The New York Islanders could be in the Matt Grzelcyk market, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. 

"The Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, and Ducks would be other potential situations to monitor for Grzelcyk depending on how camps and the preseason go for those teams and their younger defensemen," LeBrun wrote in his latest. 

Fresh mini Rumblings — Suter, McTavish, Evangelista, Roslovic and more in my latest for ⁦@TheAthletic⁩ ⤵️ https://t.co/weq9HYO1VV

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 19, 2025

Grzelcyk, 31, has 593 total games of NHL experience, 511 of them over an eight-year career with the Boston Bruins. He played all 82 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25, recording one goal and 39 assists for a career-high 40 points in a career-high 20:37 minutes of ice time. 

So, why should the Islanders be interested?

The answer: experience. 

The Islanders are a veteran team with experience up and down their lineup. However, when it comes to the left side of their defense, that position is lacking the big league experience. 

Outside of Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov, no other left-side defenseman in the entire organization has a full seaosn of NHL experience under their belt -- let alone half of a season.

The closest is 21-year-old Isaiah George, who played 33 games in 2024-25. 

After George, the left-side defense depth looks like this: Calle Odelius, Marshall Warren, Travis Mitchell. 

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer is likely to win the final LHD spot alongside Scott Mayfield, while Adam Boqvist is likely to serve as the club's seventh defenseman. He can play both sides, which is a luxury. 

Patrick Roy To Use Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon Approach With Islanders No. 1 Pick Matthew SchaeferWESTBURY, NY -- At the New York Islanders charity golf outing on Monday, head coach Patrick Roy was asked about his plan when it comes to evaluating No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer.

But again, Grzelcyk brings experience, which will only benefit Schaefer.  

So, what would happen if the Islanders signed Grzelcyk?

Ideally, most teams carry 14 forwards and seven defensemen to complete their 23-man roster, but if the Islanders were to sign the veteran defenseman, he wouldn't be able to boost Bridgeport. 

The Islanders would then likely carry only 13 forwards, rocking eight defenseman instead. 

With Pierre Engvall two to three weeks away from even participating in a team practice after offseason hip surgery, the Islanders may have to choose between Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb if they go this route. 

Grzelcyk's next deal will likely be a one-year contract worth $755,000, a deal that would likely contain some bonuses. 

The vibes are high as the Philadelphia Flyers kicked off their 2025 training camp Thursday, and for good reason. The atmosphere seems to be totally different.

Given the nature of the split-group methodology, there isn't an awful lot to come away with, especially from the first day.

New head coach Rick Tocchet, running his first training camp as the Flyers' bench boss, did offer some insight into his coaching philosophies, though, which will help us identify the things we need to look for during camp.

For example, Tocchet shared Thursday that he likes Scotty Bowman's method of running "pairs" in the forward lines.

"I think Scotty Bowman was a genius behind the bench. He was the pair guy. You have pairs and you can always rotate a guy in and out as the third guy," Tocchet said. "I do like having two guys that work well together. You can always put a third guy in one or two nights, then put another guy.

"We did it, actually, in Pittsburgh a little bit, and it creates energy. As a coach, you got to be careful that you're not doing it too much and pulling the plug all the time."

So, why is this important? For two reasons, actually.

Flyers Training Camp 2025: Top 3 Roster Battles to WatchThe Philadelphia Flyers are looking to ratchet up the competition for NHL roster spots this year, and that starts with the beginning of training camp on Thursday.

According to Moneypuck, there were 82 forward combinations that played 201 minutes or more together last season, and the Flyers accounted for only two of those.

Those lines were Tyson Foerster, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink, and Travis Konecny, Sean Couturier, and Matvei Michkov.

Tocchet's Vancouver Canucks did not have a single trio play 201 or more minutes together, and many of the NHL's worst teams (Chicago, Calgary, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville, etc.) had two or fewer such combinations.

In simple terms: finding chemistry is important for finding success in the NHL. Shocker!

During Thursday's practice session, Tocchet enacted this philosophy across the two main groups, Group A and Group B.

