NHL Rumor Mill – September 3, 2025

by | Sep 3, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 3, 2025

A prediction on when Kirill Kapizov and Jack Eichel will sign their contract extensions, the latest on the Canadiens’ efforts to trade Carey Price’s contract, plus an update on UFA winger Jack Roslovic in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli predicted when Kirill Kaprizov will re-sign with the Minnesota Wild and Jack Eichel re-ups with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

Seravalli predicts both players will sign extensions with their current clubs, but believes Eichel will sign first. He thinks the 28-year-old Golden Knights center will get a deal with an average annual value (AAV) in the $13 million to $13.5 million range.

According to Seravalli, Kaprizov has more leverage because their scoring would suffer without him. He believes the Wild winger will get an AAV in the $15 million range.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An AAV in the $13 million range for Eichel would mean the Golden Knights will have over $25 million invested in two forwards after landing Mitch Marner and his $12 million AAV on June 30. Factor in the combined AAVs of Mark Stone ($9.5 million) and Tomas Hertl ($6.75 million), and they’ll have $41.25 million tied up in four forwards.

That would leave the Golden Knights with around $7 million in projected cap space for 2026-27.

As for Kaprizov, Wild beat writer Michael Russo of The Athletic recently reported hearing the Wild could pay him an AAV as high as $16 million.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels reports Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said his team is looking at ways to create more salary-cap flexibility this season. That could include trading the contract of permanently-sidelined goalie Carey Price.

“We’re fine, we don’t have to trade Carey Price,” Hughes said. “If we can find a trade to move his contract that makes sense for us and makes sense for another team, we’ll pursue it. But we don’t have to.”

The Canadiens could continue to put Price on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) to remain cap-compliant as they’ve done over the past three seasons. Nevertheless, Engels believes it’s more likely they’ll trade Price before the start of the season, including an asset in the deal to a team closer to the salary-cap floor.

TSN: Chris Johnston believes the Canadiens could pursue a second-line center if they can move Price’s contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Check out the Sept. 1 and 2 Rumor Mills for more details on why the Canadiens would prefer to trade Price’s contract rather than place him on LTIR again.

LEAFS NATION: cited Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli recently indicating that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain in contention to sign Jack Roslovic. The 28-year-old forward is considered the best player still available in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Seravalli said that nothing appears imminent, but the Leafs remain in touch with Roslovic’s camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also noted that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in July that the Maple Leafs need to free up some cap space before signing Roslovic. They currently have just over $1.9 million available.

It’s rumored they could attempt to peddle a forward like David Kampf ($2.4 million) or Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million). Both players carry 10-team no-trade lists.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2025

by | Sep 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 3, 2025

The postseason salary cap will be implemented for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, plus the latest on Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Bruins winger David Pastrnak, Canucks winger Evander Kane, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle reports the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) have agreed to a rolling implementation of the new rules in the four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that they signed in June.

League sources claim the postseason salary cap will be implemented for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Teams will be limited to playing with a 20-man roster that is cap-compliant for each playoff game.

The rule brings an end to the practice of teams stashing players on long-term injury reserve and using the salary-cap savings to add players before the playoffs. It also means a player’s full-season salary will be used to calculate if a team is cap-compliant for the playoffs, even if they were only on the team for a short period during the regular season.

This change means accruing salary-cap space becomes a less-effective tool because it won’t benefit a team in the playoffs.

Teams can still retain salary to facilitate a trade, but the new rules also affect most double-retention deals where a third team is involved. That will make freeing up salary-cap space before the trade deadline more complicated.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mirtle points out that these changes will make it more difficult for general managers to make trades during the season. Some will be forced to become more creative to find a loophole.

Mirtle also noted that the rise in the salary cap to $95.5 million provides most clubs with more cap flexibility to make moves compared to the pandemic-induced flat cap in recent years.

PUCKPEDIA: Other notable rules that will be implemented this season include no deferred salary compensation (effective Oct. 7, 2025) and a restriction on paper loans, which is when a player is assigned to a club’s minor-league affiliate but doesn’t actually report there.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited Jeff Jackson’s appearance on “Oilers Now” to address the rumors about the Oilers’ contract negotiations with Connor McDavid.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Jackson is the CEO of Hockey Operations for the Oilers. He told “Oilers Now” host Bob Stauffer that they remain confident of getting a deal with McDavid. He indicated the term of the contract is still an issue.

“It’s not as straightforward sometimes as people would like to be,” Jackson said. “He’s just taking his time.”

The Oilers captain is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He recently raised eyebrows by saying he wouldn’t have a problem with starting this season without a contract extension.

