NHL Rumor Mill – August 10, 2026
Check out the latest on the Ducks and Stars in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
NHL.COM: How Leo Carlsson’s new contract will affect the Anaheim Ducks is among the big questions facing the club this season.
Carlsson signed a five-year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers last month worth an average annual value of $18 million. The Ducks matched the offer, but it was far more expensive than what they had been prepared to pay.
Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier (NHL Images).
The most immediate effect will be on the cost of signing restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier. Like Carlsson, the 21-year-old winger is coming off his entry-level contract. Unlike Carlsson, he’s ineligible to sign an offer sheet.
After matching the Carlsson offer, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said the intent was to get Gauthier signed. However, he acknowledged he had work to do to fit everyone within their salary-cap space for this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks have just over $9 million in cap space for this season. It’s rumored Gauthier could seek as much as $15 million. Verbeek will attempt to get him signed for less than that, but he could still end up having to make a cost-cutting trade or two at some point during this season to free up enough cap room.
The Ducks could get some relief by placing sidelined winger Troy Terry ($7 million AAV) on long-term injury reserve before their regular-season schedule begins next month. However, they’ll have to free up room to become cap-compliant once Terry returns from hip surgery later this year.
Veteran forwards Alex Killorn ($6.5 million) and Frank Vatrano ($4.57 million) have been rumored as trade candidates.
NHL.COM: Jason Robertson’s future is among the three big questions facing the Dallas Stars this season.
Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract for this season. The 27-year-old Stars winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
The two sides can open contract talks on Jan. 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson was the subject of trade rumors stretching back to last summer. Stars GM Jim Nill maintained his club wanted to keep the high-scoring winger in the fold, while Robertson insisted he wanted to stay with the Stars.
Nevertheless, the Stars had a deal in place to trade Robertson to the Seattle Kraken in late June, but the deal fell through when he declined to sign a contract extension.
The one-year deal buys time for both sides. It gives Robertson another season to prove his worth, while giving the Stars another opportunity to negotiate with him knowing they’ll have more salary cap flexibility with which to sign him.
If I were the bruins I would send Gauthier an offer sheet. What an addition that guy would be. Bruins would be a tough team to play with this guy in the lineup.
John, Gauthier is ineligible to be offer-sheeted. Even though he’s an RFA coming off his ELC, he does not have the required NHL service time.
Would it surprise anybody if Kurt Overhardt was pushing for a 1 year contract, treating it like an RFA arbitration ( which it isn’t) making him an RFA with arbitration rights and more importantly able to get an offer sheet.
Bext year the cap rises by $9.5M and another $12.75M is freed by Kreider and Killorn becoming UFA.
Larkin and Edvinsson for Gauthier and the 2027 Wing 2nd
Cutter is then traded to NYI for Barzal and Romanov
Those are the main assets of the trades, but may require some other minor assets, for sure!
Is it too late to buy out Killorn? He turns 37 next month and has a cap hit over 6m. Can save over 4m
Once Seguin’s 9.85 million comes off the books, there will be plenty of money for Robertson… Just watch, Seguin will have a solid bounceback year and Jim Nill will get him to sign for 2million in 2027-28.
I don’t believe he can be, Slick62. The NHL contract buyout window for this off-season closed back on June 30. Also, I don’t think a team can utilize a second buyout if they don’t have a player who went through salary arbitration, and since the Ducks didn’t have any arbitration cases there’s no accepted mechanism provided by the CBA to buy out the remaining year of his contract.
At least, that’s how I understand that convoluted crap.
Oh well. I Guess they’re going to have to play the ltir game. Ducks could do what Dallas did and just give Gauthier a reasonable 1 year deal with promise of a better extension next year.
Ya Ducks are in a bit of a pickle.
IMO you do what you need to to get through this season and start the process of building to a contender again.
Move a vet forward, whichever one you can.
Sign a 1 year deal with Cutter if that is all that is available to you.
Try and find some D depth.
Likely would want to save some $$ to target Martone when eligible for an offer sheet just to repay the favor, but doesn’t look to be in the cards with Senneke needing a new deal starting in 2 years.
If I was Martone or Michkov, I would be keeping the OS option open before signing anything as it may be coming. Personally I hope it does, from whatever team. Not so high that Philly doesn’t match, but painful.
To Ducks:Schneider, Cuylle and a 1st
To NYR: Gauthier.
Like Leo the Ducks have to keep Cutter
A one year might be the short term answer ..
$9 and change Followed by a 7 year big bucks no whammy
The only thing in relation to term Is to be up at the same time
Vatrano has to go whatever it takes
Yes! And extend Cutter before the season ends!
Still no word on Fantilli getting closer to signing an extension with Columbus, eh!?!