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2025 NHL Training Camp Rosters

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Originally published Sep. 4

The NHL’s 32 clubs are beginning their full training camps ahead of the 2025-26 regular season. They’ve all announced their full camp rosters – a list that most will need to chop in half in order to get to the 23-player roster limit by the time opening night rolls around on Oct. 7.

Players who are attending via PTOs and those who aren’t participating due to injury are listed in the total counts. This page will be updated as cuts are made – a new feature here at PHR for the 2025-26 season. This article will be continually updated as more announcements come in.

Anaheim Ducks

Roster size: 46/23
Last updated Sep. 20, 6:55 p.m.

Forwards (26): Justin Bailey, Leo Carlsson, Judd Caulfield, Sam Colangelo, Nathan Gaucher, Cutter Gauthier, Mikael Granlund,  Jansen Harkins, Ross Johnston, Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider,  Mason McTavish, Nico Myatovic, Jan Mysak, Nikita Nesterenko, Sasha Pastujov, Matthew Phillips, Coulson Pitre, Ryan Poehling, Beckett Sennecke, Yegor Sidorov, Ryan Strome, Troy Terry,  Frank Vatrano, Tim Washe, Jaxsen Wiebe

Defenseman (14): Jeremie Biakabutuka, Nikolas Brouillard, Radko Gudas, Drew Helleson, Tyson Hinds, Jackson LaCombe, Tristan Luneau, Pavel Mintyukov, Ian Moore, Konnor Smith, Stian Solberg, Jacob Trouba, Noah Warren, Olen Zellweger

Goaltenders (6): Vyacheslav Buteyets, Calle Clang, Lukas Dostal, Ville Husso, Petr Mrazek, Tomas Suchanek

Boston Bruins

Roster size: 50/23
Last updated Sep. 15, 9:08 a.m.

Forwards (28): Joey Abate, Viktor Arvidsson, Dalton Bancroft, John Beecher, Matej Blumel, Patrick Brown, Riley Duran, Michael Eyssimont, John Farinacci, Morgan Geekie, Brett Harrison, Tanner Jeannot, Mark Kastelic, Marat Khusnutdinov, Sean Kuraly, Elias Lindholm, Dans Locmelis, Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Fraser Minten, Casey Mittelstadt, David Pastrnak, Matthew Poitras, Jake Schmaltz, Alex Steeves, Riley Tufte, Jeffrey Viel, Pavel Zacha

Defensemen (17): Jonathan Aspirot, Frederic Brunet, Michael Callahan, Jackson Edward, Colin Felix, Ty Gallagher, Jordan Harris, Loke Johansson, Henri Jokiharju, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Charlie McAvoy, Andrew Peeke, Victor Soderstrom, Billy Sweezey, Max Wanner, Nikita Zadorov

Goaltenders (5): Luke Cavallin, Michael DiPietro, Joonas Korpisalo, Jeremy Swayman, Simon Zajicek

Buffalo Sabres

Roster size: 58/23
Last updated Sep. 19, 8:00 a.m.

Forwards (32): Zach Benson, Matteo Costantini, Justin Danforth, Josh Doan, Joshua Dunne, Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Mason Geertsen, Jordan Greenway, Konsta Helenius, Jagger Joshua, Tyler Kopff, Tyson Kozak, Peyton Krebs, Jiri Kulich, Trevor Kuntar, Jake Leschyshyn, Beck Malenstyn, Ryan McLeod, Carson Meyer, Olivier Nadeau, Viktor Neuchev, Joshua Norris, Noah Ostlund, Jack Quinn, Isak Rosen, Redmond Savage, Graham Slaggert, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Anton Wahlberg, Brendan Warren, Jason Zucker

Defensemen (19): Isaac Belliveau, Jacob Bryson, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Aidan Fulp, Ryan Johnson, Zachary Jones, Michael Kesselring, Vsevolod Komarov, Noah Laaouan, Noah Laberge, Zach Metsa, Radim Mrtka, Nikita Novikov, Owen Power, Jack Rathbone, Mattias Samuelsson, Conor Timmins, Peter Tischke

Goaltenders (7): Alexandar Georgiev, Ryerson Leenders, Topias Leinonen, Devon Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, Scott Ratzlaff

Calgary Flames

Roster size: 52/23
Last updated: Sep. 23, 4:00 p.m.

