The New Jersey Devils 2026-27 roster is mostly set.

Yes, players have just started to report and media day just came around yesterday, but let’s face facts. With the way the New Jersey Devils roster is currently structured, training camp is a mere warm-up for the preseason which is warming the team up for the regular season. While that might sound exactly like what the definitions of those things should be, training camp in thew NHL has had its surprises in the past. Some young players have excelled to the point of making the team out of nowhere, while players that would be expected on the roster have shown themselves to not be ready for NHL action.

The Devils made enough adjustments in the offseason to fill out their forward and defense group, leaving very little room for anyone to come out of obscurity and make their way onto the opening night squad. If you’re still not sold on the idea, take a look at the Devils page on Puckpedia. Oh sure, maybe there’s one fourth line/press box guy that’s currently listed at the NHL level who will be swapped with one currently listed at the AHL level. Maybe Vladislav Kolyachonok is the 7th defender rather than Declan Chisholm when the opening night roster is announced. Perhaps the Devils choose to carry three goalies and have one less forward on the roster, at least at the start of the season. While there’s a few small details that are still to be ironed out, there’s no room for any major surprises.

That means unfortunately for anyone wanting Anton Silaev on the opening night roster, (barring a slew of injuries in preseason games) it’s going to have to wait until at least 2027-28. The players who just appeared at the team’s rookie camp/matchup against the Islanders? Don’t expect to see any of them cracking the lineup either. Players like David Rittich and Amadeus Lombardi (who were alluded to earlier with the “press box guy” label) were already being penciled into the Devils’ roster as they wouldn’t have signed/traded for guys who need to be placed on waivers if they did not intend to play them, although in Rittich’s case, third goalies do sometimes get signed and placed on waivers for depth purposes.

Training camp this year will be about training for these Devils. It will serve as an introduction to some of the younger players through practices and maybe the first or even first two preseason games. Beyond that, with a shorter, four game preseason, the team will be looking to just get all of the new pieces to mesh and figure out who is going to play with who and where on the depth chart. Between signing Anthony Mantha in free agency, and bringing Evan Rodrigues in and Jesper Boqvist back from Florida while also acquiring Luke Evangelista from Nashville. That’s four new forwards at a minimum; with a shorter preparation period, the Devils probably won’t be looking to work in too many other new parts.

Training camp and the preseason will be coming at us quickly, with the first game already slated for this coming Sunday. For the Devils, however, there won’t be much to figure out before the regular season starts. A couple minor things for sure, but the larger parts are already sorted; this preseason, roster formation is a mere formality.

What are your thoughts about the Devils’ training camp; do you feel there’s room for a roster surprise, or do you agree there’s just no space for it this season? Is there anyone you want to see make a strong showing even if it doesn’t result in an NHL spot? If there’s injuries, who do you think could step up? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!

Bruins Opening Night lineup projection 1.0: Where should James Hagens play? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The first practice of Boston Bruins training camp took place Thursday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.

The Bruins underwent a retool last season and surprised a lot of people by making the playoffs. The expectations have increased as a result. Can the Bruins not only make the playoffs again, but also win a round? They have advanced past Round 1 only once since 2021.

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney added a few good players to the roster in the offseason, most notably winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Will Borgen. But if the Bruins are going to take the next step and be a contender, they really need some of their young players to step up and fill a larger role.

James Hagens, who the Bruins selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is at the top of that list.

Let’s dive into our first Opening Night roster projection of camp.

JJ Peterka was the Bruins marquee offseason addition, and getting him off to a strong start is important. Playing alongside Pastrnak is the best way to accomplish that objective. Peterka plays with great speed and has scored 25-plus goals each of the last three seasons. It wouldn’t be surprising if Peterka hit the 30-goal mark with Pastrnak, who set a career high with 71 assists last season. Asking Fraser Minten to be the first-line center is a lot of responsibility for the 22-year-old forward, but the B’s did outscore opponents 23-7 at even strength last season when he played with Pastrnak.

Geekie scored a career-high 39 goals last year. Getting to the 30-goal mark for the third straight season would be impressive. Geekie and Zacha only played about 111 minutes together at even strength last season, per Natural Stat Trick, but the B’s had a plus-42 edge in shot attempts, a plus-19 advantage in shots on net, and a plus-13 lead in high-danger chances during that ice time. Mittelstadt is entering the final year of his contract and has all the motivation to be more productive offensively.

James Hagens is a real X-factor for the B’s this season. The team’s top prospect has immense offensive talent, which was on full display earlier this week when he scored four goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the Sabres in the 2026 Prospects Showcase.

“I was so happy and I’m glad he played in that tournament,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said at a press conference Wednesday. “I’ve seen in the past with some other guys I had. It’s a great opportunity to shine, and he did. It gives him a little bit of a head start. I think he feels pretty good today. I saw him around, he was smiling. That means he’s going to be ready for tomorrow and that’s all what I’m looking for.

“He doesn’t have to be doing this and doing that. No, he’s just got to be James Hagens. He worked extremely hard, like [Don Sweeney] said, this summer. Now he should just reward himself and play free. It’s different, it’s not playoff hockey. It’s training camp. He’s going to be ready to go tomorrow. I’m excited, too, to see him play in preseason.”

Lindholm has disappointed offensively since signing a seven-year free agent contract with the Bruins in 2024, but he’s still a very good defensive center. He can handle those responsibilities and allow Hagens to jumpstart the attack. Hagens’ speed would also mesh well with Khusnutdinov, who also plays with plenty of pace. Hagens could eventually move into a top-six role, but a third-line spot is probably the best spot for him to make a complete transition to regularly playing against NHL competition.

