NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2025
Are the Canadiens seeking another trade after acquiring Noah Dobson? What’s the latest on the Penguins? What’s going on with Rasmus Andersson, Bowen Byram, Darnell Nurse, and more? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
CANADIENS NOT DONE DEALING AFTER ACQUIRING DOBSON?
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens aren’t done making trades after acquiring Noah Dobson on Friday from the New York Islanders. They want to add to their top-six forwards.
The Canadiens seek a second-line center, but are also open to adding a winger. LeBrun said they’re among several teams interested in Jordan Kyrou. The 27-year-old right winger has six years left on his contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $8.125 million.
St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou (NHL Images).
Teams aren’t certain how serious Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is about moving Kyrou, whose no-trade clause begins on July 1.
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports Armstrong declined to comment on the Kyrou speculation. He noted that the Blues are in the market for a center, but those options are dwindling with John Tavares and Sam Bennett off the free-agent market and the Avalanche trading Charlie Coyle to Columbus.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The asking price for Kyrou is likely a top-six center, but the Canadiens are also in the market for a similar player. It’s doubtful there’s a fit there.
SPORTSNET: Eric Engels speculates the Canadiens’ acquisition of Dobson could make puck-moving blueliner Mike Matheson available. The 31-year-old has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $4.875 million and an eight-team no-trade list.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont also suggested Matheson as a trade chip in the Canadiens’ efforts to land a center. He also thinks they’ll try to move Carey Price’s contract ($10.5 million AAV for 2025-26) to a rebuilding team attempting to reach the $70.2 million salary-cap floor.
THE LATEST PENGUINS RUMORS
THE SCORE: Josh Wegman cited Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas telling NHL.com that there was no truth to a rumor that appeared on Friday suggesting Sidney Crosby was being traded to the Colorado Avalanche.
Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, also weighed in to shoot down the speculation, calling the chatter “baseless rumors”. Meanwhile, Avalanche center and Crosby’s friend Nathan MacKinnon tweeted the rumor was “fake news”.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone suggested months ago that Crosby should take one more run at a Stanley Cup by joining his buddy MacKinnon in Colorado and it keeps resurfacing for some stupid reason. They can’t seem to grasp that the long-time Penguins superstar intends to finish his career in Pittsburgh.
Crosby signed a two-year contract extension beginning in 2025-26 last September. If he truly wanted another shot at the Stanley Cup, he’d be going to market on Tuesday instead of sticking with the rebuilding Penguins.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying there was trade talk between Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Sabres regarding Penguins winger Bryan Rust. The 33-year-old forward has a no-trade clause until July 1.
Kingerski also indicated some Western Conference clubs have an interest in Penguins forward Rickard Rakell. He suggested keeping an eye on the Los Angeles Kings, who looked into Rakell’s availability at the March trade deadline.
TEAMS REMAIN INTERESTED IN RASMUS ANDERSSON AND BOWEN BYRAM
TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Calgary Flames aren’t feeling pressure to move Rasmus Andersson. The Buffalo Sabres feel the same way about Bowen Byram.
Nevertheless, there are teams interested in the two defensemen. They include the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. Dreger also thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs could be in the mix.
RG.ORG: James Murphy reports the Columbus Blue Jackets lost out to the Montreal Canadiens for Noah Dobson. However, they still want a top-four right-shot defenseman and remain interested in Rasmus Andersson.
THE LATEST ON DARNELL NURSE, K’ANDRE MILLER AND JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU
TSN: Ryan Rishaug reported there was nothing to recent speculation over the future of Darnell Nurse with the Edmonton Oilers. The 30-year-old defenseman is signed through 2029-30 with an AAV of $9.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have been shedding salary to free up cap space to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard and to improve their goaltending. The Nurse rumor was probably based on the wishful thinking of an Oilers follower hoping his club would ditch that hefty contract.
NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports that the uncertainty over the trade status of K’Andre Miller could complicate the Rangers’ offseason plans. The 25-year-old defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights who has been a fixture in the rumor mill for months.
Walker noted that the Rangers have been tied to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who is UFA-eligible on July 1. It could cost an annual average value between $7 million to $8 million to sign him. It would be challenging to fit Gavrikov and Miller within their salary cap without making other moves.
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith report the New York Islanders have informed teams they don’t intend to trade Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The 32-year-old center has a year left on his contract.
Sadly, I think Matheson will be traded. He has played well for the Habs, is a Montreal born boy, and is fluent in French. Only the first really matters but this is Montreal …
Thankfully the Hughes-Gordan Era has shown they are interested in acquiring and retaining players who fit the rebuild timeline first and foremost before considering where the players are born and whether they speak French or not.
