NHL Rumor Mill – January 1, 2026
Check out the latest on the Rangers and Penguins in the first NHL Rumor Mill of 2026.
THE ATHLETIC: Vincent Z. Mercogliano believes the biggest midseason question facing the New York Rangers is whether to buy, sell, or thread the needle.
They feel the Rangers are at a crossroads. They have a “win-now” core with four players (Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Vincent Trocheck) at 32 or older, and made Mike Sullivan the league’s highest-paid coach. However, this is a club that must get younger, faster, and more skilled, and they have a chance to accelerate that process by the March 6 trade deadline.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).
Panarin is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and this season could be his last with the Rangers. If so, they should approach him about waiving his no-movement clause.
They should also consider having conversations with other veterans who still have trade value. The same applies to struggling young players such as Alexis Lafreniere and Brennan Othmann.
Mercogliano believes general manager Chris Drury will take the same “thread the needle” approach as last season. He’ll try to peddle players who no longer fit into the Rangers’ plans while trying to add those who can provide immediate help.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers will be worth monitoring between now and the trade deadline. Drury’s plans will depend on where they are in the standings in the coming weeks. Failure to rise into playoff positioning will make it easier for Drury to justify attempting to move Panarin or other players who aren’t part of their long-range plans.
THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe believes Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is gearing up to make a massive move in 2026, likely during the offseason.
The Penguins have their own first-round pick, two second-round picks, and two third-rounders in the talent-rich 2026 NHL Draft. However, Yohe speculates that not all those picks will be used by the Penguins in that draft. He also pointed out that they have 16 picks in the top three rounds of the next three drafts.
Some of those picks could be used as part of a massive trade similar to the Minnesota Wild’s recent acquisition of Quinn Hughes.
The Penguins will also have over $50 million in cap space, giving them plenty of room to land some impactful free agents or swing a blockbuster trade for a star.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas has set the table to become a major buyer in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets. The question is, which players could they pry away via trades, and which free agents could be enticed into signing with the Penguins?
Most of the big-name players in this summer’s UFA market re-signed with their respective clubs. The best UFA-eligible talent includes 34-year-old Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, power forward Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz.
Landing talent via trade could prove difficult if the players that Dubas targets aren’t interested in joining a rebuilding club. However, the Penguins could reach the playoffs, and the ageless Sidney Crosby could insist on staying in Pittsburgh. Those factors could be solid selling points.
Dubas could also surprise us by signing a restricted free-agent star to an offer sheet. Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson would be the most attractive target if he and the Stars can’t agree to a long-term extension.
Jason Robertson would cost them 4 1sts to sign him! This summer would that be a $13M x 6….or are they allowed to go 7 years still?
Robertson isn’t going anywhere, at least not till next summer. Robo won’t be a UFA till 2027, and the Stars can match any offer he gets this year. It’ll put them in salary cap hell, yes, but Jim Nill has this Jedi-like way of getting rival GMs to take his junk off his hands (Dumba, for example), and getting under the cap, even though it looks impossible.
Nill: You will take my washed up player and a draft choice
Rival GM: I will take your washed up player and a draft choice
Nill: These are not the droids you’re looking for
Rival GM: These aren’t the droids we’re looking for
Nill: Move along
Rival GM: Move along
Pens won’t go the rfa route. They will want to keep drafting talent in the first couple rounds.
Can’t wait for the Ottawa rumours to start percolating. They need something to shake them up.
With just 8 minutes gone in the 1st, Washington – playing the second of a back-to-back – is up 1-0 with 12 shots on Merilainen. Ottawa, meanwhile, has mustered all of 3 shots.
GeorgeO the way this season has gone,you could say that about 25 other teams. They all should be sellers where in realitythere are about 6 teams that could realistically win the cup!
Beginning to look that way for sure, Sr.
Going through the motions unwatchable.
2-0 now … end of 1st, out-shot 16-6.
It doesn’t really matter if that’s due to Washington being clearly superior up and down the line-up, or comes from a lack of cohesive effort.
Either way, useless doesn’t even begin to describe them.
I seriously doubt any team would offer up anything of consequence for any of them – top to bottom, with the exceptions of Tkachuk and Sanderson.
