NHL Player News

Connelly said Friday that he bulked up and added strength over the summer and hopes to show in camp that he's ready to play in the NHL, Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Connelly indicated that he feels stronger and sturdier on the ice, which has allowed him to use his body more and improve the strength of his shot. The 20-year-old hasn't yet made his NHL debut, but he was one of the Golden Knights' Black Aces during last year's postseason and aims to showcase the strides he's made in his 200-foot game ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Simashev said Friday that his main goal for training camp is to make the Mammoth's Opening Night roster.

Simashev was the sixth overall pick in 2023, and he got his first opportunity to contribute at the NHL level last year. Across 28 regular-season appearances with Utah, he recorded an assist, 28 blocked shots, 23 PIM and 14 hits while averaging 15:06 of ice time. The 21-year-old isn't guaranteed a spot on the Opening Night roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign, but he'll likely compete with Maveric Lamoureux during training camp for a spot on the team's blue line to begin the regular season.

Brunicke said Friday that he hopes to spend a whole season at the NHL level during the 2026-27 campaign, Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports reports.

Brunicke made the Penguins' Opening Night roster last year and recorded a goal, 13 blocked shots, six PIM and four hits while averaging 15:43 of ice time across nine regular-season appearances with Pittsburgh. However, the Penguins sent him down following his nine-game stint to avoid burning the first season of his three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old made an impact with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the playoffs and is motivated to earn a more consistent role in the NHL this year, though the Penguins have several established defensemen who could limit Brunicke's opportunities to contribute at the top level.

AHL Lehigh Valley head coach John Snowden said Friday that Luchanko's shot has looked "really good" early in rookie camp, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Luchanko has had brief stints in the NHL over the past two seasons, as he's made four regular-season appearances for the Flyers in each of the last two years. However, he's spent most of his time in the OHL, and he recorded seven goals, 36 assists and 34 PIM across 38 regular-season appearances at that level last year. The 2024 first-round pick remains an intriguing prospect for Philadelphia and should get a look once again during training camp this fall after making the Flyers' Opening Night roster last year.

Barkey said Friday that he has a "chip on his shoulder" ahead of training camp, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Barkey made his NHL debut last year, and he recorded five goals, 12 assists, 43 hits, 19 blocked shots and 16 PIM while averaging 13:24 of ice time. Although he had an encouraging performance, he said that he isn't satisfied and sounds motivated to improve upon his results. The 21-year-old began last season with AHL Lehigh Valley but seems likely to be included on Philadelphia's Opening Night roster for the 2026-27 campaign.

Bump said Friday that he enters training camp with a "chip on [his] shoulder" following his performance during camp last year, Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports reports.

Bump began last season in the AHL after underwhelming during training camp, but he eventually made his NHL debut and recorded five goals, four assists, 16 hits, seven blocked shots and a plus-3 rating while averaging 12:38 of ice time over 17 regular-season games. The 22-year-old seems likely to make the Flyers' Opening Night roster for the 2026-27 campaign, but he's still motivated to make an impression during camp to make up for last year.

General manager John Chayka said Friday that Domi (back) won't be ready for the start of training camp, Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press reports.

Domi underwent surgery early in the offseason and has dealt with complications over the summer. He doesn't yet have a timetable to return, but he's slated to be evaluated once camp gets underway. He's made 80 regular-season appearances in three of the past four seasons, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him miss games to begin the 2026-27 campaign.

Jecho has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports Friday.

Jecho will be unavailable indefinitely until he clears the terms of the program and is cleared to resume playing. In 47 games for WHL Edmonton last season, the 20-year-old center notched 10 goals and 26 assists in 47 regular-season games. Once cleared to resume playing, Jecho figures to link up with AHL Springfield.

AHL Hamilton head coach Jay McKee said Friday that he's "seeing more than [he] expected with [George]," Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.

Although George spent most of last season in the AHL, he did appear in four games with the Islanders, recording an assist and a hit while averaging 13:22 of ice time over that limited sample. It's encouraging that he's making an impression early in rookie camp, and he'll likely be in the mix for an Opening Night roster spot if he can continue to showcase his skill set at training camp.

Scheifele remains focused on the team and winning ahead of training camp amid Connor Hellebuyck's trade request, Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports.

Scheifele and Hellebuyck signed identical seven-year, $59.5 million contracts on the same day in October of 2023, but Scheifele downplayed his concern with the goaltender's trade request that will presumably command plenty of attention once training camp gets underway. Scheifele appeared in all 82 regular-season games for a second consecutive year during the 2025-26 campaign, and he generated a career-best 103 points (36 goals, 67 assists) to go with 47 blocked shots, 43 PIM and 32 hits.