Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 25, 2026
In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the Hurricanes tried to acquire Connor Hellebuyck, the latest on Dylan Larkin, and the Capitals granted permission for Ivan Miroshnichenko to speak with other teams.
HURRICANES ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE CONNOR HELLEBUYCK
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Carolina Hurricanes really wanted to acquire Connor Hellebuyck from the Winnipeg Jets. However, the Jets wanted immediate forward help, and the Hurricanes were unwilling to part with a player like Logan Stankoven, Seth Jarvis, or Jackson Blake.
The Hurricanes tried to reach out to other teams to find forwards the Jets might have interest in. They would’ve acquired those forwards and flipped them to the Jets for Hellebuyck, who was subsequently traded to the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word on who those forwards might’ve been. Nevertheless, it’s another example of the creativity of Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky, even if it didn’t work out this time.
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (NHL Images)
Friedman also wondered if Hellebuyck and the NHL Players Association would file a grievance against the Jets over his suspension without pay. He’ll have until early December to do so.
THE LATEST ON THE RED WINGS
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports nothing has changed regarding Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin and unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson. He said the Red Wings continue to take calls on both players, adding that they’re interested in young centers, either in the NHL or not yet there.
THE SCORE: Joshe Wegman ranked the 10 teams on Larkin’s trade list by viability based on trade bait, salary-cap flexibility, and motivation.
The Utah Mammoth top his list. The Carolina Hurricanes are second, with the possibility of unsigned defenseman Alexander Nikishin being part of the deal. The Washington Capitals were third, with Wegman speculating that center Dylan Strome would be part of the return.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wegman’s list appeared before Friedman’s report indicating the Red Wings’ interest in getting young centers. Strome lacks no-trade protection, but the Wings might not be interested in the 29-year-old center unless he’s packaged with a good young center.
Wegman has the Minnesota Wild at No. 4, though it’s believed they’re atop Larkin’s trade list. However, he pointed out that if the Wild had enough tradeable assets, Larkin would already be in Minnesota.
The Lightning sit at No. 5, but Wegman acknowledged they’d have to get creative to free up the cap space for Larkin’s $8.7 million average annual value.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings could retain part of Larkin’s salary to facilitate a trade with the Lightning, but they’d prefer clearing his full cap hit.
Wegman listed the New Jersey Devils at No. 6. He acknowledged their acquisition of Connor Hellebuyck makes adding Larkin unlikely, but he doesn’t rule it out.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I do, especially if they hope to reunite the Hughes brothers by acquiring Quinn via trade or free agency.
The Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Florida Panthers round out the list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those clubs lack the cap space and tradeable assets to make it happen.
CAPITALS WILLING TO MOVE IVAN MIROSHNICHENKO
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Washington Capitals have given winger Ivan Miroshnichenko and his agent permission to speak with other teams about a trade.
Miroshnichenko, 22, was the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. Friedman said he’s a good young forward who hasn’t cracked the Capitals lineup. The club wants “a legit return” and won’t put him on waivers because they know he won’t clear.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 6’1”, 205-pound Miroshnichenko projects as a top-six scoring left winger. He could entice clubs with aging rosters looking for a promising, affordable young forward.
It will be interesting to see how Washington,NJ and Utah shake out. All 3 have brought in solid veteran players who should have a lot to say about their groups fortunes. Still waiting for Detroit to pull the trigger although many of Larkins destinations Don t seem to have the assets to make the deal go through.Boston with their surprising start in their youth movement might just follow this path! Sweeney does like to make under the radar moves.
We will find out a lot about the Devs during their upcoming west coast trip. Dallas, Avs and Vegas and then come home to Edmonton. If they can win 2 of those games without Helly in line up yet they will be doing fine.
Shoring up the LW position should remain a focus for Staios. Adding Miroshnichenko wouldn’t be a bad choice … depending upon what the Capitals would want in return.
GeorgeO,you just have to get Cozens and Pinto going. Stutzle and Batherson need some help !
True. And I STILL think we’d see increased production from Cozens if he was finally moved to RW as has been tried before in his career … with good results … and reportedly considered again. At the same time, moving Pinto to 2nd line C duty could get him back on track as well.
They need to do something heading out on their first extended road trip next Tuesday @ Vegas, followed by stops in L.A. Thursday, San Jose Saturday, Sunday in Anaheim and the following Wednesday in Buffalo, before returning home or a game against Utah on Saturday Nov 7.