Do them a favour Staios and deal them for the best returns possible.
Would love to have been a fly on the wall at the end of that 1st period in Ottawa. Looked like two entirely different teams in the 2nd, and it’s continuing into the 3rd.
The shots on goal are now Ottawa 30 – Washington 24 and even more surprising is that Ottawa’s 3 goals have all come from secondary scoring – Jensen’s 2nd, Greig’s 5th and Perron’s 8th.
Something lit a fire under them. Of course, as Yogi Berra once observed in his own inimitable fashion, “it ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
Wow. After Protas scored to tie it 3-3 at 15.52 of the 3rd, Ottawa got another secondary goal from Zetterlund (his 10th) a minute or so late – 4-3 Ottawa with about a minute to go.
Game over – 4-3 Ottawa. Hope that hustle by their bottom 6 rubs off on the high-cost boys like Stutzle, Cozens, Batherson, Tkachuk who are paid the big bucks to do that.
What might a Panarin to WSH with salary retained to get back Leonard plus picks
Reunite Perrault and Leonard
Then with the picks flip one to CGY with Soucey and Othman for Kadri
Laffy to Buff for Powers
Miller Troch Mika
Perrault Kadri Leonard
Capitals aren’t trading Leonard, especially not for a rental player. That’s assuming Panarin is willing to waive his NMC.
And the Flames insist they’re not moving Kadri, but if they do, it’s doubtful they’d want a 31-year-old Soucy in the deal. They’re transitioning toward younger players.
I was using the assumption Soucy would be traded again to a playoff team looking for extra backend help and CGY gets another pick from that
But ya. I figure neither would fly
Better start to add a lot more then LaFreniere for Power. The Sabres ( Adams) built a strong defense. I don’t see Jarmo trading any of there defensemen unless its a deal to sweet to pass up.
Power starting to turn the corner too. Makes me wonder why the Rangers traded Miller
Great insight by Mercogliano. “ buy, sell, or thread the needle”. Brilliant. Drury is in no position to sell. Don’t see Panarin waiving nmc. Anyone actually watching Lafreniere would have to admit he’s playing a lot better than stats show. Feel like he hits post at least once a game. Still, he lacks trade protection and even with his cap hit could end up a target. As George says about Ottawa, Tamgers need something now to shake things up. Sullivan has done a great job working with less than teams of last few years. Well worth the money
Matthews returns to the line-up tonight. Being that the Leafs have a better winning record when he is out, many fans are calling for them to trade him. They don’t seem to miss him, so why not get 4 -5 needed pieces for him? Yes, I know he has an MNC.
But LA is calling you, Austin! 😎
LA may not have sufficient tradeable assets to tempt the Maple Leafs unless they’re willing to part with Quinton Byfield, which would leave the Kings seriously depleted at center. Unless Matthews only wants to go to LA, the Leafs could find a better trade partner elsewhere.
Go big
Matthews and Reilly to LA for Byfield Clarke and Laffy
La doesn’t have to resign kuzemenko to fit it in under the next cap with Kempe raise
TML might just want a fresh start and cap space
Byfield no slouch
Would be a tough call for LA
Agreed Lyle TML could find better trad e partners but sometimes ya have be to be a Rutherford and just get a deal done. 😂
That is decidedly in favour to Toronto. L.A. would be nuts to make that deal.
More dumb fan evaluations of really good players. Fans should stick to their lane and cheer for things they know about like their own team. If you are and you say, let’s trade our best player, one of the best centers to ever play on this 100yr old team while he’s in your prime, I just need to know who has ever done that? Doesn’t that sound like the most dumbest thing one can do? Who does that!?
If LA is the only team AM waives for, then LA gets to keep Byfield.
Would 2 1sts, Alex Laferriere, Liam Greentree and Carter George be enough for Matthews?
I highly doubt that the Kings would be interested in Reilly. Sure, Doughty will be retiring sooner than later. However, I am not sure if the Kings will want to tie themselves to Reilly long term.
The Kings have the building blocks for the future in Kempe, Byfield and Clarke. Just can’t see them trading any of those three for a quick uptick in the short term.