Forwards (30): Mikael Backlund, Andrew Basha, Parker Bell, Clark Bishop, Lucas Ciona, Blake Coleman, Matthew Coronato, Joel Farabee, Martin Frk, Morgan Frost, Alex Gallant, Matvei Gridin, Samuel Honzek, Jonathan Huberdeau, Dryden Hunt, Nazem Kadri, Rory Kerins, Carter King, Justin Kirkland, Adam Klapka, Hunter Laing, Ryan Lomberg,  Sam Morton, Martin Pospisil, Yegor Sharangovich, David Silye, William Stromgren, Aydar Suniev, Carter Wilkie, Connor Zary

Defensemen (16): Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl, Jake Bean, Hunter Brzustewicz, Nick Cicek, Artem Grushnikov, Joel Hanley, Yan Kuznetsov, Simon Mack, Daniil Miromanov, Etienne Morin, Brayden Pachal, Zayne Parekh, Jerome Poirier, Ilya Solovyov, MacKenzie Weegar

Goaltenders (6): Devin Cooley, Connor Murphy, Ivan Prosvetov, Owen Say, Arsenii Sergeev, Dustin Wolf

Carolina Hurricanes

Roster size: 48/23
Last update: Sep 17, 4:00 p.m.

Forwards (26): Sebastian Aho, Jackson Blake, Skyler Brind’Amour, William Carrier, Nikolaj Ehlers, Noel Gunler, Taylor Hall, Juha Jaaska, Mark Jankowski, Seth Jarvis, Tyson Jost, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Kevin Labanc (PTO), Jordan Martinook, Bradly Nadeau, Justin Robidas, Eric Robinson, Ivan Ryabkin, Josiah Slavin, Givani Smith (PTO), Jordan Staal, Logan Stankoven, Ryan Suzuki, Andrei Svechnikov, Gleb Trikozov, Felix Unger Sorum

Defensemen (16): Dominik Badinka, Gavin Bayreuther, Jalen Chatfield, Domenick Fensore,  Shayne Gostisbehere, Aleksi Heimosalmi, Oliver Kylington (PTO), Charles Alexis Legault, K’Andre Miller, Bryce Montgomery, Alexander Nikishin, Joel Nystrom, Mike Reilly, Ronan Seeley, Jaccob Slavin, Sean Walker,

Goaltenders (6): Frederik Andersen, Ruslan Khazheyev, Pyotr Kochetkov, Amir Miftakhov, Cayden Primeau, Nikita QuappRead more

Ville Koivunen Expected To Make Penguins’ Roster

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Rookie winger Ville Koivunen “is a lock to start the season” on the Penguins’ opening night roster, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports Tuesday. The 2021 second-round pick was always a strong candidate to land a job after impressing in a short call-up down the stretch last season, but his waiver-exempt status made the roster math not in his favor with the Pens holding onto more veterans than expected over the summer.

Where exactly he fits on the depth chart is still in question. During last year’s eight-game call-up, during which the 22-year-old went nearly point-per-game with seven assists, he split time equally in Pittsburgh’s top six on the left wing with either Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust or Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell. Daily Faceoff’s most recent lineup projection has him sticking with Malkin, but this time with free-agent pickup Anthony Mantha on the right flank while Rakell and Rust slot in as Crosby’s wingers.

His path to minutes got clearer when Rutger McGroarty, the organization’s top forward prospect and a 2022 first-rounder, reported to camp with an upper-body injury that has him out indefinitely. One of the Pens’ top young forwards was always likely going to get a crack in the top six to begin the season as the retool begins to accelerate; it was more a question of whether that would be Koivunen, McGroarty, or a wildcard name when the dust settled. More will be in competition for those premier minutes when names like Rakell and Rust are presumably offloaded in trades, but for now, it’ll be Koivunen coasting to those minutes with McGroarty not currently a factor.

