NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2025

by | Jan 25, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – January 25, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest on Canucks centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, a look at potential Blackhawks trade candidates, and updates on the Islanders and Canadiens.

LATEST ON PETTERSSON AND MILLER

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston cited TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reporting the Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes were close to a deal. In the end, the Hurricanes opted for Mikko Rantanen, acquiring him on Friday night in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Based on what the Hurricanes gave up for Rantanen (forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury, two draft picks), Johnston believes the rumored deal with the Canucks had to involve Elias Pettersson. He pointed out the Hurricanes inquired into Pettersson’s availability last season before he signed his eight-year contract extension.

Meanwhile, Johnston reports the offers for Canucks center J.T. Miller are currently weak, despite his 103-point performance last season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Kierszenblat cited CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal indicating the Canucks called the Hurricanes about Martin Necas.

According to Dhaliwal, the trade would’ve involved J.T. Miller. However, the Hurricanes declined and sent Necas to the Avalanche in the Rantanen deal.

Meanwhile, Remy Mastey reports Miller hasn’t made a formal trade request, but there’s a sense that the 31-year-old center’s time with the Canucks is coming to an end.

Mastey cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting the Canucks and Miller have reached the point where it’s time to move on from each other.

The New York Rangers have been in discussions with the Canucks about Miller. However, the holdup is the Canucks want to get maximum value in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller and Pettersson have dominated the rumor mill for a month after reports of a rumored rift between the two made the rounds. It’s believed the Canucks prefer to move Miller and retain Pettersson, who is five years younger and has more productive years ahead of him.

It’ll be interesting to see what effect the Rantanen trade will have on the Canucks’ efforts to move Miller. The Rangers, Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Dallas Stars have been linked to the Canucks veteran but the Rangers are believed the only team to make an offer. The Hurricanes are out while the Devils, Isles and Stars are rumored to be mildly interested.

POTENTIAL BLACKHAWKS TRADE CANDIDATES

THE ATHLETIC: Before the Chicago Blackhawks traded Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes in the Rantanen deal, Scott Powers examined their potential trade candidates.

Powers indicated the Blackhawks received calls about defenseman Seth Jones but nothing out of the ordinary. They’re unlikely to move anyone who isn’t on an expiring contract.

The Blackhawks are unlikely to re-sign UFA-eligible forward Ryan Donato. They don’t expect defenseman Alec Martinez to request a trade as he remains focused on helping them for now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forwards Pat Maroon and Craig Smith are the Blackhawks’ other pending UFAs.

CAPITALS INTERESTED IN BROCK NELSON

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner cites industry sources claiming the Washington Capitals have checked in on Brock Nelson. The 33-year-old New York Islanders center is eligible for UFA status on July 1.

Any potential team acquiring Nelson could prefer signing him to a contract extension. However, Rosner indicates the Capitals are believed to have no issue with him as purely a playoff rental.

Rosner pointed out the Capitals lack the cap space to take on Nelson’s $6 million cap hit. He speculates the Isles might be willing to retain part of his salary if an interested team is willing to pay more in return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello insists he’s not focused on the trade deadline, centering instead on his club’s pursuit of a playoff berth. However, Nelson could become available if the Isles fail to gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Nelson is a three-time 30-plus goal scorer with postseason experience. The Capitals won’t be the only team pursuing him if Lamoriello makes him available before the March 7 deadline.

SHOULD THE CANADIENS PURSUE SIDNEY CROSBY?

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Jack Todd believes the rebuilding Canadiens should take the advice of Global’s Brian Wilde and look into acquiring Sidney Crosby from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I defer to TSN’s Chris Johnston: “Unless something changes – and at this point I have ZERO reason to believe it will – Sidney Crosby isn’t being traded out of Pittsburgh. He’s an untouchable as far as the Pens are concerned, plus he’s got a no-movement clause and no desire to be dealt.”










