The biggest NHL News stories on Friday, September 18, 2026 are being driven by something teams usually hope to avoid at training camp: uncertainty surrounding franchise players.
Connor Hellebuyck remains suspended by the Winnipeg Jets after failing to report to camp, but general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has made it clear Winnipeg has not closed the door on its longtime starting goaltender. Meanwhile, Dylan Larkin has finally addressed his Detroit Red Wings trade request, without saying whether he has withdrawn it, and Quinn Hughes has arrived at Minnesota Wild camp without a new contract.
There is also plenty happening on the ice. No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna is already skating beside John Tavares and William Nylander in Toronto, while Evgeni Malkin is openly leaving the door open to playing beyond this season in Pittsburgh.
Throw in significant injury situations involving Mathew Barzal, Max Domi, Cale Makar, Yanni Gourde and others, and NHL training camps have immediately given hockey fans plenty to follow.
Latest NHL News: Hellebuyck, Larkin and Hughes Dominate Training Camp
Connor Hellebuyck Suspension Turns Into the NHL’s Biggest Trade Story
The Connor Hellebuyck situation remains the story I would watch closest.
Winnipeg suspended its star goaltender after he failed to report to training camp following his offseason trade request. However, Cheveldayoff said Thursday that “no doors are closed” and stressed that Winnipeg will not make a trade simply to make the situation disappear.
That is a significant distinction.
Hellebuyck is under contract for five more seasons, meaning Winnipeg does not have the same deadline pressure that normally surrounds an unhappy pending unrestricted free agent. At the same time, Hellebuyck reportedly has trade protection that can restrict where the Jets send him, which reduces Winnipeg’s leverage when trying to generate maximum value.
My read is that the suspension doesn’t necessarily make a trade more imminent. It might actually make Winnipeg more patient.
Cheveldayoff knows the Jets cannot afford to turn one of hockey’s most accomplished goaltenders into a discounted asset simply because training camp has started. Hellebuyck’s 2025-26 season was poor by his standards, a .895 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average — but that came one season after a Hart and Vezina-winning campaign in which he posted a .925 save percentage and league-best 2.00 GAA.
NHLTradeRumor.com Hellebuyck Salary-Cap + Trade Value Snapshot
Connor Hellebuyck: Cap & Trade Value Dashboard
NHLTradeRumor.com proprietary analysis • 2026-27
Two-Year Performance Trend
NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index
72 / 100 — High-value asset with significant trade constraintsThe NHL and NHLPA officially set the 2026-27 upper salary-cap limit at $104 million, meaning Hellebuyck’s $8.5 million cap hit consumes approximately 8.17% of a team’s available cap ceiling.
That number is important. An $8.5 million goalie contract is substantially easier to absorb under a $104 million ceiling than it would have been several years ago. The bigger questions for an acquiring team are Hellebuyck’s age, five remaining contract years, trade protection and whether last season’s decline was an anomaly or the beginning of a longer trend.
Dylan Larkin Finally Addresses His Red Wings Trade Request
Detroit’s situation is different, but arguably just as fascinating.
Dylan Larkin confirmed that asking the Red Wings for a trade was not a spur-of-the-moment decision and said he does not regret making the request. However, he declined to say whether that request still stands or whether reconciliation with Detroit is possible.
Larkin also opened camp dealing with an upper-body injury and is no longer Detroit’s captain after holding the role for six seasons. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said the Red Wings have had productive conversations with Larkin and will take the situation day by day.
From my perspective, the most interesting part isn’t what Larkin said, it’s what he didn’t say.
There was a perfect opportunity to publicly close the door on the trade request. He didn’t.
That doesn’t guarantee Detroit will trade him, but until Larkin or management explicitly says the request has been withdrawn, this remains one of the NHL rumors worth monitoring.
Quinn Hughes Sounds Comfortable in Minnesota, But There Is Still No Contract
Quinn Hughes reported to Minnesota Wild training camp without an extension beyond this season.
That will naturally create speculation because Hughes can become an unrestricted free agent in July 2027, but his latest comments don’t sound like a player desperate to leave.
Hughes said he is happy with the organization and isn’t overly concerned about when a new agreement gets completed. Earlier this month, he also stressed that he intended to take his time making such a significant decision.
This is an important update to the earlier speculation surrounding Hughes.
There is still no extension, so the story is not resolved. But at least publicly, the situation currently looks more like a patient contract negotiation than an immediate trade problem.
Gavin McKenna Gets a Huge Opportunity With Nylander and Tavares
One of the most interesting developments from Toronto Maple Leafs camp has nothing to do with a trade.
Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, opened camp on a line with William Nylander and John Tavares.
Toronto clearly isn’t hiding McKenna on a sheltered fourth line.
Nylander described McKenna’s arrival as a potential game-changer, while Tavares praised the rookie’s ability to create plays through traffic. McKenna said the coaching staff’s decision to place him with two established stars gives him confidence.
My early takeaway: Toronto appears determined to discover McKenna’s offensive ceiling immediately rather than spending months gradually increasing his responsibilities.
If that line stays together through preseason, it could quickly become one of fantasy hockey’s most watched combinations.
Evgeni Malkin Isn’t Ready to Talk Retirement
Friday also produced an interesting update from Pittsburgh.
Evgeni Malkin, now 40, said he still loves playing and hasn’t ruled out continuing beyond the 2026-27 season.
Malkin signed a one-year contract with a $5.5 million average annual value after producing 61 points in only 56 games last season. His decision about playing beyond this year will depend largely on whether he feels he can continue contributing at a high level.
For a Penguins team still built around Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, that means the end of one of the NHL’s longest-running cores might not arrive this season after all.
NHL Injury News: Barzal, Makar, Domi and Gourde
Training camp has also produced an unusually long injury list.
Mathew Barzal could miss the Islanders’ season opener after aggravating a previous injury. Max Domi failed his physical and remains out indefinitely for Toronto, while Chris Tanev has been cleared following offseason surgery.
Cale Makar was held out of Colorado’s opening practice because of a lower-body issue, although coach Jared Bednar indicated the Avalanche are not overly concerned.
Tampa Bay will be without Yanni Gourde until approximately December following hip surgery, and Devils forward Nick Bjugstad is expected to miss four-to-six months after surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle.
Those aren’t minor depth-chart developments. Barzal, Makar and Gourde in particular could materially alter their teams’ early-season line combinations, special teams and fantasy value.
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