Welcome back everyone to Season 8 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk!
We have a jam-packed episode 1 show coming up tonight with Evan Renaerts with a lot to get through as the NHL season gets closer and closer. Training camps are just around the corner, players are returning to their respective clubs, and everyone is getting ready for what will be a longer 84-game regular season. There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on heading into the season, so let’s get right into some of the biggest stories we’re following so far as we head into the 2026/27 NHL Season:
- Training Camps Are Basically Here and the season is getting a bit longer – Training camps have basically begun with players returning to their teams to start practising and camps open next week. The regular season begins September 29, with a shortened pre-season. This comes with some significant changes thanks to the new NHL CBA, which runs through 2030, where the league is moving to an 84-game regular season, but it also includes adjustments to LTIR rules and new development rules involving CHL players. We will see how this impacts all 32 teams, along with players, coaches, and the fans who tune in.
- Connor Hellebuyck and The Winnipeg Situation – Connor Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets star trade situation continues to hang over the organization heading into training camp. Hellebuyck has reportedly asked for a trade (through his agent), but so far Winnipeg hasn’t found a deal that makes sense and most teams already have their rosters set up. Jets captain Adam Lowry has tried to pivot the discussion away and focus on the upcoming season, but will we see Hellebuyck reports to camp, do they keep him and try to make another run? Or does he get traded sooner rather than later? If he does stay, this will be a point of contention for the team this season.
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit And the Search For A New GM – Detroit might have one of the biggest unresolved situations in the NHL right now. On top of having Dylan Larkin’s trade request still hovering over the team, Detroit is still looking for a new general manager. With Steve Yzerman out of the GM position, and Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg withdrawing his name from consideration, they have to look for other potential candidates (some names that are emerging are Shawn Horcoff and Kris Draper as possible possibilities). The Red Wings do need a GM to make decisions going forward, as you have to determine if you keep your captain and try to build around him or do you honour his trade request and begin another major reset in Detroit? How much do you resign Simon Edvinsson for? Lots to answer for a team who had a rough end to the year and will try to push for a playoff spot in a very competitive Atlantic division.
- Brady Tkachuk Heads To Florida & Barkov Is Back – Brady Tkachuk is officially settling in with his brother Matthew in Florida after spending eight seasons in Ottawa, including five as captain. Many fans are excited to see what happens when Brady and Matthew Tkachuk are finally teammates and playing on the ice together (how many penalty minutes will they rack up?). But could the brothers actually chase another championship together? Well they will have a good chance as they are getting their captain back Aleksander Barkov, who missed the entire 2025-26 season after knee surgery. But after winning the Worlds for Finland, he appears healthy and preparing for the upcoming season.
- Cale Makar Gets Paid, but Quinn Hughes and Adam Fantilli are Still Waiting – We can’t talk about NHL contracts without bringing up Cale Makar and the massive $163.2 million dollar contract (with an AAV of $20.4 million he signed with the Colorado Avalanche. Makar’s deal becomes another benchmark for elite NHL players and raises some interesting questions about the future of the salary structure around the league. But while Makar has his future sorted out, we’re still waiting to see what happens with Quinn Hughes. Hughes remains unsigned with the Minnesota Wild, making his contract one of the biggest unresolved stories heading into training camp and whether or not he wishes to resign. And he’s not alone. Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets also remains unsigned and to add to the matter, the Blue Jackets RFA wasn’t at the team’s recent pre-camp golf event. So we’ve got a few young stars waiting for their next big payday. The question is: who signs first, and does one deal set the market for the others?
- Fraser Minten Gets A Massive Vote of Confidence From Boston – The Boston Bruins have made a pretty significant commitment to young forward Fraser Minten, signing him to a seven-year, $50.4 million extension (with an AAV of $7.2 million). That’s a lot of money and a lot of term for a young player who has only played 107 games in the NHL but clearly the Boston Bruins believe in Minten. But the questions fans and GMs are asking is: Is this the new normal in the NHL? Are teams going to continue paying young players before they reach their true prime, or could some of these long-term deals eventually become difficult contracts to manage? It’s a fascinating trend we’re seeing more and more around the league.
- Zeev Buium Gets Paid In Vancouver – Speaking of big paydays, Zeev Buium has also received a massive vote of confidence. The Vancouver Canucks signed the young defenseman to an eight-year, $75.04 million contract (with an AAV of $9.38 AAV). That’s a huge commitment to a young defenseman playing only 76 games (and coming in from the Quinn Hughes trade) and another example of teams trying to lock up potential cornerstone players before they become even more expensive. We know Vancouver won’t make the post season this year, but it always helsp to lock up your corner key pieces.
- Alex Formenton is back In The NHL – The Edmonton Oilers signed the 26-year-old forward to a one-year, $850,000 contract. But Formenton hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2021-22 season and spent the past three seasons playing in Switzerland with HC Ambri-Piotta, given that he is returning following the Hockey Canada case and the subsequent legal and disciplinary proceedings involving the five players. This will be another one to watch this upcoming season.
- The PWHL Continues To Grow, and Streaming is Changing Hockey – In other hockey news, the PWHL has announced a national partnership with Scripps Sports for the 2026-27 season, giving the PWHL its first season-long national U.S. television package. That’s another big step for a league that continues to establish itself in the North American sports landscape. The new season is also going to be starting up soon, as teams like the Vancouver Goldeneyes have been busy putting together their roster, including re-signing Madison Samoskevich and adding goaltender Katie DeSa. And this ties into another major development in hockey broadcasting where Amazon and Prime Video are becoming a much bigger part of NHL broadcasting by having exclusive local streaming rights for six NHL teams: the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues, beginning with the 2026-27 season. This is a great way to continue to grow the game.
- Robert Thomas Named Captain in St. Louis – Speaking of the St. Louis Blues, they have named Robert Thomas their new captain, giving the 25-year-old forward a major leadership role heading into the upcoming season. Thomas is coming off a strong 2025–26 campaign, recording 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points in 64 games, while finishing with a +22 rating. He led the Blues in goals, assists, points and plus/minus last season.
- Sidney Crosby’s future & Seguin Injured: At 39 years old, Crosby says he wants to continue playing for a number of years and is discussing a new contract with Pittsburgh. His current deal expires after the 2026-27 season but how much longer does Sid want to play. We know he is very respected around the league and still produces as one of the top players in teh league, but can Kyle Dubas and company build a competitive team around him? Time will tell. On the Dallas Stars front, Tyler Seguin says his ACL injury has been the most challenging of his career. He’s been skating and could potentially be ready for training camp, but his health will be something to monitor as Dallas needs all hands on deck to be prepared for another big run.
- The Champions Hockey League Is Back – And finally, for those of us who like to keep an eye on hockey outside of North America, the Champions Hockey League is back. The European club hockey tournament got underway September 3, 2026, with defending champion Frölunda Gothenburg looking to repeat. It’s always an interesting competition because we get to see some of the best European clubs go head-to-head, while also getting a look at players and teams that North American fans might not normally watch. We will follow this closely through our Around the Rink segment.
Agree? Disagree? Let’s talk hockey!
Tune in every Wednesday at 7 PM MST for Season 8 of Two Guys & Hockey Talk, where we break down the latest news and biggest stories in hockey, interview people from around the game, and bring you plenty of opinions, discussion and more.
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- Pawel ‘The Cat’
