Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 26, 2026
Check out the latest speculation about the Jets and the Kraken in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates examined the decline of the Winnipeg Jets into a “mushy middle” team (too good to tank, too flawed to win), and suggested how they can get out of it.
One way could be trading one of their core players, such as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, winger Kyle Connor, defenseman Josh Morrissey, or center Mark Scheifele.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).
Hellebuyck could fetch a top-four defenseman or a second-line center. Connor might be able to fetch a return comparable to what the Calgary Flames received when they traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in 2022. The return for Morrissey or Scheifele would include a young player who might develop into a top defenseman or a top center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ates doubted that the Jets would take a proactive approach to that kind of deal. Nevertheless, he thinks such deals are worth discussing.
Ates also looked at some trade options to address their need for a second-line center.
The top one would be Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Winnipeg. However, Ates admits that Thomas serves the purpose of an unattainable star talent.
Targeting a restricted free agent center stuck in a third-line role on another club is another option. Ates suggested someone such as Mavrik Bourque of the Dallas Stars or Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres.
They could also pursue a young center lacking no-trade protection, such as Connor Zary of the Calgary Flames, Ridly Greig of the Ottawa Senators, or Emmitt Finnie of the Detroit Red Wings. However, there’s no certainty that those clubs will part with them.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ates also looked at veterans past their prime or those on bad contracts, but he doesn’t see the Jets going those routes. Pursuing someone like Bourque or Krebs might be an easier route, but that doesn’t mean they’re available. If they are, the Jets will have competition to get them. It seems most clubs are in the market for skilled centers.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Tim Booth and Kate Shefte looked at which players on the Kraken could be on the move this summer.
Shefte noted that Kraken general manager Jason Botterill wants to upgrade his forward lines. She believes Matty Beniers is safe, and she doesn’t see the Kraken parting with promising forward Berkly Catton. She also thinks Chandler Stephenson’s contract would be difficult to move.
Everyone else should at least be on the table. Shefte believes pending UFA Bobby McMann is worth keeping and acknowledged they’ll have to “throw a wad of cash at him” to get him to stay, but she doesn’t want them to overpay too much.
Booth believes goaltender Philipp Grubauer’s improvement this season could improve his value in the trade market. He would let defenseman Jamie Oleksiak depart via free agency, and also wondered whether moving one of Ryker Evans, Vince Dunn, or Adam Larsson would be unreasonable. He thinks they’ll have to part with one of them if they hope to bring in help for their forward lines.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were among the league’s lowest-scoring teams. That popgun offense was largely responsible for their inability to remain in the playoff race this season. It must be addressed, which could force Botterill to make a bold move or two this summer.
Although not referenced by Lyle, I thought the opinions of some Leafs’ fans favourite scribes – Steve Simmons – on the 2 who appear to be the “finalists” for the GM job in Toronto (Chayka and White) is worth a read.
https://torontosun.com/sports/simmons-says-reason-to-worry-if-these-two-are-maple-leafs-gm-finalists?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-ca
The thing Simmons overlooks is, if the new GM is required to have each and every move rubber-stamped by Pelley & “The Committee” what difference will it make who is chosen?
Wait, what? Is someone saying that it’s likely that a guy who does not own the company he works for no matter his title, will ultimately have someone…like the owner, to answer to?🤣
You’re right! It will never matter who they pick, right or wrong. What is the illusion people have of a GM? Is it they receive a budget, like $250M for the year to build the business, in this case, the hockey operation – it’s teams and infrastructure? And if your use of those resources don’t add up, one should be expected to be replaced, right? Now as an owner, doesn’t that onuses fall on everyone since, you the owner, trusted everyone you pay to produce positive returns on your investment. So everyone has a responsibility to succeed and ultimately someone to answer to.
If you’re implying meddling, don’t people do that out of desperation or lack of confidence in a person’s ability or judgement…if you’re the final decision and choose that person in the first place, what exactly does that say about your abilities and worth to an organization or to the owner who hired you?
*YAWN*Gossip is easy and a fun way to air out unfounded, but often biased suspensions.
My only point was … “Pelley: it will be a re-tool … not a re-build.”
So, regardless of who they bring in as GM, ANY move he makes towards a deal will need to be scrutinized first by Pelley +? to determine – to their satisfaction – that it’s commensurate with the “re-tool only” edict.
Which raises the question, is their GM of the future intended to be more like a minion to do the preliminary groundwork and, if and when he has all the parameters if a possible trade, it will be Pelley (+) who either gives their approval or rejection??
You have to think they are not going to wait until the deal is actually concluded before deciding if it meets their “re-tool only” edict.
Silly way to run a major franchise like that.
But George when the Bolts missed that one year, did everyone yell, rebuild? I guess maybe they have but hindsight shows us if there were those saying rebuild they’d be dead wrong, just like every year people count out TB.
