NHL Rumor Mill – July 28, 2026
A look ahead to next summer’s UFA class, and an updated look at who’s left in this summer’s UFA market in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau recently reported that winger Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars joined eight prominent players in next summer’s unrestricted free-agent class.
Robertson, 26, avoided salary arbitration by signing a one-year contract with the Dallas Stars. He’ll be eligible for UFA status next July.
Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).
The UFA Class of 2027 also includes Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar.
Other notables are goaltender Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, winger Alex DeBrincat of the Detroit Red Wings, netminder Carter Hart of the Vegas Golden Knights, and goalie Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby, Hughes, Kucherov, and Makar could all sign extensions with their current clubs before next July. Robertson could also be re-signed, but the fact the Stars were prepared to trade him to the Seattle Kraken suggests his future in the Lone Star State remains uncertain.
Binnington will likely be moved by the March 1 trade deadline. Hart could be cut loose by the Golden Knights if he remains inconsistent. DeBrincat could move on if the Red Wings continue to be on a treadmill to nowhere. The cost of re-signing Makar could leave the Avalanche with insufficient cap space for Wedgewood.
DAILY FACEOFF: The already thin NHL unrestricted free-agent market got thinner last week when Patrick Kane returned to the Chicago Blackhawks, signing a two-year, $16 million contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane returning to the team where he had his best seasons is a nice feel-good, full-circle story, but the Blackhawks overpaid for the privilege.
Winger Patrik Laine, defenseman Logan Stanley, wingers Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting and Eeli Tolvanen, and goaltender Cam Talbot are the top-five players still available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine, 28, has been mentioned as a possible reclamation project on an affordable one-year, “prove-it” contract. Stanley was reportedly seeking a four or five-year deal worth $25 million, but he’ll likely end up on a much shorter deal for less money.
Tarasenko has been linked to the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators. Still, there’s no indication he’s getting closer to a deal. Bunting has value as a cost-effective depth forward, but clubs aren’t in much of a rush to sign him.
It’s still surprising that the 27-year-old Tolvanen hasn’t been signed yet. It’s believed his asking price and the drop in his production last season are the reasons why.
Other notables include goaltender Cam Talbot, defenseman John Klingberg, winger James van Riemsdyk, goaltender Connor Ingram, forward David Perron, and center Adam Henrique.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Time has caught up with most of those players. Some of them could end up on professional tryout offers when training camp opens in September.
Where are all the rumors that Kucherov or Crosby or Makar may want to test free agency or are not willing to sign extensions???
Oh we just save that nonsense for Mcdavid 😉
Kidding.
Where were you two summers ago when pundits had Crosby signing with at least half-a-dozen different clubs?
Caught up in the Mcdavid drama I guess lol
1Oilerfan. What did you expect when McDavid only signed for 2 years in the middle of his prime.
Dont worry Oilerfan. Those McDavid rumours are really going to ramp up next summer after a 1st round exit next spring lol.
Kidding.
Assuming they get to the first round, or any round. If any team screams “disaster in the making” for this upcoming season, it’s Edmonton.
Laine in a 1 yr cheap to EDM? Depth scoring pp2 focal point
Is he unsigned bc his asking price is high? Or lack of staying healthy
Rumor is he’s unsigned because they just offer him PTOs.
One dimensional player, lack of staying healthy, mental issues, etc…
Yah, Babcock will love his high energy, two way play lol
If he is on PP 2 then he won’t be seeing much ice time.
I like Laine, he’s a sniper with a great attitude, excellent work ethic, has his body and mind in the right place.
Habs play an up tempo game that relies on pace and rotating places on the ice and he doesn’t fit into that style but every pp has a sniper at the circle and that’s his comfort spot.
Every team can use that including Montreal. I’d sign him again.
Part of me wishes that he goes to Sweden or Switzerland for a year then come back baggage free to the NHL.
Dont worry Oilerfan. Those McDavid rumours are really going to ramp up next summer after a 1st round exit next spring lol.
Kidding.
