What happened: Kekäläinen said the injury will keep Zucker out for the games that open the schedule. The setback takes a veteran winger off the ice as training-camp work and opening-night lineup decisions come into focus.

Why it matters: An absence that stretches into the regular season reshapes the early forward mix and removes experience from the wing. It also puts more pressure on the club's depth options to absorb minutes and special-teams work right away.

What to watch: The next checkpoints are Zucker's status as camp opens and whether his timeline shifts as opening night gets closer.