Welcome to the September 27, 2026 edition of the Injury Ward!

Summer is officially behind us, we have a couple weeks left of Bee Season, and before you can say Ivan Miroshnichenko, the 2026-2027 NHL season will officially be here!  

In addition to all of the amazing content found in the columns of the DobberHockey website and socials, be sure to get your hands on the 2026-2027 Dobber Hockey Fantasy Guide, available right now at DobberHockey.

Here are the key injury updates heading into the week:

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (G) – BUF – day-to-day – Another daily dose of bad news for Sabres fans as Luukkonen left Saturday's final preseason game at 3:47 in the third period after tweaking something in his lower body. As reported by Jane McNally of Sabres.com, head coach Lindy Ruff stated that he "didn't want to take any chances", with his No.1 keeper Luukkonen, knowing backup Alex Lyon is already on the shelf. This leaves sophomore Colten Ellis as the potential starter for the Sabres to kick off the year if Luukkonen cannot suit up. Come visit us again on Wednesday for updates on his status.      

Seth Jarvis (C) – CAR – week-to-week – Jarvis has been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff injury he has been playing through since 2023-24. Thankfully, as reported by Kurt Dusterberg from NHL.com, it appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes' top goal scorer (32G, 71GP) from last year is recovering ahead of schedule, has ditched the brace, and started skating and participating in team practices. As of right now, the tentative return date for Jarvis is October 24. Over the last three seasons, Jarvis has been a steady contributor to the Canes' offense, posting 30-plus goals and 66-plus points each of the last three seasons.  

Mattias Samuelsson (D) – BUF – week-to-week – Samuelsson has been out with a lower-body injury since he blocked a shot during a preseason game versus the Columbus Blue Jackets on September 22. Initially considered week-to-week, head coach Lindy Ruff thinks he could return sooner rather than later, as this injury is only a pain tolerance issue, nothing more. This would be welcomed news for the Buffalo Sabres' back end, who as mentioned above, lost their No.1 and No.2 goaltenders this week to injuries. Rostered in over 65% of most fantasy leagues last season, Samuelsson posted career highs in goals (13), assists (28), points (41), shots on goal (109), time on ice (22:50), hits (132) and blocked shots (154).   

Injured players confirmed or expected to be ready for opening night:

Jake Sanderson (D) – OTT – Left game Saturday with an undisclosed ailment. Bruce Garrioch of Post Media Sports posted that Sanderson is "fine" after head coach Travis Green spoke with reporters.  

Alex Ovechkin (RW) – WSH – Senior writer for NHL.com, Tom Gulitti, reported Friday that Ovechkin took part in full practice on Thursday and skipped the Washington Capitals' final preseason game on Saturday. Head coach Spencer Carbury said he should be good to go October 2, barring any major setbacks.

Ivan Demidov (LW) – MTL – Took a shot off the foot in Monday's game and has taken some extra therapy days to recover. Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette fully expects him to be in the opening night lineup.  

Brady Tkachuk (LW) – FLA – Tkachuk left the Florida Panthers' second preseason game on September 22 and has been kept off the ice since. Head coach Paul Maurice addressed the media on Friday and, in typical Maurice fashion, didn't offer much information but stated there is no concern for his availability opening night.

Jake Oettinger (G) – DAL – As per Robert Tiffin, Dallas Stars' NHL.com correspondent, Oettinger skipped the Dallas Stars' final preseason tilt due to lower body tightness. He has been given some precautionary time off and is not expected to miss any time, with the Stars' first game still days away on October 2 vs. the Blues.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Injury Ward. My name is Kevin Bissonette, and I will be providing weekly NHL injury coverage, all season long. Please give me a follow on X (@DH_KBissonette), and feel free to reach out with any last-minute questions for your squad or updates from your favorite insiders!

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