The only major difference between the previous season team and this season is mainly Marner, right? So lose one core member means rebuild is better than retooling, something all teams do in one degree or another. If anyone thinks the Leafs should do a complete rebuild then why not the Sens? They have only 2 short playoff appearances and years of missing out in the same time frame as the Leafs…don’t they need a complete rebuild in the matter we are talking about the Leafs? It’s like I said before, you don’t do a whole kitchen renovation because your facet has a leak, right?
Lastly, these guys lie to us…after all it’s their private business not any of ours, so lying should be expected. We don’t really (ever) know what goes on behind closed doors unless we are in the room. We can only judge what they did and why, that’s all. For the record I’m not impressed.
Ron, again – I’M not one saying they should blow it up and do a re-build.
My ONLY point is, Pelley has made it clear that it WON’T resort to a re-build, instead focusing on tinkering around what’s left of he core.
Fine. That’s the way the ownership “group” wants it to go. So, Mr. X – whoever you may be – if you want to pursue a trade it first has to be determined by us if it falls within those parameters.
Isn’t that the way it’s shaping up? And, if so, is that not hamstringing the man you just hired to run your club by limiting his authority?
I just can’t see it any other way after listening to Pelley’s recent press scrum.
Hellebuyck, Scheifele, and Connor all have nmc’s. Connor just signed huge extension last October. Morrisey is their top dman. 15 team ntc. Even if you could trade any of them, will team be better? Perfetti is rfa. Villardi lacks trade protection. Jets currently sit at 7th pick. Could move up or down.
A few centers projected to go top 10. Not sure any of them are NHL ready. I think a couple of them are playing ncaa next year.
Slick
What if panthers offered their 1st and Rodrigues for Belley?
Does peg say no? Don’t Helly would say no
A more reasonable trade for Hellebuyck (because I don’t really know who Helly is) would be Floridas’ first and Anton Lundell…to me this is what you need for the worlds’ best goaltender
Don, you don’t know Helly?? He does have many friends! Especially since winning Gold at the Olympics against the world’s best!!!! 👍
MB4. I’d agree with Don O. If I’m Winnipeg, I’d want Lundell. Hellebuyck could hurt Jets by using his nmc to limit suitors.
The Detroit Red Wings have the best goaltending pipeline in the NHL. Y should trade one of his goalies in a package for Helly if he wishes to bolt from Winny. Yes, Cossa + for Helly would certainly move the needle. Running with Helly and the oft-injured Gibby till the TDL or the end of Gibby’s contract would give Detroit the best tandem in the NHL and Detroit has the Cap to do it. If Gibby is traded or let go, there are plenty of newcomers to fill in the void.
Detroit’s goaltending depth is impressive. You have Gibson, Cossa, Postava, Augustine, and Gylander, who impressed in GRG in his 8 games. Guimond dominated in the USHL. Then there’s Pradel and Miller, who continue to show their stuff at a professional level. They really need to trade some of this depth for other positions of need.
George O
I think you hit the nail on the head about the Leafs’ new GM.
If they have to run every hockey trade through by a committee the Leafs will get nowhere.
I do believe that is why Dubas no longer works for the Leafs. There was a power struggle between Dubas and Shanahan.
Rumours are that Dubas wanted to split up the “core 4” to get a #1defenceman and Shanahan vetoed the deal.
An NHL GM should have full autonomy to build the team as he sees fit or the President and GM role should be held by the same person.
Daryl, when your argument begins with “if” it’s not a valid point. If is not definitive and really means nothing because the opposite of that if is equally as likely. For example, what IF your right and Dubas wanted to break up the “core four” for a defenseman, IF that defenseman he was trading for was Karlsson was that still wrong what Shannahan did?
I think what’s fair is that we just don’t know enough to definitively confirm anything. You can always express your suspicions but that’s all they are, s#its & giggles! 🤭
Forget the Dubas smokescreen argument as to whether or not it actually happened that way.
As I post above – the simple question is, does the new GM have FULL authority to run the team as he sees fit – or not?
No s&^ts … no giggles. A simple assumption based on Pelley’s own clearly-stated position.
George O,, I just read Steve Simmons column as you suggested. If these two are the finalists that a consulting firm was able to help navigate embarrassing is too generous of a word.
I can think of another but I’ll leave that to your imagination.
The first person who should be fired is Scott Pelley. The longer his fingers are meddling in something he knows nothing about the worse things will get.
The fact that he refused to hire a president which is standard for most professional nhl franchises smacks of complete ignorance and arrogance.
Leaving Brad Treveling alone at the wheel was another mistep. The Brandon Carlo trade should have gotten him fired. Instead Pelley (who admitted knows little s out hickey) kept Gilligan steering the SSMinnow to continue the damage.
Then there’s Berube. How long do you implement the same dump and chase system that doesn’t work with these players and continue to keep your job?
Middle six forwards are too small. The rest of the team are too old, too slow, refuse to back check, forecheck, hit, or fight.
Captain gets knee taken out and four other leafs nowhere to be found.
This is only going to get worse.
We don’t need data driven people no one has even heard of when you have big names who have proven capabilities and experience to get the job done the right way.