NHL Rumor Mill – May 8, 2026
Check out the latest on the Oilers, Senators, and Bruins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
ARE BIG CHANGES COMING FOR THE OILERS?
SPORTSNET: NHL insider Frank Seravalli believes changes are coming for the Edmonton Oilers this summer. He doesn’t know if those changes will occur on the backs of listening to their superstars (Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl), but he felt that management “heard them loud and clear”.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid and Draisaitl were publicly critical of the Oilers’ performance this season. McDavid felt the club was “average with high expectations”, and Draisaitl said they took significant steps backward this season.
Seravalli believes head coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff will be sent packing. He also felt there would be changes in the front office and wondered how the Oilers would go about rejigging their roster.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).
He mused about whether they can find a team willing to take defenseman Darnell Nurse off their hands and what type of sweetener would have to be included in the deal. They must also find a goaltender.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nurse must agree to waive his no-movement clause. If he does, it’ll likely be for a limited number of teams, most of whom will want the Oilers to retain part of his $9.25 million annual salary-cap hit, or take back a toxic contract, or package Nurse with a high draft pick or a top prospect.
Finding a goaltender will also be a daunting challenge. There are netminders available in free agency, but they’re either starters who are past their prime or backup goalies. The Oilers need a reliable starter, which could send them into the trade market, but the pickings there will also be slim.
WILL THE SENATORS PURSUE A FORWARD THROUGH TRADE OR FREE AGENCY?
OTTAWA SUN: In a recent mailbag segment, Callum Fraser was asked what it would take for the Senators to add a top-six winger to center Tim Stutzle’s line.
Fraser doesn’t see the Senators dangling top prospect Carter Yakemchuk. Prospect defenseman Lance Hensler’s stock is lower than Ottawa would like right now, and they don’t have a high first-rounder to leverage, plus that pick isn’t movable until it becomes a prospect. That means they’ll have to move a roster player or two.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That roster player could be Dylan Cozens, who lacks no-trade protection. However, he carries an AAV of $7.1 million. Rival clubs would love to land Shane Pinto. He’s starting a new long-term deal in July with an AAV of $7.5 million, but the Senators might be reluctant to part with him.
Fabian Zetterlund could be another trade candidate. He has a more affordable $4.275 million AAV, but he’s struggled to regain his 24-goal career-best performance of 2023-24.
The Senators could also turn to the free-agent market to add more depth among their forward lines. Potential UFA options could include A.J. Greer, Mason Marchment, Ilya Mikheyev, Erik Haula, and Jack Roslovic.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchment would provide physicality, which would take part of the burden off team captain Brady Tkachuk. He’s put up decent offensive numbers over the past three seasons, but he also takes costly penalties. Roslovic is a three-time 20-plus goal scorer, but his production tends to be streaky.
COULD THE BRUINS MOVE A DEFENSEMAN?
THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa reports the Boston Bruins have all but two of their roster defensemen under contract for next season. Andrew Peeke is UFA-eligible on July 1, while Jordan Harris is a restricted free agent.
However, that doesn’t mean that all of those blueliners under contract will be back next season.
Shinzawa believes Mason Lohrei has an uncertain future in Boston. GM Don Sweeney praised the 25-year-old blueliner’s improvement alongside Hampus Lindholm. However, he finished the season as a healthy scratch.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lohrei might be packaged in a trade deal to bring in a player who can address other roster needs.
Most everything in Edmonton comes back to goaltending. They will not move forward at all without one. Securing one depends on what kind of assets the Oilers are willing to part.
Oilers could have had Vladar or Hart for half of what they’re paying Jarry to ride the pine.
Someone in a suit needs to be fired.
Or maybe had Ellis off waivers or via an economical trade
I suggested Vladar last off season as well, his #’s weren’t great but seemed like a guy with talent that could have it click. The right age for that to happen.
I am sure they spoke to him, why wouldn’t they. Either didn’t like the cost for an unknown, or he wanted to play somewhere else.
But that ship has sailed and can’t change it, and they have Jarry under contract, so now what?
You aren’t getting a true #1 guy, there are only 10 or so of those in the NHL and teams don’t trade them unless forced to.
So a backup or AHL guy that is blocked, or the UFA route. 2 of the top 5 UFA tenders are guys they have already had. You could argue 2 of the top 3.
None of those options are great.
Easy to say get a tender, turns out it’s really hard to do.
Agree on firing guys. I have ranted about Jackson – he started this mess by losing Broberg and Holloway – and Bowman for the brutal, panic trade for Jarry.
Both are mistakes worthy of being fired.
Nurse ($3M retained) and Hyman for Cossa. Hyman has an 8 team trade list on July 1. Cossa is RFA, could be signed before the trade for $2.3M x 2 or 3. The Oil reduce their cap by over $9M. Hyman is the sweetener, maybe require more….
A few teams have a logjam in net.
Two that cone to mind are Buffalo and Toronto.