Here are some forward line combinations that may pique your interest:

Nikita Grebenkin - Sean Couturier - Matvei Michkov
Alex Bump - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Denver Barkey - Christian Dvorak - Tyson Foerster
Foerster - Noah Cates - Bobby Brink
Owen Tippett - Jett Luchanko - Alexis Gendron

Obviously, some of these lines are incomplete due to the groupings of players, but we can identify a few "pairs" right away.

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Couturier and Michkov, Zegras and Konecny, Foerster and Dvorak, and Cates and Brink all stand out. Tippett and Luchanko make a lot of sense, assuming the latter makes the Flyers' NHL roster out of training camp as he did last year.

On defense, Cam York and Helge Grans were paired up, as were Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale. Travis Sanheim skated alongside Spencer Gill (placeholder for Rasmus Ristolainen?) while Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae worked with each other.

With the exception of Gill, this should be the Flyers' main defense group going forward.

When I look at players like Andrae and Grans, I recognize that Ristolainen is going to be out until November, most likely. At what point are the Flyers going to find a better time to get a look at these players?

Developing the young players appears to be a priority, so Grans and Andrae should get priority over veterans like Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert, at least in training camp.

If they don't earn their places with the Flyers, that's another thing, but Tocchet's first day indicates he's giving the new guys and the young guys every opportunity to earn a place that suits them and their skills.

Flyers: Aleksei Kolosov's Official Role, Getting a Second NHL ChanceThe 2025-26 season represents a fresh start for a number of Philadelphia Flyers, but goalie Aleksei Kolosov may have the biggest opportunity of all.

It helps, too, that the first day included work on systems and practicing actual hockey rather than skating around in circles all day, hoping that professional athletes indeed showed up to work in shape.

The weekend and the preseason will tell us more, but it's an encouraging start for Tocchet's new-look, good-vibe Flyers in training camp.

Toronto Maple Leafs training camp officially kicked off on Thursday morning, and there was no shortage of newsworthy items.

The 73-man camp was divided into three groups to begin: the first two groups featured NHL and NHL/AHL bubble players, while the third group included players solely destined for the AHL, ECHL, or their respective junior squads.

Matias Maccelli begins camp on top line

Matias Maccelli stepped out onto the ice at Ford Performance Centre on Thursday, skating alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews. Max Domi was set to start camp on that line, but is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury after tweaking something in the summer skates.

“(Domi) was obviously a guy that I was going to put there [with Matthews and Knies],” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday afternoon. “Max should be back pretty quick, and then we'll go from there.”

'(Max) Domi Was A Guy I Was Going To Put There': Craig Berube Was Reluctant To Start Matias Maccelli On Top Line At Maple Leafs CampIn a perfect world, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube would’ve had Max Domi begin on a line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies at training camp.

Maccelli looked timid early on, though his play ramped up as the session continued. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in Toronto for long, so it might take a bit of time for him to get used to everything, from the city, the Maple Leafs staff and his teammates.

“He’s a little spark plug out there,” Anthony Stolarz smiled. “He’s shifty, but he’s actually got a really heavy shot, too. I’m excited to see him work with our top six. I think we got some guys that’ll complement each other really well.”

Bobby McMann gets a look with John Tavares and William Nylander

As much as it might be a surprise to some, Bobby McMann beginning training camp with William Nylander and John Tavares isn’t a shock to me.

The 29-year-old didn’t finish the season the way he wanted to. After tallying his 20th goal of the year on Mar. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, McMann went dormant for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

He scored three assists in the 13 games, which was his first-ever taste of the NHL postseason. And what caught his eye most in the playoffs was how much the competitiveness ramped up.

“Making sure that even when you're not contributing offensively, there's a lot that you can be doing to contribute. Those are long series, and you can really wear a team down if you're doing the little things right, so just trying to focus on that.”

Bobby McMann is beside John Tavares and William Nylander. pic.twitter.com/lhVMZ0XGON

— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) September 18, 2025

Despite the Domi injury, which shifted players around, McMann was always going to begin training camp with Tavares and Nylander, Berube said on Thursday.

