Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 31, 2025
Some suggested goalie targets for the Oilers, and a Sabres prospect could be a trade candidate. Details in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle was recently asked if he saw any legitimate goalie trade targets for the Edmonton Oilers this season.
Mirtle admitted the goalie market is thin this season. Many teams are opting for inexperienced options as backups, making it less likely they’ll move a starter. There aren’t a lot of teams carrying two veterans that would be considered potential No. 1 netminders.
The best option could be targeting teams that had hoped for a better season but ended up struggling out of the gate and shed talent aggressively, like the Boston Bruins did last season.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (NHL Images).
Mirtle suggested the Detroit Red Wings could move John Gibson or Cam Talbot if they struggle this season. Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders and Connor Ingram of the Utah Mammoth could become available, but Mirtle questions if they’d be improvements for the Oilers.
Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets could be shopped. However, their significant struggles make them questionable as improvements over the Oilers’ current tandem.
Mirtle believes it will take something unexpected for the Oilers to find a suitable goalie upgrade this season. It could take a good team falling out of the playoff chase early, or the Oilers getting desperate enough to part with prime assets to acquire a premium goalie from a club with a solid two-goalie tandem, like the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: None of those individual options is an upgrade over the Oilers’ current tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. As for those two-goalie teams, they’re playoff contenders that are unlikely to risk breaking up their tandems.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Rachel Lenzi was recently asked what might be in store for Sabres prospect Isak Rosen this season. The 22-year-old right winger was their first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Rosen has been productive at the AHL level but not impactful in 15 games over the last two seasons. That’s because he wasn’t used properly during those short stints, where he saw checking-line duty. He might’ve benefited more from playing alongside playmakers.
Lenzi believes the Sabres have a decision to make with Rosen, who will have a difficult time cracking their roster this season. She thinks a trade to a team that needs a young forward who needs a change of scenery could benefit him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rosen isn’t the only first-rounder from the 2021 draft to surface in the rumor mill this summer. Boston Bruins winger Fabian Lysell (21st overall) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (eighth overall) also popped up in recent trade conjecture.
Two others were traded for each other earlier this summer. On July 1, the St. Louis Blues traded winger Zach Bolduc (17th overall) to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux (31st overall).
Many of these first round picks seem to have long leashes. When is it time for their teams to realize that it just may not happen. Is it better to trade them before their development timeline runs out? That seems to be the case with Lysell. Some team might figure that Boston mismanaged him and that a change in scenery might unlock the talent Boston saw when they drafted him.
rosen 8 games, lysell 12 games and othmann 22 games..
not sure how you can say any of the 3 have been properly evaluated in the NHL yet
I like Rosen, hope he gets a chance in BUF before they decide to move him. But then, I guess I am expecting the GM to make an intelligent decision.
Rosen is available if a team is able to offer the Sabres a scoring top six forward.
With Ingram coming out of player assistance UTAH will have 3 goalies. Might be interesting camp
https://thehockeywriters.com/carey-price-trade-immonent-mammoth-goalie-to-oilers-more-nhl-rumors-08-31-2025/
NYR Brennan Othmann was picked 2 spots after Rosen. Same deal. Hasn’t shown much at NHL level, but also hasn’t played top 6.
Anaheim has 3 goalies. Dostal given starters contract leaving vets Mrazek and Husso battling for backup role. Not sure either is better than Skinner but 1 could end up a low risk trade option.
