NHL Rumor Mill – November 28, 2025
The latest on the Canucks, Flames, Oilers, and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
TSN: Chris Johnston said the Vancouver Canucks still want to add a center, but if they can’t fill that position immediately, they’d like to add another forward.
Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, likes to get the jump on the trade deadline. Johnston wondered if it would be wise to move pending unrestricted free-agent forward Kiefer Sherwood now or wait until the March 6 trade deadline, when he might fetch a first-round pick.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sherwood’s team-leading 12 goals have him on pace for a career-best 40. If he maintains that production, a contender could overpay for him by the trade deadline.
Johnston believes management is trying to make their changes as palatable as possible to put themselves in a good position to sell superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes on their long-term plans.
Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes said he has an excellent relationship with Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin. Despite management’s willingness to become a seller in the trade market, the Canucks captain isn’t giving up on this season. Whether he’s willing to sign a contract extension after this season remains to be seen.
The struggling Calgary Flames prefer to hang onto Nazem Kadri, but Johnston thinks the veteran center must decide if he wants to consider a move elsewhere at some point. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson is a pending UFA who will get increased attention in the trade market. Winger Blake Coleman has a year left on his deal, and he’s drawing some interest around the league.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coleman said he’s heard the trade rumors but shrugged them off as part of the job. His Stanley Cup pedigree and gritty two-way style could make him a valuable trade chip by the deadline, but the number of trade partners will be limited by his 10-team approved trade list.
Johnston also noted the rumors linking the Edmonton Oilers to Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry. He acknowledged Jarry’s bounce-back performance this season and his ties to Edmonton.
Whether it’s Jarry or somebody else, Johnston believes the Oilers must address their goaltending situation.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That somebody else could be Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, who was also linked to the Oilers this week. However, there is no indication that the Blues are shopping him, and the Oilers could be on his 10-team no-trade list. The same can also be said of Jarry and the Penguins.
Even if Binnington were available and willing to go to Edmonton, the Oilers lack the cap space to take on his $6 million AAV through 2026-27. It would require a significant sweetener to get the Blues to retain half of Binnington’s cap hit, and to take on a salaried player from the Oilers in the deal.
Turning to the Canadiens, Johnston said they’re trying to add a top-six forward, but they’ve encountered difficulty in a trade market with little activity. Unless they can find some external help, they’ll have to look within.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TVA Sports’ Marc de Foy noted the recent rumors claiming the Canadiens are interested in Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly, but he considers the reported asking price of a first-round pick and a top prospect to be too expensive. However, his colleague Jean-Charles Lajoie believes the Canadiens should overpay “a little” to get O’Reilly, suggesting they offer up defenseman Kaiden Guhle.
It’s been noted that O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection, but it’s also been reported that the Predators will treat him as though he does. All this chatter linking him to the Canadiens could be a moot point if he has no interest in going to Montreal.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has a well-earned reputation for being patient and not overpaying for talent. It would be surprising if he changed tactics now. Rather than pursue an aging veteran like O’Reilly, Hughes could have his sights set on Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood.
Yeah, Guhle in a trade for O’Reilly? No.
I do think O’Reilly would be a good 2C for the this year and next. But the Habs don’t have an overly physical blue line and despite his injury history Ghule makes their D better. So hard no.
Sherwood? He’s listed as wing. The Habs could use his pugnaciousness, but as he is not the white whale 2C they seek Ahab like, this is money spent on the wrong position.
Sherwood is a 30y/o winger, not what the Habs need at all. Two young guys on the team bring toughness, Davidson and Florian Xhekaj plus they can bot not only put the puck in the net, they can play centre.
ROR can help the Habs in a big way despite his age, a pro’s pro who’s game has barely slipped. He would elevate everybody’s game on this young team giving immediate impact and more importantly, long term maturity.
I believe the time with Staal, Perry and Toffoli left a lasting impression on Suzuki and Caufield and contributed to what they have become and ROR would do the same.
Habs have so many A prospects that it would be easy to replace whomever HuGo let go especially since there’s no room for them all. An abundance of riches has to be used not squandered away.
I’m fine with trading a 1st and a prospect for ROR not a regular on a long term contract like Guhle .
“ but Johnston thinks the veteran center must decide if he wants to consider a move elsewhere at some point.” 13 team ntc. 7m cap hit. Kadri doesn’t have to decide anything until Calgary finds teams willing to take on a 35 yo (37 when contract is up).ROR on the other hand has no protection and a more palatable cap hit with less term. Nashville isn’t in a position to not at least consider moving him.
At some point they will, Slick62, to mutual advantage. I can’t imagine Stamkos not wanting to leave a sinking ship for a team with a legit shot at the Cup.
And I can’t imagine Trotz jeopardizing the Preds by holding onto a player who, given the team, won’t make a difference except by being traded for assets to help the team. Sentiment is the enemy of success, as Julien Brisbois will tell us.
Agree on the sentimental part LJ. So any team thinking about trading for Stamkos won’t be sentimental, and they simply won’t. Looks like Brisbois saw what we all see now. A one trick pony (albeit an important trick) who can’t do that trick now. Physical issue or was he simply feasting off Kucherov?
Whatever it is, he gets paid to score, because he doesn’t really do much else very well. He has 7 points in 23 games, more than half of which come on the PP. And he gets mor PP time than any other forward, and still isn’t producing.
Can’t see Nashville eating half that salary for 2 years after this one, but maybe they do. But even if they did, who wants that at $4M/year?
O’Reilly on the other hand, worth every nickel and then some. So if Trotz is going to treat his contract as if it had a NMC, why didn’t he just give him one when he signed him?