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2025

by | Jan 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, how the three-team trade that sent Mikko Rantanen to the Hurricanes went down, the Islanders unveiled their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Cole Perfetti powered the Winnipeg Jets to a 5-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists as the Jets (69 points) moved within three points of the league-leading Washington Capitals. Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton scored for Utah with team captain Clayton Keller picking up two assists.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a milestone game for Ehlers, becoming the first Dane in NHL history to reach the 500-point plateau.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored in overtime and collected two assists in regulation play to down the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Nick Paul and Jake Guentzel scored two unanswered goals as the Lightning overcame a 3-1 deficit. Frank Nazar and Louis Crevier each had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Kucherov’s 100th career multi-point game. The win moved the Lightning into third place in the Atlantic Division with 55 points.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson tallied twice in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Wyatt Johnston, Matt Duchene and Evgenii Dadonov each collected two assists for the Stars, who moved ahead of the Minnesota Wild into second place in the Central Division with 61 points. Jack Eichel scored two goals for the Golden Knights, who’ve lost five of their last six games and cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 64 points.

The New York Islanders picked up their third straight win by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist while Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for the Islanders (47 points), who sit six points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Tyson Foerster replied for the Flyers (50 points), who remain three points behind the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders announced yesterday the signing of Tony DeAngelo to a one-year contract for the remainder of this season. This move suggests Isles blueliner Noah Dobson will be sidelined for the rest of the season. DeAngelo must first clear waivers before he can join the Islanders.

HEADLINES

The NHL world is still buzzing over Friday night’s blockbuster trade that saw the Colorado Avalanche ship Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team deal involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for trade details and my reaction. The Hurricanes also acquired prospect forward Nils Juntrop from the Blackhawks in the deal.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports the Hurricanes may have been the only suitor for Rantanen given the Avalanche’s asking price. He revealed Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky was involved in trade talks with the Vancouver Canucks involving Elias Pettersson earlier this month and J.T. Miller earlier this week before shifting to Rantanen.

According to Johnston, the origins of this trade go back to last June when the Hurricanes were at an impasse in contract talks with Martin Necas. The Avalanche raised the issue at the time but a deal didn’t take place. The discussions resumed two months ago and eventually grew more serious.

League sources told Johnston that there were no advanced discussions with the Rantanen camp about a contract extension before the deal went down. The 28-year-old forward is UFA-eligible on July 1. Johnston claims Rantanen was blindsided by this move by the Avalanche.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Blackhawks brokered this deal between the Avalanche and Hurricanes. If Rantanen hits the open market on July 1, Friedman wouldn’t be surprised if the Blackhawks pursued him.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the Avalanche replaced Rantanen in the short term with a very good player in Necas. However, he noted that the 26-year-old lacks Rantanen’s track record of success, especially in the postseason.

Masisak also observed the move gave the Avalanche some salary-cap wiggle room for the rest of the regular season and possibly much more in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rantanen deal was the biggest in-season NHL trade in the salary-cap era since the Boston Bruins shipped Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks 20 years ago. It could open the floodgates to more creative moves involving big-name talent before the March 7 trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update.

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders revealed their Quarter-Century Team on Friday.

The First Team comprises forwards Brock Nelson, John Tavares and Josh Bailey, defensemen Nick Leddy and Adam Pelech, and goaltender Ilya Sorokin.

The Second Team features forwards Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Frans Nielsen, defensemen Kenny Jonsson and Ryan Pulock, and goalie Semyon Varlamov.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Derek O’Brien cites reports from several Swedish media sources indicating Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson was defrauded by a Swedish real estate broker who is now in prison.

Pettersson lost the deposit on a luxury villa north of Stockholm that was revealed to have many flaws that required repairs. He successfully sued the broker to have the mortgage contract cancelled but it’s unlikely he’ll ever get the deposit back.

DAILY FACEOFF: Carolina Hurricanes winger William Carrier underwent surgery to repair a lower-body injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least two months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Carrier is out for the season the Hurricanes could place him on long-term injury reserve and use the salary-cap savings to add another player before the trade deadline. He’s in the first season of a six-year contract with an AAV of $2 million.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Avalanche. He missed the Bruins’ 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday with a minor upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist was fined $2,000.00 for embellishment by the department of player safety.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Matt Murray and returned Dennis Hildeby to their AHL affiliate.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames assigned little-used defenseman Tyson Barrie to their AHL affiliate for conditioning. He’s appeared in nine games this season, the last being on Nov. 12.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres center Ryan McLeod is expected back in the lineup when his club faces the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. He missed the last three games with a nagging injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The San Jose Sharks signed center Colin White for the remainder of the season on a two-way contract. He began this season on a minor-league deal with their AHL affiliate.