Slick62 and AZHockeynut, in addition to Anaheim and Utah there are 3 other teams currently carrying 3 goalies, according to Puckpedia, but aside from the main one in each case – who are most likely not available – the pickings are pretty lean. Here’s the complete picture:
Anaheim – Lukas Dostal 26 y/o 54gp 3.10gaa 0.903 save% – $6,500,000 per to 2030 then a UFA; Petr Mrazek turns 34y/o Feb 38gp Chic/Det 3.30gaa 0.895save% – $4,250,000 this season then a UFA; Ville Husso turns 31 Feb 13gp Det-Ana 3.52gaa 0.898 save% – $2,200,000 per 2 more seasons then a UFA
Utah – Karel Vejmelka 29y/o 58gp 2.58gaa 0.904 save % – $4,750,000 per to 2020 then a UFA; Connor Ingram 28 y/o 22gp 3.27gaa 0.882 save % – $1,950,000 this season then a UFA; Vitek Vanacek turns 30y/o Jan 25gp SJ & Fla 3.30gaa 0.885 save% $1,500,000 this season then a UFA
Philadelphia – Dan Vladar 28 y/o 30gp Calgary 2.80 gaa 0.898 save % – $3,350,000 per 2 more seasons then a UFA; Ivan Fedotov 29y/o in Nov 26gp 3.15gaa 0.880 save % – $3,275,000 this season then a UFA; Samuel Ersson turns 26 Oct 47gp 3.14gaa 0,883 save % – $1,450,000 this season then an RFA
Chicago – Spencer Knight 24y/o 38gp Fla & Chic 2.70gaa 0.902 save% – $4,500,000 this season then a RFA; Laurent Brossoit 32y/o did not play 2024-25 – $3,300,000 this season then a UFA; Arvid Soderblom 26y/o 36gp 3.18gaa 0.898 sav e% – $2,750,000 per 2 season then a UFA
NYI – Ilya Sorokin 30y/o 61gp 2.69gaa 0.907 save% – $8,250,000 per to 2032 then a UFA; Semyon Varlamov 37y/o 10gp 2.89gaa 0.889 save% – $2,750,000 per two seasons then a UFA; David Rittich 33y/o 34gp L.A. 2.81gaa 0.887 save% – $1,000,000 this season then a UFA
Then there’s the UFA heap which doesn’t present anything better as automatic improvements (to ANY degree) over Skinner and Pickard. And 8787, please don’t pump the tires of Carter Hart who hasn’t played a game in over a year since there’s no way of knowing how he’d handled that plus the pressure that is sure to follow him everywhere he goes for some time – at BEST he’s a gamble at the AHL level to see how he performs in those circumstances – he is NOT going to be an immediate automatic improvement over Skinner and Pickard this season:
Ilya Samsonov 28y/o 6’ 3” 205lbs Vegas 29gp 2.82gaa 0.891 save% exp. cap hit $1,800,000;
Alexander Georgiev 29y/o 6’ 1” 180lbs 49gp (Col & SJ) 3.85gaa 0.875 save% exp. cap hit $3,400,000;
Georgii Romanov 25y/o 6’ 5” 207lbs San Jose 8gp 3.80gaa 0.877 save% exp. cap hit $910,000;
James Reimer 37y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs Buff/Ana 24gp 3.04gaa 0.896 save% exp. cap hit $1 mil;
Carter Hart 27y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs Pha 2023-24 26gp 2.88gaa 0.906 save% exp. cap hit $3,979,000.
The Edmonton goalie talk isn’t warranted, more like fan scapegoating.
Skinner was fine in the playoffs the past two years, it isn’t as if he pulled a Hellebuyck and choked his way to losing.
There is no 3rd goalie or UFA goalie as good as him, never mind better.
In the last 6 drafts, they have picked 4 goalies.
.
In the last 6 drafts they have picked 7 defensemen, another position of weakness.
In the last 6 drafts they have picked 20 F a position of strength.
For a position that is hard to fill, hard to identify early, you need to draft quantity to get it right, here’s a thought, draft your needs.
Skinner was fine in last years playoffs? He had a .889 save percentage which was 14th, he was 19th in GAA and he only won 7 games in this years playoffs. Plus he was pulled 3 times. Doesn’t sound like a guy that was just fine too me
Bold prediction for 25/26. One of Elvis or Tristan will have a good enough year that a team needing a goalie will get desperate enough to roll the dice.
I don’t think it’s a bold prediction that Jarry will have an improvement this year.