Not kidding
Sid picks team @ TDL ?
MTL or TOR or EDM? bring Cup back to Canada?
No, he stays in Pittsburgh.
I don’t know what happened to Laine at one point he was one most feared snipers in the league, what happened to him? The last three years he’s playing like the juice has been sucked right out of him. Also even though the bruins should be looking for a centre and d. Would love it if they could get Marchenko. What would it take.
Someone will get him. Looking at Columbus’s roster on PuckPedia, it’s hard to see how they’ll keep the band together next summer. 4 key RFAs (3 with arbitration rights) without a lot of cap space to spend on them.
They’ll get some relief once Elvis leaves the building, but once they’ve got Fantilli under contract, there won’t be much left to re-sign Marchenko, Voronkov, Johnson, and Mateychuk.
They could be all right fikshun if the cap goes up to $113M next season as expected. Might have to shed a contract, but not a core guy.
Next year without Fantilli and the others they will have $44M to spend.
Say, $15M for Fantilli, which is nuts IMO, but thanks Danny B. Leaves 29M. Max $20M for Marchenko, Voronkov and Mateychuk. Don’t think they’re too concerned about what to pay Johnson unless he gets it together.
$9M to fill out roster will be tough but I think I went on the high end for the guys listed too.
Might have to move a winger. If Werenski won’t sign an extension next summer they have to trade him. They are not in a position to have a guy like that walk for nothing.
Do we do a Larkin for fantilli and Johnson?
Larkin pitch is you get to play with your buddy werenski
Det gets their 1c back to play with raymond for years
Do both teams sign off?
Columbus has $14.5M cap now before Fantilli signs, so they will be pretty much at the limit without a trade.
That trade will need to be for peanuts in $.
The cap rises by $9.5M and lets say they let Merzlikins walk next year, another $5.4M leaving 15M to increase the contracts of RFA:
Marchenko- $3.85 + 8M? 11.85 total
Voronkov- $4.175+ 3M? 7.175 total
Mateychuk- $887k+ $6M? ( Mintyukov)
Goalie + $1M?
Conservatively they need $18M leaving them $3M short for their main RFAs and a goalie and there are others to sign like Kent Johnson who I have no clue how to value him.
Waddell is in a pickle.
There’s no way that I’d deal Fantilli even straight up for Larkin. Larkin wants a Cup and wouldn’t go there anyways. As a captain he’s cjose to jump ship on the Wings, not sure anyone should inject that into their team culture. Fantilli will be a stud for 15 years, they need to do whatever they can to retain him.
l if you take Fantilli out of it. Johnson for Larkin may not work either but it’s more feasible than Fantilli and Johnson Plus Larkin will not come here. Yes he has poo poo pants but wants to go for the cup. only another player that can’t figure out that there are 32 team and 1 cup. Ask Burns how many cup does he have
I don’t think it’s a crazy offer IHC, and if it meant keeping Werenski in CLB I think they would seriously consider it.
And I don’t like what Larkin is doing to the Wings right now. Demanding a trade and then tying their hands on where he will go. Jerk move IMO.
Fantilli hasn’t hit 60 pts yet playing the #1C and it sounds like he will make at least $12M a year and talk of him getting $15M. Which is flippin’ nuts IMO. But he’s young and yes, I think he turns into close to a pt/gm player or maybe even exceeds that. Plus has some size which helps. But that is big $$ for a guy who hasn’t done it yet and based on potential.
But Larkin is close to a point per game player now and has potted 30 goals in 5 straight years. And will make way less money for the next 5 years @ $8.7m. That’s huge.
Johnson has little no value. he’s 6′ and a buck 70. Dude is twig. If he isn’t scoring what is he accomplishing? And he ain’t scoring, not even close. He’ll be 24 when the season starts and be entering his 5th full NHL season. It’s time to produce, or see ya.
Ray, it is out there that Fantilli and CBJ are close on the contract. It is estimated that he will take $13-13.5 AAV x 5. Fanni is still on vacation, so there should be more on this next week.