“I played them last year. They were together for a significant amount of time, and they always did well together, I thought. There's always production,” the head coach added.

“I think Bobby could take another step in his game, doing some things a little bit differently, especially playing with those two guys, getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more, things like that.

“I like a big guy with those guys to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in that situation and things like that. Willy's going to do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game. It's going to the net, being hard and physical and just understanding that that's his job and he's going to get points from it because you're playing with two pretty good players that, eventually, the puck's going to get there.”

Calle Jarnkrok left his stamp on opening day

When approaching a new season, there’s always going to be a few players circled to watch for in camp. I’ll admit, Jarnkrok wasn’t one of those I was eager to get an eye on early, but he stood out on day one.

The 33-year-old played just 19 games last year after recovering from sports hernia surgery. And despite returning towards the end of the regular season, Jarnkrok still looked like a player who was a step behind.

'I Don't Have To Hear Core Four Anymore': Craig Berube Excited Mitch Marner’s Departure Puts More Focus On Maple Leafs' TeamCraig Berube is itching to see where players fit in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup with the NHL camp set to begin on Wednesday.

His game progressed in the final portion of the year, which was enough to keep him in the lineup for the postseason. He played alongside Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on the fourth line, tallying just one assist in 12 games.

However, there were plenty wondering in the summer if Jarnkrok would be a player dealt to make room for a top-six forward. They might need him now more than ever, though.

Looking at the top half of their lineup, there’s really only three players who can play alongside Knies and Matthews: Domi, Maccelli, and I’d put Jarnkrok in that conversation too. After all, Jarnkrok has gotten time alongside Matthews before, and among the three players, he is the most defensively responsible.

It’s only one day of camp, however, I’d look at Jarnkrok being a wildcard to watch out for as the preseason continues.

Easton Cowan looks more comfortable

When remembering back to Toronto’s last training camp, Cowan looked timid. There were glimpses of the player in junior, but for the most part, he struggled against stronger competition.

Just as I mentioned for Jarnkrok, it’s only one day of training camp, so take things with a grain of salt, but there’s a glaring difference in his game from last year to this moment in time.

'I Think He's Ready To Push To Be On The Team': 'Can Easton Cowan Crack The Maple Leafs Roster This Season?With Toronto Maple Leafs training camp set to open on Thursday, a lot of eyes will be on 20-year-old Easton Cowan. After accomplishing a historic list of achievements at the major junior level with the London Knights, including winning the 2024 Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player and winning the Memorial Cup in 2025, the only remaining question is if the player has a shot at making the Maple Leafs lineup this season.

He’s stronger, more confident in his game, and as he mentioned last week, will be in Toronto for the entire year, which puts him at ease. Cowan dealt with the size and physicality better on Thursday, playing beside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.

It appears the Maple Leafs are setting him up for success early on.

“I think players will show what they can do in camp and in the exhibition games. If Easton or another player is the best fit for the team and helps the team, then we'll put them in that position,” Berube said on Wednesday.

Other noteworthy early impressions

- Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai had strong opening days. Both defensemen were physical and didn’t give an inch to any of the players they were going up against. Remember back to this time last year when Matthews mentioned Rifai as a player who stood out.

Maple Leafs Set To Announce Hiring Of Mark Giordano 'On The Marlies Side'Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano is set to join the organization this season, GM Brad Treliving says.

- I briefly mentioned Joshua earlier, but there’s no doubt he’ll be an intriguing player to watch as camp progresses. What immediately stuck out about the 29-year-old was his ability to use his size to overpower opponents. He’s quicker than I thought, too, and that gives me reason to believe he’ll be an important checking player for Toronto this year.

- Landon Sim isn’t going to make the Maple Leafs as he’s on an AHL deal, but he’s a much-needed body in the top two groups at training camp. He was consistently engaged at the Prospect Showdown and did the same on day one of camp. Sim was going against others — including Cowan, his Knights teammate — as if it were the biggest game of his life, and I’m sure the club was impressed. I’m curious to see if he keeps that energy for the entirety of Maple Leafs camp.

