In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the latest on Flames center Nazem Kadri, Bruins center Pavel Zacha, and Canadiens winger Patrik Laine, plus some proposed goalie trade targets for the Oilers.

THE LATEST ON NAZEM KADRI

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman said there is a lot of attention lately on Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri. There is “zero chance” that he will be going anywhere before he plays his 1,000th career regular-season game. He is currently on 994 games.

Friedman also pointed out that Kadri no longer has a no-movement clause, as it has reverted to a 13-team no-trade list. Interested teams will want to know if they’re on that list, and if so, what it will take to sell him if the Flames decide to put him on the trade block.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely he’ll be going anywhere until at least January if the Flames decide to become sellers. It’s been a terrible month, but they still have time to turn things around. They could try to move Kadri in late November or December, but they might find better options if they wait until the New Year.

CANUCKS ARE INTERESTED IN PAVEL ZACHA

Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (NHL Images).

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman cited a report from Rick Dhaliwal, claiming the Vancouver Canucks contacted the Boston Bruins about Pavel Zacha. Friedman believes the Canucks’ interest in the versatile 28-year-old forward goes back to the summer.

Zacha is signed through 2026-27. Teams are looking for centers, and Boston doesn’t have to do anything they don’t want to do. However, the Canucks and some other teams have been trying to pry Zacha away from the Bruins. The Canucks don’t believe that they’re on Zacha’s no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks probably aren’t the only club to contact the Bruins about Zacha’s availability. The Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and Philadelphia Flyers were among the clubs that were reportedly shopping around for a second-line center.

However, the Bruins are trying to rebound from their disappointing performance last season. Trading away Zacha this early in the season won’t help. If they become sellers, it’ll be in the New Year unless someone makes a ridiculously lopsided offer. 

PATRIK LAINE’S FUTURE WITH THE CANADIENS IS UNCERTAIN

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels believes Patrik Laine faces an uncertain future with the Montreal Canadiens. The 28-year-old winger is currently sidelined after surgery to repair an injury core muscle and is expected to be out for three to four months.

Laine is in the final season of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Injuries have hobbled his effectiveness as a scoring forward, and Engels believes he could have difficulty getting back into the Canadiens’ lineup if they remain fully healthy or add more forwards before the March 6 trade deadline.

Engels also speculated that Laine could be moved before the March trade deadline. Given his UFA eligibility, that was a possibility before he was sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another tough break for Laine, who was hoping to put his injury woes behind him and prove to the Canadiens that he was willing to make the changes in his game that they wanted.

A year ago, losing Laine was devastating to the Canadiens’ offense. They struggled through the first two months of the season, and started to rally back after he rejoined the lineup in December. Montreal general manager Kent Hughes said earlier this year that Laine’s performance last season played a key role in the club reaching the playoffs.

This season is a different story. His injury is unfortunate news for the Canadiens. Still, the additions of Ivan Demidov, Zach Bolduc, and puck-moving defenseman Noah Dobson, along with the full-time promotion of Oliver Kapanen, have given this club some much-needed scoring depth. Meanwhile, Laine had one point in eight games, seeing fourth-line minutes while seeing duty on the second power-play unit.

POTENTIAL GOALTENDING TRADE CANDIDATES FOR THE OILERS

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin recently listed some potential trade options for the Edmonton Oilers to upgrade their goaltending.

Low-ceiling veteran stopgaps include Alex Lyon of the Buffalo Sabres and David Rittich or Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders.

Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen are “buy lows with upside.”

The Penguins’ Arturs Silovs and Arvid Soderblom of the Chicago Blackhawks are in the “betting on youth” category.

“Realistic” starter targets are John Gibson or Cam Talbot of the Detroit Red Wings, and Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, and Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders are in the “pipe dream” category.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s far too early in the season for any of these goaltenders to be available. That could change for some of them later this season if their teams fail to maintain their promising early performances. Some of them have no-trade protection, and the Oilers might not be on their preferred lists of destinations.

Of this group, Lyon, Soderblom, and Merzlikins are the most likely to become available. However, they’re not an upgrade over the current Oilers’ goaltenders.