NHL Rumor Mill – March 3, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – March 3, 2026

As the trade deadline draws closer, check out the latest on Vincent Trocheck, Adam Fox, and Robert Thomas, plus updates on the Oilers, Bruins, and Capitals in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATES ON VINCENT TROCHECK AND ADAM FOX

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports Vincent Trocheck confirmed that West Coast teams are on his 12-team no-trade list. The 32-year-old New York Rangers center has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.65 million.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Trocheck said it was no secret that those teams were on his list, saying he wants to stay as close to the East Coast as possible for family reasons. He also acknowledged that a trade could be coming, and if it does, he wants it to be to a team where he has a chance to win, rather than joining a club that’s in the same situation as the Rangers.

Walker noted that Trocheck has been linked to the Minnesota Wild. If he wants to remain in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes could be suitors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sarah McLellan of The Minneapolis Star-Tribune believes Trocheck would “fit the bill” for the Wild, who are in the market for a center. However, they could have difficulty meeting the Rangers’ asking price after trading away several top assets to the Vancouver Canucks for Quinn Hughes in December.

THE ATHLETIC: Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported a league source claimed there were multiple meetings in recent weeks between Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and general manager Chris Drury.

Another source said Fox wants to see how Drury handles the coming months and assess the roster this summer before making a full commitment to sticking it out with the rebuilding Rangers. That doesn’t mean he’s unwilling to endure a transition period, but he wants evidence that management has a path out of its current plight.

Mercogliano dismissed the possibility of Drury using Fox as a trade chip, pointing out he has a full no-movement clause through 2026-27, after which it drops to a 16-team no-trade list. The Rangers must avoid another situation where a player with a full no-movement clause limits where he can be moved, as Artemi Panarin did last month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would be surprising if Drury attempted to trade Fox by Friday’s deadline. As I mentioned over the weekend, that’s a move that seems more likely during the offseason. Nevertheless, Fox’s NMC would complicate things.

THE LATEST ROBERT THOMAS SPECULATION

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports the Montreal Canadiens are among a handful of teams interested in Robert Thomas. However, they’re wary of the St. Louis Blues’ high asking price for the 26-year-old center. He’s under contract for another five seasons with an AAV of $8.125 million and a full no-trade clause.

D’Amico’s sources claim the Blues covet the Canadiens’ top prospect Michael Hage. They’re also interested in defenseman Kaiden Guhle and several of their young blueline prospects. One source said they’re seeking a return comparable to what the Vancouver Canucks received in the Quinn Hughes trade, which was the equivalent of four first-round picks.

The Utah Mammoth and Detroit Red Wings are also believed to be among the other interested parties and could be better positioned to acquire Thomas. The Wings are said to be openly shopping high-end prospects for a top-six center, while Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong knows Thomas from his days with the Blues organization. They also have the depth in prospects to make a competitive bid.

TVA SPORTS: The Canadiens won’t part with Hage. Tony Marinaro would be fine with the Canadiens parting with prospect winger Alexander Zharovsky as part of the return for Thomas. He also suggested adding Oliver Kapanen to the deal to make room for Hage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adding Thomas could accelerate the Canadiens’ rise into Stanley Cup contention, but it could also come at the expense of their top assets. That’s assuming he’ll waive his no-trade clause to go to Montreal.

Canadiens management has patiently built this roster largely with their promising young talent. They did make a bold move last summer by acquiring Noah Dobson, but that didn’t put much of a dent in their prospect pipeline. Moving Hage seems like a non-starter for them.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford and Cory Pronman looked at what a deal for Thomas with the Mammoth might look like. They believe it’ll cost the Mammoth “two A-level assets” and one or two B-level assets, with one of those being a current player.

They don’t see the Mammoth parting with Logan Cooley or Dylan Guenther because they’re already difference-makers for the Mammoth. Caleb Desnoyers and Dmitri Simashev are unlikely to move.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Andrew Knoll believes the Anaheim Ducks are well-positioned to be buyers at the trade deadline. They’re poised to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years and carry plenty of depth and draft capital to make a splash.

Knoll suggested Thomas as a big-name target for the Ducks. He noted they have plenty of salary-cap space for this season and beyond, and a nice stock of future draft picks, including their first-rounder and three second-rounders in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are my dark horse approaching this trade deadline. They haven’t popped up much in the rumor mill, but that doesn’t mean GM Pat Verbeek isn’t quietly shopping around. He could prefer adding a good player in their twenties with term remaining on their contract.