Jackson stated that McDavid wasn’t looking to break the bank to make as much money as he could. “He wants to find the razor’s edge where he gets paid for the star player that he is, that allows the team to surround himself with the best players that we possibly can, gives us options to do that beyond next year, so all that comes into his thinking.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staples believes McDavid is taking his time to study all the details and approach this from all angles for a deal that benefits him and the team.

The Oilers are willing to accommodate whatever contract terms McDavid desires. If he seeks a league-leading average annual value of $20 million on an eight-year deal, he’ll get it. However, Jackson’s comments suggest McDavid could seek a little less than top dollar on a shorter term.

Bold prediction: McDavid signs a five-year extension before the start of this season with an AAV of $18 million. Feel free to weigh in with your predictions in the comments section below.

NESN: David Pastrnak said he and the Boston Bruins teammates expect improvement over last season’s disappointing performance.

“Expectations are always the same here. You play for an Original Six, they are always high and they always will be,” said Pastrnak. “We won’t accept what happened last year. The team that’s going to dress in October is going to be very competitive.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being more competitive is a good thing, but the depletion of their roster depth in recent years could make it difficult to bounce back as a playoff contender this season.

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma wonders if the addition of Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks’ roster will help center Elias Pettersson regain his high-scoring form. Kane is “big, fast, and nasty”, whose style of play could create more time and space for the playmaking Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is 34 and was hampered by injuries during the last two seasons. He also has a reputation for wearing out his welcome with his teammates. Kuzma pointed out that Kane is in his contract year and expects it to provide the veteran winger with additional motivation to play well this season.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames have brought back former captain and assistant coach Dave Lowry. He’ll replace former assistant coach Brad Larsen.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere is reportedly joining the New York Islanders as a pro scout. Laperriere had been moved from the Phantoms coaching job in an advisory role with the Flyers earlier this year.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed young goaltender Dennis Hildeby to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $841,667. It’s a two-way deal for the first two seasons, becoming a one-way deal for 2027-28.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 2, 2025

by | Sep 2, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 2, 2025

The latest on the Canadiens’ efforts to trade Carey Price’s contract, and an update on the Blackhawks’ blueline situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TVA SPORTS: Renaud Lavoie noted the path for the Montreal Canadiens to trade Carey Price’s contract is clearer after the latter received his $5.5 million signing bonus on Monday. However, moving that contract won’t be as easy as some believe.

Price, 38, is in the final season of his eight-year contract with an annual salary-cap hit of $10.5 million. He’s been on permanent long-term injury reserve (LTIR) since 2022. His actual salary for this season is $7.5 million, but he’s now owed only $2 million after getting his signing bonus on Monday.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (NHL Images).

The Canadiens are currently above the $95.5 million salary cap by nearly $6 million. With Price on LTIR this season, they will be cap-compliant, but cannot accrue cap space during the season.

Trading Price’s contract to a rebuilding team would put the Canadiens under the cap ceiling. That would allow them to accrue cap space to make other roster additions this season. Meanwhile, the rebuilding club could use Price’s cap hit to stay cap compliant if it shed salary this season by shipping out pending unrestricted free agents who no longer fit into its long-term plans.

Lavoie believes serious trade discussions could occur this week as NHL general managers meet in Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday. With all teams sitting over the $70.6 million cap minimum for this season, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes would be at a disadvantage. Lavoie believes he might have to include a draft pick (perhaps a second-rounder) as a sweetener in the deal.

Some teams might be tempted to trade players quickly if they get off to a poor start this season. That would improve their chances of finishing low enough in the standings to improve their odds of winning the draft lottery and the opportunity to select generational prospect winger Gavin McKenna.

Those clubs might be more willing to take on Price’s cap hit to ensure they remain cap compliant.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rebuilding clubs such as the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins have been mentioned as possible trade partners for the Canadiens. However, it could take some time to move Price’s contract.

Montreal Hockey Now’s Marc Dumont stated that some teams could need more time to put the finishing touches on their rosters for the coming season. He thinks it could be difficult to convince a club to absorb that significant cap hit once preseason begins. 

BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli speculated last week that the Chicago Blackhawks could move a defenseman.

Servalli noted that the Blackhawks still haven’t signed restricted free agent defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to a new contract. The 23-year-old Kaiser is coming off his entry-level contract.

The Blackhawks are expected to sign Kaiser, but Seravalli wonders what they’ll do with their logjam of young defensemen. He pointed out that they have nine or 10 NHL-ready blueliners, and that could lead to one of them getting moved, though he doesn’t expect Kaiser will be the trade candidate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That young blueline includes Kaiser, Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Kevin Korchinski, Louis Crevier, and Nolan Allan. Levshunov, Rinzel, Korchinski, and Allan are waiver-exempt and can be sent to the minors if necessary.

