NHL Rumor Mill – March 8, 2025
The Canucks keep Brock Boeser, the Devils’ attempts to bolster their roster, an update on Ryan O’Reilly, the Leafs attempted to acquire Mikko Rantanen and more fallout from Friday’s trade deadline in the NHL Rumor Mill.
CANUCKS KEEP BOESER
THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin claimed he received mediocre trade offers for Brock Boeser leading up to Friday’s trade deadline. Allvin claimed the offers were so weak that he’d have been chased out of the news conference if he revealed them.
THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance reports contract talks will continue between the Canucks and the Boeser camp. He also indicated they received some interest in forward Pius Suter, but not enough to convince them to part with him.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston wondered if Allvin was trying to grind down on Boeser’s negotiating position. He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 28-year-old winger is only a year away from a career-best 40-goal performance. He could get a significant raise if he tests the free-agent market on July 1.
DEVILS FELL SHORT AT THE DEADLINE
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald tried to take a big swing in the trade market but came up short by the deadline. It’s believed he expressed interest in Mikko Rantanen and Brock Nelson, but both wound up being shipped elsewhere.
The Devils settled for forwards Daniel Sprong and Cody Glass.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Devils were interested in St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn. However, they were uncomfortable with the asking price. Friedman speculates the Blues probably asked for players like Simon Nemec that the Devils didn’t want to move.
O’REIILY WASN’T INTERESTED IN RETURNING TO TORONTO
THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Emma Lingan reported before the trade deadline that there was no chance that Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly would return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. She indicated they tried to extend him in 2023, offering more money than the Predators, but he had no interest. “Can confirm that hasn’t changed.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly was linked to the Leafs in the lead-up to the trade deadline. They ultimately acquired center Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers.
LEAFS MADE AN OFFER FOR RANTANEN
TORONTO STAR: cited Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos claiming the Maple Leafs made “the best offer” for Mikko Rantanen, However, it was refused by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Kypreos wrote that the Leafs’ offer was top prospects Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan and two first-round picks. They were also willing to offer him an eight-year contract extension worth between $105 million and $110 million.
The Hurricanes preferred trading Rantane to a Western Conference team. They shipped him to the Dallas Stars for rookie forward Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-rounders. They also signed him to an eight-year, $96 million extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’d argue the return to the Hurricanes was slightly better because Stankoven is among this season’s top rookies. Cowan and Minten haven’t proven themselves yet at the NHL level. Nevertheless, the Hurricanes’ intent to send Rantanen to a Western club won out.
UTAH HC WELL SET FOR THE SUMMER
KSLS SPORTS: Cole Bagley reports Utah Hockey Club will have around $22 million to go shopping this summer. They didn’t bother making moves at the deadline because they made their big moves last summer and didn’t have much to offer other teams at this deadline. They also didn’t need any rental players.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bagley believes Utah HC is “arguably the most well-constructed team for the future”. He’s not wrong in that opinion. They’re in the wild-card race in the Western Conference with a roster filled with rising young talent. Expect them to make a couple of significant additions via the trade and free-agent markets this summer.
As per Leafs and Rantanen..
The best deal you made yesterday Treliving
Is the “1” U didn’t MAKE
You might actually be right, its hard to know what Rantanen is without McKinnon, so far its been average
Finally….someone said it.
Agree with you on that Ken and it might also mean that Marner`s definitely not coming back, offering his money to Rantanen like that. No way they paid Rantanen and Marner that kind of money with Matthews new contract looming on the horizon. Kinda makes you wonder just how much money Marner`s asking for if he hasn`t already signed
There’s a song that has been played the last few months on the alternative rock stations called Sad in Carolina. I guess it was dedicated to Mikko Rantanen.
Re Pens
I’ve been bashing him this year (as he deserved it) but credit where credit is due: Kudos to Dubas for his overall moves/non moves this week:
1. Didn’t move Rackell
2. Certainly won the Schenn deal (2nd, 3rd)
3. Overall he came out with a weaker team for balance of 24/25 ( so increases lottery chances)
4. Overall future younger: 5 out average age 27.3 vs 5 in (24.6)
Out:
Bunting
Beauvillier
Glass
Gruden
Deharnais
In:
Novak
Stillman
Graham (note: rights to)
Dewar
Timmins
5. Long term picks gained:
Out:
4th (‘26)
5th (‘25)
In:
2nd(‘25)
2nd (‘26)
3rd (‘27)
3rd (‘27)
5th (‘28)
So credit where credit is due.
The only misses was not moving Grzylcyck for a mid rounder and moving Accari with a sweetener
You had me worried at the original Bunting trade. You balanced it by the return on Schenn. Kudos and more Kudos
GMKD did a damn fine job!
Pen’s Next steps:
A)Nedjelkovic to play every game for rest of year; max lottery chances
B) June Draft;
fingers crossed for lottery win (but if we’re to win a lottery, better to do so in ‘26 (McKenna and/or ‘27 (Dupont)
We have : 11 picks (6 in first 3 rounds)…. No more pip squeaks!
