NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2025
How will Kirill Kaprizov’s new contract affect the free-agent market? What’s the latest Oilers speculation? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
KAPRIZOV’S NEW CONTRACT WILL BE FELT IN THIS SUMMER’S UFA MARKET
TSN: Chris Johnston doesn’t believe Kirill Kaprizov’s new contract with the Minnesota Wild will have any effect on Connor McDavid’s negotiations with the Edmonton Oilers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In case you missed it, Kaprizov signed an eight-year, $136 million contract with the Wild. The average annual value is $17 million, and comes with a full no-movement clause throughout.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)
Johnston believes McDavid isn’t seeking an eight-year deal. If he and the Oilers reach an agreement, it’ll be on a shorter term of two, three, or four years. The Oilers also need some cap flexibility to maintain a winning roster around McDavid.
Pierre LeBrun agrees with Johnston, but noted that Kaprizov’s new deal will affect other players eligible to become unrestricted free agents next summer. They include Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe, Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch, and Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas.
Darren Dreger adds Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor to that list. He reports the two sides continue to negotiate, but it has to be a deal that makes sense for both sides.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Robert Tychkowski believes Kaprizov’s contract leaves McDavid with a tough decision to make.
Does he accept a short-term deal and watch his salary increase with the cap, knowing the injury risks? Or does he take the security of an eight-year deal with a guaranteed $144 million if he pursues the maximum AAV of $20.8 million?
Assuming McDavid agrees to slightly less on his AAV of around $18 million, it still bites deeply into the Oilers’ salary-cap payroll, making it difficult for them to maintain a Stanley Cup contender.
Tychkowski’s colleague, Jim Matheson, doesn’t see McDavid agreeing to the same AAV as Kirill Kaprizov. He believes the Oilers captain could give his club a discount of $18 million annually for two or three years.
BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli doesn’t believe the Oilers can afford to go higher than $17 million annually for McDavid, partly because of the expensive contracts of teammates Leon Draisaitl ($14 million AAV) and Evan Bouchard ($10.5 million). McDavid also wants tangible proof that the Oilers intend to maintain a winning roster over the next several years.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said he thinks the AAV on McDavid’s next contract will be much lower than people think. How much lower, and for how long, remains to be seen.
If McDavid seeks top dollar, there are only a handful of teams with the cap space who can also be considered Stanley Cup contenders. They are the Dallas Stars (depending on what happens with RFAs Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley) and New York Rangers (if they can regain their 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy form).
McDavid could join the Toronto Maple Leafs with the intention of leading them to the Stanley Cup. However, that signing would maintain their status as a team top-heavy with star forwards lacking the necessary depth to go deep in the playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Lightning could be another destination, but McDavid would have a short window with them to win the Cup with their aging roster.
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell weighed in on how Kaprizov’s contract might affect Jack Eichel’s contract talks with the Golden Knights.
She cited insiders like Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, TSN’s Chris Johnston, and Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli speculating that Eichel’s AAV on his next deal will be between $13 million and $14 million.
That’s a lot of money, but it would only be between 12.5 and 13.46 percent of the $104 million salary cap for 2026-27. Eichel could seek $15 million, and the Golden Knights would probably pay him, but Kirkell believes he’ll come in at around $13.5 million.
BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli was asked how the Kaprizov contract will affect Martin Necas’ negotiation with the Colorado Avalanche.
Seravalli dismissed rumors suggesting Necas won’t re-sign with Colorado. He believes that Kaprizov’s new deal will push Necas’ asking price higher than the Avalanche would be comfortable with, especially if he has another point-per-game season. His asking price could be north of $10 million annually.
THE LATEST ON THE OILERS
THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell wonders if the Edmonton Oilers will make a trade before the regular season begins.
Goaltending depth, the third line right-wing position, and the third-line center position are areas of concern this season.
Mitchell suggested Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Connor Ingram of the Utah Mammoth as trade options, pointing out the latter might make sense now that he’s cleared waivers and is in the minors. Free-agent center Evgeny Kuznetsov hopes to return to the NHL, but the Oilers aren’t believed to be linked to him.
Possible trade bait for the Oilers includes defenseman Ty Emberson or Troy Stecher.
SPORTSNET’s Mark Spector believes Chicago Blackhawks winger Lukas Reichel could draw interest from the Oilers. GM Stan Bowman drafted him in Chicago, and the Oilers need to get younger. Spector suggests a fresh start with a new club might help Reichel get his career back on track.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported the Blackhawks’ asking price could be a mid-to-late-round draft pick. The Oilers have two fifth-rounders in the 2027 draft.