Buffalo carried three goalies for part of the year and they have Devon Levi waiting in the wings. Would EDM be interested in trading for one of the 3 goalies currently on the Sabres roster?
Toronto has Stolarz and Woll with Hildeby requiring waivers to be sent down. He’d surely be claimed if they tried to send him down.
DET has plenty of goalies coming up. Would Gibson agree to go to EDM for a chance at a playoff run before becoming a UFA?
Edmonton is in a similar situation as Toronto with limited draft capital and few prospects. From what the coach said, they will need to find players that will accept their role as defensive specialists and not simply try to outscore the other team every game.
Don’t be surprised if Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen becomes available in Buffalo. He’s lost his job and BUF needs space to resign their full complement of players due new deals. Tuch being number one to resign.
How about Nurse 3M retained plus Gibson and Edvinson for Bouchard
SJ trade with oilers
Nurse , McDavid
For 2 1st this year
Choice of Misa or eklund
A additional 1st if they win cup
Think Edmonton will make teams really up, LA, Utah can make those types of offers as well. Even Chicago.
They can get Korpi for a signed McDavid photo
To Ottawa: Lafreniere and Schneider
To NYR: Pinto, Klevin and pick 32
I wouldn’t do that if I were Staois. We have our RD set and Kleven is pretty much invaluable to the club as we have no solid LD coming down the pipe.
I’d con template lafraniers for pinto straight up. Numbers aren’t that far off and Pinto is waaay better defensively and plays a much more important position.
Ottawa can’t trade pick 32 as part of the conditions of having a pick restored. At least, not the pick itself. What they COULD do is agree to draft someone to the liking of another team, and then later make a separate trade with that player being part of the deal.
And NO way are they dealing Kleven. He’s already a physical force who’s only going to become even more dangerous with bone-crushing but legal hits now that he’s become a full-time regular and likely the eventual 2nd-pairing LD b/o Sanderson.
What would it take to trade Pinto to the Leafs, realistically? I think that fans of teams need to ask those question rather than make a flat out proposal…understandably, maybe Pinto isn’t someone the Sens want to move but maybe it’s another center or will require a higher offer. But I think he would be a good fit though there might be better out there (availability, cost to acquire and skill set).
Lohrei was really talked up on here…big, strong, RD…What happened? Is it coaching, player, or team usage hurting him? What would his value be for the Bs to trade him?
Not sure who was talking Lohrei up Ron, I remember more negative.
He’s shoots left but has played the right side on occasion. Big, yes. Strong, if he is doesn’t use it enough.
My take on him is he has skill, but tries to use it at the wrong times too often, hence mistakes that lead to chances the other way.
With his reach he should help on the PK, but they don’t trust him on it yet. Suggests anticipation isn’t great yet.
He has played less than 200 NHL games, takes D a while, so maybe he figures it out. Or maybe he doesn’t. He has trade value as there is talent, just some risk involved that he doesn’t develop into a reliable top 4 guy and he remains a bottom pair guy with ability to be better, but never does.
Nurse ($3M retained) and Hyman for Cossa. Hyman has an 8 team trade list on July 1. Cossa is RFA, could be signed before the trade for $2.3M x 2 or 3. The Oil reduce their cap by over $9M. Hyman is the sweetener, maybe require more….
Hey Johnny, I get that you take a lot of swings at trades, and I appreciate it as we all get to then tear it apart and feel smart. So off I go.
Cossa has played 1 NHL game. One.
Hyman scored over 30 goals this year and was hurt. He scored 50 last year and makes only $5.5/year. He has significant value. Plus he does a lot of heavy lifting physically.
Folks can say whatever they want about Nurse, but he is a top 4 D all day, who brings offence, can wheel, 6’4″, is physical, and will scrap anyone if needed. He makes mistakes positionally too often, but most of that went away after they got Murphy.
He is the whipping boy in Edmonton because he gets paid too much, and he does.
Giving up a top 4 D and a 1st line winger for a tender that is in the AHL and cap space won’t help the Oil. They need more good players, not less, they should focus on getting them.
Extra cap space would be nice, but they just got way worse if they do that. Replace those 2 guys with who?
I don’t watch the Oil, Ray, so I can’t dispute your assessment of Nurse.
But you say he does get paid too much. If that’s the case, and as the Oil need to make improvement in several positions, why not try to move him and gain cap space?
Nurse has all the tools except for 1, he has zero hockey IQ
Nurse is also a cap dump. OK, I concede, Hyman is a reach way too far. Then Nurse (2M retained) for Cossa. Cossa has done rather well in N. Canada in his pre-pro days, he feels at home there.
Nurse could be paired with Seider. I think that would cover up his deficiency. 😉….maybe.
I always appreciate your input, Ray. 👍
Hi LJ, it’s a pet peeve of mine;
Trade a good player for cap space, use it to get better players. Sounds great, that was easy!
What better players?
Cap space doesn’t score, doesn’t make saves, doesn’t prevent goals. Players do.
