NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2026

by | Aug 19, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2026

Check out the latest on Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe reports Sidney Crosby is entering the final season of his two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 39-year-old center will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Yohe acknowledged that the longer Crosby goes unsigned, the more speculation will grow about his future in Pittsburgh, just like what happened before he signed his current deal.

However, Yohe believes Crosby will sign another extension with the Penguins. He indicated that Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, said there is an understanding that his camp will discuss a new contract before the summer is over.

Yohe speculated that Crosby’s next contract will likely be a one- or two-year deal. He’s never been one to push for as much money as he could get. Whatever the term and price, the Penguins will likely accept it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has long maintained that he doesn’t want to play anywhere else. Nevertheless, some pundits seemed to delight in musing over potential trade destinations for the future Hall of Famer, even insisting that the Penguins owed it to Crosby and the rest of the league to trade him to a playoff contender.

Crosby isn’t going anywhere. He’ll finish his career with the Penguins. Hopefully, the two sides will get a deal done quickly and spare us another season of silly Crosby trade speculation.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ryan Lambert cited a recent report by NHL Network Radio contributor Paul Shaheen, who recently claimed that Cutter Gauthier rejected a four-year contract proposal from the Anaheim Ducks that would’ve paid him an average annual value of $13 million.

Lambert noted that the validity of Shaheen’s reporting remains unclear, but noted that the longer Gauthier remains unsigned, the more questions will be raised. He noted how Leo Carlsson’s new contract left the Ducks with just over $9 million in cap space, meaning they’ll likely have to shed salary to re-sign the talented young winger.

According to Lambert, general manager Pat Verbeek is to blame for creating this situation. His reputation for playing hardball with young players coming off entry-level contracts left the club vulnerable to Carlsson becoming an offer-sheet candidate, resulting in them matching an offer from the Philadelphia Flyers despite it being worth far more than they had originally anticipated signing him for going into this offseason.

Lambert noted that the only leverage Gauthier has is to withhold his services. However, the Ducks have to realize they cannot continue playing hardball like this, especially if doing so costs Gauthier some games or adversely affects his performance this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There hasn’t been much real news about Gauthier’s negotiations with the Ducks. That’s generated plenty of rumors, including one claiming he wouldn’t accept a penny less than the $18 million AAV that Carlsson got on his new contract.

It remains to be seen how much Gauthier gets on his next contract, but it certainly won’t be less than $9 million. If Shaheen’s report is correct, my guess is he won’t accept anything less than $14 million annually.

As with Crosby, the longer Gauthier remains unsigned, the more conjecture will arise about what his new deal could look like, and which players will be trade candidates to ensure the Ducks become cap-compliant for the coming season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2026

by | Aug 19, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 19, 2026

Big questions facing the Islanders, the Canadiens to honor Carey Price, the latest on Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Who replaces Anders Lee as captain and whether Semyon Varlamov will be healthy enough to back up starting goalie Ilya Sorokin are among the big questions facing the New York Islanders in 2026-27.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (NHL Images).

Lee captained the Islanders from 2018-19 to 2025-26 before signing with the Utah Mammoth in July. It’s expected they’ll name a new captain before the end of September. Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn are possible options, having served as captains with their previous clubs. Promising defenseman Matthew Schaefer is another possibility to fill that role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Horvat seems the most likely candidate given he’s been with the Islanders for the past four seasons. Schaefer is coming off an impressive rookie campaign, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in a unanimous vote, but making him captain as a sophomore could put too much pressure on the youngster’s shoulders.

Varlamov hasn’t played since November 2024, and has had both knees replaced since then. He looked good during a brief conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate at the end of last season. The Isles signed veteran Vitek Vanecek as insurance.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens will honor former goaltender Carey Price a day after he is officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Price will be added to the Canadiens’ Ring of Honour on Nov. 10 at the Bell Centre. He played his entire 15-season NHL career with the Habs, becoming their all-time leader in wins by a goalie with 361. Price is only the fifth goaltender in NHL history to win the Vezina Trophy and the Hart Trophy in the same season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price should have his No. 31 retired by the Canadiens. That honor is reserved for multiple Stanley Cup winners, but they should make an exception in his case given how much he meant to the franchise during his career.

Price is the greatest Canadien never to win the Stanley Cup, but that’s because the club’s previous management failed to build the kind of roster that could become a serious contender during his tenure. Had he had a team in front of him like the current incarnation, perhaps he’d have a couple of Stanley Cups on his resume.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is happy that he wasn’t traded this summer. The 32-year-old blueliner was the subject of trade chatter earlier in the offseason, reaching the point where he reportedly submitted a list of four preferred destinations to management.

