NHL Rumor Mill – August 6, 2026
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: a look at what it might cost the Devils to acquire Quinn Hughes and the latest on the Sabres’ goaltending.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols looked at what it might cost the New Jersey Devils to acquire Quinn Hughes if his contract extension talks with the Minnesota Wild fall through.
Negotiations between the Wild and the Hughes camp have been ongoing this summer. The 26-year-old defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. It’s rumored the two sides were discussing salary numbers in the mid-to-high teens. The Wild prefer a long-term deal, while Hughes might want a short-term commitment.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).
So far, there’s no indication that a deal is close. Wild general manager Bill Guerin is preaching patience, pointing out it’s a major decision for both sides.
It’s believed Hughes would like to reunite one day with his brothers Jack and Luke, who play for the New Jersey Devils.
Nichols noted that the Devils have the salary cap flexibility to acquire Hughes via trade or free agency if he doesn’t re-sign with the Wild. He also pointed out that they have the draft picks and prospects to draw on for trade capital. A roster player, such as Dawson Mercer, could also be used as part of a trade package.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichols acknowledged that Guerin’s remarks don’t close the door on the Wild’s chances of re-signing Hughes. The two sides could agree to a three-year extension, giving the Wild a four-year window to chase the Stanley Cup with Hughes on their roster.
Nichols is correct in assuming that the longer Hughes goes without an extension, the more it could favor the Devils. It could force the Wild to move him before the March 1 trade deadline, or let him walk next summer as a free agent. In both cases, the Devils could be poised to pursue the superstar defenseman.
Nevertheless, if Hughes ends up on the trade block this season, there’s no certainty that the Devils will win a bidding war. However, he could narrow the potential destinations if he has no intention of signing an extension as part of the trade terms.
NHL.COM: Amalie Benjamin has goaltending among the three questions facing the Buffalo Sabres this season.
Benjamin observed that offseason rumors have been rife about the Sabres’ goalie situation, “which became a revolving door in the playoffs with time split between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Alex Lyon.” She noted that most of the speculation centered around Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
The Sabres are currently heading into training camp with Luukkonen, Lyon, Colten Ellis, and Matt Villalta as their goalies. Benjamin wondered if Lyon and/or Luukkonen could be the answer for a team that believes it can improve on last season’s performance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was reported that the Sabres and Jets were discussing a trade involving Hellebuyck before the June draft weekend, but the deal fell through.
So far, there’s no indication that those discussions have been renewed or whether the Jets intend to move Hellebuyck, who is under contract through 2030-31. If he’s unavailable, the Sabres could have little choice but to return with their Luukkonen/Lyon tandem for the coming season.
MIN is likely a playoff team with Q Hughes on their roster. If they have a strong regular season and no extension I’d imagine they’ll want to chase the cup this season and risk losing Hughes in the offseason rather than trade him this year and potentially not even make the playoffs.
That gives MIN a 2nd shot at negotiating a deal if the Wild have a really good year or they could trade his rights away and probably get a decent pick in return.
I think it all depends on if Minny gets a 1C worthy of its name, since with or without Hughes I dont see them getting past Dallas/Avs+whoever gets out of the Pacific.
Kent. Wild got past Dallas this past season. They lost their 1C though and lost to Avs. Even if you don’t consider E Ek a 1C, he’s excellent value at 5.25M per for next 3 seasons. Yurov and Stramel could develop into top 6 guys. This allows Guerin to pay Hughes next deal. and good reason not to pursue someone like Larkin. Could add at deadline.
Vancouver now has 3 former 1st rd picks in their lineup courtesy of Hughes trade. (Devils will need to give up a lot more than Dawson Mercer if they want Quinn). On paper they’re not awful. Curious if Chytil can ever stay healthy.
Reply slick: Im not saying they cant get by one or two of them, its all three Im very sceptical about
In these … the “dog days” of the NHL in terms of generating dialogue around roster moves/adjustments … one thing that always seemed to be available in that regard was the fact there always seemed to be a couple of developing teams at least who needed to spend just to reach the coming season’s cap floor, with some among them over the years eventually taking an albatross contract as part of a deal to accomplish that
This year, however, with the cap floor for the coming season set at $76.9 mil, there is not one team in that situation, The 5 closest are:
Detroit at $84.43 mil with one RFA left to re-up in LD Simon Edvinson, coming off an ELC of $894,167. He reportedly could be seeking something in the area of $8 mil per over a long term, so if and when that materializes, they will be well over the minimum at $92 mil. So, even if they wind up moving Larkin and his $8.7 mil per hit and didn’t take any cap hits back (highly unlikely as that would be), they’d STILL be well over the minimum;
Philadelphia at $89.12 mil with one RFA left to re-up in F Nikita Grebenkin, coming off an ELC of $875,000;
and these 3 with no one left to re-up: Seattle at $85.59 mil; Vancouver at $86.19 mil; Calgary at $89.12 mil.
Doesn’t it seem odd that the Wings have so much cap space left to spend?
I have an if question: Everyone is expecting Vancouver to be terrible, however if some things actually turns “right” they might not be bad at all.
Last year everyone was bad, partially because Foote didnt know what he was doing. Lets say
– Demko plays 40-45 games and is good
– Malhotra actually is a good coach and fixes things
– EP, DeBrusk and Boeser are actually good
– The kids improve
Will they still be bad or might they even compete for a playoffs spot? Or is it just a pipe dream?
As a long time supporter of the Canucks currently wearing my summertime rose coloured glasses, I can see where all of those things could possibly happen and the team could flirt with a playoff position, but even if that were the case I think they would just be set up for more years in the middle of the road. The team right now lacks any truly top end, elite talent. Some potentially good players but nobody truly top notch. So if all those things transpired I think their best move would be to sell high on Demko and the others at next year’s TDL or draft.