Koivunen was the crown jewel of the Penguins’ haul they received from the Hurricanes in exchange for winger Jake Guentzel at the 2024 trade deadline. The 6’0″ Finn has developed like a dream since his draft year, peaking with an excellent 56-point showing in 59 games for Liiga’s Kärpät in the 2023-24 season. He came to North America last year and fit like a glove in AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, leading the Pens’ farm team with a 21-35–56 scoring line in 63 games. He still slots in as their No. 2 prospect to McGroarty for now, at least according to NHL.com, but has a legitimate case to claim the No. 1 throne – or work his way out of “prospect” designation entirely this year.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/23/25

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We’re nearly through the first week of training camps. Teams are still making initial cuts, trimming amateur invites and AHL-contracted players as they inch closer to their final 23-player opening night rosters. You can keep track of full training camp rosters here. We’re keeping track of all of today’s trimmings here:

Calgary Flames (via team announcement)

F Jacob Battaglia (to Kingston, OHL)
D Axel Hurtig (to Calgary, WHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team announcement)

G Evan Gardner (to WHL Saskatoon)
F Owen Griffin (to OHL Oshawa)
D Marcus Kearsey (released from ATO to QMJHL Charlottetown)
F Nicholas Sima (released from ATO to OHL Saginaw)

Dallas Stars (via team release)

F Jaxon Fuder (to WHL Red Deer)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Shea Busch (to WHL Everett)
D Carson Cameron (released from ATO to OHL Peterborough)
D Dennis Cesana (to AHL Charlotte)
F Riley Hughes (to AHL Charlotte)
D Cole Krygier (released from PTO)
F Josh Lopina (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Robert Mastrosimone (to AHL Charlotte)
F Shamar Moses (to OHL North Bay)
D Eamon Powell (to AHL Charlotte)
G Michael Simpson (to AHL Charlotte)
F Christophe Tellier (to AHL Charlotte)
D Mitchell Vande Sompel (to AHL Charlotte)
F Daniel Walcott (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Phip Waugh (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO to AHL Charlotte)
F Nicholas Zabaneh (to AHL Charlotte)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team announcement)

F Travis Hayes (to OHL Soo)

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team announcement)

D Owen Conrad (to QMJHL Charlottetown)

Washington Capitals (via team announcement)

F Grant Cruikshank (to AHL Hershey)
G Seth Eisele (to AHL Hershey)
D Nick Leivermann (to AHL Hershey)
D Jon McDonald (to AHL Hershey)
F Justin Nachbaur (to AHL Hershey)
F Miroslav Satan (to OHL Saginaw)
F Maxim Schäfer (to QMJHL Chicoutimi)
F Dalton Smith (to AHL Hershey)
F Luke Toporowski (to AHL Hershey)

Martin Fehervary Trending Toward Playing In Preseason

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It’s looking highly likely that the Capitals will have defenseman Martin Fehervary available for their opening night lineup. Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters today, including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, that he’s an option to play preseason contests as soon as this week .

Fehervary has been present at camp but skating in a non-contact jersey as he deals with some inflammation in his knee, the final remnants from season-ending meniscus surgery he underwent back in April. The 25-year-old regular in the Caps’ top six group of defenders sustained the corresponding injury in Washington’s penultimate game of the regular season, keeping him sidelined for their playoff run that came to an end in the second round against the Hurricanes. After spending the vast majority of the regular season as either John Carlson or Matt Roy’s left-hand man in Washington’s top four, his absence meant a regular role for former first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev, who subsequently left for the Penguins in free agency.

His health is an important storyline for the Caps, who have one of the deepest everyday defense lineups in the league but are lacking an excess of organizational depth past their top six. Fehervary’s absence lingering would have meant Washington was one injury away from having to give veteran minor-league mainstays Dylan McIlrath or Calle Rosen regular minutes, or giving another chance to still-developing prospects like Vincent Iorio. The Caps did make a move this summer to give themselves a more capable two-way option to have in their press box with everyone healthy, picking up Declan Chisholm from the Wild via trade.

