NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2026
Are the Wild looking at Rangers center Vincent Trocheck? What’s the latest on Canucks winger Evander Kane and Sharks winger Jeff Skinner? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WILD SHOPPING FOR A CENTER
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith believe Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is aggressively shopping for a center. He could draw on his draft picks and prospects as trade bait to address that need.
Guerin could be interested in New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. League sources claim the Wild aren’t on the 32-year-old Trocheck’s 12-team no-trade list, but nothing is imminent.
New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)
Russo and Smith think Guerin will also check into the availability of other NHL centers who might be available. Possibilities include Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, Trocheck’s teammate J.T. Miller, Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues, and Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux of the Ottawa Senators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck seems the most likely to be moved and could be the top target on Guerin’s radar. The Blues are willing to entertain offers for Thomas, but the asking price is high. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes they want a stud top-six center who is a little younger than the 26-year-old Thomas. The Wild can’t meet that price.
The Devils could be sellers, but I don’t see Hischier being moved. The Rangers acquired Miller last season and made him their captain, so it’s doubtful he’s available. Ditto Pinto and Giroux. O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection, but he reportedly wants to stay in Nashville, and the Predators aren’t in a hurry to move him.
The Wild lack a first-round pick in this year’s draft to use as trade bait. Russo and Smith wonder if Guerin might offer up prospect defenseman David Jiricek to the Nashville Predators for their first-rounder, pointing out the Predators reportedly offered up two first-round picks to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jiricek last season before the Wild landed him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was before Jiricek’s stock plummeted. The Predators won’t part with a first-rounder for him now.
Speaking of Wild trade bait, Russo and Smith engaged in some conjecture about the Wild possibly using goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in their quest to add a center. That seems unlikely because they’d be up a creek if they moved out Wallstedt and starter Filip Gustavsson suffered an injury afterward.
Russo and Smith floated the notion of them bringing back Marc-Andre Fleury, but they also pointed out he’s unlikely to come out of retirement.
CANUCKS PERMIT EVANDER KANE’S AGENT TO SEEK A TRADE
THE SCORE: According to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have permitted Evander Kane’s agent to find a suitable trade partner for the 34-year-old winger.
Kane is in the final season of his contract and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. His cap hit this season is $5.125 million, and he has a 16-team trade list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are well into sell mode after shipping out Quinn Hughes to Minnesota last month and Kiefer Sherwood to the San Jose Sharks earlier this month.
This move indicates Kane is open to a trade to a suitable destination, but the Canucks management had difficulty finding any takers. His agent might have better luck.
COULD THE SHARKS ATTEMPT TO TRADE JEFF SKINNER?
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Josh Frojelin reports Jeff Skinner appears to be the odd man out among the Sharks’ forwards. The 33-year-old left winger has been a healthy scratch for the past couple of weeks.
Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He has six goals and 13 points in 32 games this season.
The Sharks have a logjam of wingers, with Philipp Kurashev and Kiefer Sherwood set to return from injuries soon. They recently sat out Adam Gaudette and Ryan Reaves, and sent promising Igor Chernyshov to their AHL affiliate.
Skinner has a full no-trade clause through Jan. 30, and an eight-team no-trade list after that.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks added Skinner to bring more experienced depth to their forward lines. However, the impressive play of sophomore wingers Will Smith and Colin Graf, and the addition of youngsters like Chernyshov, means they don’t need Skinner unless injuries decimate their lineup in the coming days. He could end up moving to another team between Jan. 31 and March 6.
IMO, Trochek part of core Drury is going forward with. Best buds with JT Miller and he’s not going anywhere either. Retool compared to rebuild. Looking back at last letter in 2018: They had 4 first round picks in first 2 drafts of rebuild. None of those players on team anymore. Next 2 drafts they had 3 firsts. Laf, Schneider and Othmann. All have been mentioned as trade candidates. Unless Trochek brings back a good, young, surefire NHL player (doubtful) I can’t see him going anywhere.
I think they’d like to hold Trocheck, unless someone blows the doors off with a great offer.
However, the counter-reason you might trade him is that a true retool can take a few years before a team is really ready to compete, so Trocheck might be gone by then anyway. He has 3 more years on his contract and will be 35 when it ends.
Nice to see Edmonton boy Robertson get the big goal last night Slick62.
Took him longer to solidify himself on the NHL roster than I thought it would, but seems to be doing that now. Nothing flashy about his game, but big, skates, smart with the puck and is responsible defensively. Should be able to lock down a 4-5 spot at the NHL level.
Ray Bark. I’m actually not a big fan of Robertson. Glad he’s getting a long look this year but he’s also been on the other side of a couple OT goals. Has size but not a very physical player. Sullivan seems to prefer taller dmen with reach. He’s ok I guess as a 6/7 dman. They do need to upgrade left side in future. Especially with Soucy gone. Vaakanainen not much better. They have a couple kids they drafted currently playing in ncaa
Lyle, I’m not so sure Pinto is unavailable. With Stutzle and Cozens holding down the 1st and 2nd line C spots, Greig showing he can be an effective 3rd line C, and 6′ 4″ 215 lbs left-shot C Steven Halliday having played his way into the NHL line-up, Pinto has become a prime option as the focus of a meaningful trade designed to shore up either at Wing, RD and/or better goalie back-up.