Avalanche Trade Mikko Rantanen To The Hurricanes In Three-Team Deal

by | Jan 24, 2025

Avalanche Trade Mikko Rantanen To The Hurricanes In Three-Team Deal

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports the Colorado Avalanche have traded forward Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team deal involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

According to Seravalli, the Blackhawks are sending Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes. Other reports suggest Martin Necas will be heading to the Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche trade Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes (NHL Images).

Details to follow…

**UPDATE**

The trade is as follows:

Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall to the Hurricanes.

Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder from the Hurricanes to the Avalanche.

A third-round pick going to the Blackhawks, who retain half of Rantanen’s $9.25 million cap hit. They retained no portion of Hall’s cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll take a lot to top this blockbuster as the biggest trade of 2024-25, perhaps even of the entire calendar year of 2025, and we’re only just over three weeks into the new year.

This move signals the Hurricanes are going for it this season. Rantanen is one of the league’s elite scorers, on pace for his third straight 100-point campaign with 64 points in 49 games. He was also a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche in 2022 and his experience should prove helpful.

Hall is a former winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy (2018). His best seasons are behind him but he’s still a well-respected playmaking winger. He’s going from one of the league’s worst clubs to one of the better ones as his presence also bolsters the Hurricanes’ offense.

It’s been reported that Rantanen informed Avalanche management of his intention to test the free-agent market in July. Rather than stick with him as an own rental for one last playoff run, the Avs opted to ship him out for Necas and Drury. It remains to be seen if the Hurricanes will attempt to re-sign him before July 1.

Necas is a scoring forward who can play center or wing. The 26-year-old’s production cooled a bit following a hot start but he’s 12th among this season’s leading scorers with 55 points in 49 games, putting the 26-year-old on pace to exceed his career-high 71 points in 2022-23. He’s in the first season of a two-year deal with an average annual value of $6.5 million.

Drury, 24, saw checking-line duty with the Hurricanes. He missed 10 games with an injury hand and has nine points in 39 games after reaching 27 points in 74 games last season.

How Necas and Drury fit in with their new club will be interesting. The deal also freed up cap space for the Avalanche, creating speculation they’re not done making moves.

The Blackhawks used their cap space to facilitate this deal and move Hall to a playoff contender. In return, they received the 2025 third-round they traded to the Hurricanes last year.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 24, 2025

by | Jan 24, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – January 24, 2025

Check out the latest on J.T. Miller, Brad Marchand, Jonathan Toews, Logan Thompson and Kevin Lankinen in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST J.T. MILLER SPECULATION

RG.ORG: Jim Biringer reports a source claims there’s a belief the Vancouver Canucks could trade J.T. Miller before next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off.

The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are considered the front-runners for the 31-year-old Canucks center. Some reports linked the Devils to Miller but Biringer claims those discussions haven’t taken place.

If the Devils did pursue and acquire Miller, he could become their third-line center behind Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. He can play on the wing but prefers playing at center.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller (NHL Images)

The Hurricanes appear to have the inside track. They had previous trade discussions last season with the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those discussions were about Elias Pettersson before he signed his contract extension with the Canucks.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston believes it’s the Rangers or bust for Miller. He cites a source claiming the Hurricanes’ interest is minimal.

Johnston thinks the focus should remain on the Rangers as that deal seems the closest to reality. The holdup appears to be how it’s structured.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most reports indicate the original offer included Filip Chytil and a first-round pick. Depending on the source, the other parts of the package were defenseman Ryan Lindgren and a couple of minor-leaguers.

The Rangers, Hurricanes, Devils, and Dallas Stars have been mentioned as destinations. Some observers suggested the Boston Bruins, Utah Hockey Club, and Columbus Blue Jackets as trade options but there’s no indication they’re seriously pursuing a deal.

