NHL Rumor Mill – June 12, 2025
Could Alex Pietrangelo’s injury concerns spark big changes for the Golden Knights? What’s the latest on Kris Letang, Marco Rossi, and Rasmus Andersson? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
IS ALEX PIETRANGELO HEADED TO LTIR?
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s recent remarks implying Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo might not be healthy enough to start the 2025-26 season.
If Pietrangelo is put on long-term injury reserve, it’s rumored the Golden Knights could use the salary cap space to pursue a big-name player like Mitch Marner via free agency.
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (NHL Images).
However, Kirkell suggests pumping the brakes on that speculation. She points out they’re already stretched thin on their blueline as they’re shopping restricted free agent defenseman Nicolas Hague. Even if they keep Hague, he’s a left-shot blueliner, and finding a suitable replacement for the right-shot Pietrangelo won’t be easy.
Assuming they place Pietrangelo on LTIR and use the $8.8 million in savings to sign Marner, they’ll have to free up cap room if the blueliner returns to action during next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only way this works for the Golden Knights is if Pietrangelo is sidelined throughout the 2025-26 regular season. However, there is no word from the defenseman or the Golden Knights that he will be going on LTIR.
If Pietrangelo is out for the season, the Golden Knights could use the savings to add a top-line forward like Marner. However, they would be left with a depleted defense corps, especially if Hague is traded, and that could prove fatal to their Stanley Cup hopes for next season.
COULD THE PENGUINS ATTEMPT TO TRADE KRIS LETANG?
THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe cited sources on the Pittsburgh Penguins claiming Kris Letang’s play last season was a source of frustration for former head coach Mike Sullivan. The 38-year-old defenseman’s performance deteriorated during the second half of last season.
Yohe examined the possibility of trading Letang, but it won’t be easy. He has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million and carries a full no-trade clause. He hasn’t expressed an unwillingness to waive it, but team sources say he’s “unmovable” even if they wanted to trade him.
Letang’s health, salary, contract length, and declining performance are the reasons why no NHL club has expressed interest in him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yohe acknowledged previous rumors suggesting Letang might welcome a trade to his hometown of Montreal or Southern California, where he and his wife have a home. However, he pointed out those teams aren’t interested.
UPDATE ON MARCO ROSSI
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are among the teams interested in Marco Rossi.
The 23-year-old Minnesota Wild center is an RFA lacking arbitration rights coming off his entry-level contract.
LeBrun believes the Canucks have the most interest in Rossi. He thinks the Flames have mild interest, but that they would prefer a center with more size.
The Montreal Canadiens are another Canadian team in the market for a second-line center. However, LeBrun believes they don’t have much interest in Rossi.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believed Rossi could be a good fit in Calgary. However, Flames GM Craig Conroy has said he’s looking for a right-shot center with size. Rossi is a left-handed shot.
Some Canadiens fans could be upset over their club’s apparent lack of interest in Rossi. During their end-of-season press conference, management honchos Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes indicated that they wanted a physical center with size.
Rossi’s rumored contract demands could also be behind the lukewarm interest from the Flames and Canadiens. He reportedly wants a deal comparable to Wild teammate Matt Boldy (seven years, $49 million, $7 million AAV).
COULD THE FLAMES TRADE RASMUS ANDERSSON BEFORE THE DRAFT?
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli considers it possible that the Calgary Flames trade Rasmus Andersson by the 2025 NHL Draft (June 27-28). He thinks the 28-year-old defenseman will be “too expensive and too long-term for their liking”.
Anderson is UFA-eligible next July. The Flames can sign him to a contract extension on July 1. He has a cap hit of $4.55 million on his current contract with a six-team no-trade list.
Seravalli also suggested the possibility of hanging onto Andersson for next season and peddling him at the trade deadline when his value could be higher. He also reported that the two sides are expected to commence contract extension talks this week, but believes the Flames have no problem hanging onto him for next season if negotiations stall.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The problem with trading Andersson at the trade deadline is that it puts the Flames in the same situation they were in two years ago with Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Their uncertain status was an unwelcome distraction for the team.
If the Flames are in the middle of the playoff race next season, trading Andersson at the deadline could be devastating to their blueline depth and team morale. There’s also the risk of a season-ending injury taking him out of the trade market.
I know Pietrangelo skipped the 4 Nations tournament to rest up for the stretch run and playoffs. But I never read anywhere what was hampering him. Is there any news on what his injury/issue actually is? Could it really put him on LTIR or threaten his career?
Canada Top 5 D should be Makar, Morrisey, Bouchard ,Toews, Theodore
who fills it out?
Chychrun?Pietrangelo or Doughty?
Pietrangelo wil be 36 when the Olympics hit….
I would add Harley ds. He stepped in and stepped up in the 4 nations which was the perfect testing ground. He’s big/long, defends against the best players for Dallas and he can really skate, which is an absolute must in that tournament. Puts up some points too.
One thing that may impede LTIR plans this year is the Olympics in February.
Where we sometimes feel the team and player are working the system I imagine guys that have a chance to rep at the Olympics will be doing what they can to return by Xmas at the lastest
Teams might want to wait to see what the new CBA looks like with LTIR. This is one of the hot topics in the CBA negotiations.
Ok. Here goes.
Letang, McGroarty and Ottawa’s 3rd rounder back.
For Zetterlund and SanJose’s 4th.
No salaray retained. Ya it’s gonna cost the Pens. But they get an asset back. Letang waives to get closer to home.
From an Ottawa perspective, Kris’ experience plays a factor as we get maybe 1 or 1 and a half seasons out of him before he goes on LTIR with one of his many issues.
