NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2025
The latest Penguins speculation, possible moves by the Devils after re-signing Luke Hughes, and the latest on Carter Hart in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST PENGUINS SPECULATION
BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli suggested the Florida Panthers as a trade destination for Evgeni Malkin if the long-time Pittsburgh Penguins center is willing to move by the March trade deadline.
Malkin, 39, is in the final season of his contract and has a full no-movement clause. Seravalli noted that the Panthers are among the league’s most successful teams, and Malkin makes his offseason home in the Miami area.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said he intends to wait until the Olympic break in February before talking with Malkin about his future. That will depend on his performance this season.
The Panthers are taking a wait-and-see approach regarding how they’ll replace sidelined captain Aleksander Barkov. They could have younger trade options in mind.
THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe believes Dubas isn’t against moving veterans like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson.
Some observers felt that may have changed based on recent comments made by Sidney Crosby’s agent, suggesting his client wouldn’t be happy if Rust and Rakell were moved. However, Yohe felt that Dubas would pull the trigger if he received a significant offer that made sense for the Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: So far, the Penguins haven’t received any offers that would tempt Dubas to move any of those players. That could change over the course of the upcoming regular season.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE DEVILS AFTER RE-SIGNING LUKE HUGHES?
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols looked at the short and long-term questions facing the Devils in the wake of their re-signing defenseman Luke Hughes on Wednesday.
Hughes, 22, inked a seven-year contract worth an average annual value of $9 million. That AAV ties him with fellow blueliner Dougie Hamilton as the highest on the team this season.
The Devils are nearly $4 million over the $95.5 million salary cap ($3.983 million) and must become cap-compliant when their regular-season schedule begins next week.
One option is placing sidelined defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic and his $4 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). They could also put forward Stefan Noesen ($2.75 million) on LTIR for additional cap flexibility. However, the Devils will have to free up cap room when they’re ready to return to action.
Nichols also wondered about Hamilton’s future, pointing to trade speculation that surfaced during the offseason. He recently said that he loves being with the Devils and wants to help them win the Stanley Cup. However, his full no-trade protection has been downgraded to a 10-team trade list.
THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh and Chris Johnston also wondered about Hamilton’s future with the Devils in the aftermath of Hughes signing his new contract. They don’t need to trade him now, but could reach the point where they no longer need to carry two $9 million AAV defensemen, especially when only one can run the power play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton is signed through 2027-28, and his cap hit could be difficult to move despite the rising salary cap. Having a 10-team trade list significantly narrows the number of potential trade partners. His age (32), performance, and injury history are other factors that could hurt his trade value.
CARTER HART COULD JOIN THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports it is “almost certain” that Carter Hart will be signing with the Vegas Golden Knights. He believes the former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender is close to signing a contract with them.
Hart is among the five former Hockey Canada players acquitted of sexual assault charges stemming from an incident in London, Ontario, in 2018. They are now eligible to sign NHL contracts, effective Oct. 15, and can participate in games once their league suspensions expire on Dec. 1.
Johnston also noted recent reports suggesting forward Michael McLeod could sign with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, a league source claimed that’s no longer certain given the pushback the organization has received since word of their interest leaked to the media.
Those 5 kids should just go to Europe and play whether you think they’re innocent or guilty they stepped in poo and no one wants to smell it
Awww Mike … now you’ve done it – probably triggered the 50+ line repetitive tirade.
If they are deemed innocent, then let them play. Some organizations may be hesitant to do so, but we know there are a few that will take the chance.
Absolutely correct, Mike.
regardless of not guilty verdict – If I were a teammate of one of the five I wouldn’t be comfortable practicing odd man rushes with them
They are not kids…and this will stay with them their whole life and rightly so
But Bowman and Quenneville are just fine to be in positions of power in the NHL. That blowback ended promptly.
I call BS on this double standard. They were acquitted. They should be allowed to go back to work. But should also be ready to face public scrutiny.
I’m not sure why there is such a backlash for the five players acquitted of sexual assault charges. Yet it’s ok that Quenneville can coach again and Bowman can be a general manager without anyone saying too much about that issue. Those two allowed sexual abuse to happen right under neath their noses and did nothing about it. Acquitted means Not Guilty.
Snuffy53 – IF this was NOT such a big deal, why did Hockey Canada pay so much to keep it quiet?
The complainant didnt want to goto trial, relive it all but was basically forced to. This was seven years ago, were there not photos/texts while the assault occurred?
It seems a conclusion that this DID happen, just whether it was consensual or not.
The bottom line, these guys did what they wanted w/o thinking abt consequenses, they arent the first and wont be the last but they are NOT above the law that we all live by.
A female Judge deemed the woman who charged the 5 players with sexual assault as not credible. She couldn’t keep her story straight.
It seems like she may be looking for a pay day.
It was NOT an assault!!! 🙄
So it didnt happen?
Mark… what? Your response is nonsensical.
Only 9 people know for sure what happened, the girl, the 5 participants, and the other 2 in the audience. Anybody who says they do, are mistaken. The odds of her being OK with what happened are 1 in a 1000 IMO. Not how a criminal trial works though, which is a good thing.
I think the comparison with Bowman and Q is fair. And none of these people shouldn’t be given a 2nd chance, the players were only 19 when it happened. I was in favor of the same penalty by the NHL, which I believe was 3 years out of the league. I think they have already missed 2.
As a Ranger fan, I’m surprised how quickly the Panarin scandal went away. He’s no kid and team had to pay off an employee to go away after Panarin tried to force himself on her at hotel. These 5 will resume careers somewhere and people will forget. Especially if they play well.
Jeez. Look at other sports.
