NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2026

by | Jul 6, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2026

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: Stars winger Jason Robertson is among the 15 players who filed for salary arbitration, the Ducks re-sign defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, and the Penguins re-up four players.

NHLPA.COM: 15 players elected salary arbitration before Sunday’s 5 pm ET deadline.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson is the most notable player to do so. Others include Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale and winger Trevor Zegras, Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, and New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

The other nine players include Xavier Bourgault of the Ottawa Senators, Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens, Alex Jeffries of the New York Islanders, Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres, Connor McMichael of the St. Louis Blues, Nick Robertson of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Akira Schmid of the Florida Panthers, Ronan Seeley of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Cole Sillinger of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification is July 6 at 5 pm ET. Arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to August 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Filing for arbitration is usually done by the player or team to set a deadline to reach an agreement on a new contract, rather than having negotiations drag out throughout the summer or into training camp. It’s rare that they actually end up before an arbiter.

Robertson’s case will be closely watched. He’s the biggest name on his list, leading the Stars in scoring with 96 points last season.

It’s believed the two sides are $2 million apart, with the Stars proposing an average annual value of $12 million while the Robertson camp reportedly seeks $14 million. He’s also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning an arbiter’s decision will be for one year, extending his UFA eligibility unless he and the Stars agree to an extension before then.

If Robertson is awarded a new contract through arbitration, he and the Stars can’t open contract extension talks until Jan. 1.

Because these players filed for arbitration, they are ineligible to receive an offer sheet. If a club files for arbitration today, that player is still eligible to sign an offer sheet.

Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that Jeffries’ filing means a second contract buyout window opens for the Islanders exactly three days after Jeffries’ salary arbitration is settled or awarded, and that it applies to players carrying contracts with average annual values of $4 million or more. The same rule applied to the other teams on this list.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year contract with an AAV of $7.2 million.

Mintyukov, 22, was a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and lacked arbitration rights. The signing averts the possibility of him receiving an expensive offer sheet from a rival club.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli claimed an incoming offer sheet for Mintyukov accelerated the negotiations between the Ducks and Mintyukov, who wanted to remain in Anaheim.

Meanwhile, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek must decide if he’ll match the five-year offer sheet signed by center Leo Carlsson with the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday, or let him join the Flyers and receive four first-round draft picks as compensation. He has until this Friday to reach a decision.

Mintyukov’s new contract leaves the Ducks with $10 million in salary cap space, with RFA forward Cutter Gauthier to be signed. Gauthier is ineligible to receive an offer sheet, but the cost of re-signing him has risen due to the $18 million AAV Carlsson will receive on his new contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The threat of an offer sheet for Mintyukov left Verbeek little choice but to get the young defenseman under contract quickly and probably for more than anticipated. Blindsided by the Carlsson offer sheet, the Ducks GM couldn’t risk another one.

Gauthier’s ineligibility to sign an offer sheet still leaves him as an RFA lacking arbitration rights coming off his entry-level contract. That gives Verbeek the leverage in those negotiations, but it will be difficult to justify a low-ball bridge deal if he matches Carlsson’s offer sheet.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed winger Egor Chinahkov to a three-year contract with an AAV of $6.25 million. Goaltender Arturs Silovs inked a one-year, $2.8 million contract.

Goalie Joel Blomqvist got a two-year contract, with the first year being a two-way deal. It’s worth an AAV of $875,000 at the NHL level. Center David Gustafsson received a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000 at the NHL level.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 5, 2026

by | Jul 5, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 5, 2026

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the effect of Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet on the contract negotiations for Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, what it could mean for future RFAs, plus the latest on Dylan Larkin and Claude Giroux.

HOW WILL CARLSSON’S OFFER SHEET AFFECT BEDARD AND FANTILLI?

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope reports Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli, and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson were waiting to see which one would set the market for their new contracts.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images)

The trio are restricted free agents coming off their entry-level contracts. On Friday, Carlsson signed a five-year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers worth a league-leading average annual value of $18 million.

Pope doubted that Bedard would be targeted with an offer sheet for several reasons, including the center’s frequent communication with Blackhawks management and his intention to remain with the franchise for the long term. Still, nothing can be ruled out after Carlsson signed with the Flyers.

Before the Carlsson offer sheet, a new contract for Bedard might have cost the Blackhawks between $13 and $16 million, assuming it went the maximum of eight years. Now, the Bedard camp could seek $18 million or more, up to the league maximum of $20.8 million.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sam Carchidi wondered if Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli might be the Flyers’ next target if the Ducks match the offer sheet for Leo Carlsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell just came off a difficult week, during which he nearly traded Zach Werenski to the Dallas Stars amid reports that the defenseman wouldn’t sign a contract extension next summer, plus he had to deal with a similar contract situation with winger Kirill Marchenko.