However, a trade never emerged, and Rielly is now featured prominently in the club’s social media posts about the coming season. He acknowledged that there was uncertainty about his future, but he considers Toronto his home now and is excited about the upcoming season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was rumored the San Jose Sharks were interested in Rielly, but they acquired Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers instead. Given how much the trade speculation about Rielly has dried up, it’s a good bet that he’ll be starting his 14th season with the Maple Leafs.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports the Washington Capitals have started contract extension talks with Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif. The young forwards are slated to become restricted free agents at the end of this season.

Silber believes the Capitals’ urgency to re-sign them now is because the Philadelphia Flyers signed Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson to an expensive offer sheet earlier this summer, which the Ducks matched at great cost.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leonard, 21, is in the final season of his entry-level contract. The 24-year-old Sourdif is on his second contract and is eligible for salary arbitration.

Leonard and Sourdif are coming off promising campaigns. If they build on those performances this season, they could command more lucrative new contracts, which could lead to one of them signing an offer sheet with another club. It makes sense that the Capitals want to avoid that situation.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico looked at the major changes coming to the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement on September 16.

The biggest change will be the end of eight-year contracts for restricted free agents and seven-year contracts for unrestricted free agents. Those maximum terms will be reduced to seven years for RFAs and six years for UFAs.

There will be tighter rules for how money is distributed through the term of a contract. “Teams will have less flexibility to create large salary swings from one season to the next, with a 20 percent limit tied to the first year and a 71 percent minimum compared to the contract’s highest-paid season.”

Signing bonuses will be restricted to no more than 60 percent of the total value of an NHL contract over the life of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those changes will affect contracts signed after Sept. 15, 2026.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed defenseman Hunter McDonald to a two-year contract worth $1.825 million. McDonald, 24, was a restricted free agent. It’s a two-way deal for the first year and becomes a one-way deal in the second year.

 










NHL Rumor Mill – August 18, 2026

by | Aug 18, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – August 18, 2026

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we take a look at the salary cap decisions facing the Ducks, Canadiens, Stars, Avalanche, and Sharks.

SPORTSNET: Emily Sadler recently looked at five teams that face intriguing salary-cap decisions.

The Anaheim Ducks have $9 million in cap space after matching the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year offer sheet ($18 million average annual value) to Leo Carlsson last month. However, they must also re-sign restricted free agent winger Cutter Gauthier, who led the Ducks last season with 41 goals and 69 points.

Anaheim Ducks winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

Sadler noted that the Ducks will get cap relief next summer when Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn become unrestricted free agents. However, she wonders what they’ll do in the meantime. Sadler also noted that Gauthier’s new contract could affect winger Beckett Sennecke’s contract extension talks next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely the Ducks will get Gauthier signed to anything under $9 million. That means they’ll have to shed some salary to become cap-compliant when the regular season opens next month.

The Ducks can get some short-term cap relief by placing sidelined winger Troy Terry on long-term injury reserve to start the season. However, a cost-cutting trade or two will be necessary once Terry is ready to return to action, possibly involving Kreider or Killorn.

The Montreal Canadiens have young core players Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson signed to affordable long-term contracts under $9 million AAV, and recently signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million annually.

Sadler pointed out that the Canadiens will have considerable salary-cap flexibility for the next several years. She wonders if general manager Kent Hughes has a big swing in store after a quiet offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wasn’t for lack of trying on Hughes’ part. The Canadiens were linked to Toronto Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies at the March trade deadline and to Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko during this summer.

The Canadiens are pursuing a top-six forward, preferably a second-line center to skate alongside Demidov. Hughes is being patient in his quest for the right return, but at some point this season, he’ll likely pull the trigger on a major trade.

The Dallas Stars re-signed Jason Robertson to a one-year, $12 million contract, but it did little to quiet the trade rumors swirling around the 26-year-old winger, who is UFA-eligible next summer.

Sadler noted that the Stars remain above the $104 million salary cap. She also thinks how this season plays out will have “massive implications” for the Stars and Robertson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson reportedly wants to stay in Dallas, and the Stars want to keep him. His one-year contract buys management time to re-sign him next summer when they’ll have more cap space, while giving him another season to prove his worth as a first-line winger.

PuckPedia indicates the Stars are above the cap by $1.36 million. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News suggested trading or demoting defenseman Kyle Capobianco and winger Colin Blackwell to free up the necessary space.

Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar is slated to become a UFA next summer. Sadler wondered what moves they could make to ensure the 27-year-old defenseman remains in Colorado.

