NHL Rumor Mill – July 11, 2025
NHL Rumor Mill – July 11, 2025
The latest on the Maple Leafs, Canadiens and Bruins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox believes the Toronto Maple Leafs still have some moves to make this summer.
Fox thinks general manager Brad Treliving must add a top-six winger, noting that they have salary-cap space to work with in the trade market. However, the Leafs lack the tradeable assets (first-round picks, desirable prospects) needed to make a major trade.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving (NHL.com).
That’s why there’s speculation suggesting Treliving might peddle a defenseman like Brandon Carlo or Morgan Rielly (if he’ll waive his no-movement clause) instead. It’s also rumored Treliving could settle for a free agent like Jack Roslovic.
Fox also suggested waiting for better options to appear during the regular season, pointing out the Vancouver Canucks weren’t shopping J.T. Miller last summer.
THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle also weighed in on what the Maple Leafs might do with their extra salary-cap space this summer.
Mirtle also noted the Leafs have been linked to Roslovic. He suggested they could free up more cap room by trading forwards Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf. Mirtle shared Fox’s suggestion that remaining patient could be the best option.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving remains busy trying to improve the Leafs’ roster. On Thursday, he sent little-used enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for young defenseman Henry Thrun. Nevertheless, finding a suitable top-six winger will be challenging.
There aren’t many decent players still available via free agency, certainly not of the caliber that would bring in the type of top-six production they need. Finding them in the trade market won’t be easy given their limited trade resources. And no, Rielly won’t waive his NMC.
Turning to the Montreal Canadiens, Fox believes they must still address their need for a second-line center. However, GM Kent Hughes admits the limited options in the trade and free-agent markets mean it might not be fulfilled during the offseason.
One suggestion was signing Evgeny Kuznetsov as a placeholder. However, the 33-year-old’s performance has declined to the point where he’s probably incapable of filling that role. They could resort to trying oft-injured Kirby Dach in that position.
THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports Canadiens vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton believes there could be more movement in this summer’s trade market. He cited that several teams were left unsatisfied thus far with the changes they’ve made, especially those with salary-cap dollars to spend.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens have already made two significant additions, acquiring defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and promising middle-six forward Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues.
Addressing the second-line center position, however, remains a difficult task. It’s a seller’s market for that type of player. Like the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens could be forced to wait and see if the market improves during the regular season.
NESN: Jay Pritchard observed Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s recent speculation suggesting the Boston Bruins seem to be setting up for something major.
Friedman was referring to the 2026 unrestricted free-agent class. He thinks the Bruins want a shot at signing one of those players.
Pritchard suggested the Bruins’ moves this summer support that theory. They added Viktor Arvidsson, who is in the final season of his contract with an affordable cap hit. Signing Tanner Jeannot to a five-year contract raised eyebrows for its term, not its $3.4 million AAV.
Next year’s UFA class could include Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Vegas’ Jack Eichel, Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, Colorado’s Martin Necas, and Montreal’s Patrik Laine.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of those players could re-sign with their current teams before next July. Nevertheless, a few could be available, giving the Bruins a shot at landing one of them.
The Bruins have over $19 million in projected space for 2026-27 with 18 active roster players (including their core players) under contract. Their notable free agents are RFAs Matthew Poitras and John Beecher, who won’t put a significant dent into their cap room. They could have enough to win a bidding war for one of those top UFAs.