NHL Rumor Mill – August 17, 2026
What’s the latest on the Bruins and Panthers? Would Vladimir Tarasenko be a good fit with the Flyers? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BOSTON HERALD: Steve Conroy recently mused over when and how the Bruins will deal with center Pavel Zacha’s contract status.
Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (NHL Images).
Zacha, 29, is in the final season of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. His durability and reliability make him worthwhile to retain, but he could also fetch valuable pieces in a trade.
The Bruins have promising centers on the team (Fraser Minten) or in their system (James Hagens, Dean Letourneau) who could be blocked if Zacha is re-signed.
If the Bruins are out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, moving him could be easy if he remains unsigned by then. However, it’s unlikely he’ll be traded if they’re in the thick of the postseason race.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed the Bruins want to re-sign Zacha, but they’ve also been open to trade inquiries. Much will depend on what he’s seeking on his next contract, and where the Bruins are in the standings as the March 1 trade deadline approaches. For now, expect Zacha to be in the Bruins’ lineup when they open their season next month.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards believes the Panthers could give Patrik Laine a look if winger Brad Marchand is sidelined long term.
Laine, 28, is among the notable players still available in this summer’s UFA market. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Marchand recently underwent surgery and is expected to miss training camp and the start of the regular season.
Richards noted that Laine has some links to the Panthers. He played under head coach Paul Maurice during their tenures with the Winnipeg Jets, and played with Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during their youth hockey days.
Laine could be an affordable option on a one-year, “prove-it” contract. Richards suggested signing him to a professional tryout offer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We don’t know what the Panthers’ plans are to replace Marchand, let alone if Laine would be part of them. He certainly wouldn’t replace Marchand’s energetic, gritty style of play. Still, as Richards pointed out, there is little downside with giving Laine a shot.
NHL NETWORK: Mike Rupp recently suggested that Vladimir Tarasenko could be a good fit with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 34-year-old winger is coming off a bounce-back performance with the Minnesota Wild last season, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games.
Rupp believes Tarasenko could help the Flyers improve their power play, which hasn’t been good for some time. He felt they need more finishers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rupp makes a good point about the Flyers needing help with the man advantage. Their power-play percentage last season (15.7) was dead last in the league.
Like Patrik Laine, Tarasenko is among the few notable players still available in this summer’s UFA market. Whether the Flyers share Rupp’s view that the veteran winger could help them remains to be seen. Rookie winger Porter Martone and a better performance from third-year winger Matvei Michkov could boost those stats significantly.
RW Drake Batherson, who turns 29 next April. has career 82-game averages of 26g 38a 64 pts, which ranks among a group of RW sitting below the elite at that position – Kucherov ($9.5 mil), Pastrnak ($11.25 mil), Marner $12 mil), Nylander ($11.5 mil), Rantanen ($12 mil), Keller ($7.15 mil), DeBrincat ($7.875 mil) and Caufield ($7.85 mil). And unlike those players, Batherson has consistently finished his seasons with a minus in his defensive play, sporting a career -87 there.
So, suggestions in today’s Garrioch column that he and his agent somehow believe he is justified in seeking an 8-year $80 mil commitment ($10 mil AAV) from Ottawa, taking him to age 37 in the final year (which must be signed by Sept 15), not to mention becoming the highest-paid on the team, borders on the ludicrous. I could care less that that idiot in L.A. gave that type of deal to Kempe, thereby setting the so-called bar. If they remain rigid on that score, trade his ass out of town right now.
In today’s market, all those players you listed are on value contracts now. Many of them would be $15M+ contracts if free agents today.
Batherson at $10M is not out of line considering that Tuch just got $10.5M from Washington through 2034.
Also, Chinakov and McMichael just got contracts in the mid $6M too, and he’s been way more productive than them.
Agents aren’t using comps of players that are in the middle/back-end of existing long term deals. They are using comps of players signed NOW under these new market circumstances.
Sorry, to me he is NOT the best player on the team .. and that sort of deal would pay him in excess of $2 and $3 mil more per season than Stutzle, Pinto, Cozens and Sanderson.
I much prefer the philosophy of Slafkovsky when it comes to salary vis-a-vis team overall strength.
No, he’s not the best, but that’s not how free agent contracts work. It’s all timing.
If Stutzle (in year 4 of 8yr contract) could rip up his deal he’d jump from $8M to $14M+ on a contract in today’s market.
Sanderson is in Yr 3 of 8. He’d also jump way above $8M if he was a free agent today.
Guys locked into those 7/8 year deals that were signed 3+ years ago are going to be way underpaid moving forward.
Given the cap and market jump the last couple years, I think a lot more top end players are going to take shorter deals going forward so they can cash out multiple times as the cap & salaries rise (like Celebrini & Bedard both taking 5 year deals instead of 8).
Is Batherson the best player in Ottawa? No.
Does the timing of his new contract in today’s market likely make him the highest paid? Yes
George to be fair when comparing performance to salary AAV, you have to look at the percentage of the cap when the contract was signed.
For example, if you find a player that is very compatible or basically a clone, you can look at the percentage his cap hit, say it was 10% of an $80m cap thus being an $8m AAV, Batherson receiving the same 10% of the cap which now is $100m salary cap, means $10m AAV isn’t any worse for the team (other than the owners pocket book) to add or improve the team like your comparable has.
I also see how a percentage of cap being a better presumption of the correlation the player’s impact and/or role he plays on the team.
The main point of my rant was that an 8-year deal would take him to age 37! Does anyone seriously believe he’s going to maintain his yearly 82-game averages for even half that span? And, get better from a defensive aspect? Yeah, maybe his consistency HAS marginally improved over the past 4 seasons … BUT, paying a player top-10 forward money requires a sustained point-per-game production – something he hasn’t accomplished.
