Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 12, 2026
Check out the latest on the Rangers and Red Wings, plus updates on the Predators’ and Devils’ search for new general managers in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR THE RANGERS IN THE OFFSEASON?
NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports Rangers general manager Chris Drury will continue to retool his roster during the offseason.
Walker estimated the Rangers would have over $33.3 million in cap space if they trade center Vincent Trocheck and defenseman Braden Schneider this summer. That would leave enough to add a backup goaltender, a top-four defenseman, a top-six winger, and a fourth-line center.
Current backup Jonathan Quick hasn’t revealed his plans, but a source close to the 40-year-old netminder believes this season will be his last.
It’s hoped that at least one NHL player will be part of a trade return for Trocheck. If Drury can’t find the return he wants for Schneider, exploring a Will Borgen trade could become another route.
Adam Crane reported Schneider remains proud of being a Ranger, and he hopes something will work out to keep him with the team long-term.
Schneider, 24, is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights. He saw what happened to former teammate K’Andre Miller last year when he was in the same boat. Miller was tendered a qualifying offer and then traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, signing an eight-year deal.
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (NHL Images).
Crane also reported last week that there are lingering concerns about the future of Adam Fox with the Rangers. They are a better team with the 26-year-old defenseman in the lineup, but his cryptic comments in February about whether he wants to remain through the next stage of the rebuild raise questions about what happens if he decides he wants out.
At the time, Fox said he felt a little helpless about the club’s public commitment toward a retool. When asked about staying with the Rangers, he felt that it was a discussion for after the regular season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck has three more years on his contract with an affordable average annual value of $5.625 million. He has a 12-team no-trade list until July 1, when it drops to a 10-team list. He’s also indicated his preference is to remain in the Eastern Conference.
There was interest in Trocheck and Schneider before last month’s trade deadline, but Drury declined to lower his asking prices. As I’ve mentioned before, clubs that were reluctant to meet Drury’s prices in March could be more willing to do so in June or July, especially with the salary cap rising to $104 million for 2026-27.
Fox is under contract through 2028-29 with an AAV of $9.5 million and a full no-movement clause through next season. Despite his struggles and injuries this season, the 28-year-old right-shot defenseman (and 2021 Norris Trophy winner) would draw plenty of attention if he becomes available this summer.
However, Fox’s desire to discuss his future with Drury may be little more than determining the club’s direction and his role within it. Drury is under no pressure to move Fox unless he wants out. For now, there’s no indication that’s the case.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE RED WINGS AFTER ANOTHER DISAPPOINTING SEASON?
THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman commented on the Detroit Red Wings extending their playoff drought to a 10th consecutive season. He believes this year’s miss hurts the most because the team now feels stuck after several seasons of promising progress.
Bultman indicates that the Red Wings remain a flawed team, particularly at five-on-five scoring, which will be one of the areas the club attempts to address during the offseason. He also wondered how the Wings can continue to bank on their promising young players as their main driver for improvement.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff also cited the Red Wings’ struggles to score at even strength. He also believes their lack of a winning culture contributed to their inability to close out a win. Duff suggested they must also reconstruct their bottom-six forward group.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s been speculation and suggestions (including from yours truly) that general manager Steve Yzerman could be fired or will be on the hot seat after this season. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported last week that Yzerman remains aligned with team owner Chris Illich. If there’s a management change, it would be because Yzerman feels his time is up, but Dreger said that’s unlikely.
Yzerman’s critics believe he is reluctant to draw on his prospect pool to bring in more immediate help. However, he might not have much choice now. The fans are restless, his players are frustrated, and there’s a growing sense that the Red Wings are spinning their wheels.
That doesn’t mean he must make quick-fix deals. If an opportunity arises to land an impact player in his prime with term remaining on his contract, Yzerman must act. Otherwise, he risks extending the Wings’ postseason drought to 11 seasons, which could cost him his job.