The fourth line speaks for itself. This group played well last season. There’s no reason, at least at the moment, to break it up.

Charlie McAvoy’s six-game suspension to start the season is a tough setback for the Bruins considering he’s by far their best defenseman. It also makes putting together these pairings much more difficult. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Sturm try a bunch of different combinations in camp.

The Bruins have 10 waiver-eligible defensemen, so unless someone is traded, they might risk losing one of these defensemen to another team through waivers if they are sent down to the AHL’s Providence Bruins.

Sturm admitted Wednesday that he wants to see the blue line produce more offensively this season.

“Sometimes I think the offense was kind of the one thing, one area, it kind of got lost a little bit,” Sturm said. “I think there’s times we could have maybe joined the rush more. We could have been more active overall as a defensive group. That’s something we’re going to touch on starting tomorrow to be more involved, I would say, in our offensive game.”

Two young players who could provide some offensive punch from the back end are Mason Lohrei and Frederic Brunet. Lohrei is in the final year of his contract and has proven to be a good skater with playmaking ability, but defensively he still has a ton of room for improvement. Brunet is the Bruins’ top defenseman prospect and excelled in Providence last season with 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 65 games. Having a good camp and preseason is important for both players. It’s possible both players could play Opening Night, but Jonathan Aspirot should be in the mix, too.

Aspirot and Nikita Zadorov played 160:23 of even-strength ice time together last season and the B’s outscored opponents 11-5 and had a .939 save percentage during those minutes, per Natural Stat Trick.

The one thing we know about this blue line is there will be plenty of internal competition over the next two weeks.

“I think the competition is going to play out,” Sweeney said Wednesday. “Clearly, we had an eye toward the fact that Charlie wasn’t going to start the year for six games. You get through training camp, albeit it’s a little shorter than what it has been in the past. You could run into injury troubles, last year we did, and we tested that pretty quickly. We’re in a good spot there. Will we have to make a move? Time will tell in that sense, in how the players play, how their health is. At some point in time, we will have to get to the waiver question and make smart decisions as a result.”

Goaltenders

• Starter: Jeremy Swayman
• Backup: Michael DiPietro

Swayman had a great bounce-back season in 2025-26 and was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time. He was the Bruins’ best and most valuable player throughout the regular season, and in the playoffs.

The unknown coming into the 2026-27 campaign is whether the Bruins will increase his workload after he played in a career-high 55 games last season. Michael DiPietro has earned a chance to be an NHL goalie after excelling for Providence the previous two years, highlighted by an AHL MVP award in 2025-26. But he only has one game of NHL experience. If he’s not ready, Swayman might need to play a ton of games.

“We’ll see, time will tell,” Sturm said Wednesday when asked about Swayman’s workload. “He had a pretty good run last year, and that’s why there’s a lot of nights we even talk about who’s going to be in net the other night or the next night. Sometimes we had to go with him because he was pretty hot for a while, so hopefully he’s going to have stretches like this again, regardless of who’s going to be the backup, a veteran or a young kid like Mikey [Michael DiPietro].

“We just want to give him the best opportunity, and hopefully he’s going to have another year like this, like he had last year for us, and get us a lot of good saves and a lot of points on the board.”

For the average person, $30,000 is a sizeable chunk of an entire year's salary.

For Connor Hellebuyck, it could soon become the approximate cost of a single day away from the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets suspended their star goaltender Wednesday after Hellebuyck failed to report for medicals and physical testing ahead of training camp. Winnipeg will hit the ice for its first practices Thursday morning at hockey for all centre without the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.

And there it is.

Connor Hellebuyck has been suspended by the #NHLJets.

He remains in Michigan. https://t.co/1W9gWCseZI

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) September 17, 2026

Hellebuyck isn't yet sacrificing regular-season salary, with NHL players not receiving their regular pay during training camp. But should his absence continue once the regular season begins, the financial implications become staggering.

Hellebuyck is in the third season of a seven-year, $59.5-million contract carrying an $8.5-million annual cap hit.

Depending on the calculation applied to his actual salary and the number of days in the NHL pay period, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars for every day Hellebuyck remains suspended - roughly $30,000-plus per day.

A week? More than $200,000.

A month? Potentially approaching $1 million.

And yet, for now, Hellebuyck isn't budging. The 33-year-old publicly confirmed his trade request on Aug. 27, saying he had privately asked the Jets for a move several months earlier.

“I have tried to handle the situation quietly and respectfully while giving the organization time to explore its options,” Hellebuyck said in the statement released by his agent, Ray Petkau. “My position has not changed. I believe moving on is the best path forward for me and my family.”

Three weeks later, Hellebuyck has backed those words with action.

The Jets included him on their 51-player training camp roster, but when players reported Wednesday, Hellebuyck wasn't among them. Winnipeg responded by suspending him for failure to report.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is scheduled to address reporters Thursday morning, with Hellebuyck's future certain to dominate the conversation.

Hellebuyck has spent his entire 11-year NHL career in Winnipeg, appearing in 625 games while winning three Vezina Trophies and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy. But after requesting a trade and now refusing to report to camp, the relationship between Hellebuyck and the only NHL organization he's ever known has reached its most significant impasse yet.

Training camp has officially begun in Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck is nowhere to be seen. And if that remains the case into October, staying away is going to start getting very expensive.

Rangers fans, it’s here. 

After another summer that featured several changes to this still-retooled roster, training camp is officially here. 

The Blueshirts hit the ice for the first time on Wednesday.

Camp is shorter with the changes made to the NHL schedule this year, but there are still some big storylines going in.

Here are five of the biggest to keep an eye on…

Shortened camp

One of the big things to watch, not just for the Rangers but the entire league, is how this shorter camp changes things. 