But with Fehervary in the mix, he won’t be much of a factor, at least to start. His presence gives the Caps one of the more well-rounded left sides in the league with Jakob Chychrun and Rasmus Sandin manning the other two pairs. As far as Fehervary’s value goes, the 2018 second-rounder has been a quietly rock-solid top-four piece for a few years now. He recorded a career-high 25 points and a +18 rating in 2024-25, averaging 19 minutes per game while logging 150 blocks and 139 hits to rank second and third on the team, respectively. He’s arguably Washington’s most physically involved defender and signed a seven-year, $42MM extension at the beginning of free agency.

Oilers Sign Vasily Podkolzin To Three-Year Extension

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The Oilers and Vasily Podkolzin will avoid restricted free agency next summer. The club announced it has signed him to a three-year extension carrying an AAV of $2.95MM for a total value of $8.85MM. The deal breaks down into a $1MM signing bonus and $1.95MM base salary each season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports.

Back in April of 2024, Podkolzin had agreed to a two-year, $2MM deal with the Canucks that looked to keep the former top-10 pick in Vancouver for another couple of years. He never played a game for the club on that contract, though. After the Oilers lost winger Dylan Holloway to an offer sheet four months later, they moved to recoup some forward depth and acquire Podkolzin from the ’Nucks in exchange for a fourth-round pick. That was a buy-low price for the 2019 draft choice, who had two years of term and four years of team control remaining. He was set to have arbitration rights next summer, but instead will walk to unrestricted free agency in 2029 with this extension.

In Edmonton, Podkolzin reestablished himself as an NHL regular after spending his final few seasons in Vancouver watching his playing time dwindle. He skated in all 82 games for the first time, supplying an 8-16–24 scoring line with a +1 rating while averaging a career-high 13:13 per game. He spent a good portion of the year up in the top six as a checking presence on Leon Draisaitl’s line, although he more routinely moved to bottom-six duties when the postseason rolled around. The 6’1″, 190-lb Russian led the club with 211 hits in the regular season and finished second among Edmonton forwards with 53 blocks.

Podkolzin, now 24, no longer has the offensive ceiling Vancouver hoped for when they selected him 10th overall six years ago. He’s nonetheless solidified himself as a reasonably valuable middle-six checking presence, although his point production still leaves much to be desired given how much time he saw along Draisaitl at even strength last year. He did score 14 goals in 79 games in his rookie campaign with Vancouver back in 2021-22, though. If he can rediscover that shooting touch, his nearly $3MM cap hit over the next few years should be more palatable as the cap continues to rise. If not, that’s a bit of a gamble the Oilers are taking on a type of talent that could be easily replaceable for a lower salary on the free agent market.

The Oilers now have nearly $62MM in salary commitments to just 12 players for their 2026-27 active roster. That leaves them with over $42MM in space to fill up to 11 jobs – a relatively reasonable target, but a number that will also drop quickly if they manage to extend franchise center Connor McDavid in the near future.

Stars Sign Jaxon Fuder To Entry-Level Deal

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The Stars have signed undrafted forward Jaxon Fuder to a three-year entry-level contract, the club announced. He had been in training camp as an amateur tryout invite. As part of the move, he’s also been formally cut from Dallas’ roster and loaned to WHL Red Deer.

Fuder, 19, was initially eligible for selection in the 2024 draft. At the time, he wasn’t on anyone’s radar. He spent his draft year in the junior ’A’ BCHL, recording 16 points in 31 games for the Cranbrook Bucks and Powell River Kings. Only last season did he make the jump to high-level junior hockey, slotting in as a top-nine presence with Red Deer and notching an 11-15–26 scoring line in 46 games.

Dallas has had their eyes on Fuder all summer long. He was also invited to their development camp in July. His performance there and in the Stars’ rookie camp games earlier this month – he scored twice in two games against the Red Wings’ prospect group – has been enough to land him a deal.

Since Fuder will still be 19 on September 15 of this year, his entry-level contract is eligible for one slide. Since he won’t hit 10 NHL games played in 2025-26, he’ll earn his initial signing bonus but nothing else, and the deal will slide to 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent following the 2028-29 season.

