NHL Player News

Hughes (undisclosed) was on the ice for Thursday's training camp session, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Hughes missed the final four games of the regular season due to his undisclosed injury, but he appears to be no worse for wear. Prior to getting hurt, the blueliner was struggling offensively, going 13 games without finding the back of the net while managing just four helpers. While he's unlikely to be a Norris Trophy contender, Hughes should be able to get back over the 40-point threshold with a full 84-game schedule.

Gritsyuk (upper body) participated in Thursday's training camp session, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.

Gritsyuk played in 66 regular-season games as a rookie last year, recording 13 goals and 18 assists, including five power-play points. If the 25-year-old winger can stay healthy this year, he should be capable of reaching both the 20-goal and 50-point thresholds, especially if he can secure more opportunities with the man advantage.

Kovacevic (knee) will be a limited participant to start New Jersey's training camp.

Kovacevic underwent a minor procedure in his right knee during the 2025-26 offseason, so he'll ramp up to playing shape slowly during training camp. The 29-year-old blueliner is coming off a season where he appeared in 34 regular-season games, compiling eight assists, 30 shots on net, 57 hits and 39 blocked shots. Once he's back to full strength, he'll likely battle for an everyday role against New Jersey's other right shot defensemen, such as Brett Pesce and Declan Chisholm.

The Devils announced Thursday that Bjugstad underwent successful surgery to repair a torn left pectoral muscle last week and will be sidelined for approximately 4-6 months.

Bjugstad sustained his injury in early September while doing offseason training, and he'll be unavailable for a sizable portion of the 2026-27 campaign after undergoing surgery. He made 61 regular-season appearances between the Blues and Devils last year and recorded six goals, three assists, 108 hits, 33 blocked shots and 33 PIM while averaging 10:56 of ice time. Given his return timetable, it appears as though Bjugstad will be sidelined until at least mid-January at the earliest, with the potential that his absence extends later into the season.

Cormier (undisclosed) will wear a non-contact jersey to begin Golden Knights' training camp, per SinBin.vegas.

Cormier underwent an undisclosed procedure in the 2025-26 offseason and will wear a red non-contact jersey to start Vegas' training camp. The 24-year-old blueliner had a productive year with AHL Henderson last season, where he compiled eight goals, 39 assists and 121 shots on net across 49 regular-season outings. While he appears to be an outside shot to make the Golden Knights' roster, he'll battle in training camp while looking to recover from his surgery simultaneously.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon indicated Thursday that Karlsson (wrist) is a full participant to begin training camp, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Karlsson suffered a wrist injury during Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals that required offseason surgery, but he appears to have recovered in time for training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season. The 33-year-old has missed significant time due to injuries across the past two years, as he was limited to 14 regular-season appearances during the 2025-26 campaign due to a lower-body injury. He's made 67 regular-season appearances across the past two years, and he logged 13 goals, 23 assists, 50 blocked shots, 23 hits and eight PIM during that time.

Appleton (upper body) has been cleared to participate in Red Wings' training camp, per Max Bultman of The Athletic.

Appleton missed Detroit's final seven games of the 2025-26 campaign with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old forward was one of the Red Wings' regular depth wingers prior to his injury, where he posted six goals, 14 points, 63 shots on net and 89 hits across 65 regular-season games. As he's resumed skating for training camp, he'll battle for a similar depth role this season against the Wings' plethora of forwards in attendance.

Namestnikov (undisclosed) was skating on the second line during Thursday's practice session on the first day of training camp, Mitchell Clinton of the Jets' official site reports.

Namestnikov was unavailable for the end of the 2025-26 campaign due to an undisclosed injury, but he appears to have returned to full health ahead of the 2026-27 season. The 33-year-old was limited to 60 regular-season appearances last year, and he recorded eight goals, six assists, 76 hits, 37 blocked shots and 28 PIM while averaging 13:47 of ice time.

Robinson (knee) was on the ice for Thursday's practice session, Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News reports.

Robinson had a procedure on his knee back in June, but it seems the winger is good to go, suiting up on the first line on the opening day of training camp. In his 67 regular-season appearances last year, the New Jersey native notched 12 goals and six helpers. If he can play all 84 games this year, Robinson could get back over the 30-point threshold.

Rasmussen (lower body) was skating on the second line during Thursday's practice session to begin training camp, Max Bultman of The Athletic reports.

Rasmussen missed the end of the 2025-26 campaign due to a lower-body injury, but he appears to have moved past the issue during the offseason. It seems unlikely that he'll face limitations stemming from his previous injury leading up to Opening Night. Across 64 regular-season appearances last year, he recorded six goals, eight assists, 64 hits and 63 blocked shots while averaging 12:39 of ice time.