Head coach Mike Sullivan said that it should switch things up significantly. 

“When you look at starting [Thursday] to Opening Night against Boston, we have 12 days,” he explained. “We have four exhibition games and two off days built into those 12 days, so we essentially have 10 practices, six when we’re not including a game that night -- so, time is of the essence.” 

There are 13 fewer players on the camp roster this year compared to last, none of whom are on professional tryouts, and no junior-level players have been invited.

Again, every team is facing the same schedule, but getting off to a slow start could be costly for a revamped team looking to return to the playoffs after back-to-back down seasons. 

The backup goalie competition

There’s no question that Igor Shesterkin will be back in the No. 1 spot for the Blueshirts, but the team has a two-way battle for his backup. 

Sullivan said that it will be a “fierce, internal competition.”

Rookie Dylan Garand seemed like the favorite after his strong late-season cameo, but the front office felt goalie was one of the areas they needed to add veteran depth. 

Because of that, Joonas Korpisalo was brought in in a summer deal with the Bruins. 

Korpisalo is coming off back-to-back down campaigns in Boston, but his $3 million cap hit over the next two years likely puts him in the front seat for the spot. 

With the shorter preseason schedule too, Garand may not get too many opportunities to unseat Korpisalo, as Shesterkin will likely appear in at least two of the four games. 

It’ll be interesting to see what the Blueshirts do if that’s the case, though, as the 24-year-old may need to pass through waivers if they try to send him down to Hartford.

Who rounds out the revamped d-core?

Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are back leading the way, and Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi were brought in in offseason trades an effort to solidify the second pair. 

Braden Schneider remains in the mix on a one-year deal after being floated in trade rumors again, but who slides in next to him on that third pairing still isn’t set in stone. 

Matthew Robertson seems like the favorite heading into camp after his breakout campaign in his first real opportunity at the pro level last year. 

Sullivan already said that 2026 first-round pick Alberts Smits will have the chance to earn himself a spot out of camp too, but the team will also play things smart with him. 

21-year-old Drew Fortescue could be in that mix as well, or they could turn to Urho Vaakaninen or Justin Dowling if they are looking for more experience in the lineup. 

Right-handed d-men Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio are back on one-year deals and figure to be in the mix for the seventh spot on the depth chart. 

All in all, this group has strong depth and should be sharper this season. 

Will any youngsters crack the team?

For the first time in a long time, the Rangers have some intriguing young talent knocking on the door at the NHL level. 

Some of the youngsters have already been mentioned above. 

Smits, Fortescue, and Morrow are the most notable to keep an eye on as things progress in the defensive battle. 

As far as the forwards, the offseason additions may make it a bit tricky to scratch out anything more than a bottom-six spot, but you never know. 

Just look at Noah Laba last season, carving out a regular role for himself during his rookie campaign after coming into camp as one of the longer shots. 

Taylor Raddysh and Matt Rempe appear to be favorites, but someone like Jaroslav Chmelar could unseat them with a strong camp showing. Keep an eye on Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin, as well. 

What will the top six look like? 

Out with the old, in with the new. 

The Rangers knew they needed to add some goal-scoring after moving on from their most consistent scorer, Artemi Panarin, ahead of last trade deadline. 

So, Drury went out and landed himself a big fish, bringing in Pavel Dorofeyev in a blockbuster Draft Day deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Dorofeyev, who also immediately inked a seven-year extension, comes to the Big Apple seemingly only getting better and better with each passing season -- the big question that remains is who his new linemates will be. 

It’ll be interesting to see if Sullivan decides to pair him with top center Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere or bumps him down to the second line. 

Zibanejad, Lafreniere, and young Gabe Perreault were clicking on all cylinders after being put together down the stretch last season. If Sullivan elects to keep that trio together, Dorofeyev would see himself skating alongside J.T. Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand or Will Cuylle. 

There are many different ways the Blueshirts can go; we'll see soon enough how they line up to start the year. 

The Calgary Flames have trimmed their training camp roster, reassigning seven prospects to their respective junior clubs.

The moves come following Monday night’s 6-1 preseason loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the NextGen game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as the Flames prepare to open their main training camp later this week.

The seven players reassigned are:

• Riley Boychuk (LW) - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
• Joe Iginla (RW) - Vancouver Giants (WHL)
• Simon Katolicky (LW) - Sarnia Sting (OHL)
• Bode Laylin (D) - Everett Silvertips (WHL)
• Jakob Leander (D) - Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
• Brett Olson (C) - Vancouver Giants (WHL)
• Mace’o Phillips (D) - Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

With those seven players heading back to junior, 17 players remain in camp and are expected to take part in the Flames’ main training camp activities beginning this week.

The roster will continue to take shape as Calgary’s coaching staff and management work through the next stage of preseason evaluations.

Following the Detroit Red Wings' prospect tournament, and with training camp and the preseason on deck, the organization will have plenty of young players getting a crack at the main roster. 

With Detroit undergoing a changing of the guard, there's a real chance a few of these names make the jump all the way to the NHL sooner rather than later. Last season, three rookies made the opening night roster in Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. This time around we're looking at three more youngsters who could make the opening night roster. 

Carter Bear

The Red Wings' 13th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has quickly established himself as one of the organization's most promising prospects and is expected to make the jump to professional hockey next season.

After gaining valuable experience in preseason games, Bear returned to the Everett Silvertips and helped lead the team to its best record in franchise history while shifting his game from primarily offensive to a more physical style. Although his regular season production dipped slightly to 77 points in 53 games, he showed his scoring ability in the playoffs with 22 points in 18 games.