The Stars have three open contract slots. All of those will remain open because players subject to an entry-level slide do not count against the 50-contract limit.

Panthers Release Daniel Walcott, Josh Lopina From PTOs

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Sep. 23: The Panthers released Walcott and Lopina from their NHL PTOs today (via our training camp roster tracker). The club said they’ve been reassigned to AHL Charlotte’s camp. They remain without guaranteed contracts there, so they’re still positioning themselves for minor-league deals.

Sep. 12: The Florida Panthers remain active in the PTO market. Earlier this week, the Panthers added veterans Tyler Motte, Noah Gregor, and Ben Harpur on PTOs, and now, according to insider Frank Seravalli, they’ve added two additional players to the mix in advance of their training camp: forwards Daniel Walcott and Josh Lopina.

Walcott, 31, is without question the more experienced player of the two. The 31-year-old Quebec native is beloved in Syracuse, New York, as the all-time franchise leader in games played for the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Walcott played his first full professional season in 2015-16 with the Crunch, and remained with the club through the 2024-25 season. Walcott wore a letter for the Crunch for the majority of that period, and was a valuable, versatile presence who set a career-high in offensive production with 13 goals and 32 points in the 2022-23 season.

It was the year prior, 2020-21, that Walcott played in the only NHL game of his career thus far. Walcott’s 2024-25 season was definitely a disappointment, as he only managed to register four goals and 12 points across 61 games played. It is likely that the steep decline in offensive production played a role in ending his time with the Crunch, but now with this PTO, he returns to Florida, at least temporarily, to compete for a full-time playing role within the Panthers organization.

At this stage, it looks highly unlikely that Walcott will be a legitimate contender for an NHL role with the Panthers, who are the defending Stanley Cup champions and possess one of the league’s most talent-rich rosters. But with a strong training camp and preseason, it is not out of the question that he earns a role with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, albeit it could be via an AHL contract offer, rather than on a deal where he’d occupy one of a club’s 50 contract slots.

Complicating Walcott’s likelihood of remaining in the AHL is the fact that he does not qualify as a veteran player as per the AHL’s veteran rule, which does play a role in roster construction. AHL teams have a cap on the number of veteran skaters they are permitted to dress for any given regular-season game. The rule has been cited as a reason why some veteran players, who might be qualified to remain in North America’s second-best league, often have trouble finding a job with an AHL club.

The Panthers’ other PTO signing of the day, Lopina, does not face the same problem as Walcott. He has 203 career AHL games played to his name, meaning, for the time being, he remains a “development player” per league rules. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2021 and has played the last three seasons as a member of their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The six-foot-two center had a career-high 14 goals in 2023-24, but could not build on that momentum in 2024-25, scoring just three times across 62 games.

Lopina was a stellar college hockey player at UMass Amherst, winning Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors in 2020-21 alongside an NCAA National Championship. But his near point-per-game offensive production has not translated in any real way from the NCAA to the pro ranks, and that is likely a large reason why the Ducks elected not to issue Lopina a qualifying offer a few months ago.

Now, Lopina gets a chance with another NHL organization, his first outside of the Ducks. Like Walcott, it’s unlikely Lopina will be able to win an NHL job, especially with Motte and Gregor also with the club on PTO’s. But it’s more realistic to imagine Lopina potentially seizing a role with the Checkers, especially, as mentioned, because he remains a “development player.” It will be up to him, though, to have as strong a camp and preseason as possible in order to put himself in a position to earn a spot in Charlotte.

Joseph Woll Taking Indefinite Leave Of Absence

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Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll has taken a personal leave of absence to attend to a family matter, general manager Brad Treliving told reporters Tuesday, including David Alter of The Hockey News. There’s no timeline for his return, and he may be unavailable for the start of the regular season as a result.

That could be a potentially significant blow to the Leafs to start the season. After working his way into the NHL full-time in 2023-24, Woll delivered a good showing as Toronto’s 1B option behind Anthony Stolarz in 2024-25, posting a .909 SV% and 2.73 GAA while compiling a 27-14-1 record in 41 starts and one relief appearance. That’s the fourth time in four NHL seasons that the 27-year-old has posted comfortably above-average stats. He’s got a .910 SV% and 2.74 GAA in 78 career appearances, translating to 19.8 goals saved above average.

