The Toronto Maple Leafs got a minor scare at practice Friday with starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov leaving in discomfort.
Samsonov made a stop during team drills and went to the bench to speak with the training staff before departing the ice. After practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Samsonov was fine.
The 26-year-old stopped 20 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings in pre-season action Thursday night.
Keefe also indicated that defenceman John Klingberg will not be in the lineup in the pre-season finale against the Red Wings on Saturday and should be ready to return to action next week.
Toronto kicks off their season on Oct. 11 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Panthers sending Knight down to AHL to start season
In a surprising twist at Florida Panthers training camp, Spencer Knight was loaned to the AHL as the team prepares to make final roster cuts ahead of the season.
This means Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup behind Sergei Bobrovsky while Knight gets consistent playing time with the Charlotte Checkers.
It has been a long road back to playing for Knight who entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in February for help with his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) diagnosis. He was not with the Panthers for the remainder of the season, including their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Panthers signed the 22-year-old to a three-year $13.5 million contract extension last September.
Wild captain sidelined to start season
Minnesota Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon suffered an upper-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks that will keep him out week-to-week.
Spurgeon had 11 goals and 34 points in 79 games last season for the Wild while adding two assists in six games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Wild captain is heading into the fourth season of his seven-year contract that comes with a $7,575,000 cap hit.
Ekholm still recovering, hopes to be in Oilers lineup for season opener
Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm is "trending in the right direction" to return to the lineup after missing the start of training camp with hip flexor pain, according to head coach Jay Woodcroft.
"He's had a bunch of good days in a row, so it's a real positive," Woodcroft told reporters after Oilers practice.
For Ekholm, the focus of his recovery process has been to become pain-free.
"You don't have much time to heal during the season, so taking the time now to do it and do it for real," Ekholm said. "[The recovery] has been way slower than I thought, I thought I would be full-on a couple weeks ago and I haven't been, so we're being cognizant about it."
Ekholm will not play the Oilers' final pre-season game on Oct. 6 against the Seattle Kraken, but hopes to be in the lineup for the season opener on Oct. 11 against the Vancouver Canucks.
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