Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 6, 2025
What are the Rangers’ plans for Artemi Panarin? Could the Blues acquire Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram? What’s the latest on the Red Wings? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
WHAT ARE THE RANGERS PLANS FOR PANARIN?
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks wondered what the New York Rangers intend to do with Artemi Panarin following the 2025-26 season. The 33-year-old left winger has a year left on his contract and is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.
Brooks considers Panarin to be the greatest free-agent signing in Rangers history. Since joining the Blueshirts in 2019, he’s fourth among all NHL scorers with 550 points since 2019-20. He has also led the Rangers in scoring in each of his six seasons with the club.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).
According to Brooks, the Rangers haven’t opened contract extension talks yet with Panarin. That raises the possibility of his departure next summer. Despite his age, Panarin has turned in his best seasons in his 30s.
Brooks suggests a four-year extension could do the trick. He believes the Rangers can’t afford to lose Panarin, suggesting having him on the roster beyond next season could help them entice other free-agent talent next summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation over Panarin’s future is bound to surface in the rumor mill at some point in this offseason. The longer he goes without a contract extension, the more questions will be raised about where he’ll be playing after this season.
The Rangers have over $29 million in cap space for 2026-27 with 17 active roster players under contract. Braden Schneider is the only key player besides Panarin to be re-signed. They’ll have the cap room to re-sign the high-scoring winger, perhaps even to a slight pay cut from his current $11.6 million AAV.
Whether Panarin wants to stay is another matter. That decision could depend on the club’s performance this season. If he feels the Rangers aren’t in Cup contention, he could move on to a team that would allow him to win that elusive championship.
COULD THE BLUES ACQUIRE BOWEN BYRAM?
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford and Matthew Fairburn examined recent speculation suggesting the St. Louis Blues were attempting to acquire Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram.
The Blues are trying to revamp their defense corps. Rutherford and Fairburn believe he’d slot in as their second-pairing right-side blueliner if they could include Justin Faulk in the deal. They also speculate the Blues might have to part with a good young NHL player (like Jake Neighbours) as part of the return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The last two major trades made by the Sabres were player-for-player swaps. That included the deal that sent Byram to the Sabres in 2024, with Casey Mittelstadt going to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Sabres already have plenty of draft picks and prospects. They want a player who can help them immediately, starting this season.
Faulk isn’t that player. He’s 33 years old with two years left on his contract at an AAV of $6.5 million. He also has a 15-team no-trade list, and there’s a good chance that the Sabres are on that list.
THE RED WINGS ARE STILL TRYING TO ADD TO THEIR ROSTER
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff recently reported that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman isn’t giving up trying to add to his roster this summer. He intends to explore the trade market to try and make the necessary upgrades to his team.
Yzerman addressed his goaltending depth by acquiring John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks. However, the Wings still need a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman.
THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman noted that Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram are the big-name forwards believed to be available in this summer’s trade market. That’s assuming the Dallas Stars don’t put winger Jason Robertson on the trade block.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We already know that the Sabres want a good young NHL player as part of the return for Byram. The rebuilding Penguins would likely want a similar return for Rust or Rakell. As for Robertson, there’s no indication that the Stars are shopping him, though there are probably clubs that could be interested in acquiring him.
Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson and center Marco Kasper could be the players the Sabres or Penguins would want as part of the return. However, it’s unlikely Yzerman would give up either of those promising youngsters.
Elliotte Friedman reports that the Red Wings had interest in Nikolaj Ehlers, who didn’t have interest in meeting with Detroit.
Also notes Arvidsson and Marchment as trade targets that Yzerman was interested in that didn’t pan out.
So much for Detroit being a “destination” according to Stevie. He has been relegated to bargain basement signings so far.