Carter Bear(1st round’25)
GOAL🚨 he sends the teddy bears flying!!!!!#LGRWpic.twitter.com/BhINujglOY

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) December 7, 2025

At six foot, 187 pounds, Bear has become more effective physically and around the net without sacrificing his playmaking and scoring skills, making him a strong candidate to begin next season with Detroit.

Nate Danielson

Danielson, the former ninth overall pick back in the 2023 NHL Draft, posted seven points in 28 games as a rookie before a season-ending lower-body injury in February, and will look for a steadier role in his second full crack at the NHL.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.  

The good news for Detroit is that the injury is not expected to linger into the new season, with Danielson expected to be fully healthy heading into training camp. Given that he's already tasted NHL action and shown he can handle the speed and physical demands of the league, along with his ability to play down the middle, Danielson may hold a slight edge over other prospects competing for a full-time role, and a strong camp could be enough to lock down a permanent spot in Detroit.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård

He wouldn't be a new name on the Red Wings roster but the 20-year-old has a better chance than ever to make a lasting run at the NHL level. Through his first nine games with Detroit to begin the season, Brandsegg-Nygård recorded an assist and tied for the team lead in hits with 28, while averaging roughly 12 and a half minutes of ice time per night. 

He would go on to play five more games with the Red Wings to close out the season, but the bulk of his year was spent in the AHL with the record breaking Grand Rapids Griffins.

Brandsegg-Nygård experienced his share of highs and lows in his first full North American professional season, but he found his footing as the year went on. He finished with 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 60 games with Grand Rapids, and carried that momentum into the postseason, posting four goals and four assists for a point per game pace during the Griffins' disappointing eight game playoff run. 

The hope is that he can put it all together, arrive at training camp and the preseason with solid work behind him, and crack the lineup on a full time basis, finally making his impact felt at the NHL level.

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With training camps kicking off around the NHL, a former Philadelphia Flyers forward who had enjoyed an impressive end to the 2025-26 season has finally landed with a new team.

After adding Noel Acciari, and with the expected continued development of rookies like Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey, the Flyers had no real need to add another depth forward this summer.

That, of course, meant that they had to let go of some established depth forwards, including Rodrigo Abols, Garnet Hathaway via trade, and Luke Glendening.

Hathaway and Glendening were two veterans who played a pivotal fourth-line role for the Flyers down the stretch, and while Hathaway ended up in Florida, Glendening remained unsigned throughout free agency despite his positional versatility and faceoff prowess.

On Wednesday, that changed, though, as the former Flyers forward agreed to a professional tryout with the Stanley Cup contending Tampa Bay Lightning, reuniting with his former club after a one-year break split between New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Glendening, 37, played 158 regular season games with the Lightning between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, scoring 14 goals, four assists, and 18 points while adding a goal and an assist in 10 playoff games.

Glendening found his form after joining the Flyers late last season via waiver claim from New Jersey, scoring two goals, three assists, and five points in 18 regular season games down the stretch, and adding another goal in the Flyers' 10 playoff games.

Previously, the Flyers and GM Danny Briere left the door open for the veteran to return, but ultimately, as we now know, the two sides went in separate directions, especially with the Flyers having little need to add more bodies at the forward position in training camp.

This is one of those days where I have a few thoughts bouncing around but I am not sure any of them are enough for a full, dedicated article. So you’re getting a bunch of random thoughts just emptied out of my head for your consumption as the Pittsburgh Penguins open training camp.

1. Does anybody need a strong camp more than Ville Koivunen?

The most surprising, and some might say shocking, Penguins move of the offseason was actually one of their last moves when they signed Ville Koivune, after just 47 NHL games and only two goals, to an eight-year, $32 million contract.

Given everything that’s happened over the past couple of weeks, and especially the past few days in the lead-up to the start of the new CBA, it’s starting to make a little more sense, and honestly doesn’t look quite as baffling (and while it shocked me, I never quite saw it as THAT baffling and could see the thought process behind it). Given the buyout rules, where the cap is going in the coming seasons, what player contracts are starting to look like, and all Koivunen needs to do to make it worth it, it’s still a relatively low-risk, potentially high-reward deal.

EVEN WITH THAT, there are no good optics in the short-term for him showing up at camp, not earning a spot on the roster, and being sent to the American Hockey League after signing an eight-year deal.

Maybe it’s for that reason that he already has a spot “locked” in. And maybe, given the current depth at forward, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he did get sent down at the start (because they do have a lot of good players at forward), but it still wouldn’t look great. Sometimes optics stand out more than facts and reality, but that still matters.

Everybody has talked about what a good offseason he has had. His underlying numbers this past season were some of the best on the team. There is reason to like him. But it is time to start turning all of that into tangible results on the scoreboard.

2. The goalies will dictate the season and where it goes

In terms of the forwards and defense, I see this roster looking pretty similar to the one the Penguins were using in 2025-26. The forwards are pretty good, and pretty deep. I don’t love the defense, but Erik Karlsson can still be an impact player and I do think there is a chance this current group will defend better than last year’s (I like Declan Carlile as a potential under-the-radar steal; Trevor van Riemsdyk is a legitimately good defensive player; I am intrigued by what Kaeden Korczak can do in a potentially bigger role).

But going into the season with two young, still very unproven goalies is a GIGANTIC wild card that could take this thing in any number of directions.

Everybody loves Sergei Murashov’s upside, and he has been great at every level since coming over to North America. But it’s still just upside with him at this point, and the AHL isn’t the NHL. He’s still a young goalie, and young goalies are still completely unpredictable. His ceiling is high. His floor is low. There’s a gigantic empty space he could fit in.

Arturs Silovs has had his moments, but consistency has not been his calling card in the NHL.

