Scrimmages, injuries, a suspended superstar, and brothers reunited — the NHL preseason is officially in full swing
Training camps across the NHL are in their final days before the preseason schedule takes over, and the weekend delivered a flood of storylines worth unpacking. From the most compelling family reunion in hockey to a frightening moment involving the league’s best player, here is everything worth knowing from around the NHL heading into the final week before regular season hockey returns.
The Tkachuk Brothers Are Finally Panthers : Coach Maurice Has a Decision to Make
The most talked-about storyline of the entire training camp season has been unfolding in Fort Lauderdale, and it is everything Panthers fans hoped it would be.
Matthew and Brady Tkachuk suited up as Florida Panthers teammates for the first time in their NHL careers when camp opened Thursday. Matthew admitted as much at the podium. “Oh my God, I never thought this was going to be possible. So we’ve been enjoying every second since. Let’s face it, how often do people get to play in the NHL with their brother?” Brady was equally candid about how surreal the experience has felt. “It still doesn’t feel real. You know, living a dream here.”
The hockey question the entire league is asking is what coach Paul Maurice does with them. Does he put the Tkachuk brothers on the same line, creating one of the most physically overwhelming forward combinations in the sport. Could he even eventually team them up with Marchand and call them “The Rat Pack” ….because that would be the greatest name for a line ever! Or does he deploy them on separate units to give Florida two relentless forechecking threats instead of one? Maurice has indicated he is keeping them apart for now, using both players to anchor different lines and giving the Panthers depth and intensity throughout their top six. Both brothers are expected to play Sunday when the Panthers host the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in their preseason opener.
Brady offered what may be the most telling quote of his first Panthers camp when asked about no longer having to compete against his older brother. “I guess it’ll be nice that we’re going to be on the same side. But at the end of the day, not just us two, but this whole group’s going to be pushing each other to keep improving, keep getting better.” That is the kind of mentality that turns talented rosters into championship ones.
Also worth noting for Florida: captain Aleksander Barkov is back on the ice after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury. His presence transforms the mood of the entire camp and changes the Eastern Conference power balance considerably.
Edmonton Oilers: McDavid Scare, Andersen and Savoie Out.
The news out of Edmonton this weekend was a mixed bag. One moment that had Oil Country holding its breath, and a pair of injury updates that will concern fantasy managers heading into opening night.
First, the frightening moment. During Edmonton’s training camp scrimmage, new Oilers acquisition Shakir Mukhamadullin drove Connor McDavid into the net on a collision that sent a collective shudder through the building. McDavid went down, was awarded a penalty shot… which he converted, because of course he did…but was seen favouring his right arm afterward. The good news is that there is no concern within the Oilers locker room about the severity of the incident and McDavid played in the preseason opener against Winnipeg on Saturday without issue. Consider that bullet dodged.
The less encouraging news is the absence of both Frederik Andersen and Matt Savoie from on-ice activities. General manager Stan Bowman indicated that while Alec Regula and Mattias Janmark are progressing and getting closer to participating, Andersen and Savoie are behind that timeline. Both players are important pieces of Edmonton’s season. Andersen is the presumptive starter in a crease that also features Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi, and Savoie was one of the most promising young forwards in the Oilers system heading into his contract year. Their timelines bear close watching over the coming days.
Jason Dickinson also appeared to suffer a knock during Friday’s skate, slamming his stick against the boards in a moment of visible frustration, though his status has not been formally addressed by the organisation.
Toronto Maple Leafs: McKenna Arrives, is Bob on the case?
The most anticipated individual camp story in the entire league is playing out in the Center of the Universe, Toronto, where Gavin McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, has arrived. The question surrounding McKenna is not whether he will eventually be an elite NHL player. That conversation is already over. The question is where he plays, how much power play time he receives, and how the organisation manages his development without either overloading him or underutilising him on a roster facing enormous pressure to win right now.
Equally compelling in Toronto is the Sergei Bobrovsky situation. The 37-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Leafs after seven seasons and two Stanley Cup championships in Florida, arriving on the heels of a difficult 2025-26 campaign that saw him post a 3.07 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage. Bobrovsky is the presumed number one in Toronto and his experience gives the Leafs credibility between the pipes…but camp will be used to determine whether that difficult season was an anomaly or the beginning of a decline. Is Bob, in fact, on the case?
Anaheim Ducks: Injuries Piling Up Early
The Ducks entered camp with cautious optimism after ending their lengthy playoff drought last season, and then absorbed a series of early injury setbacks that have complicated the opening days of their preparation.
Troy Terry, who was already known to be unavailable, is sidelined, and the blue line has been hit particularly hard with multiple defencemen missing time. Ryan Poehling missed Day 2 with a lower-body issue and is listed day-to-day. AJ Greer, the Ducks’ most significant offseason free agent signing at $4.25 million annually, has also been omitted from Saturday’s activities. On a team already facing questions about depth, early injury attrition is the last thing Anaheim needed to deal with heading into a season of elevated expectations.
Leo Carlsson remains the centrepiece of everything the Ducks do offensively, and his presence on the ice this week has been exactly what the organisation needed to see, healthy, engaged, and ready to build on the season he just signed a contract to deliver more of.
Winnipeg Jets: Hellebuyck Situation Escalates
There is no resolution in Winnipeg and the Jets are running out of time to find one before the regular season begins on September 29th. Connor Hellebuyck, formally suspended for failing to report to training camp, has not rejoined the organisation, trade talks remain ongoing, and the uncertainty surrounding the franchise’s most important player is casting a shadow over every other storyline in Winnipeg.
The Jets open their season in less than two weeks. A resolution, whether through a trade or a return to the fold needs to come quickly. Every day this situation continues without clarity is another day the Jets are preparing for an 84-game season without their most important player in the building and having Stewart Skinner as their goalie.
Around the League: Notes and Nuggets
The NHL has confirmed the 2026-27 regular season opens September 29th with Florida at Carolina, the defending champions hosting the back to back champs the two years before…who also did not make the playoffs last year.
The NHL Heritage Classic is scheduled for October 25th between Montreal and Winnipeg. The Winter Classic on December 31st features Colorado against Utah.
Quinn Hughes, acquired by Minnesota in a trade from Vancouver, has been skating with the Wild this week and his presence gives Minnesota one of the most exciting defensive cores in the Western Conference…..but who has still not extended with the team yet.
The regular season is nine days away. These training camps are nearly over. The games that count are almost here.
Reporting sourced from Yahoo Sports, The Hockey News, Florida Hockey Now, WPTV, Litter Box Cats, Caplin News, The Hockey Writers, Pro Hockey Rumors, and NHL Rumors, September 19-20, 2026.
— The Add List +