It’s development camp week in the NHL and former draft picks and top prospects are all heading without future — or current — homes to participate in drills and learn from pro coaching staffs.
There have been well over a dozen Michigan State hockey players who have been invited to camps this week, and that makes sense when you consider that the Spartans had nine draft picks a few days ago as well as five first-rounders. Michigan State dominated the 2026 NHL Draft as Adam Nightingale’s scouting was on full display for the nation to see.
People seem to forget that he already has a returning roster full of NHL draftees and they, too, got the invites to development camps this week.
It feels like the Spartans are represented on at least half the teams in the league. From New York all the way to Anaheim and up to Seattle, the Spartans are everywhere.
Speaking of that New York representation, Michigan State has sent rising sophomore Sean Barnhill to the Rangers’ development camp this week. The 19-year-old defenseman from Arizona was selected in the third round of the 2025 draft by the New York Rangers and he’ll eventually be fighting for a roster spot.
He’ll also be fighting for minutes on a Michigan State roster that’s going to be loaded with several elite defensemen. I think the third-rounder is ready.
Michigan State will have no shortage of defensemen in 2027-28
It’ll be interesting to see the defenseman pairings this season in East Lansing because the possibilities for Nightingale are endless.
Over the past two days, Michigan State got a couple of surprises in the form of defensemen who were expected to join the roster in 2027-28. Both Cullen McCrate (7th round pick in 2026) and Tommy Bleyl (1st round pick in 2026) announced that they’d be joining the 2026-27 roster, giving Michigan State an even more positive outlook — especially defensively.
Bleyl is an elite defenseman and he’ll be joined by McCrate, Chase Reid, Brady Peddle, Patrick Geary, Matthew Lahey, Cole Ward, Mason West, and Barnhill as the Spartans’ defensemen in 2026-27.
That’s eight guys who can defend at a high level and will lock down that end of the ice for new goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen — also a first-round pick.
Goals will be at a premium if you’re facing Michigan State this year.
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