If these two guys put it all together and show they are ready for the big-time on a full-time basis, I could see a scenario where this team is not only back in the playoffs, but that it’s ceiling is a little higher than last year’s team and a higher than a lot of people are expecting.

If they are not ready for that? Or if they struggle? You might very well end up in a position to get the top-five pick you are still searching for.

3. Egor Chinakhov and Nicholas Robertson intrigue me more than any other veteran players in camp

I know what Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are going to do this season.

I have a pretty good idea as to what Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are going to do.

The fourth line guys are what they are, and I know what they are.

There are a lot of unknowns with the younger players like Ben Kindel, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Bill Zonnon, Harrison Brunicke, Tomas Galvas, and the goalies, but that is the nature of the beast with young players. Some of them will become NHL players. A couple might be really good NHL players. You might get lucky and one becomes an All-Star. Some will be a hit, most will strike out. As smooth Jimmy Apollo once said, “when you’re right 52 percent of the time, you’re wrong 48 percent of the time.”

But Chinakhov and Robertson remain the most intriguing mysteries to me because they have some NHL track record, have shown some ability to be good NHL players, and they have very obvious NHL talents, but they are still very much unknowns.

Chinakhov is oozing with talent and top-line ability, and he really put it all together in the second half of the 2025-26 season after being acquired in the trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Was it a real improvement, or just a short-term flash? Can he still take a star turn? If he can, that changes some math for you in the short-term and long-term.

It is a similar question for Robertson, who has some very real NHL skills, and has scored goals at a top-line rate per minute, but has never really had an opportunity to show if that can translate into something more.

Is 30 goals out of reach for Chinakhov?

Is 20 out of reach for Robertson?

I don’t think either is out of reach, but neither one is guaranteed to reach those levels. They are not quite as big of a wild-card as the goalies, but they remain wild-cards for what the team’s success level and ceiling is.

4. Which veteran is going to get waived?

After last year’s training camp we see Ryan Graves and Danton Heinen get waived.

Matt Dumba and Philip Tomasino followed not long after during the season.

Given the forward depth it, where they legitimately have 17 or 18 players that could play on the NHL roster, it seems likely that somebody is going to get waived by the conclusion of camp.

Could it be Filip Hallander? I thought he was solid before his season got derailed, but where does he fit? Could it be Justin Brazeau? Hendrix Lapierre fits the mold of the type of player the Penguins have been rolling the dice on, but he’s far from a lock.

I suppose a trade is still possible, but I just don’t know where that comes from at this point.

5. Sidney Crosby contract prediction

This is just a guess. It is just a prediction. But I say he signs a one-year, $8.7 million extension by the end of camp and does this every year from now until his eventual retirement. I do not believe he has any interest in playing elsewhere. I also believe he means it when he says it is all just about how he feels physically.

The Golden Knights enter the 2026–27 season with Stanley Cup expectations but several important questions. Vegas still boasts an imposing veteran core led by Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo, yet talent alone will not determine how far this team advances.

A coaching transition, the loss of Pavel Dorofeyev’s goal production and lingering concerns surrounding health and goaltending create three defining storylines.

Ryan Craig must establish his identity with a veteran roster, secondary scorers must ease the burden on the stars and the Golden Knights must keep their core healthy.

How Vegas answers those questions could separate another championship run from an early postseason exit.

Can Craig successfully manage an aging, win-now roster?

Craig inherits a veteran team facing enormous expectations and offering little patience for transition. His challenge extends beyond installing a system. He must earn the confidence of Eichel, Marner, Stone and Pietrangelo while keeping the roster fresh for the postseason. Craig’s management of minutes, accountability and adversity will reveal whether the coaching change supplies renewed energy or creates an uncomfortable adjustment period.

That balancing act will become especially important when the inevitable losing streaks, injuries and lineup decisions arrive. Veterans accustomed to defined roles may be asked to accept reduced minutes, different line combinations or altered special-teams responsibilities. Craig must make those adjustments without disrupting the chemistry of a group that believes it remains capable of winning another championship.

He also must determine how aggressively to incorporate younger players. Vegas needs additional speed and energy, but developing inexperienced contributors can be difficult when every defeat creates pressure. If Craig can preserve the team’s veteran strengths while building greater pace, flexibility and internal competition, the transition could extend the Golden Knights’ championship window. If the team struggles to adapt, the coaching change may become the season’s dominant issue.

Where will the secondary scoring come from?

Eichel and Marner give Vegas elite offensive creators, but replacing Dorofeyev’s 37 goals will require a collective response. Ivan Barbashev, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson and Victor Olofsson must deliver reliable production, while younger forwards such as Braeden Bowman may need to accept larger roles. If Vegas becomes too dependent upon its stars and power play, injuries or difficult playoff matchups could expose its forward depth.

Dorofeyev supplied more than finishing ability. His presence forced opponents to respect another dangerous shooting option beyond the established stars, creating space elsewhere in the lineup. Without that threat, opposing coaches may be able to concentrate their best defensive pairings and checking forwards against Vegas’ top line.

The Golden Knights therefore need balanced 5-on-5 production, particularly from their middle six. Hertl must continue creating offense around the net, Barbashev must complement skilled linemates with physicality and finishing, and Karlsson must remain a dependable two-way contributor. Olofsson’s shot could also become valuable on the power play. A breakout season from Bowman or another younger forward would make the lineup deeper and less predictable. Vegas doesn't need one player to replace all 37 goals, but it cannot afford prolonged scoring droughts when its top forwards are contained.

Can the core remain healthy - and goaltending stabilize?

Stone’s two-year extension confirms that Vegas still considers its captain central to another championship pursuit, but his availability remains critical. His 73 points in 60 games last season demonstrated both his value and the concern surrounding his durability.

