NHL Rumor Mill – December 31, 2025
Check out the latest on the Canucks and Jets in the final NHL Rumor Mill for 2025.
THE LATEST CANUCKS SPECULATION
THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reported earlier this week that he’d heard “from a good source” that teams are still calling the Vancouver Canucks about Elias Pettersson. However, another source says what those other teams were really going to offer for the 27-year-old Canucks center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson is in the second season of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. He had 23 points in 31 games.
A better question would be, “Why would they acquire a center who is struggling to meet the expectations that come with his expensive contract?”
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Sharks may have some interest in Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.
Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’re not the only team reportedly interested in Sherwood. It’s believed the Canucks seek a good young NHL player for the 30-year-old winger. They might have to settle for a draft pick and a prospect.
THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal reports the Canucks have a logjam of young forwards who deserve playing time, and not enough lineup spots to go around. He suggests they should consider moving a pending unrestricted free agent, such as Sherwood or Evander Kane, preferably earlier rather than closer to the NHL Trade Deadline.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks could retain Sherwood and Kane for as long as possible in the hope of driving up their value in the trade market. However, Jim Rutherford (the Canucks’ president of hockey operations) has a well-established reputation for making trades well before the trade deadline. He could do it again with Sherwood or Kane.
WILL THE JETS BECOME BUYERS OR SELLERS?
THE WINNIPEG SUN: Paul Friesen believes Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff must do something soon to reverse the Jets’ sagging fortunes.
A lack of secondary scoring has been their undoing this season. Friesen believes Cheveldayoff must address this issue quickly. He dismissed the notion that it’s too late in the season to do so, pointing out that the St. Louis Blues did so around the same time last season, leading to their surge from “near-worst to a playoff spot.”
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates believes Cheveldayoff will seek draft picks for pending UFAs like Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, and more if the Jets become sellers by the trade deadline.
Ates doubts that Cheveldayoff will sell early to try and finish last to improve the odds of winning the 2026 draft lottery. He thinks the Jets GM will remain committed to this roster until the February Olympic break before selling if the club is still near the bottom of the standings by then.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets’ lack of scoring depth beyond forwards Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and defenseman Josh Morrissey has hurt them this season. Ates noted that calling up their top offensive prospects isn’t much of a solution, pointing out that they “are scoring less at the AHL level than most Jets whose jobs they’d be taking at the NHL level.”
Finding that scoring punch won’t be easy. There has been more movement in the trade market of late, but Ates observed that the Jets have traded away too much draft capital to put toward landing a top-six forward.
Toews, a left-shot C, turns 38 in April and currently has 3g 71 10pts in 37gp and costs $2 mi off the cap
Nyquist, a left-shot RW, turns 37 next September and currently has 0g 7a 7pts in 28gp nd costs $3,250,000 off the cap
Pearson, a LW, turns 34 next August and currently has 4g 2a 6pts in 31gp and costs $1 mil off the cap.
And Murat Ates truly believes Cheveldayoff would seek draft picks for each … and more if the Jets become sellers by the trade deadline?
They’d be lucky to get a plugged nickel for any of them.
I could absolutely see a team looking for leadership trading for toews to center 4th line.
Perron, Jensen, Tyler Boucher and Buffalo’s 2nd to Vancouver
For Pettersen and Olivier and one of their minor league goalies please.
We’ll fix him here or go bankrupt trying.
Heh. Dark G, with Washington in here tomorrow (they also play tonight … but that didn’t hurt Columbus any), followed by the Jets Saturday, then Detroit Monday, following which they play a back-to-back in Utah and Colorado Jan 7/8, they could well dip below their current 21st in the League (which would have them picking 12th IF they had a pick), to lottery range when the dust clears on January 9.
With 44 games left in the schedule, they are just 7pts up on dead-last Winnipeg (who has a game in hand), and 6 up on Chicago and Vancouver sitting 30th and 31st.
If something like you suggest isn’t in the cards, the pundits could be filling columns questioning the wisdom of Staios for keeping is 23th pick this past Spring and deciding to forfeit this coming pick. And you know Gary isn’t going to re-consider.
Not to mention that Toews has a NMC!
George O, NMC’s can be waived. Perhaps he’d waive to join Kane in Detroit? Toews, I mean.