Drury met with reporters via zoom during week to discuss moves made. Was asked about Panarin and had no comment. Would be a huge mistake to extend him now. He turns 34 at beginning of season, so a 4 year extension would take him through ages 35-38. After trades, NY has picked up more prospects and picks. With the young players being discussed here available, trading Panarin now would make more sense. Anaheim seems most logical. They have almost 29m in cap space with a roster of 19. Maybe Panarin waives to go play with former teammates. Had some good years playing with Strome. Ducks seem to be moving toward being a playoff team. Panarins actual salary is 1m this season, assuming bonus has been paid. Would Ducks move McTavish who’s been rumored to be unhappy. Maybe one of their young LD. (We’ll throw in Soucy). Maybe picks and prospects to use in a trade with Dallas?
Panarin would certainly be quite a decision for the Rangers. I think he’d be inclined to stay with the Rangers. He likes NYC. There are a lot of beaches in the region and a large Russian population, which were two things that were important to him as a UFA. He may even take less to stay, though not as big a discount as Tavares took.
The issue is more in what’s best for the team. As well as Panarins played for them, the Rangers can’t be said to have enjoyed great success. They’ve lost in the conference finals twice, went out in the first round twice and missed the playoffs twice. There is a theory, which I believe to be quite sound, that signing Panarin hurt the team because it resulted in them moving away from the rebuild too quickly. A lesson that Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes likely learned from in Montreal.
The next season will be key. If the Rangers bounce back from this past lost season, they’d be inclined to extend Panarin, though at a discount and probably not more than three years. However, if their slide continues, they’d be better off flipping him for picks and prospects at the deadline.
I would think that Detroit would be on par with Buffalo as cities that don’t appeal to NHL players based on reputation. The fact those teams haven’t been in the playoffs for many years is not helping matters.
I would also assume that any deal for Bryan would have to include his agreement to sign an extension with the team acquiring his rights.
If rumours of his asking price are true, he may not get the desired results
The only reason Buffalo is in everyone’s “No trade” list is due to ownership & a lack of hockey knowledge. Buffalo fans are arguably the best & most devoted fans anywhere but after 14 & soon to be 15yrs of no playoffs a lot of us have given up. At this point I couldn’t care if the left. Pegula has killed hockey in Buffalo
They (you) certainly deserve better, Bob.
Bob – Buffalo is probably on no-trade lists for other reasons, as well. I’ve lived in Detroit (and or it’s suburbs) for over half my life, but I understand why it would be a hard sell to a lot of guys if they could choose to go to California, Florida, Seattle or Vegas. Winters suck, the city itself has a lot of poverty and blight, and it lacks the bright lights and opportunities of NY, Toronto, etc…. I suspect Buffalo fights that same perception.
The lake effect snow don’t help. At 17 I toured the university of buffalo as a potential school and when I saw the tunnels connecting all the buildings due to the amount of snow they get it was off my list fast.
I’m not convinced Buffalo is looking for another “good young player” or needs another one of those. I think they need a good player who’s experienced a lot and can help the team on and off the ice. Someone to help change the culture and groom some of their good young players to being successful players on a winning team.
If Byram is destined to leave, he will leave a substantial hole which can and should be filled with a skilled vet player like Reilly as an example. Experienced player who’s seen it all, has leadership and playing skills, can be a positive influence in helping an anemic offense produce, etc. No, I’m not saying that Buffalo and Leafs do a trade here and that will fix everything but I’d hope you get the gist.
Buffalo cannot continue to jettison good playable players for more of the same potential reaching players, they need what a lot of successful teams have which is battle proven (and winning if possible) players to bring along their young talent along the road to success. Without that guidance, I feel teams get lost in the wilderness of futility…exactly where the Sabers find themselves now.
Yzerman should trade Rasmussen to NJ for Hamilton. Devils need center depth and Red Wings need a Dman and have the cap space. Plus Hamilton is still a serviceable player.
PajaDa, NJ has Hughes, Hischier, Glass and the just acquired (in a trade) Thomas Bordeleau at C, but no depth at all at the much sought-after RD.
Why would they give up a veteran, experienced RD who is still just 32 y/o for a 4th line C whose 82-game averages over 390 NHL games (a pretty good sampling) of 12g 16a 28 pts?