Stone influences far more than the scoresheet. His defensive anticipation, puck retrieval and ability to create takeaways help Vegas control possession and dictate matchups. When he is unavailable, the Golden Knights lose a top-six scorer, penalty-killing option and emotional leader. Managing his workload - along with those of Pietrangelo, Karlsson and other veterans - will require careful planning throughout the longer regular season.

The Golden Knights also need stability in net after injuries disrupted Adin Hill and Carter Hart. A capable tandem can protect both goaltenders from excessive workloads, but only if each remains healthy and establishes a dependable rhythm. Frequent injuries or inconsistent performances would place greater pressure on the defense and force Vegas to chase games offensively.

Craig may need to prioritize rest over short-term results, particularly during demanding stretches of the schedule. Vegas possesses championship-caliber talent, but its ceiling will depend upon having its most important players available - and its goaltending settled - when the postseason begins.

PHOTO CAPTION

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (30) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.

It’s here, the new hockey sesson has arrived!

But first, before the games are played, every contracted player in the organization must gather for three days of training camp and for four preseason games before the 2026-27 season drops the puck on September 30th. Here is the expected roster comprised of 56 players hoping to make the Colorado Avalanche roster.

How real is the youth movement?

The biggest storyline on the new season concerns all the young forwards who could make the opening night roster. But before we get to that point, I’m keeping an eye on their usage at camp and in preseason. Of course the period before the games count is time for experimentation and no line or role is set in stone. Still, there are a lot of hints offered on how the organization views a player by how they are utilized in training camp. We’ll find out their place on day one of on-ice activity.

What are the roles for the veterans?

On the opposite side of the spectrum, it will be fascinating to see the early thoughts on how to utilize the incoming veterans, Jaden Schwartz and the first full season of the second Nazem Kadri era, in particular. The assumption is Schwartz was brought in to help anchor Brock Nelson’s line, which would likely lend Kadri to center the third line. If those assumptions are incorrect then we’ll see what Jared Bednar has in mind for his line construction.

Is everyone actually healthy?

Attendance has been strong at captain’s skates but there’s always a few curiosities leading to health questions. Cale Makar had been easing in and skating on his own away from the group for the most part. Jared Bednar remarked in his opening press conference that Makar is dealing with a new lower-body injury and might not participate right away in camp. Nathan MacKinnon was missing for all pre-camp gatherings but did skate with his teammates once two days before the start of training camp. Bednar said there was a handful of lingering issues from the offseason so attendance at camp might be an interesting topic to follow.

How will the shortened camp make an impact?

This is the first fall under the NHL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has increased the regular season slate by two games to 84. In exchange, preseason was shortened by a week and reduced to a maximum of four exhibition games. Will we see an Avalanche squad full of older veterans rejuvenated due to this extra rest or will they stumble out of the gate with a lack of cohesive preparation? Gauging energy and cohesion will be an early temperature check.

How are the goaltenders shaking out?

This one isn’t just for the Colorado Avalanche with the Lumberyard duo of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood as the Colorado Eagles have their very own interesting tandem set for this season with the entrenched Trent Miner and top prospect Ilya Nabokov now in the fold. I’m watching to see how their playing time is split especially with the lessened opportunity to get in just the four exhibition games. Four solid goalies in an organization is a good problem to have but the aim is probably to have a starter for each team identified by puck drop on the regular season.

What do you want to hear about from training camp? Let us know in the comments!

The Columbus Blue Jackets have 14 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #14. 

Let's take a look.

Ray Whitney - 2001-2003 - Drafted by San Jose in 1991. 

Whitney played 151 games as a Jacket and was the Captain for one. During the one year he was the Captain, he scored 24 goals and totaled 76 points, which set a CBJ record. Ray Whitney is the best player to have worn #14 for the Blue Jackets.

When Ray Whitney was traded to the Blue Jackets, the 28-year-old had already played 528 games in the NHL spanning 10 seasons. But he had never played a full 82-game season; he only averaged 53 games a year. So, when the CBJ traded for him in 2001, fans were as excited as ever for the fledgling franchise. They were getting a goal-scorer and a relatively young playmaker.

After his time with Columbus, he went on to play for another 10 years and a total of 1,330 games. He played a total of 22 seasons in the NHL and had over 1,000 points. He would retire in 2015. 

In a game at Nationwide Arena in November 2001 against the St. Louis Blues, Whitney scored this goal, which is still a legendary goal in CBJ history. The radio call from play-by-play icon George Matthews, with his partner Bill Davidge, still gives me chills.

Greg Mauldin - 2004 - Drafted by Columbus in 2002. 

Played 6 games for Columbus and had no points. He went on to play 30 more NHL games after leaving Columbus.

Mauldin left for Europe in 2012, where he played in Switzerland, Russia, Germany, and Norway. He played until 2024 before retiring. 

Raffi Torres - 2009-2010 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2000. 

Torres played 111 games for the Jackets and had 51 points. He was traded to the Buffalo Sabres on March 3, 2010. 

Torres retired on November 5, 2016.

Grant Clitsome - 2011-2012 - Drafted by Columbus in 2004.

He played 93 games for Columbus and had 36 points before being put on waivers on February 26, 2012. 

On June 1, 2016, Clitsome retired after suffering a serious shoulder injury. 

Blake Comeau - 2013-2014 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004. 

Comeau played 79 games and had 21 points for the CBJ. In the summer of 2014, he left in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He would go on to play 909 games in the NHL and retired during the 21-22 season. 

Dean Kukan - 2015-2022 - Kukan is undrafted out of Volketswil, Switzerland.

Dean Kukan made his NHL debut in March of 2016 after playing the majority of the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. After playing in 8 games near the end of the season, he was sent back to Lake Erie and would help the Monsters win their first-ever Calder Cup. He had 5 points in 17 playoff games.