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By the time day one of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp concluded, new head coach Dan Muse had nearly lost his voice. 

And based on the energy and noise in all three practice sessions on Thursday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, it's not really a surprise. 

"I think it was loud," captain Sidney Crosby said. "It was pretty loud out there. There was a lot of stick banging, that sort of thing. I don't think that was just Dan. That was just, I think, the group bringing a lot of energy.

"That's what you want. You want the enthusiasm and passion. I thought the pace of practice was really good, and a lot of competition within that, so that's what you expect from training camp."

Enthusiasm and passion certainly seem to be early themes for the first-year NHL head coach, but perhaps the biggest theme is competition. It's no secret that there is a plethora of competition at camp this season between youth pushing for roster spots and veterans trying to secure their place on the roster. 

But that competitiveness is also manifesting in how the coaching staff - and the organization - want to approach the day-to-day with this team. In a period of transition and change, the one constant is that players never lose their desire to win. And, given the crowdedness of the training camp roster, players maintaining a high level of compete is a requirement.

"You could feel it. The energy is through the roof," Kris Letang said. "Obviously, we're a team. We're in a situation where every spot is [up] for grabs. The young guys are ready. They want to battle. They want to make a name for themselves. You kind of see the emphasis on what we're trying to do out there, is battle and play a game situation in every single drill. So, it was pretty intense out there. It was pretty hard."

'The Young Guys Are Coming': 3 Observations From Dubas's Pre-Season Press ConferenceOn Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their 2025 training camp with a few words from general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

Muse emphasized that the staff wants this team to be "competitive in nature."

"I think everybody's competitiveness is going to look a little bit different," Muse said. "There's got to be purpose to what you're doing. This isn't just a run-around, anything like that, and I don't think that was the case if you look at the three practices. I think there was purpose to what guys were doing, and we're asking guys to show the best version of their compete, whatever that is. And that's not going to change."

The players were certainly cognizant about the emphasis on competition and the importance of establishing good habits early on, too. 

"Practice was great. I think it was about establishing an identity and a work ethic," Bryan Rust said. "You saw the battle drills out there, a lot of competing. Keeping score pretty much every drill, just kinda trying to get that mindset that we're going to compete every day.

"And I think the energy out there was great. It was contagious. [The coaches] were all very vocal, they were all banging their sticks, they were all trying to motivate guys, trying to get guys going. I think everybody out there - from the old guys like me to the young guys - were out there working hard." 

Penguins' Training Camp: Observations From Day OneThe Pittsburgh Penguins had their first training camp practice on Thursday after the team announced their 69-player training camp roster on Wednesday.

Muse, 43, is in his first season as an NHL head coach. He previously had stints as an assistant with the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers, and although former Predator Philip Tomasino's NHL stint didn't exactly align with Muse's time there - Muse's stint ran from 2017-20 - he had a positive experience with Muse through some conversations during his time with the organization.

"A first-class individual, first and foremost," Tomasino said. "Same goes for the whole coaching staff as well. But I just really like his attitidue towards everything. He always seems to find a way to push guys to be their best, so I'm really happy. He's been awesome so far, and I'm really looking forward to getting a chance to work with him for much longer here, hopefully."

Tomasino, like pretty much everyone else, echoed sentiment about the level of competition that Muse has brought to camp. But it's not a one-way street. Muse marveled at the competitive nature of all of the guys in the room, whether they're a 20-year veteran or a player entering his first camp.

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"I love competition. I think everybody loves competition. It just drives things," Muse said. "I believe in it. I think these are all competitive guys. It's all of them. They want to win, and I've always found it to be just awesome seeing it at this level, how it doesn't matter what's on the line. If something's there, if it's, like, one push-up, they'd be all-in to not have to do that one push-up. This group here, I think if I put, like, a cold cheeseburger for the winner, they would be all-in to get that cold cheesebuger. Like, everything, they'd be all in. That's in the nature. 

"You never know until you're actually there. It's the hope that you're going to see the group be all-in, but I wasn't surprised they were all in there on the competition. I think it's a big part of it, though. It's a big part of what our coaching staff believes in."

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