The Rangers’ lowball offer suggests they’re the only club in the bidding for Miller. That could explain why they proposed a middle-six center with a concussion history (Chytil), a shutdown defenseman who is UFA-eligible in July (Lindgren), and some minor-leaguers who aren’t among the Rangers’ blue-chip prospects.

This could become comparable to the Chicago Blackhawks trading Patrick Kane to the Rangers two years ago. Most observers thought Kane would fetch the Blackhawks at least a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a good young prospect. They never got anything close to that because the Rangers were Kane’s only trade destination.

COULD THE BRUINS MOVE BRAD MARCHAND BY THE TRADE DEADLINE?

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa cited a hockey operations executive suggesting Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand could become a trade candidate by the March 7 trade deadline. “If they think it’ll help the team, all bets are off,” he said.

Marchand is UFA-eligible on July 1 and won’t publicly discuss his contract situation. Shinzawa believes trading the 36-year-old winger would be waving the white flag on this season. On the other hand, he could bring in a return that would help the Bruins’ long-term future.

The Bruins captain has a 10-team no-trade list. However, Shinzawa speculates he might jump at the opportunity to join good friend and fellow Nova Scotian Nathan MacKinnon with the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shinzawa is merely musing out loud about Marchand joining MacKinnon in Colorado. Besides, everyone knows that’s the dream of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby despite his signing a two-year contract extension last summer. That was merely a ruse to throw us off the scent…

I’m joking about the Crosby thing, and I doubt the Avalanche have the cap space or the tradeable assets to land Marchand.

Nevertheless, we can’t dismiss the possibility of Marchand going to a playoff contender if the offer entices Bruins management to approach him about accepting the trade.

UPDATE ON JONATHAN TOEWS

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Winnipeg Jets are among several teams to contact Jonathan Toews’ representatives after the former Chicago Blackhawks captain expressed an interest in returning to the NHL.

Toews career was derailed in 2023 by the effects of COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome. LeBrun said the plan is for the 36-year-old center will try to come back for next season.

LATEST ON LOGAN THOMPSON AND KEVIN LANKINEN

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson is putting himself in line for a substantial raise on his next contract. He’s in the final year of a three-year deal earning just under $800K per season and is eligible for UFA status on July 1

Complicating matters is fellow Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren and defenseman Jakob Chychrun are also slated to become UFAs this summer.

LeBrun noted the Colorado Avalanche recently signed Mackenzie Blackwood to a five-year deal worth an AAV of $5.25 million. Joey Daccord signed a five-year deal worth $5 million annually with the Seattle Kraken.

Meanwhile, there’s mutual interest between the Vancouver Canucks and goalie Kevin Lankinen in signing a contract extension. However, there haven’t been any serious talks yet. Given Lankinen’s solid play this season, LeBrun doubts he can be retained for less than $4 million annually.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

by | Jan 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin keeps moving closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Red Wings unveil their Quarter-Century Team, Wild owner Craig Leipold jumps the gun on commissioner Gary Bettman’s retirement plans, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 875th regular-season goal into an empty net in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 22-save shutout while Aliaksei Protas and Ethan Frank tallied unassisted goals for the Capitals, who picked up their sixth straight win and sit first overall in the standings with 71 points. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord stopped 30 shots in his 100th regular-season game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 20 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894. With 34 games remaining in the Capitals’ regular-season schedule, he could break the record by April.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned aside 18 shots for his 300th regular-season win as his club downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4. Seth Jarvis scored twice and collected two assists and Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Kent Johnson and James van Riemsdyk each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (53 points) as they cling to the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen became the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career wins (501 games played). Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightnings holds that record with 490 games played.