McGroaty wanted out of Winnipeg. If I was Ottawa I’d hesitate on picking him up in any deal.
No way I’d do that if I were the sens. Where would the money come in to get letangs cap hit in? Personally I’d rather keep Zetterlund.
Agree Owen, and it’s 3 more years to boot.
Can’t see the Sens even kicking the tires on a guy like Letang.
Pens arnt gonna pay to get rid of Letang. Not saying they wouldn’t have to. But they don’t need to move him. No cap crunch. So if a team offered something and letang wanted to move… sure. But that suggestion made me snicker.
Dark G
What about josh anderson power forward to Pittsburgh
Kris Letang to Montreal
Salaries close both underachieving thoughts
BNG
Anderson was one of the Canadiens’ engines this season and was a beast in their series with the Capitals.
Letang is well past his prime. No, thanks.
If Petro goes on LTIR:
Hague + ’27 1st and ’26 3rd for Andersson
Not bad Johnny from a flames fan.
Letang absolutely untradeable. I would consider Zibanijad if the return is similar to Kreider. But absolute no on Letang.
And if NYR retains salary I forgot to add.
… and then Pietrangelo will miraculously be ready to go for the playoffs. This is Vegas playbook chapter 1. I read in a post that Elliot Friedman reports that the new CBA, probably announced during the off-season, will have a clause enforcing the salary cap during the playoffs.
Well, the way you’ve stated it can never happen The postseason is the postseason So you can’t have a salary cap on it But what they can do is change your status…….if you don’t play in the regular season, you can’t play in the postseason or something along those lines. But you can’t enforce a salary cap after the season ends
You can enforce a salary cap in the playoffs if it’s written in the CBA. Teams are allowed to increase their roster for the playoffs, so the league can implement a percentage cap increase for the playoffs.
The easy fix is that anyone on LTIR on the last day of the season could not play in the post season. If they want to play, team needs to be cap compliant on the final regular season day.
That’s a good idea, Kevjam.
Not sure a percentage of the Increase will work teams will just pick the guys that they want in leaving rising AHL players and other black aces not playing or not available to play to get that one guy in. I would suggest a percentage of games played in the season. If you haven’t played say 25 to 33% min of the regular season, you shouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. Because if you give say a 10% cap increase teams will still make sure that the player.(the sleeper they’ve been sitting.) is still under that percentage guys you would bring up safe from the AHL outside looking in. Personally, I’d rather see those young guys play in the playoffs over some aging veteran.
Just enforce the cap in the playoffs; for each game you need to be compliant. You don’t need to cut guys off your roster, they just can’t play.
The reason they allowed adding in season is because when a guy gets hurt with a bad injury and is out for the season, a team in their competitive window should be able to replace them, that seems fair. But now it appears to be being abused. It’s not like these injuries are not legit, it’s just the timing of their return that is being manipulated.
So, if Vegas wants to add an $8M player for Petro, and Petro is then ready come playoff time, they need to sit $8M worth of salary.
Heck rotate them, I don’t care. Or simply set your playoff roster.
When the new season starts you need to be compliant again.
I heard a rumour of K”Andre Miller for Rasmus Andersson. I kind of like it. Flames are weak on the left side and Miller is 3 years younger. Both are top trade candidates. Kreider to the Ducks. ?
Conroy admitted knowing Liindholm was not resigning in early October . Didn’t move him until like February.
Patience Grasshopper
Chris Kreider waved his NTC and excepted a trade to the Ducks.
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/anaheim-ducks-acquiring-f-chris-kreider-from-new-york-rangers-1.2320382
Nice job of getting Kreiders $$ off the books, I don’t believe there was any retention. Injuries really killed his production this year. Not sure if he’ll have anything left but the Ducks can take a low risk chance on him. The new decentralized draft will be interesting on the trade front?? My Jets like so many others need a 2C bigtime, not sure what scenarios fit. If we can’t resign Ehlers, I’d call Columbus and offer his rights plus our 1st (28th) to move up to 14th. Conditional on him signing of course. Oilers in deep tonight, unless they jump on the cats early I think it’s Florida with back to back Stanley’s. Cheers everyone and enjoy the game.
Vegas can send William Karlsson to NJ for Dougie Hamilton if Petro can’t go
I really wonder the price the Habs would need to pay to get Jack McBain from Utah.
He’s basically Jake Evans. At best. We’ve got one of those.
Jack McBain is 6’4″ 220 lbs. He is #6 in hits in the NHL. He is #8 in fighting majors. And he’s a stud at the faceoff dot. Not sure where your comparison with Jake Evans comes from.
The Habs should be letting Armia, Dvorak and Pezzetta go free as UFA, so a guy like Jack McBain would fit nicely but I don’t see Utah letting him go.
He fills the role Habs are looking for, size, physicality, and some skill.
Utah got him for a 2nd round pick, did have trouble signing him after his ELC and as RFA now the situation might be the same.
Like Evans he started out last season with a bang, scoring 10 of his 13 goals before Christmas then fell back to reality.
Coming off $1.6 Utah will surely qualify him but it wouldn’t be surprising if Hughes approached Armstrong about him.
He’s never hit 50% in the dot so he’s hardly a stud there. He has size and physicality but limited offense. There are better options. They need a center who can play higher in the lineup.
Get used to that around here. Seeing other strengths in players besides what are common doesn’t happen around here…that and commenting on things they know little to nothing about.
I’ll take McBain if for no other reason than the name.
Lol
I can totally see MCBAAAIIINNN play a defensive/physical role on a line with Demidov and Dach/Laine/Newhook (pick your poison) on LW. He’d get to 20 goals I’m sure.
Habs asking Dal about Robertson