Craig and Chrisms … would you be prepared to give up a draft pick – higher than a 6th Rounder – “plus maybe more if dealt at the trade deadline” for any of them? Including Toews?
The guy has been playing mainly 2nd line minutes with Perfetti and Iafallo and is on an 82-game pace that would see him score 7g 16a 23 pts. On his left, Perfetti finished last season with 18g 32a 50pts over 82gp. He’s on an 82-game pace th is season that would see him end up with7g 18a 25pts, while Iafallo on his right would wind up with13g 16a 29pts. Hardly what y ou want from your 2nd line.
There are reasons beyond their anaemic offensive production beyond their 1st line of Connor-Sheifele-Vilardi than just having Hellebuyck on IR for a stretch (and he’s been back for a while and the slide still continues – 1-6-3 over their past 10) for their wallowing dead last in the Conference with 8 teams to climb over just to get to the last WC slot.
I’m not saying they’re not tradeable .. just that that “plus maybe more” seems a bit far-fetched.
If it was a younger team that was trading mostly for leadership and cup experience who would play him in the bottom six then yeah. A third or fourth round pick seems reasonable. Ana or Mont or buff for example if they were in position to aim for playoffs.
You don’t make a deal based on past memories. His leadership/offensive dominance ended 5 seasons back.
Offensive yes. I don’t think he forgot how to be a leader in the past 5 years.
But if he’s detrimental on the ice (he’s a minus 15 so far this year) and so isn’t showing leadership by production and ability to keep pace with the game – which generally exceeds his pace – in what way does he show “leadership?”
I mean, I admired the guy in his day … Captain Canada and all that jingoism – but that has long passed.
Jets should have got something for Ehlers.
Jets will have to give up their top prospects to get third liners. Not a good proposition.
Perfettj won’t get you much at his current level of play. Cole where are you
Canucks need to move Sherwood at the TD and hope he stays healthy . Might get a first
Looking forward to LeafsNets annual everybody to the Leafs scribblings.
A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all.
The Jets are cooked. Their underlying stats are not good. Expecting a resurgence when they have trouble scoring 2 goals a game would be profoundly delusional.
Most GMS make the mistake of holding on to players who they know are going to test the free agent market. Their mistake is saying that they want to give their team a chance to win,when actually their chances of winning the cup are slim!The above example of Ehlers is a good comp.Boston did the same thing a couple of years ago with Debrusk and Krug! You can t let these guys walk for nothing if you can only recoup draft picks!
Doesn’t your last sentence undercut everything you say above it?
Lj,what I am saying is Don t hold on to UFA s if you Don t have a chance to resign them. Example Carolina trading Rantanen after trading for him and finding out that he is not going to sign with them.Hence the trade to Dallas.
Sr, holding onto a player as one’s own rental is as valid as trading for a player on an expiring contract for draft picks and with no guarantee the acquired player will resign with you.
If you know of a study which slows one strategy is better than another, please share.
Sr we are saying that exact same thing with the likes of Andersson in Calgary. he’s playing amazing, Wolf is getting into his zone & we are seeing a bit of puck luck & have climbed back in striking range. Trading Andersson will cost Flames games but it must be done in Calgary. Read Flames could keep Andersson as their own rental has me swearing at my computer. Rental for what? To get swept by Colorado in the first round. As Daryl Sutter would say, that was a waste of 8 days.
Potlicker I feel the same way. People might say in the east because of the cluster ffff that anyone has a chance to win the cup but after the playoffs are cut down to 16 teams there are maybe 4 that have a legitimate chance to win the cup.
Wonder when the Bruins will be added to the list of teams selling?
In Boston they were added to that list on opening night!
Looking for another Carlo trade with you guys!
Leafs a don’t have any first rounders to send you – until 2028.
Pettersson started a little slow but was actually playing pretty good before he was hurt. I’m sure he can be an 80 point guy, a 100? I’m not so sure. He needs a change of scenery and if I was in need of a center and had draft capital I would try and buy low. 11.6 at the signing was the right price, he has slowed down but salaries are going up so the cap hit isn’t terrible. Guy needs a change
Agree, get a first for Sherwood and move on. If you want something for Kane offer him at 50% and see what you get, a 2nd? He is worth that for the right team at 50%
Nj send Hamilton 1m retained to Van for Kane and Meyers?
Gives a forward spot open for a younger kid?
Nj need to do just about anything at this point