NHL Rumor Mill – February 15, 2025
Check out the latest on the Kraken, Oilers, Jets, Kings and Utah HC in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHICH PLAYERS COULD THE KRAKEN TRADE BY MARCH 7?
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman cited a rumor claiming Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann could be available at the March 7 trade deadline.
Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann (NHL Images).
Friedman said teams were calling the Kraken to inquire about the availability of the 28-year-old McCann. However, the club had not informed teams that the winger was available. He believes it would take a sizable offer to pry McCann away from the Kraken.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCann is the Kraken’s franchise scoring leader. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5 million and a 10-team no-trade list.
McCann’s 14 goals in 57 games is well off his career-best 40-goal performance in 2022-23 but his team-leading 42 points puts him within reach of his third straight season with at least 60 points.
The Kraken isn’t facing pressure to move McCann but maybe they’ll consider it if they receive a substantial offer.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kate Shefte looked at several Kraken players who could become trade bait by March 7.
Topping her list are forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde, who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jaden Schwartz and Jamie Oleksiak are a year away from UFA eligibility but they’re also still playing important roles.
Winger Eeli Tolvanen’s solid play and reasonable $3.48 million AAV through next season are enticing. However, he re-signed with the Kraken last summer and is a young, multifaceted player they can build around. Struggling winger Andre Burakovsky might benefit from a change of scenery but he carries an AAV of $5.5 million for the next two seasons.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tanev and Gourde will probably be playing elsewhere by March 7. Gourde is recovering from sports hernia surgery but is expected to return to action by late March.
LATEST ON THE OILERS GOALTENDING
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson was recently asked by some readers if the Oilers will attempt to upgrade their goaltending by the trade deadline. One mentioned Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson while another suggested Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Hockey Club.
Matheson dismissed those suggestions. While admitting he’d like to see more consistency from Oilers starter Stuart Skinner, he doesn’t see Gibson or Vejmelka as an upgrade. He also indicated that general manager Stan Bowman was happy with Skinner’s play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner and backup Calvin Pickard backstopped the Oilers to within one game of winning the Stanley Cup last year. They’re not Vezina Trophy candidates but they’ve come through when their team needed them most. No one in the trade market could be an improvement over either of them.
POTENTIAL JETS TRADE BAIT
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently looked at what the first-overall Winnipeg Jets might offer up at the trade deadline to bolster their roster for a deep playoff run.
The Jets’ 2025 first-round pick is available along with their second-rounders in 2026 and beyond. They might be willing to part with their 2026 first-rounder and prospect winger Colby Barlow for the right price.
Ates considers forward Cole Perfetti and prospects Elias Salomonsson, Brad Lambert and Brayden Yager as untouchable.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are in “win-now” mode but not to the point where they’ll sacrifice too much of their future for rental players. They’ll need most of their top prospects as eventual replacements for veteran stars like Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.
KINGS SHOPPING FOR RIGHT-SHOT FORWARDS
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said the Los Angeles Kings were in the market for right-shot forwards.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings will likely seek wingers who can skate on the top two lines alongside centers Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. They need the offensive boost, sitting 20th in goals per game average (2.83) while their power-play percentage (14.6) is 29th overall.
A LOOK AT FOUR UTAH HC TRADE CANDIDATES
THE HOCKEY NEWS: If the Utah Hockey Club becomes sellers at the deadline, Spencer Lazary recently listed forwards Alex Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad, defenseman Ian Cole and goaltender Karel Vejmelka as trade candidates All four are UFA-eligible on July 1.
Lazary believes Kerfoot could draw interest from the Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils. The Oilers could also revisit their interest in Bjugstad, who might be enticing to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild.
The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings could have Cole on their radar. Vejmelka could draw interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lazary also suggested the Oilers could look at Vejmelka as a rental but that’s unlikely as I noted above.
As per the Leafs, I feel “1” upgrade is sitting in the AHL with the Marlies
I can’t understand WHY ?
Alexander Steeves is leading the league with 28 goals. He hasn’t been productive when called up prior to, but certainly if given a reasonable chance , can be an improvement on what they have now on the bottom 2 lines …
Alex who? And unfortunately what a player does in the AHL often doesn’t translate – like with him so far – well in the NHL. Could he entice another GM to have him included as part of a trade package, absolutely.
If your goal as the Leafs is to make a deep run in the playoffs and you haven’t done that yet because of inexperience, then a guy like Steeves might not be the best choice for help since we can already see what happens with young inexperience teams play in the playoffs.
STEEVES….would be an upgrade to ..HOLMBERG
FOR…SURE ..even Domi…at this point ..ugggg
Domi needs to be a 4th liner only. He can’t be relied upon for any decent scoring touch.
What a crazy game tonight, 2nd game we’ve been to & the first of the game sealed the deal for this game being amazing.
The building is just shaking
I really enjoyed the Ranger/ Vancouver trade and the Carolina/ Colorado trade!Those included top skilled players in the NHL! I hope the next round of trades has some substance to it,not like the spare parts deals featuring bottom 6 forwards and 3rd pair defensemen!