Giroux, I agree, won’t be going anywhere – too old to command anything significant and besides, he provides other intangibles not measured in statistics.
There is also Lars Eller as a swing C for the rest of this season,
Now, having said that, the return for Pinto would have to be fairly substantial, and a player either with term or willing to re-sign here and that proviso determined BEFORE any trade is concluded.
All things considered, the C position is the only one where they are deep enough to allow Staios to make a deal of any magnitude.
A turn around isn’t out of the cards, George. As you point out the Sens are good up the middle. Next year they have oodles of cap space to fix their goaltending issues if Ullmark doesn’t come around, and Brady has two years after this.
If comparisons help, think Vancouver …
LJ, I’d rather not think about that dysfunctional team. lol
But, for the record, what did you mean by that?
That Vancouver is a flaming dumpster fire that imploded from a great season just a while ago. IE, it could be worse for the Sens.
Ahhh … ok, can’t disagree with that, that’s for sure!
But I’m certainly not advocating a dumpster fire. The thing is, if Staios wants to upgrade – decently – at a position he deems needs shoring up, you have to give something to get something. And without a 1st round pick this year, and a minor league system pretty much emptied of any imminent prospect elevation, that leaves his main roster. And I believe C is THE one area where they are deep enough to attract a good return.
Staois has reached the stage where – to that end – it’s become s&^t or get off the pot.
Pinto for Wallstedt
That’s certainly intriguing … but I’m not sure Minnesota needs a C more than they’d prefer retaining a 1B SO-machine goalie.
Since a couple of big market teams are stuck in the mud and just spinning their wheels…what better time for a blockbuster of a deal.
What if the Rangers and Leafs make a deal? Something centering on Nylander, plus…going to the Rangers for Laf and either Schneider, or Borgen or (though unlikely) Fox as the core pieces being moved. Whatever extras needed to make it balance cap wise or even positionally is expected but the core pieces would be what I mentioned.
Both teams aren’t making the playoffs. NYR are in the middle of retooling and the Leafs should start making tweaks before they will be forced to retool.
I’m not saying this would be a trade that they should do but rather, is this the kind of deal both teams should be looking at now, ie, moving those types of players to get something where both teams will benefit?
Ron totally agree mentioned that a couple of weeks ago. Nylander for Schneider and Lafrenière and a 1st. I would then go one step further and then trade Matthews for Byfield, Clarke and 1st. This gives them a decent young core to build around and perfect timing to go after McDavid in two years.
I highly doubt you’re getting Mathews for Clarke, Byfield and a first. You’d be crazy to do that. Give up all your high end depth and draft capital for a guy who dissapears in the playoffs and is injured all the time.
My wish list for the Habs is unlikely but these are players I’d trade for:
Shane Pinto
Braden Schneider
Jesper Wallstedt
Boone Jenner
Players I’m willing to let go:
Kaiden Guhle
Kirby Dach
Jayden Struble
Patrik Laine
Alex Newhook
draft picks
I think Boone Jenner is the likeliest but HuGo have pulled rabbits out of the hat before.
No way Sens would ever trade Pinto to a divisional rival. I would however Trade Pinto to LA for Clarke
Agree Jenner is the likeliest HF30.
Seems like the type of guy plenty of teams would want come playoff time, so the return should be solid if CLB decides to do it..
Would fit what the Oilers need like a glove. Or at least what I think they need.
There’s no way Sens trade Pinto to a divisonal rival. Maybe for Demidov or Zharovsky .
I would however, possibly trade Pinto to the Kings for Clarke.
Just saw a post on Twitter showing Barkov back skating at practice (red jersey).
That tells me he should be back for playoffs, so it takes Florida out of the equation for making a big cap move at the deadline since they have to fit him back in.
It makes me laugh when people say things like no way team A would ever trade with team B because they’re in the same division, or the GM used to be with one team or another.
Trades in the same division have happened and will continue to if it suits the wants.
Managements change, coaches change, personalities change, stage of roster changes etc.
Sens and Habs don’t trade often but they do.
Bruins and Habs don’t trade often but they do.
Rangers and Habs have made many trades.
I think Seattle is the only team the Habs haven’t traded with.
In other words we have no clue what the GMs are thinking or who they are talking to.
We have our own wish lists and in my case , here I didn’t offer up any trade pitches , just a list of players I’d like to have and players I’d be willing to let go.
To your point HF30, Bruins traded Carlo to the Leafs last deadline. Other than the Habs, the B’s biggest rival.
Rangers just completed a trade with the Islanders last night. Granted, only the 3rd trade between these two clubs in about 54 years, but it happens.
And that’s something with which I agree totally.
If a trade meets the requirements of both teams, GMs who refuse to do so simply because they’re in the same Division are not doing their jobs.
As for “worrying” about facing the traded player, if the deal involves roster players that would work both ways. And is really a non-factor for the most part since the 2 teams would meet no more than 4 times over 82 games.