- Ansar Khan of MLive: Red Wings GM Ken Holland said that Johan Franzen has been given clearance to play. He’ll attend the start of training camp and is expected to be ready for the start of the season. Franzen has been out since last January with a concussion.
“The next step is the battle level and getting hit,” Franzen said last week. “The main issue has been the exertion when I get really tired. That’s when my head has been shutting down. So if I can take that I think I can take a few bumps.”
- Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post: Capitals Nicklas Backstrom is expected to miss their seven preseason games.
“Backie is still the same,” Trotz said at Germain Arena, where the Capitals are participating in a four-team prospects tournament “He’s skating and if he keeps going, he’ll keep progressing and get cleared at some point to come to the main group. Once he comes to the main group, I think he’s a few weeks away. That won’t be for a little while. I don’t expect him to be playing in any of the exhibition games. I really don’t. If they tell me yes, then I’ll be happy.”
- Joe Haggerty of CSNNE: Bruins Brad Marchand isn’t 100 percent healthy after offseason elbow surgery.
“It’s been feeling a lot better than last year,” said Marchand, who said he wasn’t able to do any upper body work until August due to the surgery. “Sometimes it aches when I’ve been shooting a bit too much, but I think it’s normal with a surgery like that. It’ll probably take a little while before it’s 100 percent, but that’s normal. I’m definitely happy that I chose to do the surgery.
- Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: Avs goalie Calvin Pickard may be better suited for their backup over Retta Berra, but Berra is on a one-way deal at $1.45 million and Pickard is on a two-way deal.
- Dave Stubbs: The Canadiens have invited forward Tomas Fleischmann to training camp on a PTO.
- Buffalo Sabres: Patrick Kaleta signed an AHL deal with Rochester and will attend the Sabres training camp on a PTO.
- Aaron Portzline: The Blackhawks have invited defenseman Jan Hejda to training camp on a PTO.