The best I’d give him is a 6-year deal at $7.5 to $8 mil per … and THAT would be more than generous. If he doesn’t want that, and Staios can find a team willing to meet his demands, move him for a pick and a top prospect.
I’ll give him 9m x 6.
Best offer.
And no “NO MOVE”.
he can submit a list of the usuals…and we’ll do our best to accomodate.I’d prefer 8m a year with 3-5m more in signing bonuses paid AFTER each season’ bench marks are met. Games played. Goals. Assists. Points. Etc etc.
And just to respond to foleyd7 above …. don’t even begin to compare Batherson’s value to the team ahead of Stutzle and Sanderson. They are legitimately in the top half of centers and D. Batherson is not.
Should read “Batherson is not in the same category among RWs.”
I’d trade Zacha and Lohrei right now if the bruins could get Larkin I think that would be a significant improvement, plus you’ve got a number one centre more speed and Dylan’s already under contract til the year 2031 get him to change his trade list ..a mere formality.
Minten Hagen and salary dump lindholm Elias for Larkin and copp??
I believe Zach’s led the league in goals from late Jan early Feb. definitely did in March
I can see the Bruins holding on to Zacha to see how close they are to the playoffs before making a trade however I cannot see Sweeney waiting to trade Lohrei, Middlestadt,the Joker or Poitras. Now if they can get Larkin,Zacha is the first person I would offer!You sure you don’t t mean Geekie?
I can see the Bruins holding on to Zacha to see how close they are to the playoffs before making a trade however I cannot see Sweeney waiting to trade Lohrei, Middlestadt,the Joker or Poitras. Now if they can get Larkin,Zacha is the first person I would offer!
One of the few suggestions I have read in which the Wings get a decent first line center back, John.
If the Wings can get Zacha to first agree to an extension they might bite, with a high draft pick thrown in.
LJ,
Wow how did Zacha become a decent first line centre when last year he wasn’t even an acceptable second line centre????
I d make that move immediately if I was Boston!
I d make that move immediately if I was Boston!
LOL! I love it HF30.
The answer lies in the context.
My reservations about Zacha last year – to the Habs – were his age: 29, which is not old per se, but not the profile the Habs have been targeting.
At the time of my comments there was the possibility of Hage playing a full season this coming year, and as I recall Kapanen was doing well. So my concern was Zacha taking playing time better spent on our young players.
I was also concerned that his great season last year was an anomaly, and stated it was rare for a player to blossom and repeat a career year that occurred in his 10th full season. The other 9 seasons do not say 2C to me.
Even though Hage won’t play significant games – if any – for the Habs this coming season I am still happy the Habs didn’t trade for Zacha. My concerns about his career year remain. With the dramatic increase in player salaries he would not fit in the Habs cap structure. So attaining him would have cost decent assets for a short term stay.
Besides – sorry Bruins fans, I cannot help myself – if trading Zacha + for Larkin goes bad for the Bs, so much the better. I’m a lot more flexible when it is a rival that is assuming the risk.
Fair enough?
Oh, and I should have added, Suzuki is better than either of them, so on the Habs Zacha is a 2C, but on the Wings, he is their starting center.
The crown rests its case, M’Lord.
LJ,
Just pulling your leg, I know the rationale for your thinking last year and I don’t want to relitigate it using hindsight.
Your thinking tends to be more conservative than mine usually nd as I have always maintained is every bit as legitimate as mine.
Back to Larkin, if I were Detroit I wouldn’t want Zacha as part of the trade because he has too much value to the Bruins and would impact what else came over.
I’d rather have Fraser Minten, Mason Lohrei, Dans Ločmelis and Will Zellers.
4 young guys, 2 of which are starters, one who might start this year and one who projects well in a couple of years.h
All good HF30. I quite enjoyed the exchange.
I guess you answered why Detroit would not do it. Why trade a signicantly better player for a lessor one. I think Boston would need to add some more pieces.
Dark G, he is not eligible for that type of bonuses.
Unfortunate.
Are you also adding a 1st rd pick and a prospect? If not won’t happen even if Larkin agrees to go to Boston
Sr
You can say that again LOL
With the cap going up that trade would really favour the Bruins as Larkin is signed long term and it’s doubtful Zacha’s new contract is going to be anywhere near Larkin’s AAV.
This big question is…if Larkin really wants out if Detroit…he’s going to need to expand his list.
I posted the below about Larkin yesterday, figured it worth a re-post to garner comments:
Unless Vegas cuts a guy like W Karlsson or Hertl to make room for Larkin then he isn’t going there. Flo and Dal are a clear no. So only Min is left and it is well documented for their offer of picks/prospects. That means it will take a third team getting involved that is entering or in a rebuild and has interest in dumping a player to get a package of picks/prospects. Most likely candidates are Van, Cgy or Nas.
I see Det having to take either a) a risk of Larkin value tanking and receiving less in a deal or b) a risk on the player(s) they accept for Larkin.
The deal I think makes the most sense is a 3-way with Van, Det and Min. Det sends Larkin to Minny, Van sends Pettersson to Det and Van gets a package of picks/prospects from Min (likely Yurov, Straumel, etc).
Plus to make the cap work Min will need to dump about 7M in salary so Hartman (4.0M) and Maatta (3.5M) would need to go out either in this deal or in a separate deal. Hartman and Maatta have no-trade clauses though so if they won’t waive for Van (likely) then maybe they would go to Det? Otherwise they will need to agree on a destination to go to another city.