NHL Rumor Mill – November 12, 2026
Check out the latest on the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BLACKHAWKS SHOPPING FOR HELP
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported the Chicago Blackhawks are scouring the trade market searching for help for their struggling roster.
LeBrun said the Blackhawks hope to add a scoring winger and are open to moving various assets. That includes some of his players (apart from untouchables like Connor Bedard) and a lot of his top draft picks, including his three first-round picks and two second-rounders in next year’s draft.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell (NHL Images).
According to LeBrun, the Blackhawks seek a scoring winger but “they’re not too picky” because it’s difficult to make trades at this point in the season. “They’re pretty open-minded in trying to shake up their roster,” he said.
THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers recently reported general manager Kyle Davidson would love to land a scoring winger, but he’d also like to bring in a veteran defenseman. He noted they’ve been too inexperienced, especially with offseason acquisition Bowen Byram currently sidelined.
Powers believes Davidson is unwilling to move the Blackhawks’ first-round pick in next year’s draft “unless it comes with protections or it’s a no-brainer trade.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In today’s Morning Coffee Headlines, I noted Davidson’s recent press conference in which he said he’s searching the trade market for help. He indicated they’re seeking experience and defensive reliability.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Kelsey Surmacz cited Keith Yandle of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, who said the Chicago Blackhawks attempted to acquire Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell, which prompted the Penguins’ recent call-up of Rutger McGroarty.
Rakell, 33, has an eight-team no-trade list, and Yandle said he rejected the trade. However, Surmacz pointed out the McGroarty call-up was in response to Ville Koivunen’s lower-body injury. She also noted that Rakell’s eight-team no-trade list was likely submitted to management before the start of this season. The rumor hasn’t been substantiated by other sources.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rakell was mentioned as a possible trade target for the Blackhawks. If they were interested, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas could’ve approached Rakell about it to see if he’d be willing to accept a trade to Chicago even if the Blackhawks were on his submitted list. Nevertheless, Yandle remains the only media person reporting this.
MAPLE LEAFS HAMPERED BY TAGGING RULE
TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the struggling, banged-up Maple Leafs need a trade or two. However, they’re now limited because of the NHL’s salary cap tagging rule, which restricts the amount of future salary cap space a team can use during the current season.
The Maple Leafs are the only team above the salary cap this season and for next season. They can’t make a transaction of any kind without moving money out for money coming in. The tagging rule limit is the current season’s salary cap plus 10 percent.
Simmons pointed out Maple Leafs GM John Chayka made a big mistake by signing winger Kirill Marchenko to an expensive contract extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquiring Marchenko was a great move by the Maple Leafs, but they obviously blundered by signing him so quickly to a new deal without ensuring they had enough cap room for next season.
As Simmons observed, the Leafs can make trades provided they’re money-out, money-in deals. They can’t offer up draft picks and prospects for players, especially those signed beyond this season. Ideally, the more salary they can send out in a deal, the more cap flexibility they’ll have, but that’s easier said than done during this stage of the season.
Bruins should look to move Kuraly, Aspirot or Clifton if teams are desperate for help.
The Bruins should absolutely move Kuraly, but not for a 6th or 7th rounder, as having him to fill in for injuries is worth more than that. I would take a 5th rounder though. I don’t think they should move Aspirot as he is a reliable defenseman at low cost. I would much rather they move Lohrei, acknowledging that his play has improved, but he remains a defensive liability and he has trouble hitting forwards when trying to pass out of his end. Clifton is a good enough 6/7/8 defender, and where Sweeney just signed him, it is not in his character to trade him so quickly. Mittelstadt might be another trade candidate, especially as he in the last year of his contract, but not for draft picks. The team is playing well with him in the lineup so you would only want to trade him if you are getting something worthwhile back. Same for Zacha.
I think should the season continue in it’s disappointing direction for the Hawks, they have to change GMs no?
It is a team of lots of good young talent, that has had 3 or 4 coaches, and no headway in the standings.
The failings has to be dropped on the feel of the GM for not being able to craft the team and assets into any foundation that progresses each season.
There really is no where else to lie blame is there?
Hard to say 1Oilerfan. Davidson’s plan started with a burned to the ground rebuild. Since that time the Hawks have drafted Bedard, Levshunov and Frondel. Start of a good foundation.
If you compare the Hawks, Sharks and Ducks since 2022, only the Ducks have improved much, and they had the better foundation (Carlsson, Vetrano, Terry, LaCombe).
Remember, Verbeek got roasted for leaving Carlsson exposed to the offer sheet. Carlsson and Gauthier’s great starts were unforeseen, so a bit of luck added to a better foundation?
LJ – fair points. It’s just of the 3 teams they certainly still seem a step or two behind.
A couple of the better teams in the league have kicked off their rebuilds by skating available vets and holding a young core at the AHL level, then bringing in the coach and the new core players together, and committing t keeping them together for a while. I don’t know why teams feel they can develop players but go for the retread coaches. Win a Calder in the “A”, and bring up the whole kit N Kaboodle. If you need a veteran presence behind the bench you can hire one as an assistant.