I am all for the importance of preserving the Francophone language and culture as well as acknowledging its history in this historic franchise, but it’s refreshing to see that not be a pre-requisite for this management team when it comes to roster construction.
Sorry , I meant to say refuse to give him a NMC
Matheson is as good as gone. The Habs have now reached the stage where they have enough depth to trade roster players for upgrades elsewhere.
I saw a post somewhere stating Matheson and Dach as part of a trade for Kyrou. That may be a bit too much wishful thinking but I think Matheson will be dealt over the next few days for help up front.
Lyle’s suggestion that the Habs trade Price’s cap hit to the Sharks makes sense, seeing as they have 44 million in cap space.
I note that having drafted Misa, they now have three top two centers, with Celebrini and Smith. Not sure I can join the dots but I wonder if the Sharks could be persuaded to part with Smith as part of a bigger package for Price’s contract.
The Sharks would want a lot for Smith. Don’t see them moving him. Habs would have to provide a sweetener to trade Price contract.
Gotta love the Islanders pumping up the start of day one with some ballsy moves with the big trade and then grabbing 2 stud defenceman in round one. Just pure class having the cancer ribbon along with his mom’s initials on Schaefers draft jersey. If this is how the Mathieu Darche era is starting in Long Island, I’m a huge fan. Bravo!!
Is NYI going to tank for McKenna now?
Very well said.
Darche has given this franchise hope again.
Not only with young exciting draft picks. But the Cancer Ribbon on that jersey instills such a positive chemistry in their locker room of love and caring for one another.
Good for Darche.
Good for all Islanders fans.
It’s been a long time for you guys.
Oh,btw, I’m a Rangers fan. The Rangers team chemistry was destroyed by their GM last year. So I know how important this is. And the players know it. Last season certain Rangers players purposely tanked in an attempt to get their GM fired over his underhanded ways.
And the thing is Vinny P, the Islanders. with 18 committed to for next season (10F, 5D 3G), still have $20,943,334 with which to sign 5 (or 6 if they don’t intend to carry 3 goalies all season – Sorokin, Varlamov, Hogberg).
Of their 6 RFAs still to be re-upped, the costliest figure to be 6’ 2” 215lbs left-shot RW Simon Holmstrom – 75gp 20g 25a 45pts +5 and coming off an ELC of $850,000, 6’ 2” 200lbs LW Emil Heineman – 62gp (with Montreal) 10g 8a 18pts -6 and coming off an ELC of $897,500, 6’ 3” 210lbs left-shot RW Maxim Tsyplakov – 77gp 10g 25a 35 pts +4 and coming off an ELC of $950,000, and 6’ 1” 220lbs LD Alexander Romanov – 64gp 4g 16a 20pts +5 and coming of an expiring $2.5 mil cap hit.
Even so, they should be finalized with combined deals of no more than $9.5 mil, leacing Darche with just about $11.5 mil to sign 2.
The other 2 RFAs – C/RW Marc Gatcomb (exp. $775,000) and LD Scott Perunovich (exp. $1,150,000) – did nothing to suggest they will cost much to retain – even IF they are in the plans for 2025-26 – so Darche should have a good chunk of change to do some significant UFA shopping.
Marner is going to have his meetings in order to learn max dollars available to him for 7 years and then tell the leafs he will lake $ 1-2 million less over 8 years because he has never actually planned to leave toro nto. If Toronto has the cap space to sign him they should demand a NMC if he balks then let him try to go somewhere else where he has strung them along knowing he planned on staying in Toronto all along. Let’s see how that works for him !
The most confusing part of your post is why a team would insist on a NMC. Think it through.
Go to TSN, talks ongoing between Golden Knights, Leafs regarding Marner (sign and trade ?)
Also, why multiple reports Marner and his wife looking for house in Vegas?
I think Andersson shows up at camp. Possible the same with Byram. Contract year they want to perform for whoever is the team.
The gamble is a bit on both sides great year big dough off year could cost you millions
Who trades for Isaac Howard and what will it cost? Rumours that Oilers definitely interested but so are many other teams. As a Bruins fan I’d like to get him but Tampa probably wants him out west. Your only getting his rights he could go back to college and than become a UFA and go where he wants.
Byram to Vegas for Karlsson hertl?
Buff has cap space and it’ll show they are serious to their players
Worse case flip Karlsson at deadline?
Next work on a right d partner for powers?
Johnny Z, that thought crossed my mind as well. Only time will tell but think of the haul they could get for Barzal and Horvat?? First round impressions from this Jets fan… not happy with yet another soft Swede taken at the top of our draft. Jets will always be a draft and develop team as most high end free agents will ignore us. Last 6 years have produced only Cole Perfetti. Would have been much more excited with, Fiddler, Ravensberger or Brzustewicz. We shall see.