Edmonton Oilers forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each collected three points in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (63 points) as they snapped a two-game losing skid to sit one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek replied for the Canucks (50 points), who’ve dropped four of their last five and sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl tallied his league-leading 35th goal and extended his home points streak to 17 games. Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood left this game for undisclosed reasons early in the second period.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights ended a four-game losing skid (0-3-1) by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Mark Stone had a goal and an assist while Tomas Hertl scored in his fourth straight game to extend his points streak to seven games. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues (50 points), who also sit three points out of the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without center William Karlsson as he’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg matched a franchise record by scoring in his seventh straight game in a 6-5 win over the San Jose Sharks. Forsberg finished the night with two goals while Fedor Svechkov snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period as the Predators picked up their fifth straight win. Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov gave up six goals on 38 shots against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Cole Smith received a game misconduct for a hit to the head of San Jose forward Ty Dellandrea during the second period. Dellandrea had to be helped from the ice by the Sharks medical staff and was ruled out of the remainder of this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Sharks forwards Klim Kostin and Nico Sturm missed this game as both are sidelined week-to-week with injuries.

The New York Rangers extended their points streak to 10 games (7-0-3) by thumping the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1. Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves while Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Filip Chytil and Reilly Smith each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead after a six-week collapse in the standings, the Rangers (52 points) have climbed back into the Eastern playoff race, sitting one point behind the Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot. The Flyers (50 points) are three points out.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin got a goal and an assist in his 700th regular-season game in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider collected two assists as the Wings snapped a three-game losing skid. They sit four points behind the Blue Jackets. Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault kicked out 41 shots in the loss as his club is also one point back of the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Boston Bruins blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0, handing the latter their second straight shutout loss. Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves against his former team while Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored the only goals. Anton Forsberg gave up only one goal on 24 shots for the Senators, who are tied with the Rangers and Canadiens with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman missed this game with a minor upper-body injury. They called up Michael DiPietro to back up Korpisalo.

Senators winger David Perron returned to action for the first time in two months. They placed goalie Linus Ullmark on long-term injury reserve to accommodate Perron’s return. Meanwhile, it was a lousy day for Sens forward Claude Giroux as he was the victim of car theft for the second time in four months.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each scored two goals to drop the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 and snap a four-game losing skid. John Gibson stopped 31 shots for the Ducks. Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who’ve lost nine of their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins (48 points) are five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Winger Bryan Rust left this game with an undisclosed injury.

The Utah Hockey Club got a 26-save shutout from goalie Karel Vejmelka in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Barrett Hayton tallied twice for Utah to extend their winning streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild sit second in the Central Division with 60 points but they’ve lost four of their last five games.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and two assists to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Dustin Wolf made 32 saves for the win as the Flames (53 points) hold a three-point lead over the Canucks in the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson scored for the Sabres, who have lost three of their last four.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Chris Johnston report Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold said the executive committee of the NHL’s Board of Governors has been planning for the retirement of league commissioner Gary Bettman.

The longest-tenured commissioner in North American pro sports, Bettman was hired by the NHL in 1992. Leipold claims the BoG is in the process of finding Bettman’s successor.

Leipold, however, hadn’t realized the 72-year-old Bettman hadn’t formally announced his retirement plans. The commissioner told The Athletic he hasn’t decided when he’ll retire but brought it up for the first time to the executive committee ahead of last month’s BoG meeting in Florida.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leipold put Bettman and the league in an awkward spot by jumping the gun. Nevertheless, Bettman will inevitably retire at some point, perhaps before the end of this decade.

Bettman’s not going anywhere before a new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out with the NHL Players’ Association. The current CBA is set to expire in September 2026 but Bettman has announced the two sides intend to begin discussions next month. He could set his retirement plans in motion after that.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

The First Team features forwards Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall, and goaltender Chris Osgood.

Forwards Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan and Dylan Larkin, defensemen Chris Chelios and Bryan Rafalski, and goalie Dominik Hasek comprised the Second Team.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom could be sidelined for weeks with an ankle injury suffered during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing their starting goalie is a big blow to the Devils. If he’s sidelined for a lengthy period it could affect their plans for the trade deadline.