We (all Pens fans) hope he does.
But , to me, I actually have confidence in his improvement.
Oilers
Wait for ban lift; sign Hart; waive Pickard (Or carry 3 goalies and waive another player (skater))
Anybody here know the status of the NHLPS action regarding the lifting of the ban on the 5?
No
Thanks George
Anybody else know the status?
No
Actually, all he had to do was query Google with the question ”has the NHLPA taken any specific action regarding the reinstatement of the acquitted 5?”
and you’d get this response
“No, the NHLPA has not taken any specific public action regarding the reinstatement of the acquitted five, as the NHL has stated they remain ineligible to play despite the court’s decision, and the NHLPA has not issued a public statement or taken concrete steps to change that position. The players—Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote—were acquitted of sexual assault but the NHL deemed their actions unacceptable and not eligible for return to the league, a stance the NHLPA has not challenged publicly.”
Why wait for someone else to do it?
The way I read their lack of action is that they have received some feedback from the League and are in agreement with their eventual plan of action. Otherwise, with camps due to open fairly soon, like any “union” worth its salt they’d be screaming to the rafters about “denial of the right to work” or something to that effect.
Hi George
I typed in similar wording earlier in the day and got the link below
I just now cut/paste your search wording (“ has the NHLPA taken any specific action regarding the reinstatement of the acquitted 5? ”) and got the same link
https://www.nhlpa.com/news/2-47365/nhlpa-pushes-back-after-nhl-says-five-players-acquitted-of-sexual-assault-ineligible
I had read similar articles right after trial (the above link IS from right after trial)
So it appears like NHLPA is on it; fully opposes the ban; and is waiting. The NHLPA couldn’t realistically push on this until the prosecution formally declared they were not appealing; which only happened 9 days ago.
When I do a google search of “ NHLPA challenge to ban” I get the following:
“ The NHLPA is challenging the NHL’s decision to ban five players — Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, and Cal Foote — following their not-guilty verdicts in a sexual assault trial connected to the 2018 World Junior Championship. This action stems from the players’ acquittal on criminal charges but an NHL ban for violating league conduct and expectations. The challenge takes the form of a grievance, a legal process within the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement to resolve disputes between the league and the union.”
So still in the works (grievance) rightfully so; I was just wondering if there were updates.
Obviously won’t happen over long weekend.
This needs to get addressed very soon.
As soon as the ban is lifted ; I would expect Hart to be offered a contract by more than one team
Oilers would be losing out if they didn’t pursue him
Better , younger, more upside than Pickard; will sign a 1 year “show me” los cost deal
As for those who think Oilers fans in general would have a push- back:
Need only cite: Bowman, Perry, Kane, Virtanen; and of course, lets not forget an actual murderer (convicted and 1 year in jail)!!!! McTavish
While all that may be factual and as up to date as possible – in terms of what can be released – it does not take away the equally factual possibility/
And that is that not one of the 5 will be invited to anyone’s camp, either as a P.T.O. or offered a contract, for the simple reason that no team sees their potential worth towards strengthening their team any more than those already in their system, and so have no desire to have what could very well amount to unnecessary distractions.
I am NOT saying this will be the case but I am suggesting it’s as viable a theory as any.
And if that transpire, what’s next? Charges of “collusion” by the teams?
Nor do we know for sure another possible theory – that that very issue has been delivered by team captains to the NHLPA.
Only time will tell. And that’s not that far off.
Hi George
You may have a point re 4 of the 5 ; as possibly not worthy immediately of an actual NHL spot (value to team compared to those already on team); but PTOs are something completely different. No commitment by team.
That’s 4 of the 5
Hart; it would be nigh ridiculous/ludicrous that no team offers him a contract.
It won’t be > $1.15 M so can be waived without Cap consequences.
And as I said; just from Oilers perspective; any pushback will not prevent a signing as I’ve pointed out the precedents already set by Oilers; plus Hart was innocent (unlike McTavish!)