NHL Player News

Head coach Lindy Ruff indicated Wednesday that he wants to begin training camp with Thompson working as the Sabres' No. 1 center, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.

Thompson has spent time on the wing and in the middle, but the Sabres seem interested in seeing how the lineup would fare with him centering the top line. Thompson made a career-high 81 regular-season appearances last year. He racked up 40 goals, 41 assists, 85 hits, 48 blocked shots and 35 PIM while averaging 19:15 of ice time per game. Regardless of where he lines up in 2026-27, the 28-year-old should continue to have plenty of opportunities to contribute.

Poehling (upper body) isn't listed as injured on the Ducks' training camp roster.

Poehling sustained an upper-body injury in May during the Ducks' second-round playoff series against the Golden Knights, and there was no timetable to return when Anaheim was eliminated. However, he appears to have moved past the injury during the offseason and should be available for the start of training camp. Poehling appeared in 75 regular-season games during his first year in Anaheim in 2025-26, and he put together one of the best years of his career. He generated 11 goals, 25 assists, 86 blocked shots, 44 hits and 12 PIM while averaging 15:04 of ice time per game.

Smith has been in contact with the Sharks throughout the offseason and remains likely to sign an extension with the team at some point, Max Miller of NHL.com reports Wednesday.

Smith and the Sharks didn't strike a new deal before Tuesday's deadline for players to sign eight-year extensions. Still, the 21-year-old forward seems likely to reach an agreement before becoming a restricted free agent next summer. General manager Mike Grier hasn't signed a player to an extension longer than five years since assuming the role in San Jose, but Smith is a candidate to receive a long-term deal. Smith racked up 24 goals, 35 assists, 16 PIM, 16 hits and 12 blocked shots in 69 regular-season games last year.

Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said Wednesday that Larkin recently sustained an upper-body injury while training and won't be skating when camp begins, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

Larkin's offseason has been headlined by his June trade request, but the Red Wings haven't yet found a trade partner, and he was expected to report to training camp despite being stripped of his captaincy. However, he'll miss at least some time to begin camp, and it's not yet clear when he could return to action.

Barzal is not expected to skate for two weeks after aggravating a previous knee injury, the team announced Wednesday.

Based on that timeline, Barzal faces an uphill battle to be in the lineup for Opening Night against the Maple Leafs, which is in exactly two weeks. While fantasy managers should expect the veteran forward to miss that Sept. 30 clash, it doesn't sound like he will be out of action long. Barzal played in 81 regular-season games in 2025-26, notching 19 goals and 53 assists, including 20 power-play points.

Fantilli is set to miss the start of training camp because he's unsigned, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic on Wednesday.

Fantilli is a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. He notched 24 goals and 59 points in 82 regular-season appearances with the Blue Jackets in 2025-26. He might re-sign soon, but if he misses a significant chunk of training camp, it could be tougher for him to get into the swing of things for the start of the regular season.

Miller is expected to provide even more leadership this year as captain of the Rangers, Colin Stephenson of Newsday reports.

It will be Miller's second season as the Rangers' captain. In 68 regular-season games last year, the veteran forward produced just 17 goals, missing the 30-goal threshold for the first time since the 2020-21 COVID-shortened campaign.

Head coach Marco Sturm said Wednesday that Hagens seized an opportunity to shine during rookie camp, Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal reports.

Sturm said Hagens' participation in rookie camp gave the young forward a head start going into training camp. The 19-year-old Hagens worked hard to prepare for the likelihood of playing regularly in the NHL in 2026-27. Hagens made a pair of regular-season appearances with Boston last year, recording an assist, two PIM and a hit while averaging 14:33 of ice time per game. He spent most of 2025-26 at Boston College, where he recorded 23 goals, 24 assists and 24 PIM across 34 outings.

General manager Don Sweeney said Wednesday that the team remains in communication with Zacha's representation regarding his future, Joe Haggerty of Boston Sports Journal reports.

Zacha, a potential unrestricted free agent next summer, has been speculated as a trade candidate. However, Sweeney spoke about the 29-year-old forward's importance to the club and indicated that the Bruins are interested in a contract extension. Zacha has made at least 78 regular-season appearances in each of his four years with the Bruins, most recently recording 30 goals, 35 assists, 64 hits, 28 PIM and 26 blocked shots across 78 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Cooley said Wednesday that he feels good heading into training camp, Cole Bagley of KSL Sports reports.

Cooley was limited to a career-low 54 regular-season appearances last year, and he recorded 24 goals, 19 assists, 54 hits, 28 PIM and 27 blocked shots while averaging 17:20 of ice time. He said during his press availability Wednesday that one of his main goals for the 2026-27 season is to stay healthy and play in all 84 regular-season games, and he seems encouraged by the work he put in over the summer.