MORE TRADES COULD BE COMING FOR THE OILERS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples reports Oilers insider Bob Stauffer believes the club might not be finished making moves in the trade market after acquiring Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

Stauffer speculated the Oilers could make two more trades, suggesting a player could be moved out to create more salary-cap flexibility. Meanwhile, Frank Seravalli believes winger Andrew Mangiapane could be traded, despite clearing waivers and being demoted to the AHL affiliate. Staples colleague, Jim Matheson, raised the possibility of the Oilers pursuing Toronto Maple Leafs center Nicolas Roy.

Staples also noted that NHL insider Brian Lawton thinks the Murphy acquisition is the prelude to a bigger move by the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers had to demote Mangiapane and Alec Regula, place forward Mattias Janmark on long-term injury reserve, and get the Blackhawks to retain half of Murphy’s $4.4 millon AAV to pull that deal off. They’re still pressed for cap space, meaning they’ll have to move more than Mangiapane if they’re planning another significant addition.

BRUINS WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEIR ROSTER A BUMP

NESN: Keagan Stiefel reports Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney said he’d like to give his roster a bump as they jockey for a playoff berth. He indicated that such a move would be an eye on the present and for the future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Sweeney wants a player signed beyond this season instead of a pending UFA who could walk this summer.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports the Bruins have been tracking Vancouver Canucks wingers Conor Garland and Brock Boeser. Multiple sources suggested Garland is more likely to be dealt, given that the no-movement clause on his new contract begins on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are reportedly open to offers for Garland and Boeser, but they’re not actively shopping them. It’s been said that teams like Garland’s style of play, but not his new six-year, $36-million contract. If the Canucks aren’t willing to retain salary on Elias Pettersson’s contract to facilitate a deal, they probably won’t do so for Garland. Six years is a long time to carry dead cap space, even with the salary cap rising.

CAPITALS LOOKING TO ADD BUT NOT AT ANY COST

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber recently reported Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick would like to add a scoring winger. However, he’s not keen to part with his young players or prospects, and isn’t going all-in on a short-term rental player.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week, the Oilers acquire Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson achieved notable milestones in their 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Stars picked up their franchise-record ninth straight win, while Robertson had a goal and an assist to reach the 70-point plateau for the fifth consecutive season. With a record of 37-14-9, the Stars are second in the overall standings with 83 points. Evander Kane scored for the 18-35-7 Canucks.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Colorado Avalanche as they doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. With the win, the Avalanche (40-10-9, 89 points) holds a six-point lead over the Stars for first place in the overall standings. Brandt Clarke and Angus Booth replied for the Kings (24-12-14), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games and four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left this game with an upper-body injury. Kings center Quinton Byfield missed this game with an upper-body injury. The Kings also placed forward Joel Armia (upper body) on injured reserve.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 35 saves as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1. Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers scored for the 29-22-9 Kraken, who moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Nikolaj Ehlers tallied for the Hurricanes (38-16-6), who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson, who left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. With the win, the Red Wings (35-20-6) moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the 27-25-8 Predators (62 points), who are four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raymond reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his five-season NHL career. He also collected his 200th regular-season assist. Before the game, the Red Wings placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-0 lead but defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Kirill Marchenko, who finished with two goals and an assist. Gabe Perreault also had two goals and an assist for the 23-29-8 Rangers. With the win, the Blue Jackets improved to 30-21-8 (68 points), moving within three points of the idle Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An illness kept Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski out of this game.

A shootout goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Noah Cates had a goal and an assist for the 28-21-7 Flyers (67 points), who are four points back of an Eastern wild-card spot. William Nylander netted his 20th goal of the season for the 27-24-10 Maple Leafs, who are seven points out of that wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Nick Seeler left this contest with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs, and Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 1.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2028. The Blackhawks retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary-cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers had to shore up the depth on the right side of their defense corps. They’ve addressed that issue with Murphy, who was acquired by Oilers general manager Stan Bowman during his tenure as the Blackhawks GM.

Bowman freed up additional cap space for this move by sending Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, and placing winger Mattias Janmark (shoulder) on long-term injury reserve. Janmark will undergo surgery and is expected to be finished for the season.