PREDATORS RISK LOSING ANOTHER YOUNG FORWARD
THE TENNESSEAN: Alex Daugherty believes the Nashville Predators’ contract standoff with RFA winger Luke Evangelista is a bad look for the franchise.
The two sides failed to reach a long-term agreement. A short-term contract is more likely, but they remain divided on salary.
Evangelista trends as a middle-six forward who can average a steady 15-20 goals per season. Daugherty believes the Predators aren’t in any position to treat young, offensive forwards with such hesitancy, given their lack of depth in their pipeline and among those who are NHL-ready.
Daugherty fears that Evangelista could follow the path of former Predators forwards like Kevin Fiala, Eeli Tolvanen, and Philip Tomasino, who moved on via trades or waivers.
Nothing new to say about Connor that hasnt been stated 100 times already.
Kirill’s contract will no doubt give a bump up to any top line wingers looking for a bigger payday imo.
Oilers – team is tight to the cap they could move stecher or embersson and I anticipate they do move on from one so they can avoid potentially losing Regula to waivers. They could bring in Reichel if they feel Tomasek or Howard should start in fhe AHL.
I dont put any weight into the Athletic’s claim on Oilers needing 3rd line depth or goalie depth. The team committed to going younger and the kids thus need to play. You cannot get younger and have veteran depth up and down the line up simultaneously.
Reichel could be a nice project for the Oilers. Some time around Leon and a winning environment may help him. Who knows.
The preds have really gotten themselves in a pickle. With a slow start a fire sale may be in the works?…though with teams tight to the cap and no post season shenanigans to get around the cap..some of those contracts…idk.
Is there any possibility of the Oilers trading Nurse plus? for a younger better defenseman in the $6-7.5m range?
He’s not awful, but he’s been way overpaid ever since the ink dried on that contract. (Imho)
I Want My Curtains Back, I think you may have answered your own question when you say “for a younger better defenseman in the $6-7.5m range?”
That would have to be one helluva “plus.” And I don’t see any team where Nurse may waive his NMC with the cap space.
They asked Nurse to waive his clause and he said no, he is in Edmonton for atleast the next 2 years until his modified trade kicks in.
He is probably the most overpaid player in the league,
Nurse is overpaid, but as the cap keeps rising less so. But, he is still a valuable player and a good to very good, d-man.
Nurse has been the whipping boy in Edmonton on and off since he signed that deal, he had the Oilers over a barrel when Klefbom’s career was cut short and he was all they had for a higher end d-man. Good for him I guess. Who could Oil replace him with on a better deal?
Same argument I have made half a dozen times on this topic. He does everything well. 6’4″, physical, scraps and protects team mates, excellent boots, moves the puck, can wire it, defends well, puts up more points than most D and gets predominantly defensive minutes and no 1st unit PP time. Pretty unique player actually.
Solid #2 on majority of teams. Plus he is a leader and was excellent in the playoffs last year – over 23 minutes a night on a team that went to finals again.
He doesn’t suck, far from it. But yes overpaid.
Some worse contracts after a quick look – Karlsson, Petterson, Huberdeau and I’m sure there are more if I took the time.
The Hughes Brothers are lining up for a Vancouver/ NJ trade.Lets start the season off with a big trade!
Luke signed – 7 years $63,000,000 – $9 mil AAV
The difference between Kaprizov and McDavid deals: Minnesota is compensating best player on their team, not league. Their next highest paid players are at 8.5,7.5, and 7m. Most of their core is locked up for foreseeable future. Besides McDavid, Edmonton has next 3 players at cap hits of 14,10.5, and 9.25m. After this season it’ll get harder and harder to avoid losing players that have helped make finals last 2 seasons.
What do Devils do now to get under cap?
And Dev fans breath a sigh of relief. Surprised, that was the number we always expected, not sure why it took until the end of training. Glad it’s done. Now stay healthy and perform up to contract.
Slick62, as I posted earlier in the Headlines thread, they’ll likely get temporary relief by placing Kovacevik and his $4 mil per cap on LTIR once the season kicks in.
But he is expected back at some point at which time they’ll need to be cap compliant.
They have 2 D, Casey and Nemec, who can be optioned without waivers but, combined, their cap hit is only $1,868,333 so they’ll need to make a move elsewhere.
I think I read somewhere that Noesen ($2,750,000) may also not be ready to start the season on, but is he expected to be out long enough to qualify as a LTIR?