Word is that Chabot should be back at some early stage of the road trip, and Ullmark possibly in time for the tail-end of the trip. For Eklund, however, we won’t see him until early January.
IF Cozens were to be moved to RW, we could see their F lines set up as follows pending Eklund’s return at LW on the 1st line:
Zetterlund – Stutzle – Batherson
Foegele – Pinto – Cozens
Burakovsaky – Greig – Giroux
Cousins – Halliday – Amadio
On D
Sanderson – Zub
Chabot – Spence
Kleven – Matinpalo
If the hurricanes got ahold of Connor I think they’d be a shoe in for another cup. Glad to see how all the newbies on the bruins are doing everybody contributing Dipietro, Hagens, Matt( please don’t trade this guy ) Lohrei and Brunet. Excited about the game Tuesday tall order to beat the canes.
‘Friedman also wondered if Hellebuyck and the NHL Players Association would file a grievance against the Jets over his suspension without pay. ‘
why? the Jets followed the cba & kept the NHL up to date on everything they were doing in the hellebuyck situation.
plus Bettman said they league is closely watching the situation & if the Jets did anything wrong they would have heard about it from the league or the p.a.
to me, & i could be wrong, but this is friedman blowing more brown bubbles
I don’t see how he could refuse to go to work while under contract and expect to be paid. If any of us would just decide to not show up for work for a month we’d be fired well before the month was up,
Be best just to move on and get ready for playing in Jersey
Unless we were in the senate.
Wegman ranks teams on Larkins list. Did Larkin make a list and give it to him? As far as wanting young centers, they have a bunch already. Last week it was 2 prospects, a top 9 player and a 1st. Carolina and Utah make sense with Canes having the cap space if they move Nikishin and Utah could send McBain or Hayton in deal to get space. I’d like to see NYR on that list. Need more speed/talent.
Barrett Hayton cannot be traded, he was signed after an offer sheet so even if he wanted to go, he couldn’t.
So McBain it is?
McBain is a 4th line player, not exactly a centre needed in a Larkin trade.
It would take more than Arizona (rightfully) would be willing to trade.
Geez, did Bettman get them to move ’em back there already??
Trading Larkin to the Canes with Nikishin coming back seems to the framework for a trade. Question is…will Nikishin sign a long term deal in Detroit?
This would allow Detroit to peddle Edvinsson for some forward help. Could Detroit acquire a young C in return for Edvinsson? Possibly to Ottawa for Pinto?
“Young centers”drafted in Detroit:
Kasper 8th overall pick
Danielson 9th
Bear 13th. All under 23. Then add Finne who’s been the best of them and was a late round pick. Only the 19 year old Bear not on current roster.
Grievance? He didn’t report to training camp, so he was rightfully suspended. The coddling of these baby men is ridiculous if there’s a grievance filed.
Larkiin, evidsson and 1st to new jersey for both Hughes. Sieder to Minny for Hughes.
I would do that trade
I think Minny would want more than Sieder for Quinn Hughes as they gave up 3 players who were 1st round picks and a 1st round pick to get Hughes.
You have order for 4 years at $8.6M. $ you save $12M in cap space to do as you please.
NYR update. Signed James Reimer to 1 year deal. Rangers play tomorrow then have a 5 day break.
Interesting move I guess Korpisalo isn’t back for longer??
Does Washington have a cap dump? Larking to caps for both potras and a cap dump?
Are the Boston Bruins the biggest surprise in NHL so far this year?
Obe, they are certainly in the conversation, although I’d hesitate to pinpoint them as THE biggest surprise … so far. After all, they did finish with 100 points last season – 8th best in the league – and so far have yet to face any crippling injuries.
Utah might qualify as a legit surprise, and some had Ottawa suffering a relapse following Tkachuk’s departure. But here they are 2nd in the Atlantic, just 3 b/o Boston, and this after having played the bulk of their 12 games without their top-pairing D and Tkachuk’s replacement (Eklund), and losing Chabot, Matinpalo, and Ullmark for games.
I would not overlook the NYR or the Leafs, either, as surprises based upon their performances last year.
I know, I know it is too early to say but lets be fair..some teams have played 13 gms and others only 9. Games in hand are just that until they are played but IF everyone wins their in hand games it sorta looks like a very even slate and some of the touted surprises would be where expected in the standings.
Again IF they win those games..
How about O’Connor and DeBrusk 30% retained for Mirochenko?
Vancouver has to do something. They are sitting their with assets that Don t seem to fit into their plan any longer!