Not necessarily a pipe dream Kent.
They do need an uptick in scoring from the likes of Pettersson, DeBrusk and Boeser as their 216gf put them ahead of only Calgary (212) and Chicago (213) but not that far back of Seattle (226), L.A. (225), Winnipeg & St. Louis (231 each) and Nashville (247).
It’s in goals against, however, where they really need to see a dramatic improvement as the 316 ranks them dead last in the entire league, with only Toronto’s 299 against even close.
And much of that can come from strict adherence to an overall defensive system designed to reduce SOG and Grade A chances. It worked in Ottawa with a system installed by Green, certainly enough two seasons back to help end a 7-year playoff drought and put them back into the mix this past season.
I’m sure that something along those lines is in Malhotra’s plan for the coming season.
Keep in mind, too, that of their 57 total losses this past season, all but 8 were decided by 1 goal.
GeorgeO coaches have a saying about your stat on Vancouvers losses last year. When you look at a stat like about the 58 losses last year,consider who teams had in their lineup against a bottom feeder and the best one of them all is that the Canucks played just well enough to lose.
Sr, as Radioman posts below “On the Canucks, have to remember that all 4 of their Centers were injured last Season, as well as half their lineup right out of the gate.”
That sort of luck can have you well behind the 8-ball and dead last before mid-December … and from there it becomes the daunting chore of having to pass 8 teams just to get t the last WC slot! That can take the heart out of the best of teams.
IMO playoffs are a pipe dream Mr Nilsson.
Improvement shouldn’t be that hard as they only had 58 pts last year. 14 less that the 2nd worst team so that is a lot worse.
I think Petey is the key to improvement, not sure how likely you think that is.
Anything more than 70 pts next season is bad news for Nuck fans IMO.
Embrace the tank!
Might be ok, if Demko can stay healthy and be anything close to what he’s been in the past. Contracts have a way of keeping players healthier and playing better.
Does Mercer actually have any value, I find it comical that every trade rumor involving the Devils he is included.
Either he has value, or he is the player that people feel is the most expendable on the Devils’ roster. The latter is usually the case
He has value. Consistent 20 goal scorer, durable (hasnt missed a single game), plays center or RW, plays both special teams, plays up and down the lineup, rfa after this season.
He’s simply the most expendable and easiest moved contract on NJ
I know he has value, but he has often been mentioned as a centerpiece for significant trades.
I questioned Minnesota making the Hughes deal without having an extension in place. I would have at least a 3-4 year deal in paper before making the trade.
How could of Minnesota had a deal in place on the Hughes trade when he had 2 years left?
Ellis is still available in Buffalo, his presence made Levi expendable. Sabres also need to get better defensively to help their goaltending.
Sure miss the daily Luke Fox or Nick Kypreos everyone to the Leafs scribblings.
So LeafsNet turfed Kelly Hrudey. Why not Backstabber Ronny? Or the beyond dull Jennifer Botterill? Or windbag Eliot Friedman?
Only one on that entire panel worth listening to is Kevin Bieska.
Hopefully Hrudey is just the beginning or a complete overhaul of the on air “talent”.
Bieksa is a joke…superjock with no articulate finest unless its beat them up and get revenge…Botterill really shut up the old fashion jocks and is definitely a winner
Minny trades Hughes back to Vancouver for Pettersson Debrusk and hronek. Vancouver retains 50% of debrusk and hronek salary.
Vancouver trades Hughes to New Jersey for a boat load of propects and picks.
On the Canucks, have to remember that all 4 of their Centers were injured last Season, as well as half their lineup right out of the gate. By health alone, the Canucks should be a better, the question is, how much.
I would want Bratt in any NJD trade discussion.
Is New Jersey keen on having all 3 brothers?
They could have a Plager brothers situation on their hands. St.Louis went to 3 consecutive finals. (I don’t think they won any). Close with the famous Orr winner flying through the air.
Next year’s draft has some deep franchise altering talent. All this Canucks might be decent talk is nonsense. They have to tank purposely for the next two incredibly deep draft classes. Next year they’re are imo three absolute studs coming in…Nazar Privalov, Sergei Skvortsov and Vladimir Shytrkhunov. In 28 there’s a Langley BC kid Liam Pue who’s looking really good. The Canucks must tank for the betterment of the organization going forward.
Ya Nav, don’t see Vancouver having a sniff at the playoffs come TDL. Although some better performance out of a couple guys will get them extra assets at the deadline. Agree they should be better, but that would be a big jump. Especially if they start playing young guys on D. Growing pains expected.
Calgary seems to be the other team embracing the rebuild/reality.
Watch a lot of Russian Jr hockey Nav? 2 of those guys show up near the top of the prospect rankings I have looked at with Privalov coming in at #2 in most.
DuPont is #1 in all of them. Who some are calling special and the best D prospect in years, which I assume they are including Schaeffer in.
Joseph is up there too as a big C getting the #2 nod in some.
Most of the mock draft guys are saying the same thing as you about next years draft being good again.
Yeah man, tbh I’d take Nazar Privalov 1st easy. If the Canucks are picking 1. Could even trade down to Calgary if they’re at the 2 3 4 spot so they can take the hometown kid Dupont with the new barn etc… Canucks can have patience to wait for Privalov and then take Liam Pue next year. That Russian rhd Shytrkhunov is elite. Canucks can use assets accumulated from moving their vets and take the kid on defense.
Larkin for Hughes to start off the baseline for a trade!
It will be interesting to see who ultimately gets Larkin and how much they have to pay to get him. Guys who demand trades sometimes bring back lesser returns.
You want to see silly in the NHL. Just look at what the Pens just committed to Koivunen
Agreed.
Pens must be worried about the floor with that Koivunen signing. Still under.