Kukan would bounce up and down between Columbus and Cleveland until 2022. He would play a total of 153 games for the CBJ and total 30 points. He excelled in the minors, though. He played in 142 games for Lake Erie/Cleveland and totaled 59 points as a fairly skilled two-way defenseman.

After the 2022 season, Kukan made the decision to return to Europe. He returned to his home country of Switzerland to play for his original club, the ZSC Lions, on a five-year contract. 

Kukan is also routinely chosen to represent the Swiss in international competitions. He played in the 2025 IIHF World Championships, where he scored 9 points in 10 games. He also played in 5 games for Switzerland at the 2026 Olympics. 

Gustav Nyquist - 2020-2023 - Drafted by the New York Islanders in 2004. 

Nyquist played 200 games as a Jacket before being traded to the Minnesota Wild in 2023. During his time in Columbus, which included a missed season due to injury, he scored 43 goals and had 117 points. 

After being traded to the Wild, he would leave that summer and sign with the Nashville Predators in 2023 on a two-year deal. On 1 March 2025, he was traded back to the Wild to finish the season. On 2 July 2025, Nyquist signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets. He is currently unsigned. 

Gus Nyquist and his family still live in the Columbus area. 

Joseph LaBate - 2025 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2011. 

LaBate played a total of six games for the Blue Jackets during the 2024-25 season. He originally signed a PTO with the Cleveland Monsters, but in November, the CBJ signed him to a one-year deal, which allowed him to play for Columbus. 

LaBate signed a one-year deal with Vancouver this past offseason. 

There are 14 days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. 

Drake Batherson is staying in Ottawa for the long haul.

The Hockey News' Steve Warne and co-host Gregg Kennedy break down Batherson’s eight-year, $82-million contract extension, including the timing, trade protection and why his commitment matters after a turbulent summer for the Senators.

Also discussed:

Batherson’s new deal: Is $10.25 million per season a fair price, and could the contract eventually become a bargain?

The NHL’s salary explosion: How offer sheets, a rising cap and massive young-player contracts could affect Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and other Senators.

An unusually short training camp: With few roster openings and limited preseason action, do Ottawa’s bubble players have any real opportunity?

The end of fitness testing: Why the NHL’s new training-camp rules have left some coaches concerned.

Ottawa’s prospects shine: Jaxon Cover’s seven-point weekend headlines an impressive showing that also included Kasper Halttunen, Christian Kyrou and others.

Goaltending questions: Cam Talbot lands in Columbus, while Ottawa must decide whether to begin the season with Linus Ullmark, Samuel Ersson and Leevi Meriläinen.

That's all in this episode of Sens Nation, the official Senators podcast of The Hockey News.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

On Thursday, training camp officially begins for the Philadelphia Flyers, and for some, the next two weeks will be an important inflection point in their careers.

Opening night is less than two weeks from now, with the Flyers starting their season against the archrival Pittsburgh Penguins in a playoff rematch on Sept. 30.

By then, the Flyers will have played four preseason games and cut their roster in half, going from 46 players to the allotted 23 they'll begin the season with.

This is all to say that anyone fighting for a roster spot, or anyone fighting to prove themselves to head coach Rick Tocchet and the coaching staff, isn't going to have a whole lot of time to make it happen. Every practice session and preseason game will be of great importance.

But, not everyone has to prove their skills on the ice. For some, it's about everything else.

Matvei Michkov

At the age of 21, Matvei Michkov already has 114 points in 161 games and quickly established as one of the Flyers' premier forwards, despite the fact that he averaged just 14:50 of ice time last season and 15:45 in his NHL career to date.

As we all know by now, the Russian phenom joined up with the Flyers last training camp at a weight much higher than he should've been (205, according to his own words), but Michkov now claims to be 176 pounds and at 10% body fat, acknowledging that he can already feel the difference.

This will go a long way towards getting back in the good graces of Tocchet and the Flyers. If Michkov is truly rejuvenated and in the best shape of his NHL career, Year 3 should be the best one yet, considering he now has two full seasons of experience to draw on.

Of course, Michkov will need to show his progress on the ice and in the weight room throughout training camp if he is to assume a top-six role under Tocchet.

If that test is passed, it will be a massive relief for all parties involved.

David Jiricek

The Flyers have high hopes David Jiricek, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, will take a step forward and prove that he is ready for the NHL limelight.

The 22-year-old is no longer waivers-exempt and will have to be exposed to the other 31 NHL teams if the Flyers deem he has to spend more time in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

On the other hand, is spot on the roster is the most obvious for the taking, with Noah Juulsen now out of the picture and leaving a third-pair vacancy behind Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen.

There are a few boxes Jiricek will need to check, primarily in regards to decision-making and defending, but the puck skills and shooting ability are there. Even if Jiricek begins as a power play specialist, it's a starting point that opens the door for him to grow into an expanded role from there.

Jiricek is on his third NHL organization since being drafted, and it's likely now or never to establish himself as an every-day NHL player. With the Flyers, he has the best possible opportunity to make it happen.

Jett Luchanko

To preface, Jett Luchanko probably won't and shouldn't be expected to stick on the NHL roster out of the gate as he did the previous two seasons; it's not the best thing for his development.

That said, though, Luchanko is probably as healthy as he's been in a long time after undergoing a procedure to correct a nagging injury, which has considerably improved his already good skating - his No. 1 trait as a player.

The 20-year-old former 13th overall pick needs only to make the decision a hard one for the Flyers and show that he will be gunning to make this roster in the near future.