The Avalanche have four other contracts set to come off their books next summer, with Brent Burns, Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen, and Scott Wedgewood also UFA-eligible. While that frees up around $10 million, it creates other roster gaps to be addressed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have over $32 million in projected salary-cap space for 2027-28, with 17 active roster players under contract. However, $20 million of it could go toward re-signing Makar. With salaries on the rise, the remaining $12 million might not be enough to replace their other UFAs adequately.

Sadler noted the expensive extension that Macklin Celebrini recently signed with the San Jose Sharks. His league-leading $18.8 million AAV has set the market for the next wave of young talent. She wondered how much Sharks teammates Will Smith and Michael Misa could command on their next contracts?

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Smith had 45 points in 74 games as a rookie and 59 points in 69 games as a sophomore. He’ll be in line for a substantial raise if he continues to improve, likely over $12 million annually. A strong sophomore campaign for Misa could also put him within that range.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2026

by | Aug 18, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 18, 2026

The big questions facing the Devils, plus the latest on Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Senators winger Drake Batherson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The health of Jack Hughes and the state of the goaltending are among the big questions facing the New Jersey Devils this season.

Hughes, 25, had 77 points in 61 games last season, but the Devils won only eight of 21 games without him. Durability has been an issue for the talented center throughout his seven NHL seasons.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (NHL Images).

The Devils’ goaltending depth is in question after trading Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers. They’ll go into this season with Jake Allen, Nico Daws, and David Rittich.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Hughes stays healthy and one of those three goalies adequately fills the starter’s role, the Devils should be a playoff team. Otherwise, it will be another disappointing campaign resulting in more changes to their roster.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Alex Ovechkin is looking forward to his 22nd NHL season, but he’s not committing to anything beyond that for now.

Ovechkin signed a one-year extension with the Capitals for this season. He turns 41 in September and will see how the season unfolds. He also intends to consult with his family before making any decisions beyond this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin’s status among the greatest players in NHL history is assured, as is his place as the greatest player in Capitals history. Nevertheless, age is catching up with him. Ovechkin could take on a lesser role with the Capitals this season, most likely as a power play specialist.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports league sources don’t believe that the Senators and winger Drake Batherson are getting close to a new contract. The 28-year-old winger is in the final season of a six-year deal worth an average annual value of $4.975 million.

Batherson seeks an eight-year deal, but he and the Senators have until Sept. 15 to negotiate an agreement. After that, the maximum length of NHL contracts will drop from eight years to seven for teams signing their own players, and from seven years to six for unrestricted free agents.

According to Garrioch, Batherson could command between $10 million and $11 million annually on the open market. That would be comparable to the contracts of Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe (eight years, $10.625 million) and Washington Capitals winger Alex Tuch (eight years, $10.5 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the rise of the salary cap, Batherson could get over $12 million annually as a UFA if he has a strong performance this season.

Garrioch noted that Batherson wants to stay in Ottawa, and believes there’s no reason the two sides can’t work out a deal. However, he also speculated that the winger could go into this season without an extension if they haven’t reached an agreement by Sept. 15.

The two sides still have plenty of time to get an eight-year deal done, but we can expect more speculation about Batherson’s future in Ottawa if he’s still unsigned as Sept. 15 approaches.

NHL.COM: Hall of Fame defenseman Zdeno Chara is staging a farewell game in his hometown of Trencin, Slovakia. It will serve as a thank you to those who supported him during his playing career while raising money for several schools in Slovakia.

Chara, 49, will be joined by former Boston Bruins teammates David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron. Hall of Famers Ray Bourque, Mark Recchi, and Marian Hossa will also be there, along with future Hall of Famers Jaromir Jagr and Anze Kopitar.

Long-time Bruins teammate Brad Marchand was also scheduled to play, but will miss the event due to surgery.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: A long, bitter legal dispute between the Stars and the NBA’s Mavericks has been settled. In a joint statement, the two clubs announced they’ve reached an agreement that resolves the outstanding matters between them.

A yearlong breakdown in the teams’ relationship came to a head last October when the Mavericks filed suit against the Stars over control of the American Airlines Center.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 17, 2026

by | Aug 17, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – August 17, 2026

What’s the latest on the Bruins and Panthers? Would Vladimir Tarasenko be a good fit with the Flyers? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BOSTON HERALD: Steve Conroy recently mused over when and how the Bruins will deal with center Pavel Zacha’s contract status.

Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha (NHL Images).

Zacha, 29, is in the final season of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. His durability and reliability make him worthwhile to retain, but he could also fetch valuable pieces in a trade.

The Bruins have promising centers on the team (Fraser Minten) or in their system (James Hagens, Dean Letourneau) who could be blocked if Zacha is re-signed.