You’re likely bang on, Slick62.
Just based on recent chatter/speculation – and positional needs – I would predict
Carter Hart – Vegas
Dillon Dubé – Toronto
Cal Foote – San Jose
Michael McLeod – Buffalo
Alex Formenton – Winnipeg
On another note, it appears those two teams that Kuznetsov had cited as the lucky ones he had whittled his choices down to, had other ideas.
Maybe he can attract attention by putting up decent numbers in the KHL. And it wouldn’t surprise me to see Roslovic soon signing somewhere in Europe.
Wash, rinse, repeat on Pens talk. Nothing happening until Feb. I’ll stick with prediction of Crosby landing in NY by tdl.
What could Florida give up for Malkin? They don’t have a first in the next 2 drafts, can’t see the Pens selling him cheap just to move him. If he is retiring at the end of the year I don’t think he waives,
Mind you playing 20 games with the panthers and the playoffs might rejuvenate his career a bit.
Seems to me that the Pens are handcuffed based on what Crosby’s wants to do, if he doesn’t want to be moved I see them hanging on to everyone & waiting out his contract before doing a full rebuild.
I was on board with the Oilers chasing Carter Hart, out of the 5 of them he is most likely to have a decent rest of his career, not sure why Vegas would take him on unless they think he is going to be the back up for the next couple of years.
Everyone needs to move on past the the SA allegations against these 5 players, if the judge came out and said she didn’t find the young lady believable then none of us should, she literally heard all the evidence.
Most probably seen as a potential better option as the back-up for Hill than Schmid, Dino.
Well just because a judge said doesn’t make it true either. Plenty of criminals get set free to do as they please. Like the guy that stabbed the Ukraine girl on the bus. Has 12 or so violent crimes previously. Remember had this come out before they were drafted they would not be eligible to be drafted biased on hockey Canada morality clause which this fits exactly into
So… a judge made a decision after being presented all the evidence… one that you don’t like without having all the evidence… and we jump right to comparing it to stabbing murder on a subway? That escalated quickly.
Let’s try to keep this conversation on topic and not go off the rails.
Welp… you’re the judge Lyle😁
Sorry. I’ll stop now.
Well, Paul is right, criminals get away with stuff everyday, most crimes don’t even go to trial and it’s not like the crime didn’t happen, and this incident wasn’t going to either right after it happened.
Turns out the cops were right the first time, they didn’t have enough evidence to get a conviction, basically was her word against theirs. And it still is. That’s how these cases always are, and they know that more than most.
I just believe her, not them. I think lots of people do which is why plenty of teams aren’t going there. You see it on this site. And I include current players in the group that believe her. If a GM isn’t talking to his leadership group before making that decision, he’s nuts. Just ask Sweeney.
Having a GM the same age as Malkin and 1 year older than Crosby creates an unusual dynamic. Parting ways with Sullivan and hiring a 43 year old coach is pretty much the 1st clue of Dubas’ intentions. If they aren’t winning he’ll start selling. Crosby can do what he wants after that.
“If they aren’t winning he’ll start selling. Crosby can do what he wants after that.”
Slick, yep.
I think all the talk about the reaction to the 5 players is very much mis-stated by folks.
Public reaction is based on who does a better job spinning and as in most situations, the extremes are the loudest with little to back their assertions.
Player reaction is a different matter, there have enough stories leaked over the years and “handled” by agents and club PR departments that whatever happened, it isn’t considered to be exceptional and egregious.
I doubt that Montreal is the exception, though the intense public and media scrutiny might expose more stuff that has gone on, more often than not spun as rumor and then hidden.
If you all thought Hughes contract was crazy, wait til you see the new Lacombe deal in Anaheim.
Verbeek is absolutely nuts.
8 years x $9M.
For a guy who had 3/4 of a good year and was already in camp on an existing deal.
At least make him start the year and prove it again, then have some conversations later in the year.
After the drama and nickel&diming he just put McTavish through, this seems like wasteful overkill.
And honestly, some scouts/pundits still think that Zellweger and Mintyukov will mature to be better than Lacombe at his age (Lacome is 2-3 years older than those two).
I can just see Makar’s agent bringing this contract to Sakic as a comp and saying, “so are you telling me that Makar isn’t 2x or 3x the player Lacombe is?”
Lacombe was signed for his offensive play on D. He is the QB on the PP1 and is still maturing his game.
Then why increase his salary 10 fold when he’s still under contract, still an RFA next year, and has 60 career points?
It’s premature. That’s my issue.
Plus Verbeek now has to deal with Carlsson, Gauthier, Zellweger, Mintyukov all being RFA next year too. Their agents all just got a little happier.
Agree … as I posted in the Headlines thread, prior to last season when, in 75gp, he had 14g 29a 43 pts, he had played 71 games with 2g 15a 17pts.
That’s quite a leap of faith on the part of Verbeek.
I mean, his stats at the U. of Minnesota were decent enough (120gp 10g 80a 90pts) but nothing to suggest he was a budding Bobby Orr.
Be interesting to see if he makes the final roster for the Team U.S.A Olympic squad. He did attend the recent camp.
Malkin was -24 in 68 games last season. Plus minus is a limited stat but it’s almost always a clear cut sign of when elite players are cooked. It even happened to Gretzky and Lemieux.
He did that while putting up nearly ppg. With a rotation of wingers that mostly arnt top 6 wingers. He is on the way out. But put him in a decent position he makes a playoff team stronger.
More like a .73 ppg player. Which is still pretty good at 38-39 years old. But how long is that going to last?
Malkin has slipped from elite, to complimentary. And going forward I’d expect an even further slip.
Like Kramer seeing how far he can get on empty.