NHL Rumor Mill – August 13, 2026
Check out the latest on the Flyers, Canadiens, and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James recently wondered if the Flyers should return to the offer-sheet route and look into the availability of Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli.
Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (NHL Images).
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Fantilli and the Blue Jackets remain apart in their contract negotiations. Friedman speculated the 21-year-old center could seek a deal comparable to Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks (five years, $18 million average annual value) or Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (five years, $15 million AAV). However, the Blue Jackets could prefer something within the $12 million to $15 million range.
James acknowledged a report from Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco last month indicating the Flyers are unlikely to pursue Fantilli with an offer sheet. According to Di Marco, they prefer to preserve their financial flexibility in case a better opportunity arises.
Nevertheless, James mused about whether it might be worthwhile to pursue Fantilli if he and the Blue Jackets remain apart.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ultimately, James leans toward the Flyers maintaining their cap flexibility for better opportunities. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility. And if the Flyers aren’t interested, perhaps another club might consider it.
I’d be interested in hearing what Flyers fans think. Please let us know in the comments section below.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan pondered the possibility of Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and winger Zachary Bolduc becoming sign-and-trade candidates before training camp opens on Sept. 16.
Cowan noted the Canadiens’ ongoing need for a second-line center. He also pointed out that general manager Kent Hughes hasn’t ruled out a trade in September or October, though he ruled out making a “dumb trade” just to appease fans on a short-term basis.
Xhekaj, 25, and the 23-year-old Bolduc are restricted free agents coming off low-cost contracts. Cowan believes other teams will definitely have interest in them if they become available in the trade market.
The fact neither player has signed yet led Cowan to conclude they could become part of sign-and-trade scenarios.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The longer the duo remains unsigned, the more likely the possibility that they could be traded before training camp starts.
I doubt Xhekaj or Bolduc would be enough on their own to fetch a quality second-line center who would fit well within the Canadiens’ long-term plans. Perhaps as a package deal, but even then, the Habs would likely have to add another piece to the deal as a sweetener.
OTTAWA SUN: Callum Fraser reports Senators GM Steve Staios isn’t ruling out making other moves to improve the club before the season begins.
Speaking with season ticket holders on Wednesday, Staios pointed out that he wasn’t done making trades after shipping Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, noting his acquisition of winger William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks soon afterward.
Staios maintained that he’s not done, adding he remains determined to bring the Stanley Cup to Ottawa. He also indicated that he’s focused on getting winger Drake Batherson signed to a contract extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios wanted to add a scoring winger before he moved Tkachuk and brought in Eklund and winger Andre Burakovsky. That will remain his focus throughout the coming season if he cannot find a suitable option before training camp.
The Flyers don’t appear to hold Fantilli in the same regard as Carlsson, and there is a personal connection the Flyers have with the CBJ front office. There is also a sense that the Flyers don’t want to go to the well too often, like they did for Leo.
Moving forward, Carlsson’s contract will be the focal point for most young players negotiating their long term deals. Briere will become a “favorite” for several general managers.
Briere will find trading with other GMs very tough going forward I think.
No one is happy with his stunt.
Nobody is giving Fantilli 18m, not even Briere
No, but he’s probably going to get more than he would have before Carlsson’s deal. Same with Cutter. The bar has been raised for all young players. Carlsson’s contract was not near what he’s worth, with such a small sampling.
Why not?
His production is equal to Carlsson with more goals and fewer assists in 3 years.
Carlsson- 60G/81A/141Pts.
Fantilli- 67G/73A/140Pts
Other than thinking Carlsson is overpaid or that Columbus only has $13.495M left to the cap ceiling which would handcuff them. Philadelphia has essentially the same amount $13.782M.
Vancouver has the room to offer sheet him and then trade Pettersson with 50% retained for some thing useful.
Pettersson 50% for LAK Alex Laferriere
Pettersson 50% for Detroit J.T. Compher
Pettersson 50% for Habs Kapanen
Pettersson 50% for Jets Perfetti
Pettersson 50% for Flyers Noah Cates
I’m spitballing obviously but the Canucks have the caproom to sign Fantilli $17.8M and get rid of Pettersson as bonus.
