NHL Rumor Mill – February 5, 2026
What’s next for the Predators after Barry Trotz announced he’s stepping down as GM? Could the Red Wings pursue Blues defenseman Justin Faulk? What’s the latest on the Canucks? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s Olympic trade freeze began on Feb. 4 and lasts until 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, Feb. 22. That hasn’t stopped the rumor mill. Follow along for the latest.
HOW WILL THE PREDATORS NAVIGATE THE TRADE DEADLINE?
SPORTSNET: Josh Beneteau looked at what’s next for the Nashville Predators after Barry Trotz announced earlier this week that he was stepping down as general manager.
Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).
Trotz is remaining in the role until a suitable replacement can be found. In the meantime, he must decide if he’ll be a buyer or a seller by the March 6 trade deadline. While his club is close to a playoff berth, Trotz still intends to listen to offers.
Beneteau’s colleague Elliotte Friedman has reported that teams are making pitches for forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos. Other trade candidates could include Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula, Michael McCarron, Michael Bunting, and Nick Perbix.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection, but the Predators are treating him as though he has. Trotz recently said he hasn’t received any offers yet that would convince him to approach O’Reilly about a trade.
Stamkos is well ahead of last season’s disappointing offensive numbers, which could improve his value in the trade market. However, he’s got a full no-movement clause, making it unlikely that he’ll be playing for another club anytime soon.
COULD JUSTIN FAULK BE A FIT WITH THE RED WINGS?
MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan reports the Detroit Red Wings’ most pressing need is for a second-pairing defenseman. He believes Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues could address that issue.
Faulk, 33, has one more season left on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million. He also has a 15-team no-trade list.
Khan pointed out that Faulk no longer fits within the Blues’ long-range plans. A right-shot defenseman, he could replace rookie Alex Sandin-Pellikka alongside Ben Chiarot on their second pairing.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have plenty of cap space to take on Faulk’s remaining contract, and lots of promising young players and prospects to use as trade bait to entice the Blues. However, it could come down to whether Detroit is on his no-trade list, and if so, whether he’d be willing to waive it.
THE LATEST ON THE CANUCKS
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma believes that the Vancouver Canucks didn’t make any trades before the Olympic roster freeze because the players’ mothers were on their recent road trip.
Canucks forwards Evander Kane and Teddy Blueger are UFA-eligible and thus considered trade candidates. Management must also decide whether to retain or trade winger Conor Garland, whose new contract begins on July 1. He lacks no-trade protection on his current deal.
Nashville is only 4 pts b/o both Anaheim and Seattle in the Western Conference, all with 56gp, and 5 b/o Utah in the Central Division, with a game in hand.
But that situation, while seemingly not out of the question for Nashville to accomplish, has developed to some degree over the past 10 games played by each – Anaheim 8-2-0 16pts; Utah 7-3-0 14pts; Seattle 6-4-0 12pts, while Nashville (4-3-3 11 pts) has lost ground to each. And L.A., with 1 more point than Nashville and game in hand, are 4-2-4 12 pts in their last 10, and have just added a potential difference-maker in Panarin.
This is one of those tricky situations where a GM has to decide what is the best course of action for his team … make moves towards getting into a playoff spot and ride the “once there anything can happen” bandwgon … or realize that, since age has taken its toll and so precludes any long playoff run, it’s best to solidify the future and get the best deals they can NOW for the organization.
Unless Nashville can hire a replacement within the next few days who has some idea as to the best course of action, with all due respect to Trotz, who is badly out of his depth as a GM, leaving it in his hands to the end of the season almost guarantees a failure in getting to the dance.
George you are good with your analytics. Why don’t you apply to take over for Trotz??
You provide logicAl insight
Who are ya trading first? Stamkos ? To who and for what?
Stamkos and March to NJ for Mercer and Hamilton?
LOL. Nah IHateCrosby. It’s fun speculating and judging, but I’m was older than even Lamoriello. And while I will pinpoint players a team should deal in order to obtain positional needs, seldom do I get involved with specific “this guy for that guy” or multiples thereof.
In Nashville’s case, the best immediate return would probably be from a trade of the one guy with no trade protection clauses and who would get you the best immediate return – O’Reilly, who turns 35 on Saturday and who costs a bargain $4.5 mil off the cap for just one more season before becoming a UFA.
IF Stamkos and Marchessault would waive their NMC – and that would involved finding takers where they’d agree to report – then those two next.
But at $8 mil per off the cap for two seasons after this for Stamkos – who’ll be pushing 38 when it ends – and $5.5 mil off the cap for 3 more seasons in the case of Marchessault, who’ll be approaching 39 when it expires, those will be easier said than done cases.
George, before you leave Ottawa for Nashville, we need to finalize our Tkachuk trade to NYR.
Faulk to the Wings should happen. Stevie Y has to win something, sometime – even Wings’ management will eventually run out of patience. Legendary status only buys you so many chances.
Call me crazy but what about Stevie making a pitch with all his prospects picks and cap space and goes after Roman Josi?
Josi plays both sides
That’s a bigger bolder play ROI to show fans and the locker room no?
Only in the NHL can mothers stop the machine from rolling. If any team is ready to trade Vancouver is certainly at the top of the list.
“Calgary Flames star winger Jonathan Huberdeau has played in his final game of the 2025-26 season. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Huberdeau “needs hip surgery,” and will miss the rest of the year as a result.”
Brutal news for Flames in a brutal season.
Man, has that trade continued to blow up in their face. Sad times in Calgary.