Sr. Hoping NY/Van aren’t done. Wouldn’t Ming a trade centered around Boeser for Zibanejad. Maybe ZiB waves for Swede friendly Vancouver. Brock gets reunited with his buddy JT
If Vancouver trades Boeser it will be for a young player/prospects, not for someone +30. And they should trade him since he will want to much for too long
Steeves has the same background as many career AHL players.
Many of these guys are loaded with talent and ability that shines but in most cases unable to translate to the NHL.
It’s one of the things we, as fans, need to keep in mind when looking at our team of choice prospect pools and the future.
We see them on the way up, see progression, and then see them step into the NHL, more often than not having little impact.
We tend to forget how good NHL players are, even the bottom six and there’s a gap that keeps the AHL guys down there.
Mostly depth guys. None of the recent trade proposals are going to put any contending team over the top. There will be another trade or two happening in the coming weeks that nobody saw coming.
Leafs need a net-crasher.
Leafs do need an energy player , Net crashed , I agree
I was hoping Grebenkin could be that guy , I still do , but he is not quite ready for the NHL yet
BUT – players like Dewar, Reeves, Holmberg , Kampf – Is A Marlie that isn’t least , as good, or at least an upgrade to that batch ?!?!
I think the Leafs need to go outside of the organization for the energy guy they need.
What do you give Boston for Frederic? Domi!
‘Thought Domi & Reeves we’re supposed to be…
Florian Xhakeg – Alternative , search -Pock the pocket of another rival NHL team …
1 of Montreals prospects – He is a centre man ..
I know they have a defence man , same name , not sure if they are related or not
A tough , energy player …
Somebody of this nature , why not , tons of upside vs just filling out the roster for the playoffs
This is what I am getting at
Diamond in the rough , Go find it
Ken. Its Florian Xhekaj, and he is Arber Xhekaj’s younger brother and no, he won’t be traded to Toronto.
Re “Vejmelka could draw interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins”
Can’t see Penguins at all having any interest in a UFA goalie
absolutely not…..we have some great goalie prospects
And until they prove they can handle the NHL, that’s all they are – prospects.
Habsman67
Thank you for bringing this to my attention
So, I am correct thinking Florian Xhekaj is a high prospect !
This is what , I mean – I wish Leafs could track down this type of player with grit, snarl , at the same time be a talent to their roster without worrying about the cap …
As the player grows within the organization , of course his cap hit is going to expand. Which is fine – ideal addition to the roster !
Ken. I think Florian’s ceiling is a fourth line player. I said he won’t be traded to Toronto primarily because his brother plays in Montreal and both grew up Habs fans. If he is a NHL calibre player then he likely remains in Montreal.
Ken, ummm
High prospect?
Only if you’re high yourself
McCann would be a nice addition to the Leafs. He’s also signed to another year after this one. His age fits within the age range of the Leafs core players as well.
The thing with “energy” players is they must be able to provide something else. Watching the game against Vancouver I couldn’t help but notice Sherwood on the Canucks. High energy and effective forechecking.
Think back to the days of the Berg, Zezel, Osborne line for the Leafs. That’s an element the Leafs are missing.
Expendable players on the Leafs (Domi, Kampf, Reaves, Jarnkrok) currently account for nearly $10M dollars in salary cap space.
Leafs need at minimum a RH centre, and a RHD that can move the puck effectively and play solid Defence. Entering the playoffs with Myers, Benoit, and Timmins is not a good idea.
Except those kind of top quality players are going to cost them dearly … they won’t be getting that quality for picks that figure to be low in each round and prospects.
George O
Wouldn’t any contending team’s pick will be low in each round?
As for the Leafs, I’m sure that Cowan and Minten would be prospects that would interest other teams. Trading those two for a rental may not be the best idea but trading them for a player like Dobson that they don’t have in their system wouldn’t be a bad trade off.
Every season trades are made at the TDL that surprise even the “insiders”.
Yes, McCann and add Oleksiak…
I forgot about Jake Evan’s in Montreal … 2nd rounder going back ?
I am just not sold on Scott Laughton , what Brière wants in return
Noah Dobson would be a nice pickup ,and would have the talent remaining to go the other way as long as they don’t overspend on the Center ice addition
McCann , Jake Evan’s , Florian Xhekaj, are all great additions without having to OVERPAY and leave room for a talented defense upgrade !!!
Than we can talk StanleyCup
Especially with the Batman and Robin – Dynamic dual in Net!!
Leafs need to be SMART – Cooper and his Lightning are coming on again – Cooper , being the Bedt Coach in hockey ..
The Leafs should be all in on Dobson if he’s available.
Can’t understand why NYI would consider trading him.
There are no guarantees in the NHL when it comes to players or the playoffs.
I think there are better options than Laughton, even from Philly, like Noah Cates.
I like Evans from Montreal. If a 2nd would be enough I’d make that deal. Would he re-sign for a slight raise to $2M a season on a 3 year deal?
Luke Kunin from SJ would be a good 3C for the Leafs
I forgot about Kunin – Hot topic for awhile !
Leafs actually need st least 2 players for the bottom 6
Is anyone interested in Domi?
Simmons , Benoit and Myers – – Needs an upgrade 4 Sure