HF30: the comparison between Fantilli and Carlsson is a good argument if you are Fantail’s agent. But any GM is going to take the position firstly that Carlsson’s contract was an aberration based on an offer sheet. Want 18 million, find a team that will offer you that (albeit CBJ is probably sensitive to player retention).
The second comparison an agent advances may be Celebrini’s 18.8. The answer is, dear player, no young star is close to Celebrini.
Your spitballing on Pettersson is creative, but retaining 50% means Vancouver retains 5,800,000 for the next 5 years. Even with a rising cap that is a meaningful and sustained cap hit. Vancouver has 5 UFA contracts and and 5 RFA contracts do deal with after this coming season, and I suspect they would rather risk keeping Pettersson this season than tying that cap albatross on the books for 5 years.
If I’m Detroit’s GM (hey, maybe I am! It’s been a month and they haven’t said they hired anyone else!), I’d take that Pettersson for Compher deal in a minute. That said, why would Vancouver? Pettersson @ 50% is $5.8m, Compher is $5.1m, although with only 2 years left.
Vancouver does it because they have Fantilli as their 1C, Compher gives them value for 2 years and then he’s done.
Vancouver has 4 more years to use that $5M on some role players instead of using up $11.6M yearly on Pettersson.
Carlsson is overpaid. And if Fantilli gets anything close to his money, then he too will be overpaid
LJ makes a good point.
VCR paying Pettersson $5.8M for the next 5 years to not play for you, is a big deal IMO. That’s $29M.
I wouldn’t want to be the one to walk into Aquilini’s office and ask him to do that.
If that is the only type of deal Vcr can get done it would make sense to me to simply wait and see if he can turn it around playing for them. There is no rush, they aren’t trying to win anything this season, or the next one likely. Or the one after that….
I suppose he could always play worse, and if it is more of the same, would he be worth less?
As it stands Canucks are stuck paying $11.6M for a guy who doesn’t produce anywhere near that value.
Chytil- $4.4M
Gallagher-$3.25M
Schenn- $2.25M
Cotter- $2.125M
O’Connor- $2.5M
Which of those UFAs do they keep?
Chytil and Gallagher is a $7.65M saving.
Lekkkerimaki, Ohgren, Raty, have done nothing to show an expected increase of significance, same goes for D Elias Pettersson.
Zeev Buium will cost money to sign.
A rising cap and Fantilli as the 1C is the basis for my speculation, they can easily afford it and improve dramatically.
HF30, yes, Fantilli would help them right now, can’t argue that.
But they would also have to give up their next 4 1st rd picks I think. IMO they need a lot more than just another C to play with Malhotra & Cootes in a couple years.
And those firsts could very likely be of the lottery variety.
Not sure this is the time to be offer sheeting guys and basically trading away that kind of draft capital.
I just don’t see the need to rush anything in the rebuild or with Petey.
RB,
The Canucks are a different team now, the Hughes trade brought 4 young guys over and this past draft year was job well done.
For all the complaints about management they hold 8 picks in the first 2 rounds in the next three years.
If ever there was a time for Vancouver to make a Briere type move this is it, CBJ doesn’t have the room to do even $15M
My understanding is that the Canucks are committed to a rebuild. They need help at all positions so I don’t think giving up 4 first round picks would be in their plans.
I find it hard to understand why pundits like Fraser and Garrioch continue to ignore the obvious when looking at the Senators’ roster and possible moves. Simply put, no matter how you compile the possible 4 lines, D-pairing and goaltending tandem, you wind up with 3 bodies too many.
Here’s one example:
Eklund – Stutzle – Batherson
Burakovsky – Cozens – Zetterlund
Foegele – Pinto – Giroux
Greig – Halliday – Amadio
no assigned spot – Cousins
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Spence
Kleven – Matinpalo
no assigned spot – Yakemchuk
Ullmark – Ersson
likely claimed if attemot to send to AHL – Merilainen
Re-arrange the above all you like, but you still wind up with 3 bodies too many, with the only ones still having AHL options left being Kleven, Eklund (neither of whom are being demoted), Yakemchuk and Halliday. Is sending either of the latter to Belleville inevitable?
