Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 31, 2025

by | Aug 31, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 31, 2025

Some suggested goalie targets for the Oilers, and a Sabres prospect could be a trade candidate. Details in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle was recently asked if he saw any legitimate goalie trade targets for the Edmonton Oilers this season.

Mirtle admitted the goalie market is thin this season. Many teams are opting for inexperienced options as backups, making it less likely they’ll move a starter. There aren’t a lot of teams carrying two veterans that would be considered potential No. 1 netminders.

The best option could be targeting teams that had hoped for a better season but ended up struggling out of the gate and shed talent aggressively, like the Boston Bruins did last season.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (NHL Images).

Mirtle suggested the Detroit Red Wings could move John Gibson or Cam Talbot if they struggle this season. Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders and Connor Ingram of the Utah Mammoth could become available, but Mirtle questions if they’d be improvements for the Oilers.

Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets could be shopped. However, their significant struggles make them questionable as improvements over the Oilers’ current tandem.

Mirtle believes it will take something unexpected for the Oilers to find a suitable goalie upgrade this season. It could take a good team falling out of the playoff chase early, or the Oilers getting desperate enough to part with prime assets to acquire a premium goalie from a club with a solid two-goalie tandem, like the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: None of those individual options is an upgrade over the Oilers’ current tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. As for those two-goalie teams, they’re playoff contenders that are unlikely to risk breaking up their tandems.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Rachel Lenzi was recently asked what might be in store for Sabres prospect Isak Rosen this season. The 22-year-old right winger was their first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Rosen has been productive at the AHL level but not impactful in 15 games over the last two seasons. That’s because he wasn’t used properly during those short stints, where he saw checking-line duty. He might’ve benefited more from playing alongside playmakers.

Lenzi believes the Sabres have a decision to make with Rosen, who will have a difficult time cracking their roster this season. She thinks a trade to a team that needs a young forward who needs a change of scenery could benefit him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rosen isn’t the only first-rounder from the 2021 draft to surface in the rumor mill this summer. Boston Bruins winger Fabian Lysell (21st overall) and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke (eighth overall) also popped up in recent trade conjecture.

Two others were traded for each other earlier this summer. On July 1, the St. Louis Blues traded winger Zach Bolduc (17th overall) to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux (31st overall).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2025

by | Aug 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 31, 2025

An update on Luke Hughes’ contract talks with the Devils, plus the latest on Canadiens defensemen Lane Hutson, Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald remains confident of getting Luke Hughes under contract soon.

The 21-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. He is ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival team.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (NHL Images).

With training camp on the horizon, the lack of a new contract for Hughes has raised questions about the status of the negotiations. However, Fitzgerald seems unperturbed by the situation.

“We’ll just continue to talk and present each other with ideas,” Fitzgerald said. “Eventually, this will get done. The 11th hour is training camp, right? A lot of times, a lot of the stuff doesn’t get done until the 11th hour. We’re hoping we can get something done here in quick fashion, and both sides are working at it; that’s for sure.

Fitzgerald acknowledged that both sides hope to avoid a contract standoff like that of Devils’ forward Dawson Mercer last year. That deal wasn’t settled until after training camp began.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy cited NJ.COM’s Ryan Novozinsky reporting the Devils sought a maximum eight-year contract or a two-year bridge deal. However, the Hughes camp prefers a five-year deal that would take him to 2030, making him eligible for UFA status at the same time as his brother and teammate, Jack Hughes.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson said he and his teammates want to elevate their performance this season, especially after exceeding expectations by reaching the playoffs last season.

“We all know that it’s going to be hard, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Hutson said.

The 5’9”, 162-pound Hutson won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year last season. He’s not concerned about adding weight, saying that he feels good where he is. Hutson indicated he has been trying different things during his offseason training to improve his play, including working on his shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson said he’s not feeling any additional pressure following his Calder win and the club’s playoff appearance last year. Nevertheless, it will be there for him and his teammates. How they handle it will factor into whether they can build on last season’s promising performance.

THE PROVINCE: Jake DeBrusk found himself in an awkward position during his first season with the Vancouver Canucks, sitting between then-feuding centers Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller in the dressing room.

DeBrusk admitted Miller’s leave of absence for personal reasons last November was difficult. “That was the most intense. As a guy who had just met him, you hope he’s OK. You don’t know what’s going on. But everything happens for a reason.”

After getting to know and like Miller and Pettersson, DeBrusk sometimes felt like he was almost the middleman. He thinks it was unfortunate that the situation led to Miller’s trade to the New York Rangers in January.