LATEST ON THE PREDATORS AND DEVILS AS THEY HUNT FOR A NEW GM
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports that the Nashville Predators prefer someone who has recently served as an NHL general manager or assistant GM to replace outgoing general manager Barry Trotz.
Former New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has been added to that list. Fitzgerald has a history with the Predators as he was their first team captain from 1998-99 to 2001-02. It’s believed he’s either already been interviewed for the job or will be soon.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reports the Devils are interested in Jamie Langenbrunner as a candidate to replace the departed Fitzgerald. Langenbrunner is currently an assistant GM with the Boston Bruins.
I think several people have said it before, but Stevie Y has to go. He is just not getting it done.
He has been trying to get by with guys like Compher and Copp, others too. Yzerman continues to assemble mediocre teams. You can only spin your wheels for so long, even a legend will have to go at some point.
Things don’t happen in Hockeytown like they do in Toronto. There’s a reason your Cup window is closed and the Leafs never touched relevancy.
The prospects will come up, start shouldering the burden, and we will start winning games again. Robert Thomas wasn’t going to get us in the playoffs, same with Trocheck. Rather have a near miss to the playoffs without losing prospects/getting fleeced. Honestly, the only way Stevie gets fired is if he gets fleeced in desperation. Has not happened. Will not happen.
Detroit doesn’t trade off their best players in frustration. We don’t fire people close to us with our best interests at heart, just because “experts” or some clown in TOR said so.
By the way, Austin Matthews is as good as gone, your core is rotten. Your games are too expensive. Enjoy coming down to LCA to watch your Leaves lose at a discount next year, clown.
Go ahead and only comment on Leaves matters… splash splash, your opinion is trash, St.Pats.
notReady- let’s get one thing straight – I am NOT a die hard Leafs fan. What gets me is that any time somebody bring reality to Detroit, you guys always push back instead of facing reality.
The reality is Stevie has taken way too long to get the team to the playoffs, much less into contention. Prospects are just that, and most teams have them. Robert Thomas is the kind of player you need both now and in the near future.
You want to wait longer, that’s fine but don’t get testy when someone questions why 10 years on no playoffs is OK in Detroit.
Not sure if you’ve noticed, HotnReady – maybe not since I have never seen you post here (under that nick anyway) – but everyone is free to comment on ANY team, especially if they are part of the daily topics.
For example, yesterday and the day before as well, I commented on Yzerman’s dismal record which has now had 7 seasons to draft prospects from regularly high in the various rounds, make trades and add through free agency.
And while he has admittedly drafted some high-quality players like Seider, Raymond and Edvinsson along the way to go along with players brought in via trade like DeBrincat, Gibson, Faulk, Petry and Walman or through free agency such as Kane, Copp, Compher, van Riemsdyk, Appleton, Fischer, Chiarot, Maata, Talbot, Lyon, Bernard-Docker and Mitchel – in the end it still hasn’t propelled the into playoff territory.
They’ve come close – like the tie a couple of seasons back with Washington which they lost on a tie-breaker – but as the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes.
As for all those prospects some keep mentioning … until they actually get into the NHL full-time and actually start producing, that’s ALL they are – prospects.
Thanks George. We aren’t trying to diss Detroit, but we have both pointed out flaws knowing they can do better. 10+ years of trying should indicate that what Stevie is trying to do is not working.
Hopefully their prospects will get them to the next level. Especially since the prospect of moving on from Stevie is off the table.
I think you need to look at the big picture. The Atlantic was an insanely competitive division this year. Detroit were right in the mix, they did take a step early, but a few things doomed them. Like the Sens last year, they have brutal 5v5 and I think most of that comes from their weakness down the middle. After Larkin, who really is driving play? Terms found his goalie last offseason, but I would say this year he needs to find a legit 1/2C. Not an easy task.
Correct Owen. Compher and Copp aren’t good enough.
Wings hope Danielson can be a number 2 guy.
