DFS: Thursday's NHL Injury Report
Boston Bruins
Captain Zdeno Chara was placed on injured reserve retroactive to September 24 earlier this week, and while he can be activated any time, he's been declared out for tonight's season opener against Winnipeg. While not the offensive force he was earlier in his career, Chara still logs power play time due to his fearsome shot.
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres captain Brian Gionta has been declared out with a lower-body injury. Gionta was expected to play right wing on a line with Evander Kane and rookie Jack Eichel; Sam Reinhart should fill in for the time being.
Defenceman Zach Bogosian was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, ruling him out for at least the first three games of the season.
Dallas Stars
Last year's NHL scoring leader Jamie Benn and Ales Hemsky both appear to be good to go after recovering from offseason hip surgeries.
Edmonton Oilers
Winger Jordan Eberle has been ruled out for about a month with a shoulder injury. Rookie Anton Slepyshev appears to have been promoted to Eberle's spot on the top line, at least for now.
Ottawa Senators
Third-line winger Clarke MacArthur is uncertain to play due to a head injury. Last season, he chipped in with 36 points in 62 games.
Goalie Andrew Hammond will have to wait at least a game to prove that last season's heroics weren't a fluke, as he's day-to-day with a groin injury. Craig Anderson is expected to start in goal.
Philadelphia Flyers
Top-six forwards Michael Raffl and Sean Couturier are both expected to be in the lineup after being listed as day-to-day earlier in the week.
While not injury-related, big names like Vincent Lecavalier, Sam Gagner and Luke Schenn are expected to be healthy scratches tonight, so be wary about absent-mindedly putting them in your lineup.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pascal Dupuis will be sidelined for a month with a lower-body injury. For now, rookie winger Sergei Plotnikov is slotted into a line alongside Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Top-six forwards Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, as well as third-line winger Alex Killorn, should all be set to play in the opener after recovering from preseason injuries. Tampa Bay led the NHL in goals last season, and begins the year with a home matchup against the defensively-suspect Flyers.
The Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets have no injuries that should impact the DFS landscape.