars in the lineup. It was the kind of game built around players trying to make an impression, with both sides leaning on hopefuls and depth pieces rather than established names, and Ottawa still managed to find a moment that suggested the night might swing its way.
Hoyt Stanley gave the Senators a brief lift when he tied the game in the third period, but the Leafs answered and regained control in the closing stretch to leave Ottawa with another reminder of how tight these battles can be this time of year. Henrik Rybinski and Steven Lorentz were among the goal scorers in a game that had the feel of a final audition, and now the Senators turn to their preseason finale against the Canadiens with a few roster decisions still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Forced A Bigger Question About Leevi Merilainen
A rough night in Toronto has already pushed Leevi Merilainen into a familiar but far less comfortable kind of NHL conversation. The Senators placed the young goaltender on waivers after a difficult recent outing, a move that underlined just how quickly the depth chart can change when a backup or developmental netminder starts to wobble. Ottawa has seen enough volatility in goal to know these decisions can carry real weight, especially with a player still trying to establish himself.
If Merilainen clears, the next stop would be Belleville in the American Hockey League, which would mark the first time in his career he has needed waivers to get there. That detail matters for Ottawa because it turns a routine roster shuffle into a bigger question about where he stands in the organizations long-term plans, and how much patience the club still has as it tries to sort out its goaltending picture. [Read more 🡒]