Winners and Losers From the 2024 NHL Preseason

The NHL's 2024 preseason schedule concluded on Oct. 5. While the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils already started their seasons with the NHL Global Series in Czechia on Oct. 4, the other 30 clubs will be making their final roster tweaks before the season officially begins on Oct. 8.

Preseason play allows the general managers of the 32 NHL clubs to evaluate their rosters. It also gives their fans an early glimpse of what their favorite teams could look like to start the season, showcasing newcomers added during the offseason and promising youngsters who could become future stars.

Some notable stories also emerged that could carry over into the regular season. Those include a contract standoff between the Boston Bruins and their starting goaltender and the first look at the Utah Hockey Club in action.

Here's a look at the notable winners and losers from the 2024 NHL Preseason. You can express your thoughts on this topic in our app comments below.

Injuries are an unavoidable part of hockey. The intensity of preseason play may not be comparable to regular-season or playoff contests, but that doesn't mean players can't get hurt. Unfortunately, several stars suffered serious injuries during preseason or were nursing injuries that kept them out of preseason action.

The Los Angeles Kings suffered a major roster blow when veteran defenseman Drew Doughty fractured his left ankle during their Sept. 25 game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He's listed as month-to-month, further depleting a Kings blue line already weakened by the offseason departures of Matt Roy and Sean Walker.

A knee-on-knee collision during a Sept. 28 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs left Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine with a knee injury that will sideline him for three months. Acquire from the Columbus Blue Jackets in August, the 26-year-old Laine's absence blows a big hole in the Canadien's plans to use him as their second-line left winger.

Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko missed training camp and preseason due to a nagging knee injury suffered during the opening game of last spring's playoffs. Demko and the Canucks are hopeful he'll be ready to return to action soon but there's no timeline yet, prompting the Canucks to sign goalie Kevin Lankinen as insurance.

Their absences will affect their respective team's performances during this season. Even if they should return to action at some point during the season, it might not be enough to help their clubs if they struggle to secure playoff spots later in the season.

Every NHL preseason sees a handful of players out to prove themselves after struggling to stick with their clubs during the previous season. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson is the most notable in that category this year.

Robertson began the offseason as a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights. Unhappy over bouncing between the Leafs and their AHL affiliate last season, he informed management he didn't intend to sign with them and requested a trade.

That made Robertson a fixture in this summer's rumor mill. He was among the players on our October NHL Trade Block Big Board. Despite finally signing a one-year, $875,000 contract with the Leafs, questions remained whether he would still be on the club when the regular season began.

Leafs general manager Brad Treliving refused to trade Robertson, believing he could still be a good addition to their middle-six forwards. In preseason play, the young winger has rewarded Treliving's patience.

As of Oct. 4, Robertson was among the preseason leaders with five goals in four games. While those stats are meaningless once the regular season begins, it's a promising indicator that the 23-year-old Robertson could be poised for his long-awaited breakout season.

A strong preseason doesn't guarantee a full-time roster spot for Robertson but it improves his chances. If he can carry this effort into the regular season, he could provide the Leafs with additional secondary scoring depth.

As we noted earlier, the rash of injuries among notable players during this preseason has raised concerns that its schedule is too long.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun believes there is no longer any purpose for NHL teams to play six to eight preseason games. He cited Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille saying today's players report to camp in top condition, lessening the need for a longer preseason schedule. He'd be happy seeing it reduced to four games per team.

Sportsnet's Andrew Brewer proposed shortening the preparation period and reducing the number of exhibition games.

LeBrun questioned NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about reducing the preseason. He said it's something that's on their list for discussion in the next round of collective bargaining. The current CBA is set to expire in September 2026.

Bettman's response indicates there won't be any real changes to the preseason until perhaps September of 2027. Even then, there's no certainty any significant changes will be made.

Nevertheless, it's becoming apparent that the need for a lengthy training camp and preseason to get players in top condition faces growing criticism, especially if stars continue to get hurt before they play a meaningful game.

NHL clubs use preseason play to get an early read on where their top young prospects are in their development. Most will be returned to their junior, college, or European clubs while others will be sent to the American Hockey League for further pro seasoning.

A handful, however, could begin their first seasons in the NHL. Several have already stood out in this year's preseason action.

Drafted first overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft, Macklin Celebrini faces considerable pressure to wear the mantle of franchise player for this rebuilding franchise. The 18-year-old center missed several days with a lower-body injury but showed promise with a goal and an assist in his first preseason contest.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is generating plenty of buzz with his quickness, vision, and puck-moving skills despite his 5'9", 162-pound frame. The Athletic's Arpon Basu believes the 20-year-old blueliner is making a strong case to be in the Canadien's opening-night lineup.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov drew praise from Flyers head coach John Tortorella for his energy and love of the game. Only 19, the 5'10, 172-pounder is their leading scorer in this preseason.

Dallas Stars forward Logan Stankoven and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf had a handful of NHL games under their belts last season but still qualify as rookies this season. They've looked solid thus far in postseason play, which bodes well for their chances of securing full-time roster spots this season.

The Boston Bruins relied on the strong goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman over the last two seasons. They backstopped the Bruins to a record-setting first-overall performance in 2022-23 and kept a depleted roster among the top clubs in the Eastern Conference last season.

However, the Bruins couldn't afford to keep both with Swayman in line for a new contract and Ullmark a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. They traded Ullmark in June to the Ottawa Senators to free up sufficient salary-cap room to sign Swayman.

Contract negotiations between the Bruins and Swayman stalled, with the 25-year-old netminder not reporting to training camp until a deal was completed. General manager Don Sweeney remains confident that he'll get Swayman signed, but preseason ended with the two sides remaining deadlocked.

This is not an ideal situation for either side. Swayman missed the opportunity to properly prepare for the coming season with his teammates in preseason action. Meanwhile, the Bruins are left trying to adjust their strategy without their top netminder.

The longer this drags on, the more it could adversely affect Swayman's game when he finally returns to action. That could hurt the Bruins' hopes of staging a run for the Stanley Cup this season. It also creates an unwelcome distraction for management, the coaching staff, and the players.

The former Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah during the offseason. They spent this preseason preparing for a new chapter in their franchise history.

The former Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah during the offseason. They spent this preseason preparing for a new chapter in their franchise history.

They had a shaky start to their first preseason game by inadvertently scoring into their own net against the St. Louis Blues but they rallied for a 5-3 win. They also had a 6-3 road victory over the Colorado Avalanche and would defeat the rebuilding San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Their first preseason home game at Salt Lake City's Delta Center was a hit, nipping the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in front of a chanting sellout crowd of 11,131 new fans. Some were hockey fans stretching back to the days of the old Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the Western Hockey League.

Utah remains for now a team transitioning to its new arena and city. They still don't have an official team name, the Delta Center requires two years of renovation to provide more unobstructed seats for their fans, and it is constructing a permanent practice facility for the club.

Nevertheless, they are in better shape now compared to their final years in Arizona, where they spent their final seasons in a college arena. There's a huge demand for tickets to see this club filled with promising young talent poised to emerge as a playoff contender after several seasons of rebuilding.