NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2025
Check out the latest speculation on the Avalanche, Islanders, and Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the first-overall Colorado Avalanche will “almost certainly” add another defenseman before the March 6 trade deadline. However, adding a third-line center is a more pressing need.
The Avalanche could stick with Ross Colton in that role. Bednar recently praised Colton’s efforts in his first game in that role. They could stick with him if the cost of finding other options proves expensive.
Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).
Masisak suggested former Colorado centers such as Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames as possibilities. However, the cost for both makes them unlikely trade targets for the Avalanche.
Other options include Alexander Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks, Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks, and former Av Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly reportedly isn’t considering a trade at this time. Kadri’s contract and the Flames’ asking price are too expensive. The Sharks won’t part with Wennberg if they remain in playoff contention.
Dickinson and Coyle could be more affordable if the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets go into sell mode. However, the Avs could be forced to overpay if other clubs get into the bidding, and they’ve already sacrificed future assets in recent years.
NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Islanders have a steady, left-shot defenseman and a top-six winger near the top of their Christmas wish list to replace sidelined blueliner Alexander Romanov and winger Kyle Palmieri.
If the Islanders become buyers, they could get salary-cap relief by placing Romanov and Palmieri on long-term injury reserve. San Jose Jose Sharks defensemen Mario Ferraro and former Islander Nick Leddy could be blueline targets, while Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks or Matias Maccelli of the Toronto Maple Leafs might make sense as a replacement for Palmieri.
Sears doesn’t see general manager Mathieu Darche parting with a first-round pick to get any of those players.
For now, it’s too early to tell which path Darche might choose. Sears noted that a couple of bad weeks could knock them out of playoff contention in the tightly packed Eastern Conference.
If Darche buys early, he could be parting with future assets that he’ll need to recoup if things go sideways. If he waits too long, he’ll end up in sell mode with UFA-eligible forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Darche will remain patient for now, especially given how few sellers there are in the trade market. The Isles’ performance in January will likely determine which path he takes, especially if more teams become sellers.
The Sharks aren’t likely to part with Ferraro and Leddy if they remain in playoff contention. Sherwood is available, but the Canucks’ asking price could be too high for Darche. Maccelli should be an affordable addition, but his struggles this season don’t make him an enticing trade target.
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens believes the Los Angeles Kings have more work to do after trading center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. He noted they didn’t get a roster player back in the deal, and the club continues to struggle offensively.
Stephens pointed out that the draft pick they got in the Danault deal would look good if the Kings were rebuilding. However, the club is built to win right now, and they still believe they can reach the playoffs and make some noise.
That second-round pick will only be valuable if it can be turned into a player (like Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators or Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues) who makes the Kings better.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings GM Ken Holland probably isn’t done making moves. Stephens pointed out that they shed Danault’s $5.5 million cap hit for this season and next, giving the Kings $9.2 million in current cap space, and a projected deadline cap space of $26 million.
As mentioned earlier, O’Reilly isn’t prepared to consider a trade right now. Meanwhile, the Blues intend to seek full value for any player they trade, meaning they’ll want a young NHL player for Schenn instead of draft picks.
Maccelli might be on waivers instead of trade, but I think Treveling instead will replace Berube and see if the team turns around, before making changes to the roster
Kings need a 2nd/3rd line center now that Danault is gone so Holland is probably shopping
Wasn’t Berube the guy to save the Leafs and get them deep into the olsyoffs
Sounds like Berube has given up, and can you really keep a coach with that mindset?
Vancouver isn’t taking less than a first for Sherwood, but how about Kane at 50% for a 2nd and a 4th?
The GM should be the guy on the hot seat in Toronto, not the coach. The product on the ice is largely his doing.
The Buds have no first round picks for the next two drafts, no second next year either.
The cupboard is pretty bare too.
Quite the dilemma this leaf team is in and they go as Matthews goes, which is nowhere right now. For all the talk about injuries etc his dip in offensive production started when Berube arrived. Not blaming Berube but it’s sure is clear that he is hampered offensively by this style. He just looks so disinterested some times.. even if they replace the coach and Matthews wakes up- what does that say about him? If it wasn’t such a weak Eastern Conference I would say blow it up- but I would change the coach at this point. If they fizzle out my guess is 34 will be asking for a trade in the summer anyway. I could see Matthews going to LA or Utah this off season. For the record Matthews wasn’t good last year either – when Marner was here.
