The Oilers could be opening the season without Jason Dickinson, and the news around Edmonton’s third-line center doesn’t sound especially promising.
Per Jim Matheson, Dickinson has run into another issue with the same foot injury that bothered him late last season. He broke his foot, played through it during the playoffs, then tweaked it again in a camp practice. He has not played in the preseason, and Mike Babcock said Friday that Dickinson will miss the final tune-up and is unlikely to be ready for the opener.
“He’s had a setback,” Babcock said, without offering a timetable.
That’s a frustrating turn for the 31-year-old, who is heading into his first full season with Edmonton after arriving from Chicago at last year’s deadline in the deal that also brought back Colton Dach. The Oilers sent Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional 2027 first-round pick the other way. Dickinson then signed a five-year contract worth $4 million annually in June and had been expected to center the third line with Kasperi Kapanen among his projected linemates.
If Dickinson can’t go, Edmonton has Trent Frederic, Owen Michaels, and Josh Samanski as possible fill-ins down the middle. The injury does not appear to be a long-term one, but no specific return date was given, and Dickinson looks headed for injured reserve when the Oilers host Vancouver on Tuesday.
Vancouver has its own uncertainty in net. Thatcher Demko still does not have a timeline as he continues to work back from January hip surgery, and GM Ryan Johnson said that remains the case. With the Canucks’ 23-man roster due Monday, it would not be surprising if Demko starts the season on some form of injured reserve.
Demko has been skating at camp, but he has not joined the main group or appeared in game action. Kevin Lankinen is expected to handle the crease for now, while Chris Driedger is in camp on a PTO as insurance. For Demko, it has been a difficult stretch: he was an All-Star and Vezina runner-up as recently as 2023-24, but he has played only 43 games over the past two seasons.
Los Angeles got a more encouraging update on Mats Zuccarello. The 39-year-old is dealing with a minor shoulder injury after falling during a captain’s skate, but GM Ken Holland said he is expected to be ready for opening night.
Zuccarello joined the Kings this offseason after years in Minnesota and began camp in a non-contact jersey while still working through drills. Zach Dooley reported that he could even be in line to play in the preseason finale on Saturday, a sign the shoulder issue should not keep him out of the regular season.
That would be welcome news for a Kings offense that finished 29th in goals for last season. Zuccarello brings a scoring touch that was still very much intact a year ago, when he put up 54 points in 59 games.
In Other News...
Canucks Fans Have A New Rogers Arena Drink Price Frustration
The price of a night out at Rogers Arena has crept up again this season, and Canucks fans are already noticing the details in the concessions stand. Beer and non-alcoholic drinks are both a little more expensive than they were before, with the change on the 24-ounce beer coming down to a one-cent bump from rounding, while the 12-ounce option has gone up by 25 cents.
The bigger shift may be behind the soda counter, where the team has moved from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products. That switch has brought new drink choices for fans, but it has also pushed some soft drink prices higher, adding another small irritation to the cost of catching a game in person. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Have A Sleeper Prospect Fans Need To Watch
Yaroslav Bryzgalov is already giving Canucks fans a reason to file away his name. The 19-year-old Belarusian forward, taken 97th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, has spent this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, where his playmaking touch and willingness to play through traffic have stood out enough to make him look like more than a late-round flier.
He also got his first taste of the organization at rookie camp, a small but meaningful step for a prospect still early in his path. Bryzgalov is expected to go back to the WHL for another season before heading to Merrimack College in 2027-28, so the Canucks will have to be patient, but his combination of skill and physicality makes him the kind of sleeper worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Are Suddenly Right In The Middle Of A Trade Rumor Fans Will Love
Filip Chytils preseason collision has left the Canucks waiting on more clarity, and the early return plan is not exactly short-term. Vancouver has already moved the forward to injured reserve after what was described as a muscular strain, with his recovery expected to be week to week. For a club trying to sort out its depth as camp rolls along, it is another early reminder of how quickly the margins can tighten before the games start to count.
Around the league, the rumor mill is already running hot, and the Bruins have found themselves right in the middle of one of the louder ones. Reports have Boston as a leading candidate to pursue Kirill Marchenko, while other clubs are said to be in the mix and a separate three-way framework involving Connor Hellebuyck and Alexander Nikishin is also being discussed among multiple teams. For Vancouver fans keeping one eye on the Canucks and the other on the rest of the Pacific race, it is the kind of early-season trade chatter that can reshape the conversation before opening night even arrives. [Read more 🡒]