While those situations have been resolved, at least for now, the effect of the Carlsson offer sheet on his contract negotiations with Fantilli could be another headache for Waddell.

Whatever figure Waddell was offering the Fantilli camp, he will likely have to raise it significantly if he hopes to re-sign the 21-year-old center, and now there’s the possibility that Fantilli could sign an offer sheet from a rival club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner believes the Carlsson offer sheet likely means the New York Islanders won’t wait to sign Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Matthew Schaefer to a contract extension when he becomes eligible to do so next July 1.

Rosner wondered how high Schaefer’s next contract would be because of the Carlsson offer sheet. He speculated around $20 million annually on a seven-year deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It must be remembered that a player must be willing to sign an offer sheet. If Schaefer becomes a restricted free agent in two years, he could tell his agent that he’s not interested in any offers from other teams, giving him and the Islanders the breathing space necessary if contract negotiations take longer than expected to hammer out a deal over the summer.

Nevertheless, the Carlsson situation will likely force teams with rising young stars to sign them to contract extensions as soon as possible, rather than risk them becoming offer-sheet targets when they become restricted free agents.

THE LATEST ON DYLAN LARKIN AND CLAUDE GIROUX

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster explains why it would be difficult for the Golden Knights to acquire center Dylan Larkin from the Detroit Red Wings.

Larkin, 29, requested a trade a month ago, with the Golden Knights among the clubs on his three-team trade list.

Webster doesn’t think the Golden Knights have sufficient tradeable assets to acquire Larkin. They do possess two first-round picks in 2028, unless the one they received from the New York Rangers in the Pavel Dorofeyev trade lands in the top-10, in which case, it becomes a 2029 first-rounder.

However, the Red Wings aren’t seeking futures for Larkin; they want a return that will help them immediately, preferably a center. Webster doesn’t see the Golden Knights gutting their roster to accomplish this.

The Golden Knights aren’t giving up Jack Eichel, who has full no-trade protection. William Karlsson is in the final season of his contract and isn’t going anywhere. Hertl has a three-team trade list, but he prefers playing for teams in warm-weather climates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed the Minnesota Wild is Larkin’s primary trade target. They are reportedly keen to get him, but meeting the Red Wings’ asking price has proven difficult thus far.

For those folks who might still be wondering why Karlsson isn’t going anywhere or why he wouldn’t be a good fit with the Red Wings: He’s 33 years old, often injured, and the Red Wings are likely on his 10-team no-trade list.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch noted a report on Friday claimed the Philadelphia Flyers were poised to sign Claude Giroux. However, the 38-year-old forward has not made a decision yet on which club he’s signing with for next season.

The Flyers and Giroux’s former team, the Ottawa Senators, are still in the mix for Giroux. Garrioch claimed the Toronto Maple Leafs have reached out and remain “keenly interested.” The Edmonton Oilers made a pitch, but they’re reportedly no longer interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers’ signing of Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet on Friday likely paused their discussions with the Giroux camp until they learn whether their efforts to land the Ducks’ center have been successful. Whether Giroux’s willing to wait remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 5, 2026

by | Jul 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 5, 2026

Mason McTavish looks forward to a fresh start with the Blues; the Capitals are becoming a prime destination for notable talent; and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Lou Korac reports Mason McTavish is looking forward to a fresh start with the St. Louis Blues.

After spending the first five seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks, the 23-year-old center was traded to the Blues on June 26.

St. Louis Blues center Mason McTavish (NHL Images)

McTavish struggled last season after his contract negotiations kept him out of last fall’s training camp and the preseason. After signing a seven-year deal, his production dropped to 41 points in 75 games, and he was a healthy scratch in two regular-season games and two postseason contests.

Anxious to put that season behind him, McTavish said he’s motivated and excited about the coming season with his new team. He said he enjoyed his time with the Ducks, but believes this is the right time to move on and experience something different.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McTavish is part of the Blues’ retooling process that began last season under former general manager Doug Armstrong, who handed over the reins to Alexander Steen. He’ll slot in as their second-line center between wingers Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours.

A bounce-back performance by McTavish could help the Blues reach the playoffs next season. He could also provide a boost to Buchnevich’s sagging production.