Trev should tell the Locker room
Play well for Berube or the next coach will be Torts
I honestly think Trev should put nylander matthews and JT together
Then start building a roster from there so a 2c maybe domi with knies and so on
Trev potentially should be thinking off what if and instead of finding players to complement on their lines build a team outside of them and going forward let them play together sick or swim
Berube should let the reins off when the 3 are together
Matthews plus macelli for Byfield plus laferriere plus a 1st would work great for both teams
Danault gone freed cap room going forward
Kopitar retires freeing up room for kemp’s new contract and they like stars like matthews
Byfield and lafferrie help retool without rebuilding
Byfield knies and nylander solid top line
JT fills 2c and pick can flip to fill the gap elsewhere
if Hughes got Vancouver Buium Ohgren and Rossi plus a 1st when everyone knows he is leaving , Matthews gets at least that expecially in LA, who is desperate for a star with no UFAs upcoming. Byfield Clark and a 1st or I wouldnt even consider it. Guy is one year removed from 69 goals and was on a 40 goal pace last year. If Berube isnt let go Matthews will be asking out- he isnt going to destroy his value for 2 years
Sam, am I missing something fundamental? Where do you get the notion that the Eastern Conference is “weak?”
15 out of 16 teams are playing .500 or better and just one team (Columbus) is sporting a double-digit minus in goals differential. The West has 7 teams below .500 and 7 with double-digit minus differential in goals.
In the 235gp so far East vs West, the East holds a 126-86-23 record for a .585 % pace. 11 of the 16 Eastern teams have a winning record in games against the West, while 2 more are evenly split.
If the East is so weak, what does that make the West? Yeah, Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota have hefty records …. but they also play the bulk of their games in-Conference and there they have 7 struggling teams.
I should add that Toronto is one of the Eastern teams with a winning record to date against the West (5-4-3 and .542).
Sorry George- not weak – but anyone’s for the taking? No clear cut favourite has pulled away. Was trying to say that getting into playoffs as a wild card anything can happen, whereas in the west I dont see anyone toppling Colorad Dallas etc… thats all .
Anyone’s for the taking …. agree there totally Sam.
The loss in Dallas certainly didn’t enhance Berube’s chances of holding onto his job past Christmas. That makes their last game before the break at home against Pittsburgh as an absolute must for him.
But whatever way that situation goes, the fact they are still within hailing distance of a WC spot (6 points) in a Conference where there is NO relatively easy 2 points from top to bottom means all is not lost.
Last season on December 22, 2024 the Habs were 14th with 31 point, 7 out of a WC spot and 6 teams to climb over. They made it.
The days of dominance may be over, but they still have a decent-enough roster to claw their way back into contention.
I echo George’s comment about the East hardly being weak.
That aside Sam, if it’s possible for the Canucks to trade Hughes it’s possible for the Leafs to trade Matthews. But, sadly, before they do that they would probably sacrifices Berube first, giving them the basis to say, well we now know for sure it’s not the coach.
And that might not be so bad for the Leafs. They have an aging roster and who can say that they haven’t had their chances when their roster was better and younger? They have no first round pick this year or next, and only three picks at all in 2026, so where does help come from?
The more I type the more I warm up to the long term benefits for the Leafs in trading Matthews.
LJ yes see my clarification on weak lol…just meant I can see one of several teams getting hot and making a run…and a 4 seed beating a 1 seed. i dont see in the West
i actually think he will ask out- 2 years is a long time to go if you arent happy and then having crappy output for your next deal. We will see I guess. I agree though can’t see how berube survives this season
Yeah, Sam, you have to think Matthews would have heard from Marner about post Toronto life.
If it comes to that, Sam, and Matthews does ask out with 2 years to run on his $13,250,000 per deal, it also has to be made plain to him that, in waiving his NMC, he also doesn’t get to pick and choose his new location.
The best offer the Leafs receive is, in fact, where he goes – regardless.
But I don’t see him taking that route.