DeBrusk acknowledged the club still hasn’t found a suitable replacement for Miller at center. However, he pointed out they should be stronger defensively with goaltender Thatcher Demko now healthy and an improved blueline.

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: The Penguins announced last week that they’re relaunching their Hall of Fame with 10 new members over the next three seasons.

Players Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Kunitz, Larry Murphy, and Kevin Stevens, and builders Scotty Bowman, Eddie Johnston, Jim Rutherford, and Ray Shero were selected for the honor.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin listed the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets as the five teams that got noticeably weaker during the offseason.

Limited cap space saw the Avalanche shed depth from their roster. The Oilers are shallower than last season after parting ways with several experienced depth players. Blueline depth remains a concern for the Kings with the departures of Vladislav Gavrikov and Jordan Spence. The Leafs will feel the loss of all-star right winger Mitch Marner, while the Jets will miss winger Nikolaj Ehlers.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 30, 2025

by | Aug 30, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – August 30, 2025

How much could Kirill Kaprizov receive in his next contract? What moves could the Red Wings make? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WORST SEATS IN THE HOUSE: The Athletic’s Michael Russo believes the Minnesota Wild have offered Kirill Kaprizov “a ton of money,” perhaps more than Russo thought on an eight-year contract.

Kaprizov, 28, is in the final season of his five-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million. The high-scoring winger is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July 1.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

Russo believes the Wild are willing to pay Kaprizov “in the 16 (million) range”. He indicates that the deal hasn’t been done yet, but general manager Bill Guerin remains confident it will get done.

Nevertheless, the next month could be telling. The longer Kaprizov goes without signing an extension, the more questions about whether he wants to stay in Minnesota, especially if the Wild offers him $128 million on an eight-year contract.

Russo believes whatever Kaprizov wants from the Wild, he’ll get it, even if he seeks a five-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Last October, Wild owner Craig Leipold stated that no other team could offer Kaprizov more money or more years on his next contract. If Kaprizov wants to be well paid, $16 million annually would make him the second-highest paid player in the league for 2026-27. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is also UFA-eligible next summer and will get much more from the Oilers or another club if he goes to market on July 1.

However, if Kaprizov is hesitant to sign, it will suggest that he doesn’t believe the Wild will be winners over the term of that contract. If so, they would face the prospect of trading him before the March deadline or losing him to free agency for nothing next summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman was asked recently if the Detroit Red Wings might make a trade for a top-four defenseman or a top-six winger.

Bultman listed Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell as the most realistic to address the Red Wings’ needs.

However, Bultman’s not holding his breath waiting for any of those players to land in Detroit, citing the high asking price for Rust or Rakell (a first-round pick) and the aging Karlsson’s expensive contract.

Bultman also acknowledged rumors linking the Red Wings to Mason McTavish, but doubts the Anaheim Ducks will part with the 22-year-old center.

Winnipeg Jets winger (and Michigan native) Kyle Connor is UFA-eligible next summer. Bultman doesn’t see the Jets attempting to move him this far out if he remains unsigned. If they do decide to move him, the Red Wings should be among the suitors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings might make another move or two to improve their roster before the start of the season in October. Based on Bultman’s comments, don’t expect to see Karlsson, Rust, Rakell, McTavish, or Connor donning the Winged Wheel jersey anytime soon.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2025

by | Aug 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 30, 2025

Check out the latest on Oilers winger Zach Hyman, Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, Canadiens center Nick Suzuki, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Zach Hyman isn’t sure if he’ll be ready for the start of the Edmonton Oilers’ regular season on Oct. 8.

The 33-year-old Edmonton Oilers winger suffered a dislocated wrist in Game 4 of the 2025 Western Conference Final. He underwent surgery in May, spending the past three months recovering.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

“Will I be ready for the start of the season? I don’t know. But I’m on the right track, which is good,” Hyman said. He indicated he’ll have one more meeting soon with his surgeon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is among the Oilers’ scoring leaders. Having him healthy and productive will be key to their Stanley Cup hopes this season.

NJ.COM: Ryan Novozinsky reports the New Jersey Devils and Luke Hughes remain apart on a new contract. The 21-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent and is ineligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival team.

The Devils seek an eight-year contract or a two-year bridge deal. Hughes’ representatives want a five-year contract, ending the same time as Jack Hughes, his brother and teammate, ensuring both would be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status at the end of the 2029-30 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes could also seek an average annual value of over $8 million on his new contract. The Devils currently have just over $6 million in cap space, which would require a cost-cutting trade before the start of the regular season. That would explain why veteran Dougie Hamilton surfaced in the rumor mill this summer.