The Oilers might not be done making moves before Friday’s trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for four to six weeks following surgery for a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Wild claimed winger Robby Fabbri off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 2, 2026

by | Mar 2, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – March 2, 2026

As the Friday trade deadline approaches, check out the latest on Vincent Trocheck, Robert Thomas, Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri, Sergei Bobrovsky, Patrik Laine, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON TROCHECK, THOMAS, MATTHEWS, AND KADRI

NHL ON TNT: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Vincent Trocheck has let it be known that he wants to stay as close to the East Coast as possible. The 32-year-old New York Rangers center has a 12-team no-trade list and three years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.625 million.

Friedman thinks the Minnesota Wild are still in the Trocheck sweepstakes, sitting in the Central time zone. It’s believed the Wild have a standing offer for him, but we’ll have to wait and see what they do. Failing that, they could look at someone like Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings could also be among the suitors. It’s believed the Rangers have set a high asking price for him.

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trocheck’s salary, two-way play, and modified NTC make him the center most likely to move by the trade deadline, depending on what the Rangers want in return. His contract also works to the Rangers’ advantage. If no one is willing to meet their price, they can wait until the offseason for the market to improve.

The teams that are in on Trocheck could also be pursuing Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues. The 26-year-old center has a full no-trade clause, giving him full control over this situation. Friedman thinks the Red Wings and the Utah Mammoth could be linked to Thomas, but he doesn’t put stock into rumors linking him to the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thomas’ NTC and his $8.125 million AAV are significant stumbling blocks in the path to a trade, as is the Blues’ asking price. They reportedly seek “three first-half-of-the-first-round” assets.

The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t looking to move Auston Matthews or William Nylander. Matthews’ representatives met with Leafs management before the Olympics, and there’s no issue with him returning next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs will attempt to move pending UFAs like Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. They could also look at moving some players with term on their contracts, such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Friedman is skeptical that the Colorado Avalanche will bring back Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flames. He pointed out that the club has to re-sign Cale Makar before his contract expires in 2027. Taking on Kadri’s $7 million cap hit through 2028-29 would complicate efforts to re-sign Makar.

Friedman said the Flames aren’t interested in retaining part of Kadri’s salary. He thinks the Avs could look more toward adding an affordable rental center, such as Scott Laughton of the Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I thought a Kadri reunion with the Avalanche was possible, but Friedman’s comments about the cost of re-signing Makar make that unlikely if the Flames won’t retain salary.

COULD THE PANTHERS MOVE SERGEI BOBROVSKY?

NHL ON TNT: Elliotte Friedman reports he’s heard it’s been challenging for the Florida Panthers to re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky, giving rise to rumors that they might trade the 37-year-old goaltender.

Bobrovsky has a 16-team no-trade list. Friedman said he’s heard speculation linking the netminder to the San Jose Sharks, but he can’t currently can’t confirm that.

SPORTSNET: Michael Amato thinks the Panthers should try to trade Bobrovsky. He suggested they try to get younger and deeper in goal while getting some kind of asset for Bobrovsky at the trade deadline. They could also look at trading him now and re-signing him in the offseason, though that sort of thing rarely occurs.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards recently reported that Bobrovsky wants to stay with the Panthers despite the lack of negotiations for a contract extension. “I’m fine with that, to be honest,” Bobrovsky said.

According to Richards, it would be very surprising if the Panthers trade Bobrovsky. The general feeling around the team is that he remains a big part of their future plans, and he wants to be part of it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless something radically changes leading up to Friday, expect Bobrovsky to remain with the Panthers when the trade deadline has passed.

LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports the Canadiens are actively working on moving Patrik Laine before the trade deadline. The 27-year-old winger is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status in July. He carries an $8.7 million cap hit for this season. Management has permitted Laine’s agent to speak with other teams about a trade.

Basu thinks the Canadiens are trying to include Laine in a trade that frees up some cap space while also bringing back a useful player. The other option is including a sweetener in the deal to convince another club to take on the remainder of his contract, or half of it.

TVA SPORTS: Renaud Lavoie doubts there’s much of a market for Laine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be with the Canadiens now. He wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still with the Habs after the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has a well-earned reputation for pulling off deals that few would’ve thought possible. However, trading Laine could prove to be a challenge too difficult to pull off. 