“No additional details will be provided at this time, and we ask that [Woll’s] privacy be respected,” the club said in a statement. Treliving specified that Woll’s absence is not a substance abuse-related matter, Alter said.

The starter’s load could be squarely on the injury-prone Stolarz’s shoulders to begin the season as a result. Performance isn’t a concern – he’s led the league in save percentage in back-to-back years – but availability is. Stolarz’s 34 starts last year marked a career high. The pending unrestricted free agent missed 24 games in the middle of the season due to knee surgery.

If Woll remains unavailable at the start of the regular season, it will be Dennis Hildeby getting a crack at being Stolarz’s backup as things stand. The 24-year-old Swede is entering his fourth season in North America and made his NHL debut last year. He didn’t impress in his six starts, managing a 3-3-0 record but posting subpar individual play with a .872 SV% and 3.33 GAA. He’s coming off back-to-back strong showings with AHL Toronto and was an All-Star in that league in 2023-24, though, so there’s still some evident upside in giving the 6’7″, 224-lb netminder another NHL crack.

Regardless, it’s likely that Treliving would peruse the waiver wire or explore trade acquisitions if Woll’s absence stretches past a few games. There are no other NHL-experienced goaltenders under contract in Toronto other than Stolarz and Hildeby, and adding one should be a preemptive concern, with Stolarz’s durability not a given.

What Can The Penguins Do With Their Other Veteran Forwards?

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The Penguins have a few productive forwards they might trade in the coming months. Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell both had excellent seasons last year playing alongside Sidney Crosby, and the Penguins probably want to sell high on them. They haven’t been able to do so yet, though, and the Pens have several veteran forwards they definitely want to move — Kevin Hayes, Noel Acciari, and Danton Heinen. But can they even move three players who don’t seem to be part of their future and might not be good enough to contribute now?

To be fair to Hayes, Acciari, and Heinen, the Penguins are unexpectedly deep at forward as they begin training camp. Pittsburgh has about 20 forwards who could make the lineup out of training camp, which makes things tricky for the trio of veterans. The team has promised to go with a younger roster this year, and while they’d likely prefer to move those three along with Rust and Rakell, they can’t trade everyone. It’s unlikely they can move Hayes, Acciari, and Heinen at all – even as pending UFAs.

Hayes was acquired last summer from the Blues along with a second-round pick in what was clearly a salary dump. Hayes remains a useful player in a limited role, but he doesn’t skate well, doesn’t hit, and lacks the puck skills he had in his prime. It also doesn’t help that he was injured at the beginning of training camp and will miss some time.

He could be moved in a deadline trade to a team looking for a depth veteran, but for now, the Penguins need to find a role for him when he returns. Hayes is set to count over $3.57MM against the Pittsburgh cap in the final year of a seven-year, $50MM contract he signed with the Flyers in the summer of 2019. Still, he is the least likely of the three to be moved off the roster because of his versatility. Hayes still has value on the power play and can contribute some offense to the bottom six if he manages to find a role among all the young players competing for an NHL spot.

Acciari was the most physical of the Penguins’ forwards last season, which doesn’t say much considering that Pittsburgh has been a light-hitting team for years. He also led the Penguins forwards in blocks. Acciari plays hard and is a team-first guy who serves as a good leader for some of the younger forwards seeking bottom-six minutes. Acciari is a solid pro and provides Pittsburgh with depth at center, but if some of the team’s prospects have strong camps, he could be left behind.

Then there’s Heinen, who was a throw-in last year when the Penguins traded defenseman Marcus Pettersson to the Vancouver Canucks. Heinen and his $2.25MM salary were included in the deal mainly to make the money work from Vancouver’s side. Heinen is an NHL player capable of playing across the lineup, but he doesn’t produce much with the ice time he receives, though he’s a decent forechecker and can kill penalties. At 30, Heinen isn’t expected to be part of Pittsburgh’s future, but if he makes the team and chips in some depth points, he could become a trade candidate at the deadline. That’s probably the best-case scenario for Heinen and the Penguins, as he’s the most likely of the trio of veterans to be waived and sent down to the AHL.

