Morning Briefing - September 26

Published 26 September 2026, 8:01 am ET

TL;DR

B. Faber left yesterday's game with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day; his minutes were cut sharply in the contest he played.
T.J. Hughes scored a hat trick and is fighting for an opening-night roster spot.
C. DeSmith and L. Thompson both stole games in net with strong save performances.
Jonas Johansson was traded from Tampa Bay to Ottawa.

Faber sidelined with upper-body injury

HOLD · MIN · D

B. Faber left yesterday's preseason game against Dallas in the second period and did not return. He is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury. In the game itself, he played only 14:27 against his usual 24.7 per game, a sharp reduction that may reflect either the early exit or caution in his return. Hold him on your roster; the day-to-day designation suggests no long-term absence, but monitor his status before the season opens.

Hughes scores hat trick, auditions for opening night

WATCH · COL · F

T.J. Hughes scored a preseason hat trick and is fighting for an opening-night roster spot, according to the team. Coach noted he has been improving throughout camp and growing more comfortable. The final roster decision may come down to him and Gavin Brindley; monitor the outcome closely as the season approaches.

DeSmith steals one; Thompson follows suit

START · DAL · G

C. DeSmith was 26 saves on 27 shots and was +1.8 goals better than the chances he faced, stealing the game for Dallas. L. Thompson was 20 saves on 22 shots and +1.7 goals better than expected for Washington. Both posted strong performances in preseason outings; monitor how they distribute starts as the regular season opens.

Varlamov struggles with save percentage

HOLD · NYI · G

S. Varlamov was -3.0 goals worse than the chances he faced yesterday. The problem was not the shot volume but the save rate. One preseason outing does not reset his season outlook, but this is a mark to track heading into his first games under game conditions.

Johansson dealt to Senators

WATCH · TBL · G

Jonas Johansson was traded from Tampa Bay to Ottawa on Friday. Details per the report. Monitor his role and workload with the Senators as the season opens.

Foligno active in fight-filled camp game

HOLD · MIN · F

M. Foligno had 7 hits yesterday, well above his 3.2 per game average last season, in a physical preseason contest that included multiple fights. His energy and engagement are positive signals, but one game does not reset his baseline; hold him and expect his hitting volume to normalize closer to last season's rate.

Aspirot struggles in Boston's training camp

BENCH · BOS · D

Jonathan Aspirot has not had a strong camp for the Bruins, according to observers. He was hemmed in during a recent shift and out of position at the net front. Monitor whether he gains or loses time as the roster takes shape.

Cale Makar returns to ice

HOLD · COL · D

Cale Makar was on the ice for his first shift of the preseason yesterday. No injury or absence is noted; this is a routine return. Hold him as usual and expect standard deployment as the season nears.