As for Berube’s job, even if they lose at home to Pittsburgh tomorrow night, I don’t see Treleving firing him 2 days before Christmas.
That, if it happens, will likely be predicated upon how they do when action resumes Saturday at home against Ottawa.
Weak eastern conference? I beg to differ. It is a very competitive conference and is why the leafs are struggling to win games. All the old juggernauts are finding out that the teams knocking on the door the last couple of seasons have taken and step and are hungry. It’s simply a changing of the guard. Teams unwilling to claw tooth and nail every game will be relegated to the bottom. Say what you want about Marner, but at least he looked like he cared.
From the view out west it seems to me like the teams going forward in the east are NY Islanders, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Montreal, NJ, Carolina, Detroit and perhaps Buffalo. Boston and Pittsburgh always prove me wrong, didn’t think they would be that good. Rangers Maple leafs seem like the biggest disappointment I would say. Capitals? I’m
probably forgetting somebody. Oh Columbus going forward too
Mathews and nylander are more concerned with how they look coming to the arena than how they actually play on the ice.
Can someone explain why Stevens thinks the Kings are built to win now?
They may want to give one last go to honour Kopitar’s last season but the only reason they are currently in a playoff spot is because the Western Conference is weak.
Exactly LJ. L.A. currently sits 7th in the Conference with a 34gp 15 10 9 39pts record, and a minus 2 goals differential. If they were in the East with that record they’d be 13th, a point up on Buffalo.
GeorgeO put your top 6 against the top 6 in the west! I ll take the west!Of course injuries could change the entire landscape!
Perhaps, Sr.
But don’t you think, maybe, their lofty records are enhanced just a tad by playing far more games against under .500 teams with minus differentials in double digits like St. Louis .486 and -33; Nashville .486 and -19; Calgary .472 and -11; Vancouver .471 and -16; Seattle .485 and -21; Chicago .457 -13; and Winnipeg .471 and -4 (the bulk without Hellebuyck).
As I point out above, in the 235gp so far East vs West, the East holds a 126-86-23 record for a .585 % pace. 11 of the 16 Eastern teams have a winning record in games against the West, while 2 more are evenly split.
That’s 40 more wins than losses. In assembling that dominating record I assume they’ve played as many games against each of the West’s top 6 as they did against the sub-.500 teams.
They are in it to win now- not necessarily built to win now. Kopitar’s last year- nearing the end for Doughty, Kuemper older.
The Kings are fast-approaching the point where they will be faced with decision as to whether they try and tinker from season to season to remain competitive (as Pittsburgh has done), or start a complete re-build.
Right now their farm system is ranked 24th out of 32 with only Greentree seen as a player who could one day become an effective regular.
Perry is 40, Kopitar 38 and on the way out, Doughty 36, Kuemper 35, Dumoulin 34, Forsberg 33 and Armia, Edmundston and Ceci each 32.
Lj who do you want to play in a 7 game series in that weak western conference? Colorado,Minnesota or Dallas? That s if you get through,Anaheim,Vegas and Edmonton!
Lj who do you want to play in a 7 game series in that weak western conference? Colorado,Minnesota or Dallas? That s if you get through,Anaheim,Vegas and Edmonton!
We’re talking about the 16 teams in the Conference when describing it as weak overall. Those 3 at the top are very good … only a fool would deny that. But, in playing the vast majority of their games in-Conference, they have certainly been aided in padding their lofty records by playing more games against 7 sub-.500 teams – something NOT evident in the East.
And Florida has managed to get through Edmonton two years in a row to win the Cup. And from where they sit now, without the services of Barkov, Tkachuk and 3 others for the bulk of the season so far, I wouldn’t count out a 3-peat when they get all get back in the line-up.
I think treliving hands were tied when he accepted the job with the understanding that the core four are off limits when it came to making roster changes.
I have never seen a team so reluctant to make significant moves. In my option it starts at the top with ownership. No one is held accountable. If the team was held privately we would not be in this mess. The owner would have been done with some of these guys and would have traded at least one or two of them.
When your star players do post game interviews and have all the ear rings and bling on you know where there mindset is.
Being a leaf fan for 45 years this is the absolute worse time. It’s unwatchable.
I can’t remember the last time the leafs made a tough roster decision.