NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2025
The latest speculation on this summer’s top restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently looked at the latest rumors and reports regarding this summer’s top 12 NHL restricted free agents.
It could cost the Edmonton Oilers around $10 million annually to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard. Fox wonders if the decline in his production this season might knock that average annual value down a tad.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could but not by much. Bouchard’s agent will point to his client’s career-best 82-point performance last season as justification for $10 million or close to it. His 54 points this season currently puts him fourth among NHL defensemen. Finishing with over 60 points could get him something between $9 million and $9.5 million.
In January, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said he would begin contract negotiations with Luke Hughes, but so far there’s no indication they’ve started. Bridging the young defenseman at $5.1 million annually would save money now but would mean a monster contract when Hughes approaches UFA eligibility and the salary cap has gone through the roof.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fitzgerald could attempt a long-term extension, but Hughes’ camp might take a page from the Auston Matthews playbook and go for a four or five-year contract, setting him up for a much bigger payday down the road while he’s in his playing prime.
Fox believes another cautious bridge deal for Noah Dobson would push the New York Islanders defenseman straight into unrestricted free-agent territory. He speculates an eight-year deal would cost $8 million annually, making Dobson the highest-paid defenseman on the Isles’ blueline.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could depend on who’s handling the negotiations for the Islanders. It’s rumored GM Lou Lamoriello could retire or move on to a different position within the organization where he’s less hands-on.
Another two-year bridge deal for Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi would walk him straight to unrestricted free agency. Fox suspects Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will push for term here.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vilardi is 25, completing a career-best performance (61 points and counting), and has arbitration rights this summer. Cheveldayoff could push for at least five years.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving rebuffed offers for Matthew Knies at the trade deadline. The Leafs have big decisions to make regarding UFA-eligible forwards Mitch Marner and John Tavares, but with Knies’ stock rising along with the salary cap, Fox believes they’ll try to lock him up for as long as possible.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed, the longer the better.
Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams recently denied winger JJ Peterka was part of any discussions leading up to the March 7 trade deadline. He remains open to signing Peterka to term.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox observed that Adams tends to sign players who show promise to long-term contracts. Peterka could be next in line.
A qualifying offer for K’Andre Miller will cost the New York Rangers $4.65 million to retain his rights this summer. A long-term deal could push him to between $6 million and $6.5 million
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller’s struggles this season made him the subject of frequent trade speculation. Rangers GM Chris Drury has been shaking up his roster since December with more changes expected this summer. Miller could become an offseason trade candidate.
The Anaheim Ducks’ recent acquisition of goaltender Ville Husso suggests they could move out John Gibson this summer. That would free up more cap space to re-sign netminder Lukas Dostal.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, it could, although the Ducks shouldn’t have any issue re-signing Dostal if Gibson’s $6.4 million remains on their books for next season. They have a projected $39 million of cap space and 15 active roster players under contract.
Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi’s next contract could be affected by the club’s need to sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension before his UFA eligibility next summer. Things could get tricky here because of their tight budget and with promising prospects like Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt waiting in the wings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox suggests a short-term bridge deal for Rossi until the more immediate cap issues are resolved. However, that would risk paying him much more when this contract expires, which could make him a trade candidate.
Fox doesn’t expect the Columbus Blue Jackets to have any issue re-signing forward Dmitri Voronkov. They’re flush with cap space and Voronkov, at 23, is the perfect age to grow with their flourishing young core.
The Ducks could attempt to sign Mason McTavish to a deal similar to the five-year extension that Quinton Byfield received from the Los Angeles Kings, which carries a $6.25 million AAV.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is a tough negotiator. He holds the hammer here given McTavish’s lack of arbitration rights.
A strong postseason performance could help Fabian Zetterlund in contract talks with the Ottawa Senators, who acquired him from the San Jose Sharks before the recent trade deadline.
Evan Bouchard will get his 9 million. It just doesn’t have to be with the Oilers.
If Bouchard wants anything over $8 million on a long term deal he needs to be traded. Byram and peterka for Bouchard, who says no?
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Let’s see – Darnel Nurse age 30 – 5g 21a 26pts in 64gp and a +8 at $9,250,000 each year for the next 3 when he’ll be turning 33
or
Evan Bouchard age 25 – 13g 41a 54 pts in 69gp and a +17 at something in the same range?