McTavish joins winger Connor McMichael and defenseman Brandon Carlo as the Blues’ new additions for this season. McMichael was acquired from the Washington Capitals in the Jordan Kyrou deal, while Carlo was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports the Washington Capitals are becoming a desired destination for some of the league’s notable talent.

The Capitals have been busy bolstering their roster this summer. They acquired winger Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres and winger Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues, and signed free agent forward Boone Jenner and defenseman Vincent Desharnais.

Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is pleased that players want to come to Washington. Tuch said he wanted to play for a club that would be competitive for a long time while he’s in the prime of his career. Jenner is excited to join a team that wants to win at this stage in his career, while Desharnais said he heard good things about the organization and how they treat their players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For all the talk of players wanting to go to Sun Belt teams in no-tax states, the comments by Tuch, Jenner, and Desharnais about the Capitals indicate that playing for a competitive club with a strong team culture that treats its players well and wants to win remains the biggest motivating factor in where most of them want to go.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Mavrik Bourque to a six-year, $33 million contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million.

Bourque, 24, was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Predators acquired him and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars on July 1 in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bourque is getting a significant pay raise after earning $950,000 on a one-year contract last season. A versatile forward who can play center or right wing, he had a career-best performance in 2025-26, scoring 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points in 82 games. He’s expected to center the Predators’ second line.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract worth an AAV of $1.55 million.

Andrae, 24, was a restricted free agent. He was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on June 16.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin to a two-year contract worth an AAV of $1.75 million.

Mukhamadullin, 24, was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Oilers acquired him from the San Jose Sharks as part of the Darnell Nurse trade.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets center Isac Lundestrom is expected to be sidelined until December with a ruptured right Achilles tendon. He suffered the injury during a training session.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 4, 2026

by | Jul 4, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – July 4, 2026

A look at the remaining notable UFA players, plus the latest on Alexander Nikishin and Shane Wright in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON THE NOTABLE REMAINING UFA PLAYERS

SPORTSNET: On Friday, Luke Fox looked at the top players still available in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Anthony Mantha topped the list. The 31-year-old winger had a career-best performance (31 goals, 33 assists, 64 points) last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he has a history of injuries and inconsistency.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

According to Fox, the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets are still in the market for wingers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent reports out of Montreal claim the Canadiens prefer to address their roster needs through the trade market. The Jets made a noteworthy foray into the UFA market this week, signing defenseman Mario Ferraro.

The Detroit Red Wings would welcome back Patrick Kane, but the 38-year-old winger appears headed to his fourth NHL team. Fox claimed Kane is reportedly working on a contract with his hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres.

Logan Stanley, 28, is still weighing his options. The big defenseman is reportedly seeking a four- or five-year contract worth $25 million.

Winger Eeli Tolvanen, 27, was believed to be weighing offers of four or five years.

The Ottawa Senators are leaving the door open for Claude Giroux. However, the 38-year-old winger reportedly received interest from the Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said there’s no confirmation yet that Giroux was about to return to the Flyers. That’s probably because they’ve been busy signing Leo Carlsson to an expensive offer sheet worth $18 million annually. If they succeed, they might not have enough cap space to bring Giroux back to Philadelphia.

Friedman also weighed in on Vladimir Tarasenko, wondering if the Edmonton Oilers might take a look at the 34-year-old winger.

Fox also heard that the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, and Minnesota Wild were reportedly considering taking on winger Patrik Laine as a project.

UPDATES ON NIKISHIN AND WRIGHT

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the St. Louis Blues are taking a long look at Alexander Nikishin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Carolina Hurricanes indicated two weeks ago that they were open to moving Nikishin. The 24-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. He is ineligible to receive an offer sheet.

The New York Rangers were reportedly keen on acquiring him. However, that may have changed following their recent additions of Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi.

Friedman also indicated that Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright is a player to watch. According to his agent, Kurt Overhardt, the Kraken have agreed to move the 22-year-old Wright this summer to a team seeking a top young center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wright surfaced in the rumor mill before the March trade deadline, but nothing came of it. The fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, he’s struggled to establish himself as the “top young center” that his agent considers him to be.

The Kraken reportedly seeks a fair price and won’t be rushed into moving Wright. Still, he could be an affordable gamble for a club looking for promising depth at center.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 4, 2026

by | Jul 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 4, 2026

The Flyers sign Ducks center Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet. Check out the reaction and the possibility of more to come, along with the rest of the notable news of the past 24 hours in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE FLYERS SIGN LEO CARLSSON TO AN EXPENSIVE OFFER SHEET

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Philadelphia Flyers signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to a five-year offer sheet on Friday worth an average annual value of $18 million.