A bit of comparison, Owen, to show that 4 other Eastern teams, who were well below Detroit in many categories, made the adjustments necessary through their management systems to register much more significant improvements:
Last season Detroit finished 5 points out of a playoff spot with 86 points, scoring 238 goals and giving up 259 for a -21 differential. This season, with 2 games to go, they have upped their points total to 91, are 1 goal short of their total scored last season and have allowed 13 less for a -9 differential. That is progress, albeit in a very minor sense.
Now compare that to these teams:
Buffalo finished 3rd last in the Conference last season with 79 points, 12 points out of a playoff spot, scoring 269 goals and giving up 289 for a -20 goal differential. This season, with 2 games left, they have upped their points by 27 to 106, have scored 280 goals – an increase of 11 – while giving up 236 – a reduction of 53 – for a +44 goals differential – an improvement of +64!
Pittsburgh finished 4th last in the Conference last season with 80 points, 11 points out of a playoff spot, scoring 243 goals and giving up 293 for a -50 goals differential. This season, with 2 games left, they have upped their points by 18 to 98, have scored 288 – an increase of 45 – while giving up 256 – a reduction of 37 – for a +30 goals differential – an improvement of +80!
Boston finished 2nd last in the Conference last season with 76 points, 15 points out of a playoff spot, scoring 222 goals and giving up 272 for a -50 goals differential. This season, with 2 games to go, they have upped their points by 20 to 96, have scored 265 – an increase of 43 – while giving up 248 – a reduction of 24 – for a +17 goals differential – an improvement of +67!
Philadelphia finished dead last in the Conference last season with 76 points, also 15 out of a playoff spot, scoring 238 goals and giving up 286 for a -48 goals differential. This season, with 2 games left, they have upped their points by 18 to 94, have scored 243 – and increase of 5 – while giving up 239 – a reduction of 47 – for a +4 goals differential – an improvement of +52.
Well, Hot ‘n’ Ready, I hope you have the stomach to stick it out because, if Yzerman doesn’t start using his deep prospect pool to bring in established talent, it’s going to be several more years before the Wings make the playoffs. And, frankly, it is reasonable to question Yzerman’s abilities when a class of the league team like Detroit fails to make the playoffs for a decade.
That’s quite an analysis, George.
I meant to add, as a counter to his assertion that “the only way Stevie gets fired is if he gets fleeced in desperation. Has not happened. Will not happen.” – that to some analysts it has already happened – at least twice.
In June 2024, Yzerman traded defenseman Jake Walman and a 2024 2nd-round pick (53rd overall) to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for “future considerations.” Many raised their eyebrows over this one since Walman was regarded as a top-pairing D who had just produced 18 and 21 points in consecutive seasons playing with Seider. Many viewed this as Yzerman forking over a high pick to dump a contract for a productive top-4 D and had analysts calling it a “blunder” – not helped when the Sharks later dealt Walman to Edmonton for a 1st Round pick!
There was also the deal in which he acquired goalie Alex Nedeljkovic for a 3rd rounder plus Jonathan Bernier, only to see Nedeljkovic walk in free agency for 0 return just 2 years later.
Rangers – keep Scheider and pay him. Whatever you get back will take years to develop and even then, you cannot be guaranteed that the return will be as good as the player you currently have on your team.
That looks to be the plan as Borgen’s NMC becomes a 15 team no-trade in July.
Agree. Not sure why a team looking to get younger would keep Borgen before Schneider. Borgen does have a very reasonable cap hit and isn’t exactly over the hill. Guess it depends on what kind of deal Schneider looking for. How much does team want to pay their 3rd pair? They’ll take calls on both. Would like to see a deal with Buffalo for 1 of their many LD
Fox “struggles”? 52 points in 53 games. His comments came at a time when he was returning from injury and Drury already threw in the towel. There was also the disappointment of not being part of Olympics. Let’s see what he has to say next week.
1st order of business is lottery. Based on current standings, NY won’t be picking lower than 8th. Winning lottery and drafting McKenna would solve the top 6 forward need. A good return for Trochek would add assets to use on other impact players. Garand has gotten a few starts recently and could be viewed as next years backup to Shesterkin.