If the Bruins are out of playoff contention by the trade deadline, moving him could be easy if he remains unsigned by then. However, it’s unlikely he’ll be traded if they’re in the thick of the postseason race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed the Bruins want to re-sign Zacha, but they’ve also been open to trade inquiries. Much will depend on what he’s seeking on his next contract, and where the Bruins are in the standings as the March 1 trade deadline approaches. For now, expect Zacha to be in the Bruins’ lineup when they open their season next month.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards believes the Panthers could give Patrik Laine a look if winger Brad Marchand is sidelined long term.

Laine, 28, is among the notable players still available in this summer’s UFA market. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Marchand recently underwent surgery and is expected to miss training camp and the start of the regular season.

Richards noted that Laine has some links to the Panthers. He played under head coach Paul Maurice during their tenures with the Winnipeg Jets, and played with Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during their youth hockey days.

Laine could be an affordable option on a one-year, “prove-it” contract. Richards suggested signing him to a professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We don’t know what the Panthers’ plans are to replace Marchand, let alone if Laine would be part of them. He certainly wouldn’t replace Marchand’s energetic, gritty style of play. Still, as Richards pointed out, there is little downside with giving Laine a shot.

NHL NETWORK: Mike Rupp recently suggested that Vladimir Tarasenko could be a good fit with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 34-year-old winger is coming off a bounce-back performance with the Minnesota Wild last season, scoring 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games.

Rupp believes Tarasenko could help the Flyers improve their power play, which hasn’t been good for some time. He felt they need more finishers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rupp makes a good point about the Flyers needing help with the man advantage. Their power-play percentage last season (15.7) was dead last in the league.

Like Patrik Laine, Tarasenko is among the few notable players still available in this summer’s UFA market. Whether the Flyers share Rupp’s view that the veteran winger could help them remains to be seen. Rookie winger Porter Martone and a better performance from third-year winger Matvei Michkov could boost those stats significantly.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 17, 2026

by | Aug 17, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 17, 2026

The projected top-10 goaltenders for 2026-27, the big questions facing the Predators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy sits at No. 1 on the NHL Network’s ranking of the top-10 goaltenders for 2026-27.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (NHL Images).

Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy last season as the league’s top goalie for the second time, taking home the award back in 2018-19.

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers were second and third on the list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the full listing, and feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

NHL.COM: Determining who will be the first-line center is among the 3 big questions facing the Nashville Predators in 2026-27.

Ryan O’Reilly filled that role for the past two seasons, but he’s 35 and his best years are behind him. Promising Brady Martin could fill that role one day, but he’s not ready yet.

The Predators attempted to shore up their depth at center this summer by acquiring Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton, and Jack Drury and signing Alex Kerfoot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators could try Bourque at that position, but it will be quite a leap for the 24-year-old forward. He spent the past two seasons with the Dallas Stars but split his time at center and on the wing.

Whether the Predators can avoid another slow start and if they’ll bolster their blueline depth are the other big questions they must address this season.

THE SCORE: A Macklin Celebrini rookie card sold for $1.28 million USD on Saturday, making it the highest public sale for a non-Wayne Gretzky hockey card ever.

The most expensive hockey card sale is a Gretzky O-Pee-Chee rookie graded 10 by PSA, which sold for $3.75 million USD in a private auction in 2021.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: The Red Wings nearly had a deal in place earlier this summer that would’ve brought Anthony Mantha back to Detroit. However, it fell through while awaiting ownership approval, and Mantha subsequently signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mantha began his NHL career with the Red Wings. He debuted in 2015-16 and spent nearly six seasons with them before getting traded to the Washington Capitals in 2021.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is looking for a new team as he attempts to continue his professional hockey career. The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal with KHL club Spartak Moskva. However, he terminated the final year of that contract, hoping to return with an NHL team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Georgiev spent eight seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, and San Jose Sharks from 2017-18 to 2024-25. He had a career-best performance in 2022-23 with the Avalanche, winning 40 games with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage, and five shutouts.

However, Georgiev’s performance collapsed in the following seasons. He signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Sabres last year, but began the 2025-26 campaign with their AHL affiliate. In November, he was placed on waivers to terminate his contract, leading to his departure for the KHL.

Georgiev could get a professional tryout offer from an NHL club in need of experienced goaltending depth before training camps open next month.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames hope that promising Sam Honzek has a breakout season. The 22-year-old winger missed most of last season recovering from upper-body surgery.

RG.ORG: Detroit Red Wings prospect J.P. Hurlbert’s dream will take him to the University of Michigan this season. The 18-year-old forward grew up in Texas but is a lifelong Red Wings fan. Detroit selected him with the 23rd pick in this year’s draft.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup run this spring has led to a run on team merchandise this summer.