Best bet is to move Palat, retain 2m. Problem is that he has a NMC. The other option is to move Hamilton, but he also has a NMC. However he would be easier to move, the return will be low but Palat is basically unmovable without a really good sweetener
So the oilers have traded for Ingram. Now that he cleared waivers earlier I presume he is off to Bakersfield?
Low risk insurance?
Probably 1Oilerfan. For “future considerations” and Utah holds $800,000 of his $1.95 mil cap hit.
Does Edmonton need to get him through waivers to send him to the AHL?
He’s cleared once so I doubt anyone would claim him this time (if it’s necessary) – unless that $800,000 withheld also applies to any team putting in a claim.
George O…they will be fine for now. He won’t need to clear waivers again. Unless…he exceeds 10 nhl games or 31 days on the active roster. I think that is culmative as well.
Three backup goaltenders should be enough to get Edmonton back to the finals.😉
Palat and Nemec to Detroit for Berggren and Bernard-Docker
George, before I (as a Habs fan) give any comment on last night’s Mtl-Ott game in Quebec City I’d like to get your impression of the antics from both sides.
A typical pre-season “edgy” match between two rivals in the same Division with players on both sides not likely to be in the starting line-ups when the real action gets under way.
Especially on the Ottawa side where neither Hodgson (17 minutes in penalty time) and McEwen (21 min) will see much – if any – NHL time “strutting their stuff” to be noticed.
I bet this Saturday’s game in Montreal will see both sides just concentrating on hockey without the goonery.
I agree that these pre-season games have players that will see little to no NHL time. Every year I tell my Habs buddies that Mtl needs to have their pre-season games against other franchises than Tor and Ott. These guys every season try to not only get noticed but they are out there to hurt people. Like I think Cousins deserves a suspension (haven’t checked the sports news to see if he has), his slash on Demidov was a deliberate attempt to injure.
As for Sat, I think there will still be some shenanigans because Tkachuk didn’t play last night and he will be looking to send a message too. I expect that there won’t be a repeat of last night but there will definitely be some fireworks. Both teams would be smart to sit as many of their star players as possible so that they just meet the minimum requirement that the league has set for NHL caliber roster players.
Does anyone know what the punishment is for not meeting the minimum? Not like a team would have to forfeit the pts (since there is none) so I’m guessing just a fine. Which would be acceptable in my opinion to protect your players.
Next year I want to see Mtl having preseason games with Buf or CBJ or Pit, they are all not much further away than Ott and especially Tor.
I will never understand paying $17 million for a player like Kaprizov. He’s good but he is not that kind of good. He’s averaging 64 games per year and 77 points over a 5 year period. I’m not sure what his injury history is like but he has missed 91 games in the past 5 years. Good luck Minnesota with that contract.
History and “small” market complex. He is the best player to ever suit up for the team, losing him gives a bad impression to the fans. As for the contract, totally agree
Agreed. This feels like Minnesota breaking the bank for him because they know they don’t have any other marketable stars. Reminds me of the Gaborik years.
Kaprisov missed 24 games prior to last season. Rookie year was Covid shortened season where he missed 1 game. He got crushed from behind and had his leg bent awkwardly underneath him and the 235lb dman on his back this past season. He came back and was a point per game player in playoffs. His per 82 game averages are 48goals/99 points. If hes healthy, he’s 1of the best forwards in leader.
The former first-overall pick of the 2006 NHL Draft has hung up his skates after 17 seasons in the NHL. According to an announcement from the Colorado Avalanche, defenseman Erik Johnson has retired.
Assuming the Avs are in the playoff hunt, I expect they’ll hang onto Necas and let him walk after the season. Colorado won’t be able to afford to re-sign him. Makar’s current deal expires in ’27. If Kaprizov is worth $17M, how much is Makar worth? Eek.
They can sign Necas to up to $11m AAV x 8. So, let’s see what happens.
I would sign him for $11 M even 11.75M but perhaps that is all. I think the Avalanche should work it out right now and get it done. That’s more than fair & almost double his current AAV! ……
Congratulations to EJ for a great career and he was a big part of SC in 22. Also, suffered on some really bad Avalanche teams. Well deserved, he was a real leader on the team . Good skater, take the body and new how to jump up in the play @ the right time. Good player!!!!
Feel bad for Winnepeg and Conner! If Necas is worth around 10 million,what is he going to get?Kk through the contract situation right out of the water!
$17M for a winger not named Bossy is a gross overpayment.