Stop making sense George.
the GM has to give that line, and Garrioch has nothing else to talk about in the dog days of summer.
Unfortunate.
The only long shot scenario I could see actually happening is Batherson or Greig getting traded before camp opens. Seems wildly unlikely. They covet both players. But this gm didn’t draft either of them. They have a plethora of centers…so maybe Greig. And if Batherson gets greedy he can go too.
Batherson to Vancouver for Pettersen straight up.
60% retained in year one, 50% year 2, 40% year three.
They’re the same age. It’ll cost Vancouver similar to retain Bath. Maybe the Sens can rebuild Pet’s career.
Woof. In that scenario, talk about being over-loaded with centers: Stutzle, Cozens, Pettersson, Pinto, Greig, Halliday! And no one worth their salt at RW.
However , they’d sure be in a good spot to use 2 of that coveted C position to deal for RW help.
Dark G why do they want Peterssen? They have to many centers as it is!
I think. There’s a certain appetite to be able to remake this guy. Get the 100 point player back. Nobody wants the contract. Funny thing if you get him back to even a 75 – 80 point guy….that contract starts to look pretty good.
Also. I move Elias to wing. Less responsibility. Less skating. Just less to think about. Stick to your lane and finish. Unfortunate that we lost Alfie as a coach and mentor/motivator to Swedish players.
Was more of a pipe dream than a serious proposal. I don’t want to pay Batherson stupid money. I’m not sold on the player. Not at 8, 9 or 10 million.
The better question is why anyone would want Pettersson at all? The guy makes 11 mil as a first line centre and couldn’t even get to the 60 point mark in the last 2 years. It would be crazy for any team to take that contract on. If Vancouver is retaining 50% of his salary, then it will cost them a 1st round pick at least. Something that I don’t think that they’re willing to do.
You can’t tier retention like that.
If you are doing 60% retention, it has to be the same across all years of the contract.
I say no retention to Carolina for Kotkaniemi and a solid prospect and 2nd rd pick
Hurricanes have cap kk is 4.8 plus hurricanes 9 leaves wiggle room
Pettersson is exactly the 2c they need Their style of defense I believe meets his style a style they don’t play in Vancouver which was really no style last few years.
Van gets more cap relief for their internal budget and KK can play 2 c there and rework his career buying Vancouver time to draft youth
Next Vancouver should trade Boeser to islanders for Barzal and flip him to Detroit for younger Kasper and another draft pick
Having 3 extra bodies ain’t bad.
Forwards : Greig will start with a 2 games suspension; and then a quick rotation to rest some injured bodies up front.
Defence: Yakemchuk and Matinpalo will rotate for the 6th defenceman.
Goalies: Since NHL doesn’t have EBUG anymore, teams will carry 3 goalies. It will give a chance to fully rest Ullmark against bottom of the league team.
Injuries pile up fast in the NHL
What’s wrong with a 23 players roster?
Regarding the Flyers making an offer sheet to Fantilli this Flyers fan would love to get him but I feel sure Columbus would match. If Columbus is comfortable with signing him for up to 15 Million per year, I doubt the Flyers would offer more. I don’t think the Flyers value him as highly as Carlsson. Still, he would automatically become the Flyers #1 center if they could get him.
An offer sheet is an aggressive financial move that should act as an isolated incident not a comparable to other non- offer sheet contracts. Remember a major difference is the compensation going the other way in an offer. That compensation has value that can be capitulated to real monetary value. An 18 million offer might be closer to 13- 15 million in player value plus the value of the draft picks. Not even close to the same as a straight RFA or UFA signing.
Maybe the Flyers will go the old-fashioned route this time and trade for Fantilli? They have picks and prospects, and if the Blue Jackets decide they want to reset and also move Marchenko and Werenski to start a rebuild, they could lay a great foundation with the assets they acquire. Will this be painful for Columbus? Yes, in the short term. Does it need to done? Not sure… does management view the team as a contender?
short term = 5-7 yrs