TVA SPORTS: Team Canada assistant general manager Julien BriseBois explained why Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki wasn’t chosen for Canada’s roster in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.

It was speculated that Suzuki was passed over because he didn’t play for Canada in the 2024 World Championship. BriseBois denied this, saying they knew he was a good player and had followed his performance closely last fall.

“We’re here to win, not to play politics,” BriseBois said. “We’re going to select the players who give us the best chance of winning the gold medal.”

Suzuki was among the 42 players invited to attend Canada’s Olympic orientation camp, held last week in Calgary. BriseBois stated that it was because he’s a player whose performance will be highly scrutinized.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Their roster decisions panned out in the 4 Nations. Canada won that tournament with a thrilling overtime victory over the United States in the gold medal game.

RG.ORG: Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell indicated earlier this week that he would be meeting soon with Adam Fantelli’s agent to discuss a contract extension. The 20-year-old center is slated to become a restricted free agent without arbitration rights next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fantelli is in the final season of his entry-level contract. He had a promising sophomore campaign in 2024-25, scoring 31 goals and accumulating 54 points. Fantilli also filled in as the Jackets’ first-line center after a wrist injury sidelined Sean Monahan.

Speaking of Monahan, Waddell indicated that he and captain Boone Jenner had fully recovered from last season’s injuries and are ready to go this season.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW/NESN: Panthers CEO Matt Caldwell is leaving the team to become the new CEO of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Meanwhile, the Panthers’ chief revenue officer, Shawn Thornton, is departing to join the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks as senior vice president and chief partnership officer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, that’s the same Shawn Thornton who spent 14 seasons in the NHL (2002-03 to 2016-17) as a physical checking-line forward and enforcer.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 29, 2025

by | Aug 29, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – August 29, 2025

More reaction to Connor McDavid’s comments about his contract status in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston noted how the hockey world sat up and took notice this week when Connor McDavid spoke with so little urgency about signing a new contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

McDavid indicated he’s committed to winning the Stanley Cup this season with the Oilers. However, he said that all options were on the table regarding his contract situation. He intends to take his time evaluating everything, indicating that he is fine either way, whether he signs before this season or not.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Johnston believes the Oilers would re-sign McDavid in an instant for whatever he wants. Nevertheless, the fact that he’s willing to let those discussions drift into the regular season is significant. He thinks the longer it goes, the more interesting the situation becomes.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau took note of McDavid saying he wants the group (referring to himself and his Oilers teammates) to be as dialed in as possible on winning the Cup this season, adding they don’t want distractions.

Proteau believes signing an extension with the Oilers before the start of the upcoming season will remove that distraction. He pointed out how Mitch Marner’s contract status was the subject of speculation throughout last season, and how Igor Shesterkin’s was also the subject of media chatter before he re-signed in December.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Anthony Fantucchio believes Bruins fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about the possibility of signing McDavid if he goes to market next summer. They lack the salary cap space to do so, plus they’re no longer Stanley Cup contenders.

Fantucchio pointed out that only a handful of clubs will be able to provide him with the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup. They include Toronto, Florida, Dallas, Colorado, Tampa Bay, and Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston and Proteau are correct. The longer it takes McDavid to re-sign with the Oilers, the more speculation over his future. Even if he and the club refuse to discuss the situation with the media, it will remain a topic of growing conjecture among fans and pundits.

Fantucchio is right about the Bruins having no shot at landing McDavid if he becomes a UFA next summer. Of his list of potential destinations, the most likely are the ones that can afford to pay him top dollar while giving him the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.

Of the teams listed by Fantucchio, Dallas has over $27.9 million in projected cap space (depending on what they do with RFAs Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley). Tampa Bay will have $27.75 million with Ryan McDonagh their most notable UFA and JJ Moser an RFA.

Colorado will have $26.85 million, with Martin Necas UFA-eligible in 2026 and Cale Makar due a significant raise in 2027-28. Toronto will have $24.845 million, but they’re not a realistic Stanley Cup contender given their questionable depth in goal, on defense, and on their checking lines.

