After an offseason that featured a blockbuster trade, the first overall pick, and a few free agent additions, the New York Islanders head into training camp with some unanswered questions.

Michael Ostrower contributed to this story. 

While most of the 23-man roster looks locked in, a handful of players are still battling for NHL spots.

Islanders 2025-26 NHL Training Camp Roster Is OutAhead of Thursday, the New York Islanders have released their training camp roster. The list consists of 35 forwards, 18 defensemen, and eight goaltenders:

That said, the line combinations remain a work in progress, and head coach Patrick Roy recently offered some insight into how the top nine forwards might shake out to start camp:

Jonathan Drouin – Bo Horvat – Maxim Shabanov

Anders Lee – Mathew Barzal – Kyle Palmieri

Anthony Duclair – JG Pageau – Simon Holmstrom

Roy’s proposed lines notably put Maxim Shabanov, the 2025 offseason’s top international free agent, on the first line.

Roy’s Plan Is To Start Shabanov On Top Line At Islanders Training CampMonday morning at the New York Islanders Children's Foundation Golf Outing, Islanders' Head Coach Patrick Roy revealed his way-too-early lineup thoughts ahead of training camp. 

While the 24-year-old Russian had 67 points (23 goals, 44 assists) in 65 KHL games, finishing top three in the league in both assists and goals, his immediate placement on the top line is a stark contrast to Maxim Tsyplakov.

Tsyplakov was the top international free agent during the 2024 offseason, and while he opened the 2024-25 season on the second line alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, he began training camp in a depth role.

Given that Shabanov stands just 5-foot-9, 167 pounds, and his playstyle is the opposite of Tsyplakov’s, it makes sense why they view him as a top-six forward and not a bottom-six guy. 

Roy’s tentative lines provide insight into how training camp will start, but each player still has to earn their spot.

Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat will likely stay together to open the season, but Shabanov still has to earn the first-line, right-wing spot, with Palmieri the other suitor for the role.

Whichever of the two gets left off the first line will be a prime candidate to join Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee on the second line.

The third line is set with Anthony Duclair, JG Pageau, and Simon Holmstrom offering Roy a speedy trio capable of stretching the ice and contributing offensively.

While Roy did not comment on the fourth line, it will likely consist of Emil Heineman, Casey Cizikas, and Maxim Tsyplakov, with Kyle MacLean, Marc Gatcomb, and Pierre Engvall fighting to make the 23-man roster.

But, you can’t rule out Calum Ritchie, the Colorado Avalanche’s top prospect, who they sent to the Islanders in the Brock Nelson deal, from making the team. He looks NHL-ready and could win a job, whether that’s at center ice or on the wing. 

The Islanders' defense underwent some major changes this offseason with the departure of Noah Dobson and the addition of Matthew Schaefer, but four of the six lineup regulars appear set in Alexander Romanov, Adam Pelech, Tony DeAngelo, and Ryan Pulock.

When healthy, all four defenseman have been heavily relied on under Roy, and that is unlikely to change in 2025-26.

From there, Schaefer is the favorite to be the third left-shot defenseman in the lineup, though the Islanders will make him earn it.

His main competitor will be Isaiah George, who greatly developed his game in Bridgeport (AHL) following a 33-game NHL stint in the first half of the 2024-25 season.

Scott Mayfield is expected to be the third right-shot defenseman in the lineup, but Adam Boqvist could give him a run for his money.

Boqvist’s game offers the Islanders a higher offensive ceiling given his skating, agility, and playmaking. 

While Mayfield is signed for another five seasons, both Roy and Mathieu Darche have emphasized a desire to add speed to the lineup, and Boqvist offers just that.

In the most probable outcome where Mayfield and Schaefer make the lineup, Boqvist is the favorite to earn the seventh defenseman role since George is waiver-exempt.

Ethan Bear, a right-shot defenseman signed to a one-year, $775,000 deal this offseason, is a close friend of Barzal and is another name to consider during training camp.

The Islanders will also need to sort out which goaltender will back up Ilya Sorokin.

Semyon Varlamov underwent season-ending surgery after trying to work his way back from a lower-body injury sustained last November. We do not know his status for training camp yet.