THE SCORE: New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, he won’t require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders have struggled to remain in the playoff chase. Losing their top defenseman is a significant setback that could turn this club into a trade-deadline seller if it hampers their efforts to qualify for the postseason.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 27 by a back injury.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 23, 2025

by | Jan 23, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – January 23, 2025

Check out the latest on Mikko Rantanen, J.T. Miller, Simon Nemec, Jonathan Toews and much more in today’s NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” TRADE & FREE-AGENT RUMOR TIDBITS

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman believes the Colorado Avalanche and Mikko Rantanen need a deadline for a new contract. He wondered if Avalanche management considers the March 7 trade deadline to be that date or if they’ll take their chances if Rantanen remains unsigned by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Contract talks between the two sides have stalled but it was recently reported they’ll revisit those discussions following next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off. It’s also believed the Avs have no intention of peddling Rantanen if he hasn’t signed by then.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

Friedman considers the Carolina Hurricanes a team to watch in the trade market. “They are active, ready to pounce.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They could be trying to pounce on J.T. Miller. Reports earlier this week linked them to the 31-year-old Vancouver Canucks center.

The Hurricanes and New York Rangers are two of the teams permitted to speak with Miller. Friedman believes the Rangers’ offer was Filip Chytil, a first-rounder and a prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other reports claimed it was Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, a first-rounder and perhaps a couple of minor-leaguers. Either way, the Rangers would’ve made out like bandits in the deal if it hadn’t fallen through.

Friedman isn’t sure about the rumored interest in Miller from the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun he sought a center to bring some “extra oomph” to his lineup. Miller would certainly fit the bill but he could be too expensive. The Stars could afford Miller’s $8 million cap hit once they put Tyler Seguin and his $9.8 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve but they could be concerned about the long-term hit to their salary cap.

Devils defenseman Simon Nemec raised some eyebrows recently when he told a Slovak news outlet about his disappointment in playing for their farm team in Utica. They’ve told anyone who’s asked that they have no interest in trading the promising blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nemec isn’t happy in the AHL but he’s not making waves by demanding a trade. Friedman believes his injury during last August’s Olympic qualifier hurt his chances of making the Devils this season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in some of the Buffalo Sabres’ younger, NHL-ready prospects.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some mixed messages lately regarding the Penguins’ intentions. Some believe they want young players already in the NHL. Regardless, it’s clear that GM Kyle Dubas intends to move some of his aging veterans in exchange for younger talent.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have little interest in moving their UFA-eligible players for mid-round draft picks at the trade deadline. Their focus is on making the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell won’t be a seller unless his club collapses in the standings between now and the trade deadline. He’ll keep this roster intact if they’re still in the chase. After everything they’ve endured over the past year, this postseason race brings a measure of hope to the players and the fans.

PENGUINS GM DENIES FIRE SALE RUMORS

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reports Penguins GM Kyle Dubas denied recent rumors claiming the club was preparing for a fire sale of several veteran players.

Dubas acknowledged his ongoing goal is to add younger players to his roster and restock his prospect pipeline. However, he said he’s not telling teams that everything must go.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent rumors suggest the Penguins have few untouchables, with long-time stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin topping the list. There’s been some speculation about defensemen Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson but their ages and contracts make them unlikely trade candidates. Some pundits claim the Penguins could listen to offers for Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell but it would take a lot to pry either player out of Pittsburgh.

UNDER-THE-RADAR TRADE CANDIDATES

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal and Chris Johnston looked at several under-the-radar trade candidates. They include Edmonton Oilers winger Jeff Skinner, New York Rangers defensemen K’Andre Miller and Ryan Lindgren, and Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those players have been recently overshadowed by the trade drama involving Canucks forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson but most of them have frequently surfaced in the media rumor mill. Their struggles this season have prompted suggestions they might benefit from a change of scenery.

JETS INTERESTED IN JONATHAN TOEWS

SPORTSNET: Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said his club would be interested in Jonathan Toews if the former Chicago Blackhawks captain stages a comeback. The 36-year-old center last played in 2022-23. His career was derailed by the effects of COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome.

Cheveldayoff said he’s had some conversations with Toews and his representatives. “I think he’s going to have to push himself to get his body to respond and see how it responds,” said the Jets GM. “I think there’s a lot of layers yet from that standpoint.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no certainty Toews will make a comeback this season. It could take until training camp in September before he’s ready to attempt to resume his career. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt the Jets to check in and let him know they’re interested in giving him a shot at a comeback.