The Devils will likely move someone and probably preferably Hamilton or Palat to be able to sign L Hughes long term.
They do have some depth at RD with Pesce and Kovacevic signed long term and Nemec (former 2oa pick) and Casey ready to crack the lineup for that 3rd pairing RD spot.
Hamilton will still put up offense but he looks slower out there in terms of foot speed and thinking the game.
My reasoning behind Rasmussen as a return is because they need to load up on C depth in case J Hughes is injured again or Hischier as well. The lack of C depth gets exposed when they are out of the lineup.
Besides, Detroit seems like one of the only teams that can take on Hamilton’s contract without NJ eating a percentage.
I think NJ might want to move Dougie’s contract. And it is more enticing contract now that they paid the $10.5 bonus a few days ago, the cash out the door over the next 3 years is about $4.7/year but for a $9 million cap hit. But he also has a 10 team trade list, so you probably are not moving him unless he wants to go. I think NJ is just as happy to keep a healthy Dougie around.
Well, redmonsters, if they ever did decide to move him … and he’s agreeable to the proposed trade … they’d get a lot more in return than a 4th line C.
George O. i never said they would trade for that so do not understand the snark.
redmonsters, please believe me when I say there was no “snark” intended. It’s so hard to exchange texts sometimes without giving that impression … something that would be so much less perceived face to face.
In effect, I was agreeing with your post and just added the 4th line C comment to underscore my post in response to PajaDa … which also intended no snark – lol. Just a counter-opinion that any trade involving Hamilton this off-season or even during the coming season, will garner NJ a pretty good return that will go way beyond of 4th line C.
I didn’t read any snark in his post
Apologies if I misinterpreted it. Hope you have a great day!
Raz has been playing mostly wing the last few years, but I would welcome this trade! 😁
Daryl, until Ottawa broke their 7-year playoff drought this Spring, there was frequent speculation in these pages as to whether Brady Tkachuk might vent his frustration by asking for a trade.
Although there was never any indication he was leaning towards any such demand, that didn’t stop some from speculating about it repeatedly. So I have to wonder. With Detroit in the playoff wilderness for 9 straight seasons, why has there been no similar speculation when it comes to Raymond or Larkin or Seidor?
I also can’t help wondering if DeBrincat has ever had second thoughts about figuratively thumbing his nose at Ottawa when he became an RFA following the 2022–23 season but was adamant about non-interest in re-upping here. Two seasons later he still hasn’t seen a playoff game since his 9-game stint with Chicago in 2019-20. I hope he eventually challenges Buffalo when it comes to layoff absence.
@George O Might have something to do because they are from Michigan and they want to be in Detroit. Raymond and Seider haven’t been in the league long enough and are still establishing themselves.
Man Ottawa fans are so salty when it comes to the Wings. They make the playoffs once and think it’s a given now or that makes them attractive to players (Montreal fans seem to be the same). Yeah i’m sure Debrincat hates being near his family and friends and playing with Patrick Kane…oh the horror for him.
Personally i don’t hate the Sens (one of my sisters is a Sens fan) and i work with plenty of them since i work in Ottawa but too many Sens fans and some of the media seem to have a hatred for the Wings and it’s getting annoying.
Lyle I’m surprised to see no reference to the Simmon’s article
I think it would have to be a “Neighbours for Byram “ type trade. Buffalo ain’t moving him for suspects and prospects.
Zary & Miromanov for Byram?
then Andersen to Vegas for Dorofeyev, 2027 1st (top 3 protected), 2026 2nd?
I’m a flames fan and would welcome those trades, but I can’t see Vegas paying that much for Ras. I’d be ecstatic if they did though.
Would a Byram for Kyrou trade work? And I understand its hard now with his nmc kicking is
Doubt it. Would’ve likely happened before Kyrou’s full no trade kicked in. Doubt he’ll be going anywhere. Certainly not Buffalo.