Carlsson, 21, is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. He’s the Ducks’ first-line center, finishing second in scoring with a career-best 29 goals and 38 assists for 67 points in 70 games. He also finished second among their postseason scorers with 11 points in 12 games.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (NHL Images)

The $18 million AAV will make Carlsson the highest-paid player in the NHL for 2026-27, eclipsing Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV.

It’s up to the Ducks to decide if they’ll match the offer. They have seven days from the date of Carlsson’s signing to do so. Otherwise, they’ll receive four first-round draft picks from the Flyers. Those picks will be those belonging to the Flyers in each of the next four seasons. They cannot send the Ducks any first-rounders that they acquire from another team.

The Ducks have the salary cap space ($35 million) to match the offer. Doing so will leave them with just over $17 million in cap space, with restricted agent winger Cutter Gauthier and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov still to be re-signed.

Gauthier is ineligible to receive an offer sheet, but Mintyukov can sign one. According to PuckPedia, several teams have approached the latter’s agent about an offer sheet. It appears one could be formally made, leaving Mintuykov to decide whether to accept it.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek tried to warn off his peers by claiming his club would match any offer for Carlsson. Flyers GM Daniel Briere called his bluff, giving Verbeek a week to decide if he will do so. The Flyers need a first-line center for their young roster and see Carlsson as a perfect fit.

The Ducks and Flyers have a recent trade history. Gauthier’s unwillingness to join the Flyers prompted the trade that sent him to the Ducks in January 2024 for defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Last June, the Flyers acquired winger Trevor Zegras from the Ducks for a package that included center Ryan Poehling.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Something tells me there won’t be any future trades between these two clubs for a while.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens believes the Ducks have no choice but to match the Flyers’ offer for Carlsson.

Doing so would be paying Carlsson much more than the Ducks had originally hoped to sign him for. TSN’s Chris Johnston indicated that the deal is front-loaded with signing bonuses paying Carlsson $19.95 million for 2026-27, $18.1 million in 2027-28, $17.05 million in 2028-29, $15.2 million in 2029-30, and $15 million in 2030-31.

It will also affect the Ducks’ efforts to re-sign Gauthier and Mintyukov, pushing the AAVs on their next contracts much higher than expected. That will use whatever remains of their cap space, leaving nothing to fill the remaining holes in their roster and in-season cap flexibility.

Nevertheless, Stephens argues that not matching would be much worse. The value of the draft picks they’ll receive as compensation will lessen if the Flyers continue to improve. The Ducks will be without a first-line center for the foreseeable future. Even if they use those first-round picks as trade bait to address that need, finding a suitable option could be difficult, especially if their potential targets have no-trade protection.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The last time any team signed a player to an expensive offer sheet was in the summer of 2012, when the Flyers (!) inked Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators to a 14-year, $110 million offer sheet, which the Predators matched. That contract finally expired at 11:59 PM on June 30.

It’s a bold move by Briere, one that could be costlier than the big bite it will take out of the Flyers’ salary-cap payroll if the Ducks decline to match the offer.

Carlsson has established himself as a first-line center with the potential to become a superstar. However, he hasn’t yet reached the level where he deserves to be the league’s highest-paid player in terms of AAV. That’s going to have a wide-ranging effect on the cost of signing every comparable young NHL player, including those of the Flyers going forward (hello there, Matvei Michkov, if he has a significant bounce-back performance this season).

Another factor is the possibility that Carlsson struggles to adjust to a new club in one of the NHL’s bigger markets under a much harsher spotlight than he’s faced in Anaheim. He’ll definitely feel the pressure to meet the expectations that come with that massive annual cap hit.

If Carlsson adjusts quickly and meets those expectations, this signing could be remembered as the moment when the Flyers became a powerhouse. If he falters, it will be seen as the beginning of the end of Briere’s tenure as general manager.

For the Ducks, some folks believe this is karma biting Verbeek for his years of playing hardball with restricted free agents such as Drysdale, Zegras, and Mason McTavish, all of whom no longer play for the Ducks. They feel Verbeek could’ve avoided this had he signed Carlsson to a lucrative new contract on July 1 instead of trying to play the waiting game.

The Ducks are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Most observers expect they’ll swallow hard and match the Flyers’ offer. Doing so will definitely screw up their salary cap for this season and complicate efforts to re-sign Gauthier and Mintyukov, especially if the latter signs an offer sheet. Letting Mintykov go will weaken their already thin blueline for this season.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Ben Pope examined how the Carlsson offer sheet could affect the Blackhawks’ contract negotiations with center Connor Bedard. Like Carlsson, the 21-year-old Bedard is an RFA coming off his entry-level contract.