The last thing we were told is that he was skating.

The Islanders signed veteran backup David Rittich as an insurance option in case Varlamov did not stay at full health.

Depending on New York’s confidence in Varlamov’s health, Rittich could open the season at Sorokin’s backup, or even as a third goaltender on the roster if Darche fears Rittich will be claimed on waivers.

The latter is unlikely, as multiple goaltenders similar to Rittich will be placed on waivers, but anything is on the table after last season’s goalie carousel saw the Islanders use five different netminders.

The Islanders will open training camp on Thursday, September 18th.

The NHL season is almost here. Training camp kicks off this week around the league with preseason games to follow. With training camp comes several questions for the Ducks, five of which hold higher priority than others.

When will Mason McTavish sign?

Out of all the burning questions, this one is the biggest for the Ducks. McTavish, a restricted free agent (RFA) is still currently unsigned with training camp a day away from commencing.

With Trevor Zegras now in Philadelphia, the pathway to No. 2 center behind Leo Carlsson is McTavish’s for the taking. This summer, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek identified McTavish as a long-term piece for the organization, saying that they are fortunate to have both Carlsson and McTavish.

While that may be true, Verbeek may be in danger of repeating the same sequence from a few years ago, when contract disputes with Zegras and Jamie Drysdale dragged into training camp and both players subsequently missed time due to injuries. Both players are now no longer part of the organization, plying their trade together in Philadelphia.

Anaheim has short-term options for the second line center spot as long as McTavish remains unsigned. Free agency addition Mikael Granlund is capable of filling that role, like he did for the past couple of years in San Jose. Ryan Strome has done the same in years past, though his production is closer to that of a third line center than a true No. 2.

There’s no question though that the longer this contract dispute drags out, the more detrimental it could become. With Joel Quenneville (and almost  an entirely new coaching staff) taking charge, being present for the start of camp to learn new systems and knock the rust off is essential.

How will the forward lines shake out?

McTavish is an important part of the forward corps, but with or without him, there are still plenty of moving parts that need to be settled.

The trio of Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Alex Killorn may get an early look to see if they can continue the production that they had during the second half of last season.

With McTavish absent for the time being, Granlund may jump up into the no. 2 center position and be flanked by Troy Terry and fellow offseason addition Chris Kreider.

Questions Facing Each Anaheim Ducks Forward Heading into the 2025-26 SeasonThe 2025-26 season is now around the corner after a long offseason. The Anaheim Ducks have lofty goals and one major piece of business left on the table to take care of: Mason McTavish's contract extension.

The non-presence of McTavish opens up an opportunity (for the time being) for one of Anaheim’s young forwards to make a good impression and push for a roster spot. 2024 third overall pick Beckett Sennecke has been the talk of the town in Ducks land, with his options this season split between returning to the OHL or playing in the NHL.

Other youngsters like Nikita Nesterenko, Sam Colangelo and Tim Washe will be competing for bottom-6 spots. Nesterenko and Colangelo could make the full-time jump to the NHL this season after splitting time between the top tier and the AHL last season.

What will the blue line look like?

Anaheim’s defense is chock-full of youth, with Radko Gudas (35) and Jacob Trouba (31) the only elder statesmen on the backend. Jackson LaCombe (24) will look to build on his breakout sophomore campaign while fellow left-handers Pavel Mintyukov (21) and Olen Zellweger (22) should benefit from playing more regularly. That leaves one spot on the right side for likely a trio of players in Drew Helleson, Tristan Luneau and Ian Moore.

Helleson, 24, took on a bigger role upon being recalled last November and solidified himself as part of the bottom pair by the end of the season. Known more for his defensive prowess than offensive ability, he signed a two-year extension this offseason.

Ducks’ Young Blue Line Could Be Their X-Factor in 2025-26The Ducks have a lot to be excited about when it comes to this season and beyond. Despite the departure of fan favorite Trevor Zegras via trade, they added a couple of veterans with plenty of playoff experience in Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund. They also revamped their coaching staff, giving Greg Cronin, Rich Clune and Brent Thompson the boot in favor of Joel Quenneville, Jay Woodcroft, Ryan McGill and Andrew Brewer.

