NHL Rumor Mill – January 19, 2026
What’s next for the Flames after trading Rasmus Andersson to the Golden Knights? Does Patrik Laine still fit into the Canadiens’ plans? Could the Blackhawks trade Connor Murphy? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WILL THE FLAMES TRADE NAZEM KADRI AND BLAKE COLEMAN?
CALGARY SUN: Daniel Austin wondered what’s next for the Flames after trading Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).
He believes that if the Flames can acquire young assets or draft picks and give players like Nazem Kadri or Blake Coleman the chance to join a contender, it might be time.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri’s been the subject of trade speculation for two years. The 35-year-old center is signed through 2028-29 with an average annual value of $7 million, and carries a 13-team no-trade list.
Kadri has put up decent numbers this season with the struggling Flames and has a Stanley Cup ring on his resume. However, his age and cap hit could be stumbling blocks in the path toward a trade.
Coleman, 34, is a versatile two-way forward who won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier in this decade. He’s signed through next season with a more affordable AAV than Kadri ($4.9 million), but has a more restrictive 10-team trade list. The Flames reportedly prefer not to move him, but that doesn’t mean they won’t if the right offer comes along.
WHAT WILL THE CANADIENS DO WITH PATRIK LAINE?
NHL.COM: Dan Rosen was recently asked where Patrik Laine fits into the Montreal Canadiens’ lineup upon his return from injury. The 27-year-old right wing has been out since Oct. 16, recovering from core muscle surgery. He has resumed skating with his teammates.
Laine is in the final season of his contract with an AAV of $8.7 million. Rosen believes it’s difficult to determine where he’ll fit into their lineup right now, though an injury or a slump by one of their top-nine forwards could open up a spot for him.
Rosen doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Canadiens attempting to move Laine before the March 6 trade deadline. Otherwise, they’ll retain him for the rest of the season as an expensive depth forward.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan was also asked about where Laine might fit within the Canadiens’ lineup. He doesn’t see him filling a bottom-six role or moving onto the second line.
Cowan speculates the Canadiens could give him some games at right wing on the top line and on their power-play unit to showcase him for a trade before March 6.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given Laine’s injury history and his cap hit, the Canadiens might have to retain salary to move him. Their asking price could be a draft pick or a prospect.
WILL THE BLACKHAWKS TRADE CONNOR MURPHY?
THE ATHLETIC: Mark Lazerus wondered if this season could be the end of Connor Murphy’s nine-season tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 32-year-old blueliner is UFA-eligible in July, completing a four-year contract with an AAV of $4.4 million. He also has a 10-team no-trade list.
Murphy and his family live year-round in Chicago. He loves the city, but Lazerus speculated that the rebuilding Blackhawks could peddle him by the March trade deadline.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy won’t fetch a big return for the Blackhawks. Moving him to add another draft pick would seem like a waste. They could consider re-signing him if he wants to stay, but he might not fit into their plans.
And now everybody is on Panarin watch!! I think if Panarin is willing to waive that Minny and the Avs will be all over this!
I don’t see the Habs trading Laine. No team will give up much for him so they’d rather keep him as insurance in case of injury and depth on the PP. But no chance the Habs will extend him.
Laine for Brodzinski. Fair trade
seems like decades ago since Laine was a legit sniper
ds
He’s still a legit sniper. Just never plays!
Howard
If Habs don’t plan on extending him, why not get what you can? 50% retention should help. Unless they’re thinking they’re a contender going into playoffs with him.
Put him in PP 2 with cuyle in front laf and Laine outside for one timers
Morrow on back end
Perrault bumper
Slick, because they won’t get anything of value for him. Better to keep him and hope he can provide some scoring down the stretch.
Throwing out the Avalanche as a possibility, I get it. But there’s a flip side to that. Panarin and Kane, guys like that are too nonchalant, don’t play defense. Who wouldn’t want them? IDK, I would rather have another Dman or forward who can score but is defensively responsible. Bednar is already pissed because we have superstars who aren’t consistently present on the defensive side of it. The Avalanche are a juggernaut when everyone is on the same page system wise: landeskog, nichushkin, lekhonen and nelson. Panarin, not unless he can be counted on to play a more complete game. Pass
Agree Tommy Boy,
The Avs are good at everything this year including not giving up a bunch of chances. Seems like they have the puck all the time when you watch them.
They score an average of 4 goals a game and only give up 2.3/gm. That’s dominance, so ya, your juggernaut term was accurate.
Not sure what they need, but it ain’t much. Can never have too many D come playoff time is a saying for a reason I suppose.
Strangely enough their PP is below average, not sure how that happens. Maybe a guy like Laine would help with that?