A whack of teams will have cap space, what most team don’t have are players that help you compete for a cup.
Oilers got to the SCF 2 years in a row, and both Nurse and Hyman played a big part in getting them there. If you don’t replace them with players that are better, you just got worse.
I’m fine trading Nurse, they have 1 too many LD’s that can play in their top 4, best have a player coming back that helps now.
If Detroit will trade Cossa for Isaac Howard, then consider it. Both first round picks, both played well in AHL last season.
Some Leaf fans (not all) were get rid of this guy or that guy use the cap space for guys who can defend, have grit, etc. Well they did, how did that go?
JohnnyZ, I’ve floated the idea of a Cossa/Hyman deal for a bit now. Not sold on Nurse as part of it. Normally, I don’t think EDM makes that trade, but throwing him in as a cap dump changes things. Would the Wings want that contract, though?
Trading Nurse and that contract will be the sell job of the century, even with salary retention and a sweetener.
The Oilers problem is NOT simply goaltending, it is being able to play good defensive hockey WITHOUT sacrificing offense.
Every slow start to the season brings panic because McDavid and Draisatl are not scoring at the expected high pace.
Always, that puts emphasis on trying to win with offense ramped up , and the “FIX” for the defence is the trade-deadline moves.
It is a yearly cycle as the team adds expensive veterans and watches young guys like Holloway and Broberg develop elsewhere.
A new coach or new goalie will only work *IF* the Oilers can learn to play a good balanced game from day 1 of the season.
Great assessment doktor dave and your treatment plan is bang on too.
I would suggest the commitment to D needs to start with McDavid and Draisaitl. They can be better than they have been in that regard. The rest will follow.
I would add McLeod to the list of young players they should have kept.
How about Reilly tor for nurse? Does that make sense?
Oil saves $2M on the cap.
I think both need a change is scenery and bring something that both teams need.
Nurse played up to prior expectations when he was partnered with Murphy which is reason enough to re-sign Murphy.
Some kind of Boston/Edmonton trade should be worked out.
To Boston- Draisaitl +
To Edmonton- Swayman +
Edmonton gets the goalie it needs and cap space.
Boston gets the offense it needs and a home for DiPietro with NCAA prospects in the pipeline.
Bruins could add a couple of mid-round picks 3rd, 4th round in lieu of a prospect.
HF30, I think the B’s would need to make it a really big +. Like too big to have it make sense as it would deplete their roster too much, and Draisaitl is about winning now. He made that pretty darn clear after the season so he ain’t going in that situation.
Elite center, like top 3 in the NHL, for a good to very good goalie. Top 10 -12 guys say? Throw in Zacha and the Oil don’t hang up.
Would you do that B’s fans?
Ray Bark, I would definitely consider that trade. Boston is not close to winning a cup right now. There only way to land a first line center like Leon would be to trade Swayman.I would think Draistail would like to be the lead dog instead of being in McDavids footsteps his whole career.
I Like Swayman but I pull that trigger if I was boston
Then I would trade a 1st plus Essiymont and a 4th. For Walsteadt from MN
In pure fantasy land
Someone else is advocating for Harley to Leaf-land trade. Not exactly naming what it would take, but the Leafs do have other assets than the #1 OA.
https://editorinleaf.com/the-maple-leafs-suddenly-have-a-chance-to-land-a-game-changing-defenseman?utm_source=RSS
Harley for Lil’ Robertson or Cowan and McCabe and a prospect or pick?
Harley would cause a bidding war if made available. However, the Leafs would gain an edge with Robo’s lil’ bro being in the return. It might make Robo’s contract negotiation go smoother too!
Johnny Z
Would he?
As a career defenceman with a .52ppg and a $10.25M AAV? Sounds like recipe for disaster.
Rielly has nearly the same PPG average and the fan base wants him gone.
I’m not saying Harley isn’t better than Rielly, but with that cap hit he’s going to be under a microscope in Toronto.
I wonder if there is a deal with VAN for Hronek? If they’re trying to rebuild and TOR is trying to re-tool, could there be a deal to be made? Hronek and Rielly have the same AAV
Rielly and Robertson for Hronek?
The Oilers have their goalie tandem written in sharpie. Jarry, then signing UFA Stuart Skinner. They’ll be running with the “1d/1e” goalie philosophy.
I get that Cossa has been pretty good in the minors. But, over the years, there have been plenty of goalies that have done that and have not become a reliable goalie in the NHL. To expect a top 6 forward to be a part of a deal for someone that is unproven at the NHL level is insane.
But, I would not expect to take care of the Oilers needs all in one move. If they decide to move Nurse (with him willing to waive that is) then you take that pill with a grain of salt and move on.
The Oilers then have to look at the goaltending situation separately. Ingram played well enough to earn himself a new contract to be the backup or 1B. Can they move Jarry in a deal for another goaltender? It will cost them a pick and a prospect…..more depending on who the goalie is that they would get back.