There is another option the Penguins can consider, which largely depends on what happens with Rust and Rakell. If the Penguins trade either of them for future assets, they could retain Heinen, Hayes, and Acciari and assign them to roles that best match their skills. All three are unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, and if Pittsburgh truly plans to rebuild, as they claim, it would be wise to boost the value of these veterans to trade them at the Trade Deadline for better assets. In the worst case, if they perform poorly and Pittsburgh can’t move them, they could let them all leave through free agency, move forward next season, and use nearly $8MM in freed-up cap space to sign other players.

In any case, that last option only makes sense if the Penguins trade Rust, Rakell, or both. Otherwise, the Penguins should simply put their best 12 or 13 forwards on the ice and healthy scratch or waive the rest, even if they are overpriced veterans with versatility still in their game.

Pittsburgh is an oddly constructed team, as they are rebuilding and want to go young, yet they remain the oldest team in the NHL. They probably will be bad, but have some good veterans and some promising youngsters. As Josh Yohe of The Athletic often says, “The Penguins are never boring,” and they certainly won’t be this season.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Snapshots: Vasilevskiy, Geertsen, Walton

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Tampa Bay Lightning star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy did not practice today, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina, an absence that marks a third consecutive day of practice missed. Head coach Jon Cooper told the media Saturday that Vasilevskiy’s absence was related to “player management,” adding that the Lightning will look to “manage” Vasilevskiy this season to keep him in the best possible shape. While there is no firm indication that Vasilevskiy is dealing with any injury, with each passing day Vasilevskiy misses his status becomes more of a storyline to watch in the NHL.

Encina specifically noted that this current absence “seems too much like” Vasilevskiy’s training camp absence two years ago, one that led to him missing two months due to lower back surgery. Although there is no further word on Vasilevskiy’s status than what Cooper has said, keeping Vasilevskiy in as strong shape as possible has to be one of the Lightning’s top priorities. The 31-year-old has long been one of the league’s elite netminders, and his .921 save percentage across 63 games last season was an exceptional bounce-back season after a 2023-24 campaign that was below the high standards of performance he’s set.

Other notes from around the NHL:

  • Mason Geertsen is generating attention at Buffalo Sabres camp with his physical play, and it is becoming increasingly possible that the 30-year-old veteran finds his way back to an NHL roster in 2025-26. The Athletic’s Matthew Fairburn reported today that head coach Lindy Ruff “envisions [Geertsen] as the team’s enforcer,” and Buffalo Hockey Beat’s Bill Hoppe wrote that Sabres fans should “expect” Geertsen “to rack up some fighting majors this season.” Geertsen is a 6’4″, 231-pound natural defenseman who is also capable of playing forward in a traditional enforcer’s role. He hasn’t played in the NHL since 2021-22, when he skated in 25 games for Ruff’s New Jersey Devils. He didn’t earn his first NHL point in that stint, but he did fight five times and rack up 77 penalty minutes. Geertsen has since played exclusively in the AHL, but with the Sabres potentially looking to up their physical edge heading into 2025-26, it appears Geertsen could be getting another chance to play in the NHL. Geertsen, who is repped by Quartexx’s Paul Capizzano, signed a two-year, two-way contract this summer that carries a $775K salary at the NHL level and a $425K AHL salary.
  • Earlier this month, we covered news that Winnipeg Jets prospect Kieron Walton suffered an injury in the team’s rookie camp game against the Montreal Canadiens. Walton hasn’t skated since, but The Athletic’s Murat Ates reported today that Walton is “expected to skate soon.” Walton suffered a concussion against Montreal, but is slowly working his way back into full fitness to play. The 19-year-old is a 2024 sixth-round pick who was one of the breakout stars of the 2024-25 OHL season, scoring 92 points in 66 games. Even before his injury, Walton was not considered a likely candidate to win an NHL roster spot in Winnipeg at this time.

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