In my first edition of the Flyers' depth chart, I noted that I expect the Flyers to bring Luchanko up first if any of their centers go down with an injury, especially if the injury is significant. That allows for more reps for one of their most talented forward prospects.

With a strong training camp performance, Luchanko can re-establish himself as a premier prospect in the system and set himself up for a strong first professional season.

At full strength and with a shortened training camp, Luchanko should show the Flyers his best hockey yet.

The Montreal Canadiens' training camp opened on Wednesday, but there were no on-ice sessions scheduled, unlike previous years, and thanks to the new CBA, players didn’t have to face grueling physical tests. On Wednesday, all they had to do was undergo medical tests. While they were doing that, coach Martin St-Louis was back in the conference room fielding questions from the media.

The bench boss made it clear he’s happy the camp is streamlined and won’t last as long as it did before; St-Louis wants to hit the ground running. From the start, we’ll see the 57 players invited to camp split into three teams: A, B, and C.

Canadiens: More On The Newhook Contract
Canadiens: The Big Question With The Xhekaj Contract
Canadiens’ Bolduc Thought It Was Important To Stay As Long As Possible

On Thursday, Team A will hit the ice first at 10:30 AM and will feature the players who will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Team B, who’ll practice at 11:50 AM, will feature the players who will take on the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday evening. As for Team C, it will take to the ice at 1:00 PM,

While the coach was very forthcoming last season in telling the media that Kirby Dach would be starting camp as the second-line center, he made no such declaration this time around. St-Louis played it safe, saying his team has some good depth and some options. He didn’t go as far as naming those options, but one can imagine they include Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, and Alex Newhook. Despite how last season's playoffs ended, it would be surprising if they considered Jake Evans. What is the pilot looking for in a second-line center? That he was willing to share:

You have to be pretty good on draws. Guys who play center usually need a good computer and to complement other players; there’s not just one thing. Suzuki is our first center; there’s no debate on that, but looking at the other spots in the lineup, I don’t see it as: this is the first line, this is the second line, this is the third line. I don’t see it that way. I think we have a lot of depth, and of course some lines have more opportunities to provide offence, while others are relied on more to contribute defensively, but that doesn’t mean they don’t play offensively and our top guys don’t play defensively. So, you ask me what I want from a center who perhaps plays with more offensive players: I want him to have a balanced game, to be able to do pretty much everything on the ice.

Given how short the camp is, the first player that the Habs try in that position may very well be the one St-Louis sees as the frontrunner right now. We’ll see when the three groups hit the ice on Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, St-Louis was also asked about the possibility of playing Arber Xhekaj as a forward, and you could tell that’s not his first choice. He said he wouldn't be afraid to do it, especially if Xhekaj wasn’t going to play as a defenseman on a given night and the Habs had injuries up front, but he added that he’s first and foremost a defenseman and could still improve in that role.

As things stand, the Habs are set to practice at the CN Sports complex in Brossard on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Monday, Team A will be practising in Trois-Rivières, while Teams B and C will be in Brossard. The players will have a day off on Tuesday, then return to practice in Brossard on Wednesday the 23rd, Thursday the 24th, Friday the 25th, and Saturday the 26th.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Islanders open training camp — which are now shorter than past camps per the new CBA — with news that Mathew Barzal will not skate for all of it “due to aggravation of a prior injury that has caused some inflammation.”

So we are starting the season with Barzal out, and on Health Watch. That’s, that’s a bummer, man.

Islanders News

• Here is the Isles’ PR statement announcing Barzal’s status, which amusingly includes the uncharacteristic and unattributed line, “There is nobody more committed than Mathew to getting his body to the level where he thrives on the ice.“ [Isles]
• Here’s the full training camp roster. No alarms and no surprises, please—oops, too late. [Isles]
• The beatwriters try to add a bit more context on Barzal. [Newsday | Post]
• Andrew Gross also got the ol’ “5 questions” treatment as the Isles begin camp. [Newsday]
• Or call it a “bevy” of questions from Sears. [Post]
• Kashawn Aitcheson spent some time this summer training with Bo Horvat, the new captain who will presumably one day be cashing some on-ice checks that Aitcheson writes, so to speak. [Isles]
• The Islanders are doing another season of their docuseries (more on that below). [Newsday]

So yes, On The Island, Season 2 has begun. This one covers Kyle Palmieri’s offseason recovery and the Single Malte draft. (Does not cover Anders Lee’s departure, alas.) The prospects’ interactions with kids is pretty heartwarming, too. The title references a scout who’s been here nearly 50 years, who’s dad (passed away in 1979) helped convince Bill Torrey to pick Mike Bossy (How have we not heard this before? Have we heard this before?). Also, Eric Boulton looking like your beer league teammate and Trent Klatt like Ray Liotta:

Elsewhere

• Ooooh the drama in Winnipeg escalates, as Connor Hellebuyck does not report to camp, gets suspended. (Come on, man. Understand that your position and the huge contract you signed just a couple years ago might take a while to trade.) [NHL]
• In totally unrelated news, fellow trade requestor Dylan Larkin will miss the start of Red Wings training camp due to an injury with “no timeline.” [NHL]
• Gabriel Landeskog is old school, says he’s not sure all these trade demands are good. [Sportsnet]
• The Leafs have enlisted a couple former first-overalls, a future free agent and a robot, to help mentor Gavin McKenna. [NHL]
• But one of them, Auston Matthews, is totally committed to the Leafs, I swear. [NHL]
• Here’s the jukebox treatment on why Matthews is still a Leaf and will be one forever, I swear. [Sportsnet]
• Brent Burns has a new beard and is 57 games away from matching Phil Kessell’s ironman record. [NHL]
• A general primer on the Houston or Austin expansion situation, including info on the multi-club owner. [ESPN]