Luneau, 21, had a terrific season in the AHL this past year, putting up 52 points in 59 games. A knee infection cut his 2023-24 season short and the beginning of his 2024-25 season in the NHL showed that he was not yet ready to make the jump. But with another pro season under his belt, Luneau has the opportunity to make the NHL roster out of camp once again. This time, it’s possible he may stick around.

Moore, 23, joined late last season, signing his entry-level contract (ELC) following the end of his collegiate career at Harvard. He played a few games in the AHL before coming up to the Ducks, but didn’t look too out of place in the three games that he played on. Moore was on the Ducks’ rookie faceoff roster, but did not play in either of the two games, perhaps a strong endorsement that Ducks brass already know what Moore can do.

What kind of impact will the new coaching staff have?

There’s no question that Anaheim is gunning for a playoff spot this season. It’s why Verbeek bid adieu to Cronin, Brent Thompson and Rich Clune this summer and brought in Quenneville, Jay Woodcroft, Ryan McGill and Andrew Brewer.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on Quenneville HiringFollowing the news conference to announce Joel Quenneville being named the 12th Ducks head coach in franchise history, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek spoke to local media. Below is a full transcript of the media scrum (Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity):

Quenneville’s systems should benefit the young blueliners offensively while also helping create a much more cohesive unit defensively. A league-worst power play (11.76%) will get new life breathed into it by Woodcroft while McGill looks to repair a penalty kill that been near the bottom of the league for the past few seasons.

A team with stronger systems and better special teams should help take a load off of Lukáš Dostál and whoever his backup will be, whether it’s Petr Mrázek or Ville Husso.

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This prospect list was originally published in the The Hockey News' annual yearbook

With rookie camp in the books and the big boys set to take the ice for training camp on Thursday, here is a look at the Vegas Golden Knights' top prospects.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Trevor Connelly

Pos LW Age 19

2024-25 Providence (HE)

Makes quick reads, distributes well and dashes around the ice. Will benefit from reps at AHL level.

Expected NHL Arrival ’27-28

2. Matyas Sapovaliv

Pos C Age 21

2024-25 Henderson (AHL)

Meager point total masks great work done defensively. He’s adept at matchup game.

Expected NHL Arrival ’27-28

3. Raphael Lavoie

Pos C Age 25

2024-25 Henderson (AHL)

No doubting his offense, but he needs to develop reliability away from puck to reach next level.

Expected NHL Arrival ’26-27

4. Jakob Ihs Wozniak

Pos C Age 18

2024-25 Lulea Jr. (Swe.)

Broke scoring record for 17-year-old in Swedish junior. Consistency key to him reaching potential.

Expected NHL Arrival ’29-30

5. Lukas Cormier

Pos D Age 23

2024-25 Henderson (AHL)

Skilled puck-mover and potential power-play quarterback missed majority of 2024-25 with injury.

Expected NHL Arrival ’26-27

6. Pavel Moysevich

Pos G Age 21

2024-25 St. Petersburg (KHL)

Fought for starts with SKA last season. Regular playing time will help big, athletic keeper develop.

Expected NHL Arrival ’28-29

7. Arttu Karki

Pos D Age 20

2024-25 Assat (Fin.)

Returned to Finland to play pro. Does everything well but nothing spectacularly. A project prospect.

Expected NHL Arrival ’28-29

8. Mathieu Cataford

Pos C Age 20

2024-25 Rimouski (QMJHL)

CHL’s scholastic player of the year showcases on-ice smarts with his knack for reading play.

Expected NHL Arrival ’27-28

9. Akira Schmid

Pos G Age 25

2024-25 Henderson (AHL)

Consistency in the AHL was a challenge, but his performance behind an NHL defense was great.

Expected NHL Arrival ’25-26

10. Mateo Nobert

Pos C Age 18

2024-25 Blainville-Bois. (QMJHL)

Pass-first playmaker with good vision drives play. He will have to adjust to pace at next level.

Expected NHL Arrival ’30-31

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