Florida will have $23.1 million to re-sign or replace goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov. As for Vegas, they’ll have $20.375 million plus an extra $8.8 million in cap relief if Alex Pietrangelo remains on LTIR, but Jack Eichel is UFA-eligible next July, and they’re paying Mitch Marner $12 million annually for eight years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2025

by | Aug 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 29, 2025

Remembering Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Mitch Marner talks about leaving the Maple Leafs for the Golden Knights, Kings captain Anze Kopitar talks about the possibility of retirement, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH/CALGARY HERALD: The hockey world is remembering NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were killed by an alleged drunk driver one year ago today.

Johnny Gaudreau 1993-2024 (NHL Images).

Johnny, 31, was preparing for his 12th NHL season at the time of his death. He spent nine seasons with the Calgary Flames from 2013-14 to 2021-22 before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.

NHL.COM: The Gaudreaus are being remembered by Team USA during its Olympic orientation camp. Defenseman Zach Werenski, Johnny’s teammate with the Blue Jackets, admitted it had been an emotional year, saying he’s learned a lot about himself, about his teammates, friendship, and family.

THE ATHLETIC: The brothers’ parents, Guy and Jane Gaudreau, were briefly hospitalized after learning their sons had been killed. Guy had elevated heart and blood pressure levels, while Jane was in what family members described as a catatonic-like state.

Guy and Jane have since recovered, but continue to deal with the grief as they try to carry on with their lives. Guy is considering coming out of retirement to teach hockey to his sons’ children, while Jane has returned to work as a finance associate at Archbishop Damaino School.

Widows Meredith Gaudreau (Johnny’s wife) and Madeline Gaudreau (Matthew’s wife) formed a charitable foundation to honor their late husbands.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My thoughts are with the Gaudreau family today. A year later, I still cannot adequately put into words the sorrow I feel for their loss.

TSN: In an interview with Mark Masters, Mitch Marner opened up about his bittersweet departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs. After nine seasons with the Leafs, he joined the Vegas Golden Knights on June 30 in a sign-and-trade situation.

Marner said the hardest goodbye was with Leafs captain Auston Matthews. Both joined the team in 2016-17 and spent most of their playing time as linemates. Defenseman Morgan Rielly and winger William Nylander were also Marner’s teammates throughout his tenure in Toronto.

“We really came in together and grew together and really leaned on each other for a lot of things,” Marner said. He admitted it was difficult calling those players to let them know what was happening, but both sides understood it was part of the business.

While Marner and his wife loved living in Toronto full-time and being close to family and friends, they felt it was time for a new chapter. He admitted it was tough sometimes because of the media scrutiny that surrounds the Maple Leafs.

Marner revealed that he hired a mental health coach to help him deal with the grind and the negative comments over the final three years of his Leafs tenure. That included dealing with threats that prompted him to have full-time security at his home for two weeks after the Leafs’ season ended last spring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s one thing for fans to boo players during the game or be critical of their performance. Heaping abuse on them away from the rink and making threats against them crosses the line.

Whatever you think of Marner as a player or a person, he didn’t deserve what he faced during his final years in Toronto. No player does, and stories like that won’t make it easier for the Leafs to attract talent.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar made his first public comment this week regarding retirement. The 38-year-old center told KCAL News that the coming season could be the last of his playing career.

Kopitar is the longest-serving player in Kings’ history, playing a team-leading 1,434 regular-season games. He’s also their leader in career assists (838) and is set to surpass Marcel Dionne’s record of 1,307 regular-season points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar has spent his entire NHL career with the Kings. Entering his 20th season, he’s still their top-line center and their best two-way forward. Nevertheless, he’s in the final season of his contract and in the twilight of his playing career.

SPORTSNET: Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong won’t let the on-ice fistfight that occurred with Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February affect the roster construction of its Olympic roster.

“I’ve thought quite a bit about that tournament as a whole, and I think the Olympics are going to be played very similar to that, minus (nine) seconds,” said Armstrong. “If you win the front of your net and the front of their net, you have a chance to win the game. We’re going to build a team that can win in those areas, but we’re not going to build a team that can participate in those nine seconds.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the article points out, the Olympics will be played under IIHF rules, in which anyone who drops the gloves will be assessed a match penalty. It’s doubtful we’ll see the Tkachuk brothers and J.T. Miller trying to initiate a brawl against the Canadians in that tournament.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios confirmed having positive preliminary contract extension talks with Shane Pinto’s representatives. However, a deal won’t be signed before the start of the upcoming season. He indicated they’ll let the season begin and not have Pinto become distracted with contract talks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pinto is in the second season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million. The 24-year-old center will be eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Senators, the Allen Americans have become their ECHL affiliate.