Another option could be trading veteran blueliner Connor Murphy. The 32-year-old Murphy is UFA-eligible next summer and carries an affordable $4.4 million cap hit. He also has a 10-team no-trade list.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2025

by | Sep 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 2, 2025

Canucks captain Quinn Hughes could become a Hart Trophy candidate, three Flyers with the most to gain or lose this season, the latest on Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andre Leal considered the possibility of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes becoming the first defenseman in 26 years to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player to his team.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Hall-of-Famer Chris Pronger was the last blueliner to win the Hart Trophy (1999-2000). Brent Burns came the closest to winning the award since then, finishing fourth in voting during the 2016-17 season with the San Jose Sharks.

The Canucks failed to make the playoffs last season, but have Hughes to thank for staying in the race until late in the season. Leal believes the 25-year-old blueliner could win the Hart this season if he leads the Canucks to the playoffs while producing at the same rate that he did in 2023-24, when he had a career-high 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A strong case could be made for Hughes as a Hart contender if the season unfolds like Leal’s scenario. The Canucks’ roster isn’t as deep as it was two years ago, so leading this current group in the postseason while producing over 90 points would be an MVP-worthy performance.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James looks at three Philadelphia Flyers with the most to gain or lose this season.

Sophomore winger Matvei Michkov has the most to gain. The budding scoring star should flourish under new head coach Rick Tocchet this season, seeing more playing time and with better linemates than he had during his rookie campaign.

Veteran winger Travis Konecny has the most to lose. The 28-year-old is entering the first season of his eight-year contract and will face pressure to live up to it.

Trevor Zegras has the biggest opportunity this season. The 24-year-old forward joins the Flyers after struggling during the past two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He has the chance to play top-six minutes at the center position with Michkov, Konecny, Tyson Foerster, or Owen Tippett as his potential linemates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers are rebuilding, and the performance of those three will determine their potential improvement this season. Michkov’s stock as an offensive star should keep rising, while Konecny should remain a feisty first-line winger and leader. Zegras could face the most pressure as he attempts to get his career back on track.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is rising up a list on the Red Wings that no player wants to sit atop.

Larkin has played 734 regular-season games with the Red Wings, putting him on track to play the most games for the franchise without winning the Stanley Cup. The franchise leader in that category is Norm Ullman (875), followed by Nick Libett (861) and Justin Abdelkader (739).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin’s only playoff appearance was in 2016, when he played five games. The Red Wings captain has endured nine years of a difficult roster rebuild that seems to have stalled over the past two seasons. Unless the Wings make significant improvement, Larkin will set the franchise record for most games without winning the Cup.

RG.ORG: Former NHL head coach Gerard Gallant is embracing the challenge of coaching in the KHL. He was hired this summer as bench boss of the rebranded Shanghai Dragons, now based in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Gallant intends to run a North American “support-and-forecheck” style. The Dragons’ goal is to win now and build a fanbase for a possible return to China.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A good performance by the Dragons this season could be a springboard for Gallant to rejoin the NHL coaching ranks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber looked at where promising rookie winger Ryan Leonard will start in the Washington Capitals’ roster this season.

Leonard, 20, saw nine games of regular-season action and eight postseason contests last season. He could begin the season on the Capitals’ third line, though his potential linemates have yet to be determined.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 1, 2025

by | Sep 1, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 1, 2025

Will the Canadiens trade Carey Price’s contract soon? Which teams could they send it to? Find out in the Labor Day edition of the NHL Rumor Mill.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports sources claim the Montreal Canadiens could trade Carey Price’s contract in the coming days.

Price, 38, has been on LTIR since 2022 as a knee injury ended his career. He’s in the final season of his contract, which carries an average annual value of $10.5 million. However, in actual salary, he’s owed $7.5 million, with $5.5 million paid as a signing bonus on Sept. 1.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (NHL Images).

The Canadiens are over the salary cap by $6 million for this season. They can remain above the cap with Price on LTIR, but they won’t be able to accrue cap space during the season. Trading his contract would give them that flexibility, making it easier to acquire talent if necessary before the March trade deadline.

One source told D’Amico that he has heard Price’s contract has been in play for a while, with speculation that things could shake loose on Sept. 1 or soon afterward.

The Canadiens could attempt to peddle Price’s contract to rebuilding clubs. It would enable one of those teams to remain salary-cap compliant if they ship out veteran players by the trade deadline. With Price now only owed $2 million in actual salary, his contract for this season becomes much more affordable.

Sources claim the San Jose Sharks have been mentioned most as a destination. They’re currently sitting just $5 million over the $70.6 million salary-cap minimum for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation that the Canadiens could trade Price’s contract to a rebuilding club has been percolating in the rumor mill for weeks. Now that his bonus has been paid, we’ll find out soon enough if there is anything to that conjecture.

