Florida Panthers netminder Roberto Luongo left Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to a lower-body injury.

Luongo suffered the injury midway through the second period after teammate Frank Vatrano fell onto his leg.

Backup netminder James Reimer stepped into the game in place of Luongo.

Saturday's contest marks the first game of the season for the Panthers.

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After he was hammered with a 20-game suspension Wednesday, more than a few teammates came to the defense of Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson.

Among the most vocal was fellow winger Devante Smith-Pelly, who told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, "Honestly, I think it's garbage. We watched a video from the league saying what hits are good, and which ones aren't. They showed some hits that were way worse than that ... maybe not in force, but as it regards to the head, that were so-called 'allowed.' I guess he just has a different rule book, and I think it's garbage, honestly.

"You can't just (suspend) because it's him. We all feel he went through the shoulder. The guy has a separated shoulder. Just because it's him, you don't have to make a statement."

Wilson was issued the ban following a head hit to St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist during preseason action. The suspension also comes on the heels of his three-game ban as a result of head hit in last year's playoffs.

A decision has yet to be made on whether Wilson will appeal the suspension.

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Warning: Story contains coarse language

Brad Marchand certainly has a way with words.

Following a 7-0 blowout loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins agitator summed up his feelings with some colorful language.

"It's fucking one game," Marchand told Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "It's nothing. We'll let it go and worry about tomorrow tomorrow."

In the team's season opener, the Bruins found themselves in an early hole after netminder Tuukka Rask allowed five goals before the midway point of the second period.

While the Bruins were shutout, Marchand wasn't entirely held off the scoresheet, as he ended the night with an instigator penalty and a game misconduct after fighting the Capitals' Lars Eller.

Eller picked up the seventh tally for the Capitals but his reaction following the goal didn't sit well with Marchand.

"His celebration was unnecessary," Marchand told Whyno. "He took an angle in front of our bench and celebrated in a 7-0 game. So I just let him know."

The Bruins will have little time to dwell on the defeat as the squad is back in action Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres.

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Anaheim Ducks forward Ondrej Kase will be sidelined indefinitely with a concussion, reports Mike Coppinger of the Los Angeles Times.

Kase suffered the injury in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Los Angeles Kings.

The injury is the latest blow to a Ducks squad that's already lost veteran winger Corey Perry for five months due to a knee injury. Also, center Ryan Kesler's return remains unclear as he's still rehabbing from hip surgery.

In 66 appearances with the Ducks last season, Kase notched 20 goals and 18 assists. His 20-goal output finished second to only Rickard Rakell for the team lead.

Kase is under contract for the next three seasons at a $2.6-million cap hit.

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Sam Gagner will be playing closer to home.

The veteran forward and Ontario native, who cleared waivers Tuesday after being released by the Vancouver Canucks, has been loaned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, the team announced Tuesday.

The Canucks' alternative was to assign Gagner to their minor-league affiliate in Utica, N.Y.

However, while Gagner will suit up for the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm club, he remains property of the Canucks and can't be recalled by the Maple Leafs, unless they were to acquire his rights.

The 29-year-old is under contract for the next two seasons at a $3.15-million cap hit.

While it's a rare occurrence, it's not the only such arrangement in the NHL. Matt Moulson, who's under contract with the Buffalo Sabres, spent last season with the AHL's Ontario Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' minor-league affiliate. Moulson has again been loaned to Ontario for 2018-19.

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For the first time since 1974, the Vancouver Canucks will begin the season without a captain.

In place of the retired Henrik Sedin, who captained the Canucks since 2010, the team has named a four-player leadership group of Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter, Chris Tanev, and Alex Edler.

"Our team culture will be built from leadership by committee," Canucks head coach Travis Green said in a statement. "It will be a big part of our process and our identity each and every game."

Of the four, Edler is the longest-serving Canuck, having been with the franchise since 2006.

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The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Alex Chiasson, the team announced Tuesday.

The veteran forward had been attending Edmonton's training camp on a professional tryout offer. He appeared in four preseason contests, picking up two points.

Chiasson joins the Oilers after spending 2017-18 with the Washington Capitals. He notched 18 points in 61 games last season, then added two more points in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup.

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Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green won't be suiting up in October.

The veteran blue-liner has been sidelined with a virus that kept him out of the lineup for the entire preseason. While the initial diagnosis was that Green could miss the start of the season, Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said that Green will be out for at least a month, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press

It's been a troubling last few months for Green on the injury front. After missing the final nine games of 2017-18 due to a neck injury, he underwent cervical spine surgery at the end of the season.

Green has spent the past three seasons with the Red Wings. He inked a two-year, $10.75-million extension with Detroit this summer.

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Guy Boucher isn't focusing on his contract situation entering the 2018-19 season.

The Ottawa Senators' bench boss will be on the final year of the three-year contract he inked in 2016. But he isn't concerned about his uncertain future.

"I've had that before and I won a championship," Boucher told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. "Ask Barry Trotz how he liked his year (in Washington)? I don't do things in life for money, I never have. I don't do things for contracts. I do things because I like being there and I want to do them.

"I put my name at the bottom of that contract for three years and that's what I plan to do and to do it well, and that's exactly what's happening."

In two seasons with the Senators, Boucher has posted a 72-71-21 record, but with wildly different outcomes. In 2016-17, he led the Senators to within one goal of the Stanley Cup Final, only to follow up with a 30th-place finish last season.

After a disastrous 2017-18 season, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion put Boucher through a review period and stressed that, in order to return behind the bench, he must play more young players and hold more practices. That meeting seemingly went well, as Boucher remains in Ottawa.

Boucher is the Senators' seventh coach since 2007.

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One surprise deserves another.

After the Arizona Coyotes made an off-the-board pick in this summer's draft by selecting Barrett Hayton fifth overall, the young center will begin the upcoming season in the NHL.

"Everything we thought and expected (about Hayton) has come true," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told theScore's John Matisz. "He's one of those guys who you think will keep getting better and better every single day. He does a lot of good things, makes his teammates better, and came into camp and did a nice job. He's going to start off on our opening day roster and we're just going to take it day by day here."

Many pundits projected the Desert Dogs selecting a prospect like Filip Zadina or Quinn Hughes during the 2018 draft. However, the franchise felt Hayton checked many of its boxes, as Chayka told The Athletic's Craig Morgan following the selection.

"He's a premium person, (a) premium player, playing a premium position," Chayka said. "He's a foundational piece for us. We think he's a complete 200-foot center."

Hayton was held scoreless in two preseason appearances. He could see some regular-season ice time with fellow centers Christian Dvorak and Alex Galchenyuk both sidelined to start the season.

Arizona could choose to give the 18-year-old a nine-game trial before sending him to the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. A longer stint, however, would burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

Hayton recorded 60 points in 63 games with the Greyhounds in 2017-18.

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