C) Buyout Graves
D) Move Accari, even it costs a sweetener
E) Retain 50% on Karllsson (after Signing bonus paid) trade for young NHLer and prospect
F) Trade Rusty for a 2nd and prospect
G) Retain 50% on Rackell; add 2nd above AND Mcgroarty) ; get an excellent young (player on the rise) top 6 RW back
H) use some of ‘27 and ‘26 (not own 1st , 2nd, 3rds) picks and trade for NHL ready youth
I) seriously consider an offer sheet (or sheets) target(s) (cite what St Louis did). We finally have our own 1st, 2nd 3rd (in ‘26)
J) Under no circumstances re-up any of : Gryzlcyck or Nieto
K) Do qualify and/or re-up all current Pen’s RFAs
L) Under no circumstance sign any UFAs over 28 years old
The above won’t make playoffs in ‘26 but might have a shot in Crosby’s last year (spring ‘27)
Boston did what they had to do! An old slow team was becoming extinct! Management finally saw that they were losing the talent race with teams like CBJ,Montreal,Detroit,Ottawa,Washington to name a few! Must admit,I didn t see Sweeney having the stones to do it! Yesterday was a sellers market and Boston entered the fray in a big way!
Sr
Sweeney did quite well in his trades IMO. Definitely gives hope for next season
I really like what Sweeney did until I heard the return for Marchand. I think the Coyle trade was a huge upgrade and we got more than I thought we could for Carlo. After thinking about Marchand, it really isn’t as bad as it seemed. Marchand is out until the playoffs, maybe into the playoffs. If the injury lingers, he may not even put the Panther’s jersey on. Boston wasn’t making the playoffs, so they got something for him. If he does play, it could be a better for Boston. Also, getting so little, could there be a chance he signs back with Boston in July? If he does…. that is the literal definition of something for nothing!
I just hope Sweeney reads the Hockey News draft edition before he makes any picks in the draft!
I was pissed originally at the return but it was Sweeney doing the right thing for the player sending him to the team of his choice to chase cup. Don’t count out him returning next season I would rank it at 50/50
I can see that for sure, Mrbruin4. The only reason Florida was able to take him on now was because Tkachuk and his $9.5 mil cap hit are on LTIR.
Next season, without making some massive cap move, there’s likely no way they could accommodate Marchand anyway.
I can see him back in Boston for certain.
Leafs made some decent moves.
They needed centre depth and RHD and filled those two spots.
Not sure why the massive offer for Rantanen. They’re pretty set at the forward position. I do wonder if that package would have been enough to acquire Dobson from NYI?
The Panthers are going to be a pain to play against if Marchand, Bennett, and Tkachuk are all healthy
@ Darryl
Marchand should have been a Leaf !
Bargooon !
Zito into win
Re;Oilers
Like the additions the Oil made….
A very good & big & tough durable 2nd pairing d..
and
Trent Fredrick up front for the 2nd & 3rd pairing
However cound not move any or the dead wood front to add a goal scorer up to $7.M………🤔😩
Im not sure its tactics from Allvin, Boeser really isnt a 40 goal scorer, more like a 25-30 who is good in the corners with a good shot, but he is slow and isnt getting faster, doesnt drive play and is injury prone. So more like a 6-7m guy on a 5-6 year deal, tops
Lately…Sweeney and draft picks are a tough talk … not his expertise
Since 2019… 31 draft picks only …..Beecher..Lohrei..Lysell Poitris are worth talking about and seriously the jury is still out on them
So the question then becomes, does he rely on his scouting department’s recommendations, or mostly ignore them and makes his own choices?
If the former, then perhaps it’s time to make changes there. If the latter, maybe he should be canned.
It could be a third option… the developmental resources. It’s possible several of those picks could have thrived in another teams system.
True – but that’s applicable everywhere and in no practical way measurable.
What is measurable is the % of draft picks recommended by the scouts and taken who don’t develop as expected, compared to those where the GM ignored the recommendations and went with his own gut instincts and who failed to make it.
And I’m just talking about those selected in the first 3 rounds of each draft or perhaps 4 if picking early in each round.
We all realize that, by and large, the draft can be a real crap shoot, and none more so than those taken in late Round 4 down to Round 7.
Yes, there have been late-round gems over the years, but those are few and far between and I seriously doubt there’s a scout or a GM who can say “I just knew that guy I took 252nd was going to be a great one.”
George O you know the answer for that one,if the players develop it s the general managers expertise,if they Don t,the scouts get replaced!
LOL. True … unless the owner sees through the charade.
Look for the Utah HC (whatever they call them) to go after Marner. They have the money, have mostly signed all the players they want to keep, and Marner escapes all the big city scrutiny by going to a new franchise. A line of Guenther, Cooley, and Marner looks pretty awesome. Throw in Keller & Schmaltz and they have a good shot at success.
Yikes William
I hope U R wrong
Marner is a true blue Toronto boy hopefully ???
I can’t see him leaving …
Never say Never
They’ll resign Johnny PJs to a stupid contract and have no money left to fit Marner in.