Eastern notes: Guentzel, Peterka, Poitras

New star of the Tampa Bay Lightning Jake Guentzel is expected to play in the team's season opener Friday night, says Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida. Guentzel will return to the team's top line and top power play unit after missing portions of several practices this week due to an undisclosed injury.

Guentzel will take on the role of the Lightning legend Steven Stamkos after the latter moved to Nashville this summer on his first trip to unrestricted free agency. It is Guentzel's second move this year after being traded from Pittsburgh to Carolina at the 2024 trade deadline. He proved incredibly productive with the Hurricanes – totaling eight goals, 17 assists and 25 points in 17 regular season games and adding four goals and nine points in 11 postseason games. The hot performance continued his points-per-game streak dating back to his 2019-20 season, when Güntzel scored 20 goals and 43 points in 39 games. He made a more formal mark in the 2021/22 season with 40 goals and 84 points in 76 games. The recently 30-year-old now has two 30-goal seasons and two 40-goal seasons in his eight-year NHL career. These numbers should only continue as he prepares for a role alongside him Brayden Point And Nikita Kucherov in Tampa Bay.

More notes from the East:

• John Jason Peterka continues to increase his workload at Buffalo Sabers practice after missing time with a concussion, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Peterka has now practiced in each of the last three skates, although he was absent from Buffalo's home opener on Thursday. Lysowski added that Peterka's availability will only be confirmed once the team sees how he responds to training. The 22-year-old is considered one of Buffalo's most exciting young players after scoring 28 goals and 50 points last season. That includes eight goals and 12 points in 17 games by the end of the season – a performance Peterka will build on when he is able to return.
• Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has shared that there is an “opportunity” to move forward Matthew Poitras will make its season debut tomorrow, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. Poitras has been on injured reserve since training camp and was able to return to action on Thursday. Poitras was a hotly discussed rookie last season – earning a roster spot out of camp and scoring 15 points in his first 33 NHL games despite a shoulder injury ending his season in February. He will now look to recover from his injury and fill the final spot on Boston's roster.