NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2026
What’s the latest on the Red Wings? Will Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli sign an offer sheet? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
MORE FALLOUT FROM THE RED WINGS’ MANAGEMENT CHANGE
TSN: What’s next for the Detroit Red Wings after Steve Yzerman moved out of the general manager role?
Questions persist over whether team captain Dylan Larkin will rescind his trade request. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild’s efforts to land the 29-year-old center have become more complicated.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I examined those issues in greater detail in the July 16 NHL Rumor Mill.
Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).
The uncertainty over who replaces Yzerman will also affect the futures of winger Alex DeBrincat and center Andrew Copp. Both are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltender John Gibson, defenseman Justin Faulk, and forward Mason Appleton are also UFA-eligible next summer.
Those UFAs will become trade bait if the Red Wings are out of playoff contention by the March 2027 trade deadline.
DeBrincat will be the most valuable trade chip. He matched his career high of 41 goals last season and set a career high in points with 85. Even if those numbers dip in 2026-27, he will still draw plenty of interest from contenders seeking a scoring winger.
MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan listed his potential candidates to become the Red Wings’ new general manager.
They include Boston Bruins senior advisor Kevyn Adams, Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Tyler Dellow, Red Wings assistant GM Kris Draper, Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold, Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff, New York Rangers assistant GM Ryan Martin, and Dallas Stars assistant GM Scott White.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau included former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and former New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald among his five-man candidate list.
THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman included Buffalo Sabres associate GM Marc Bergevin, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill, Florida Panthers assistant GM Brett Peterson, and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey ops consultant Brandon Pridham among his proposed list of candidates.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams and Pridham could be unavailable after being recently hired by their current clubs. Bultman admits Nill is a heavy long shot as he’s unlikely to leave his current job.
The Wings have indicated their search for Yzerman’s replacement will be conducted within and outside the organization. Draper and Horcoff could be suitable options if they can’t find better options from other teams, but they might not deviate very much from the “Yzerplan”.
Gold could be the best option if they prefer a fresh approach. He’s reportedly widely respected around the league. Peterson could be another good “new blood” choice. Still, the Panthers might be reluctant to part with him after letting Sunny Mehta depart to become the New Jersey Devils’ general manager.
THE LATEST ON BLUE JACKETS CENTER ADAM FANTILLI
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger reports the Leo Carlsson offer sheet has made the cost of re-signing Adam Fantilli more expensive for the Blue Jackets.
Hedger believes that getting Fantilli’s signature on a contract with an average annual value between $10 million and $12 million is no longer possible. “Now, it’s anyone’s guess how much it might take to keep him.”
The Blue Jackets have $23.2 million in cap space, but Fantilli’s next contract will take a significant chunk out of it.
Meanwhile, the scheduled salary arbitrations for goaltender Jet Greaves and center Cole Sillinger will complicate efforts to re-sign Fantilli. AFP Analytics projects it will cost the Blues Jackets $4.3 million to keep Greaves and $4.2 million to retain Sillinger on one-year deals.
That would leave $14.8 million to re-sign Fantilli, which could be difficult if his asking price exceeds that amount.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets have indicated that they are prepared to match any offer for Fantilli, but a rival club with cap space and the need for a first-line center could test that theory, especially if he’s still unsigned after Greaves and Sillinger receive their new contracts.
It was assumed the Flyers would use Fantilli as their “Plan B” once the Ducks matched their offer sheet to Carlsson. However, reports emerged claiming they’re not going that route after failing to land Carlsson.
The threat of an offer sheet could be meaningless if Fantilli isn’t interested in signing one.
It might take more than 10 to sign Fantilli, but I dont see anyone making an OS in the 15-16m range either. However it could cost 12-13m, as Colubus I would also put a value in which team make the actual OS and what those 4 firsts might mean, if it happens
I hope Kevyn Adam’s stays with the Bruins. They need him after this off-season when the Bruins needed two things- a middle pair or top line defenseman and a top center and Sweeney got neither.
BRuins are better today than last season no doubt about that. They still have too many forwards and d men signed to nhl contracts so something will happen before start of season
Does Debrincat get you Barzal?
If so make the trade
Then offer sheet Fantilli
IHC, the Isles do not have the cap space to OS Fantilli.
I think after the Briere debacle, and what has followed will stem the moronic sized offer sheets for a while.
Waddell can get in line after Verbeek to dick punch dumb dumb for blowing up the salary structure for every team with good young players. My guess is that line would be 30 deep.
What Briere did was stupid because the end result was totally predictable.
Fantilli had his best season last year with 59 points and $10-$12M won’t be enough? I get it good young player, but you should have to prove it first.
Briere is in way over his head.
Oh, you meant Detroit……In that case, the Wings need to take care of their own business first and sign Edvinsson before he receives an OS. That could be $10M AAV x 8!
Why would anyone even consider hiring Shanahan after his decade long “we can and we will” core 4 Shanascam fiasco?
Noooooo thank you.
Trend for younger players seems to be signing shorter term deals that drive up the aav. 4/5/6 year deals. Betting on cap going up and looking to cash in again while still in prime. Fantilli could be shy of signing OS if he thinks Columbus will match and he’d be stuck there. Flyers still have plenty of space even after signing Zegras. Pens could make an offer that Columbus couldn’t match. Sid can’t play forever.
Where is George?
OS is part of the game now. Cap keeps going up and soon common Joe will not be able to afford tickets.
The snowball effect is amazing. What makes it OK to put out an offer sheet for 90 million but if the Ducks had made this offer themselves everyone would be calling them nuts. I get it but I don’t have to like it.