Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller and defenseman Jordie Benn aren't available to the club, general manager Jim Benning said Tuesday, according to Sportsnet 650.

The Canucks are following the NHL's safety protocols and will have more information on both players Wednesday, Benning added.

Miller, 27, led the Canucks with 72 points last season. Benn, 33, is a key cog on the team's blue line.

Both players are currently in Vancouver while the team is in Edmonton for Wednesday's season opener against the Oilers.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Keith Yandle's position with the Florida Panthers looks to be in jeopardy, TSN's Frank Seravalli reported on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."

"Keith Yandle has fallen out of favor with the Florida Panthers. They've let it be known to him that he does not factor into their plans for this season," Seravalli said.

He added: "The plan at this point is to make Keith Yandle a healthy scratch at some point."

Yandle, an alternate captain for Florida, has three seasons remaining on his contract at $6.35 million annually. He has a full no-move clause and can't be placed on waivers without his permission.

The 34-year-old registered 45 points in 69 games with the Panthers last season. He has suited up in 866 consecutive NHL games, giving him the longest streak among active players and the fourth-longest in league history.

Florida was scheduled to play its first two games of the 2020-21 season on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15 against the Dallas Stars, but both contests have been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Stars organization.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Twenty-seven NHL players among nine teams registered confirmed positive COVID-19 tests throughout training camps, the league announced Tuesday.

The results include 17 players on the Dallas Stars, who reportedly likely won't start their season earlier than Jan. 19 due to a recent outbreak. The league stated most cases within last season's Western Conference champs are asymptomatic, and all players are recovering without complication.

The league administered 12,000 COVID-19 tests between Dec. 30 and Jan. 11.

The NHL will provide updates on testing throughout the regular season, which begins Wednesday.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner said Tuesday that Evander Kane will play the 2020-21 season following a report that Kane was considering skipping the campaign due to a bankruptcy filing and the birth of his child amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I don't think we're worried about a distraction," Boughner told reporters, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports. "I won't make a comment on any player's personal situation, but I am assured that he will be here for the whole season and that he's on board."

Kane reportedly filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Saturday, citing debts of nearly $27 million and assets of $10.2 million. The filing claimed Kane is allowed to terminate his NHL contract and opt out of the season without pay.

The 29-year-old forward signed a seven-year, $49-million contract with the Sharks in 2018 and has earned an estimated $52.9 million to this point in his career, according to CapFriendly.

Boughner said Kane will play in San Jose's season opener against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.

"I know there's other stuff going on, but he seems to be ready to go, and when he's at the top of his game, he's one of our best players and is a guy that we need," Boughner said. "He's a heck of a hockey player."

Kane notched 47 points in 64 games last season and has 457 points in 713 career contests. Drafted fourth overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, Kane spent time with the Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise and the Buffalo Sabres before joining San Jose in a trade during the 2017-18 campaign.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vancouver Canucks signed defenseman Travis Hamonic to a one-year, $1.25-million contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Hamonic joined the Canucks earlier in training camp on a professional tryout.

The 30-year-old was an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the last three years with the Calgary Flames. He was with the New York Islanders for seven seasons prior to his stint in Alberta.

Hamonic registered 12 points in 50 games last season while averaging over 21 minutes of ice time. He'll feature prominently on a revamped Canucks blue line that also added Nate Schmidt over the offseason.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild signed winger Marcus Foligno to a three-year, $9.3-million contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season and carries a slight increase in average annual value from the $2.875 million Foligno currently makes.

Foligno has spent the last three seasons with the Wild after playing his first six years with the Buffalo Sabres. He registered a career-high 25 points in 59 games in 2019-20.

For his career, Foligno's notched 183 points in 565 games while providing his team with physical play.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin revealed he had a three-week bout with COVID-19 during the offseason, according to The Athletic's Sean Shapiro.

Khudobin missed the beginning of training camp due to visa and quarantine issues, but he took part in practice on Tuesday. With Ben Bishop expected to be sidelined for a good portion of the year, Khudobin is on track to be the team's starter to begin the campaign.

"It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that right now. It’s not easy," Khudobin said of his battle with the coronavirus, according to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf. He added he had trouble breathing and difficulty just going up stairs.

The 34-year-old was excellent in net last season, leading the Stars all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Khudobin posted a .930 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average in 30 games during the regular season.

Dallas had six players test positive for COVID-19 last week and will have the campaign delayed as a result. At least three games have been postponed thus far, and the team will not begin its season earlier than Jan. 19.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk quickly backtracked Tuesday after sharing his plan to have thousands of fans attend games at the team's arena.

Melnyk tweeted out his vision Tuesday at around noon ET but deleted it less than two hours later.

Shortly before Melnyk deleted the tweet, Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said, "Those aren't the conversations we're having at this time," when asked if his team hoped to have fans in attendance at Scotiabank Arena, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Melnyk's plan, which he first publicized in an interview last week, is still featured on his personal website.

Ontario continues to experience a surge in COVID-19 cases amid a lockdown that will extend until at least Jan. 23. It declared a second provincial emergency - including a stay-at-home order and enhanced enforcement measures - on Tuesday.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.