Pope doesn’t expect Bedard to sign an offer sheet. He pointed to several factors, including the latter’s desire to remain with the Blackhawks and his near-constant communication with GM Kyle Davidson. Nevertheless, even if Bedard doesn’t sign an offer sheet, Carlsson’s new contract will push up the price of re-signing the young Blackhawks star.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard’s next contract isn’t the only one that could be affected this summer by the Carlsson offer sheet.

Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars could be an offer sheet target, as he recently rejected an eight-year contract offer worth $15 million annually from the Seattle Kraken as part of an attempted sign-and-trade deal. Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets could be a tempting option for clubs looking for a young first-line center.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Aarif Deen speculated that Carlsson’s contract could have some effect on next summer’s crop of unrestricted free-agent superstars such as Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlsson’s $18 million AAV is now the benchmark for Makar and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes. Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning is a little older than Makar and Hughes, but could definitely make the case to exceed $18 million annually after winning the Art Ross Trophy for the third time and the Hart Trophy for the second time.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Forward Jamie Benn, 36, will return for another NHL season. The long-time Stars captain signed a one-year contract with a base salary of $850,000, with an additional $1.15 million in performance bonuses.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed winger Gavin McKenna to a three-year entry-level contract. McKenna, 18, was the first-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft.

NEW YORK POST: Madison Square Garden executive chairman and CEO James Dolan is handing over the day-to-day ownership responsibilities of the Rangers to his son, Quentin.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins signed Hendrix Lapierre to a two-year contract worth an AAV of $1.3 million. Lapierre, 24, was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. The Penguins acquired him in a trade with the Washington Capitals on June 25.

TSN: The Utah Mammoth signed defenseman Andrew Peeke to a one-year, $1 million contract. Peeke, 27, was an unrestricted free agent coming off a three-year contract worth an AAV of $2.75 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 3, 2026

by | Jul 3, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – July 3, 2026

Check out the latest on Dylan Larkin, Morgan Rielly, and Jake DeBrusk in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RED WINGS SEEK MATT BOLDY IN RETURN FOR DYLAN LARKIN

PUCK GONE WILD: Chris Schad recently cited Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, who claimed the Detroit Red Wings “would have no problem” trading center Dylan Larkin to the Minnesota Wild if they got Matt Boldy in return.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

Larkin, 29, included the Wild on his three-team list of destinations when he requested a trade last month.

According to Kypreos, apart from Boldy, there is nothing else that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is interested in.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yzerman reportedly seeks a return with a good young NHL player for Larkin. Boldy won’t fill the Red Wings’ need for a first-line center once Larkin is traded, but he would address their need for a top-six winger.

Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that the Wild would part with Boldy for Larkin; otherwise, that trade would’ve happened by now. The Wild see themselves as a Stanley Cup contender with Boldy on the same line as their new first-line center. He also has terrific chemistry with superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov, so they’re not going to mess around with that.

It remains to be seen how the Larkin situation is resolved and whether the Wild will be his destination. However, they won’t part with Boldy to get him.

THE LATEST ON MORGAN RIELLY

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan reports there is nothing imminent regarding a trade for defenseman Morgan Rielly. Nevertheless, GM John Chayka and Rielly’s agent, J.P. Barry, will continue to try to get something done.

Rielly, 32, isn’t beating down Chayka’s door demanding a trade, and the Leafs GM has no desire to give him away for nothing. If a move takes place, it’ll be a hockey trade involving a player who can help the Maple Leafs.

If no trade happens this summer, Rielly will report to the Maple Leafs training camp in preparation for his 13th NHL season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So far, there is no sign that there are teams with serious interest in Rielly. Based on Chayka’s recent remarks, he has no issue with the veteran blueliner being in the Leafs lineup when the regular season begins in October.

UPDATE ON JAKE DEBRUSK

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported Wednesday that there was no dialogue between the Vancouver Canucks and Jake DeBrusk about waiving his no-trade clause. For now, it looks like he’s staying.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I missed this during the blizzard of activity in the free-agent and trade markets on July 1. Since then, there’s no sign that this situation has changed for DeBrusk, but we’re still early in the offseason. The 29-year-old winger could draw more interest now that the free-agent market has been picked nearly clean of quality talent.

DeBrusk is signed through 2030-31 with an AAV of $5.5 million. He has a full no-movement clause but is reportedly open to waiving it to go to a contender. A playoff club seeking a second-line winger could come calling.