Unless I’m missing something significant, I would think they’d be much better served by doing what they can to move Nurse’s contract with sweeteners combined with a suitable portion of his $ withheld.
The bad contract on Nurse does not make a bad contract for Bouchard good.
How about neither player at that amount. Move on from one and don’t sign the other to it
Where Zetterlund is concerned, it’s more like a strong performance in helping to GET them into the playoffs first … and that’s certainly not a given. A loss tonight in New Jersey will be 3 in a row and the collars will get that much tighter.
As for Zetterlund, if recent practices are any indication, he could be starting tonight at RW on the 1st line with Tkachuk and Stutzle, with Giroux going to the 3rd line with Greig at LW and Pinto at C. The 2nd line will see Cozens centering Batherson (RW) and Perron (LW).
Looking as if the Oilers will still have cap issues with McDavid’s new soon to be record setting contract looming and that other lucrative deal for Bouchard.
So trade Boosh to St Louis for Parayko, Bolduc, and Arseni Koromyslov. It was reported that Parayko would waive for Edmonton.
NJ has a logjam on the RS, trading Dougie Hamilton would relieve that and give them more cap space for the Hughes deal.
Husso was terrible with Detroit. The Ducks could give him a 1 yr “show me deal” of $2M and then be free to deal Gibby. Dostal should get a 3 x $3.5M deal or better.
Johnnyz, the Blues wouldn’t trade Parayko straight up for Bouchard much less including Bolduc. Bouchard’s numbers are inflated playing with 2 superstars and he is a defensive liability. He wouldn’t survive a month with Monty as his coach. Besides I think Armstrong learned his lesson about signing overpriced dmen with the Krug, Leddy, Faulk moves.
NJ would trade Hamilton. The better question is who would take him?
Red Monsters,the answer on Hamilton would be no one with his contract and injury history he has had the last 3 years!
Rossi is ripe for an offer sheet.
Habfan30,There s your second line center you are looking for!
If Rossi is available, Hughes has to be all over it. Concerned that he’s only 5’9”, but a worthwhile pickup anyway. I would prefer a trade but an offer sheet may be worthwhile.
If Bouchard gets 10 million the Oilers will have the two highest paid D “pairing” in the NHL, at 19.5 million.
The only two other defensive pairs on the same team in $ terms who make the top 25 list are Dahlin and Power (19.3) in Buffalo and Chabot and Sanderson (16) in Ottawa. These teams are not Cup contenders.
Oiler fans can weigh in about the value of Bourchard but that value must surely be considered in the context of having a team that now has cap issues, and the consequence of having the two highest paid forwards and the two highest paid D pair on the team going into next year.
Dubas
Please offer sheet Vilardi
Sounds fine, makes it easier for Chevy to just match it and lock up Vilardi as a Jet long term.
8787, you suggested Dubas offer picks to Chevy for Vilardi in a prior post. Why would Chevy take picks for a top line winger? Jets will have no problem matching any offer sheets for him as well. And I highly doubt an offer sheet would be over 9 million per.
Bouchard’s next contract will all be dependent on the playoffs this year. I am sure his agent would have no issue asking for $10M if he can produce in the same way he did last year in the playoffs.
However, if the Oilers bow out early or his numbers are not the same, then it will give the Oilers reason to pause on a high end deal. At times, he is a defensive liability. His offensive instincts are on the high end, but this year, they have balance out.
If I was the GM, I would negotiate with him, but I would have a high water mark of about $8.5. If he wants to do a shorter term deal (a prove your worth deal, say of 3 years) with the idea that a bigger number could be available down the road, then that might work.
Otherwise, see if there is another defenseman out there that is already signed to equivalent deal. Someone that needs a change of scenery and the team needs to get younger. Would love to see a Parayko or Josi, but there are options out there.
Now that they have a Waldman, I would not be as anxious to lose him to a team that offers him $10M/yr offer sheet. That is 2 firsts, a second and a third. That could either refill our draft board or offer us more to trade in the future. Not many teams would have all of their own picks to be able to do an offer sheet of this size in the first place.