The Canadiens might have to bundle a mid-range draft pick, perhaps a third-rounder, as a sweetener. Price has a full no-movement clause, but he’s not going to block a move if it happens.

TVA SPORTS: Jean-Charles Lajoie also speculated that Price’s contract could be moved as early as Sept. 1. He also suggested it could be part of a larger deal.

Lajoie claimed Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes could be inclined to part with draft picks, particularly in the first round, to acquire a natural center.

The Canadiens have been linked to Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks and Jared McCann of the Seattle Kraken. So far, nothing has materialized.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The main thing for the Canadiens is clearing Price’s cap hit from their books this season. It will give them greater cap flexibility to pursue a second-line center at any point in the season, though the longer they wait, the more cap space they’ll have by the trade deadline.

It would be a significant move by Hughes if he could land McTavish, but a recent report by Eric Stephens of The Athletic indicated the Ducks intend to re-sign the 22-year-old center.

As for McCann, the Kraken reportedly aren’t moving him. Besides, he’s played on the wing for most of his tenure in Seattle.

RDS.CA: Rebuilding clubs like the Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins could use Price’s contract to ensure they remain cap-compliant if they stage a sell-off before the trade deadline.

For example, the Penguins might be tempted to trade players like Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell. They could also attempt to trade Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, but they would have a say if any of them were to leave Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks are over the cap floor by roughly $6.2 million. Trade candidates would include pending unrestricted free agents such as Nick Foligno ($4.5 million), Jason Dickinson ($4.5 million), Ilya Mikheyev ($4.03 million), Connor Murphy ($4.4 million), and Laurent Brossoit ($3.3 million).

The Sharks could shop UFA-eligible players such as Alexander Wennberg ($5 million), Jeff Skinner ($3 million), Nick Leddy ($4 million), John Klingberg ($4 million), Mario Ferraro ($3.25 million), Timothy Liljegren ($3 million), and Alex Nedeljkovic ($2.5 million).

As for the Penguins, they’re above the cap floor by over $12 million. They could also try to move Kevin Hayes ($3.571 million), Anthony Mantha ($2.5 million), Matt Dumba ($3.5 million), and Connor Clifton ($3.333 million).

It’s unlikely Letang, Malkin, and Crosby will hit the trade block, especially as this season is Malkin’s last with the Penguins and possibly the last of his playing career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2025

by | Sep 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 1, 2025

The latest on Bruins center Elias Lindholm, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, Canadiens blueliner Mike Matheson, and more in this Labor Day edition of the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Elias Lindholm is determined to have a bounce-back performance following his disappointing 2024-25 performance with the Boston Bruins.

Lindholm signed with the Bruins last summer, but managed only 17 goals and 47 points as they missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The 30-year-old center blamed his poor start to a nagging back injury, which kept him out of training camp and hampered his performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy season could enable Lindholm to regain his solid two-way game. Improvement on his part could also help the Bruins stay in the hunt for a playoff berth this season.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey recovered from the knee injury that sidelined him from last spring’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, taking his place last week with the other 44 invitees to Canada’s Olympic orientation camp in Calgary.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey (NHL Images).

Morrissey, 30, indicated that the injury wasn’t too severe. He’d also dealt with a similar injury to his other knee during the 2023 playoffs, so he already had a template on how to rehab and recover.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Morrissey played a key role in the Jets winning their first Presidents’ Trophy last season. The puck-moving blueliner was also part of Canada’s gold-medal team at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, potentially giving him an inside track to secure a spot on Canada’s Olympic team.

RDS.CA: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson and New York Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin are among five players whose jerseys will be retired by the Lac St-Louis Lions of the Quebec U18 AAA Development League on Sept. 5.

Anaheim Ducks winger Alex Killorn, Islanders forward Anthony Duclair, and former San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic will also have their jerseys retired.

The five have each played at least 600 NHL games. Matheson, Drouin, and Duclair were teammates in 2010-11 with the Lions.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Jimmy Snuggerud is expected to be one of the young building blocks for the Blues.

The 21-year-old winger joined the club late last season, averaging 15:28 of regular-season ice time and finishing with four points in seven games.

In the playoffs, he logged over 17 minutes of ice time per game with two goals and two assists in seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Snuggerud is one of the notable rookies worth watching this season. A strong performance on his part will improve the Blues’ chance of securing a playoff spot. It could also make him a contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski recently listed the best NHL draft pick ever at every slot from No. 1 to 224.

Wyshynski had Pittsburgh Penguins great Mario Lemieux at No. 1, but acknowledged a trio of generational players (Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers) complicates the debate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lemieux remains the greatest first-overall pick of all time, but like Wyshynski, I acknowledge that a case can be made for the other three. Feel free to weigh in on that topic in the comments section below.