It’s hard to try and get into the mind of the Calgary GM, tommy boy when it comes to trades. Is he poised to toss in the towel insofar as a playoff birth is concerned, or is he looking at younger returns/picks for the likes of Kadri and Coleman along the lines of what he got for Andersson?
Yes, they currently sit 12th in the Conference, but are just 5 points back of 8th-place San Jose. It’s not like they’re hopelessly out of the picture. They have also won their last 2 and are 5-5 over their past 10. They do have to climb over 4 teams to get there – but two of them (L.A. 3-3-4 in their past 10) and Anaheim (3-6-1) are stumbling lately, while Nashville (6-4-0) and San Jose (7-3-0) are not.
On the other hand, league-wise right now they would be picking 5th overall, so well placed in the lottery, and are just 2 points up on 31st-place Winnipeg, who would currently be in the 2nd overall pick position today.
Bottom line is, I guess, does Conroy think another shot at a within-reach playoff spot worth more than a shot at a McKenna?
Pundits are looking at Laine was not what he is and will/can be.
He is a sniper, possibly the best one timer in the NHL and definitely the best one timer on the Habs.
He has been watching practices, games and game film all year long and obviously has followed the transformation of the team to be far beyond simple north/south hockey.
Some players are able to adapt and thrive while others fail and this guy worked so hard this off season, on the ice daily with Demidov and a fire to be back on top.
MSL isn’t going to throw him on the ice to play his old game and “we” have no clue what has been designed for him.
We have seen the development of players, changing roles and styles to improve the team that were unexpectedm hello Texier, Veleno, Anderson, Caufield, Slafkovsky.
I think we are going to see a different Laine, positionally different and less stationary with new shooting lanes.
In Quebecois hockey parlance “Attachez vos ceintures” fasten your seatbelts.
Laine is still a very good one-timer … but not quite the best … that niche still belongs to Ovechkin. Stamkos is still pretty good as well … and seems to be experiencing a bit of resurgence this season.
Draisaitl bangs home quite a few one-timers himself.
FYI it was the late great Rene Lacavalier who popularized the expression.
George I did say “possibly the best” and added “definitely on the Habs”
You did, Habfan30 … but you also did say “possibly the best one timer in the NHL …” and I simply pointed out Ovechkin, who NO ONE comes close to –
Crazy Laine is 27 years old…..seems like he has been in the league longer then that.
Hope he gets healthy again as his one timer is a banger.
Where the heck is LJ? Haven’t seen a post in quite a while.
Laine is actually the type of player I could see Dubas target if he’s looking for playoff rentals. Not overly expensive to acquire. No term. Not saying they would target him but that’s the type of deadline deals I see Dubas going for.
Can a team trade and flip a player and retain salary on that player if the 1st team did not retain? Or are the subject to that insane waiting period also?
A waiting period for double retention is OK but the current one is way too long.
Here’s your answer, Johnny. In short, yes, they can. The restriction is for two retentions. In your scenario, there is only one retention.
https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/nhl-nhlpa-cba-no-double-salary-retention-minimum-increase-draft-rights#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20big%20changes,days%20of%20the%20first%20deal.
Anderson trade underwhelming. I don’t know why GMs wait so long to trade players who they know are not going to sign. Would they have received a better offer in the summer when teams are finalizing their rosters? As a GM, I would rather have the player for a full year and maybe convincing him to sign rather than having him for 35 games.
The reactions to this trade have been 50/50 – one side saying the Knights won the other saying Calgary. The Flames received a sound defenseman that plays alotta minutes and the draft picks. The Knights received a good defenseman they think they can resign.
I would sway slightly to Calgary’s side as the winner. The received assets now and in the future, which is what they need. Andersson is a rental until he can be resigned. Then who do the Knights move to keep him on their roster. The have Eichel to resign soon.
I dunno Jeff, but normally the off season would have more teams with cap space, so in theory yes.
But then again, circumstances were pretty good right now as well.
Would Vegas been pushing hard for Anderson when they didn’t know what was up with Pietrangelo? He made the statement he was out in October, and even then wasn’t ruling out a return this season.
Plus the other suiter, Boston, just came off a season finishing 5th from the bottom of the entire NHL. Hardly the type of performance that would lead to trading for a guy like Anderson.
Who knows.
Sherwood to SJ
Good move
Toughness
A big body adult
Plays hard
Culture builder trade for Grier
They have Cap too.
Good for SJ
I said years ago Laine’s trajectory was that his next contract world a one year $1M prove it deal and it looks like that is where he’s is headed. Probably with Florida and, if he can stay healthy, he’ll probably score 50 playing with Barkov.