NHL ON TNT: Friedman touched on the growing interest in Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen following his solid performance for Finland in the Olympics. He’d heard the Montreal Canadiens looked into it, but it didn’t go very far. The Toronto Maple Leafs were linked to Ristolainen, but the Leafs are more of a seller than a buyer.

UPDATE ON THE OILERS

NHL ON TNT: Elliotte Friedman said he recently looked into whether the Edmonton Oilers might make another foray into the goalie market. He said the answer was no, that they’re going to stick with what they’ve got.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There really wasn’t a lot for the Oilers to get in the trade market this season. They sent Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry, but that hasn’t really improved things. So, they’ll have to stick with Jarry, Connor Ingram, and Calvin Pickard and hope for the best.

Friedman also reported that the Oilers need to move Andrew Mangiapane and his $3.6 million cap hit. However, they found it difficult to do, which is why they placed him on waivers.

He also said that the Oilers were interested in St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. Unless the Blues are willing to retain salary, it would be too difficult to acquire him. Faulk carries an AAV of $6.5 million through next season. They’ve also looked at Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Maple Leafs, but he would have to agree to go to Edmonton.

TSN: The Oilers can forget about trying to trade Adam Henrique to free up cap space. Darren Dreger reports he hasn’t told them that he’s willing to waive his no-movement clause.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2026

by | Mar 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2026

Milestone performance for Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer and Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, the Kings fire head coach Jim Hiller, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Matthew Schaefer scored two goals, and Anders Lee netted the game-winner with 32 seconds left in the third period to lift the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers 5-4. Sam Bennett scored twice while Matthew Tkachuk had three assists for the 30-27-3 Panthers (68 points), who sit eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, while the Islanders (35-21-5) hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Schaefer, who is the front-runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

The 18-year-old defenseman collected an assist for his first three-point NHL game. He also became the youngest defenseman in league history to reach the 20-goal plateau, and the fourth rookie blueliner in league history to reach that mark. Schaefer is only three goals behind Brian Leetch for the most by a rookie defenseman. He also leads this year’s rookie class in goal scoring.

Fun fact: Schaefer is only the second defenseman in Islanders history to score 20 goals in a season. The other is Hall of Famer Denis Potvin.

Meanwhile, Islanders winger Jonathan Drouin missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov returned to action for the first time since being sidelined by an injury during the second game of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov tied the franchise record for goals (219) in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Pavel Buchnevich tallied the winning goal while Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist for the 22-29-9 Blues. The Wild (35-16-10) holds third place in the Central Division with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild made a minor trade yesterday, acquiring defenseman Roman Schmidt from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Boris Katchouk.

The Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Vegas Golden Knights 5-0. Arturs Silovs turned in a 22-save shutout, while Ben Kindel, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (31-15-13), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points. The 28-18-14 Golden Knights cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this game in the first period with an injury to his left arm. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish gave the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Cutter Gauthier scored twice, and Lukas Dostal stopped 32 shots for the Ducks (33-23-3), who sit one point behind the Golden Knights. Joel Farabee and Yegor Sharangovich replied for the 24-28-7 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Calgary, the city is on the short list of host cities for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. NHL brass, including commissioner Gary Bettman, will be in town on Monday to meet with Flames ownership and tour the construction site of the club’s new arena. Scotia Place is expected to be ready for the 2027-28 season.

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice for the 23-28-9 Blackhawks as they snapped a three-game losing skid. The Mammoth (31-25-4) holds the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 66 points.

San Jose Sharks rookie Michael Misa scored his first NHL overtime goal to beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1. Will Smith also scored for the Sharks (29-25-4, 62 points), who sit three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Morgan Barron scored for the 23-26-10 Jets.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings fired Jim Hiller as head coach and named associate coach DJ Smith their interim coach for the rest of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hiller was in his second full season as the Kings’ bench boss after taking over the role midway through the 2023-24 season. He led them to a franchise-best record of 48 wins and 105 points last season, but couldn’t replicate that success. They’re struggling to remain in the Western Conference playoff race and are among the league’s lowest-scoring teams.

Smith was head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2019 to 2023. It will be interesting to see if he can reverse the Kings’ fortunes down the stretch.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed winger Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula on waivers. If they clear, they will be sent to the club’s AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, clearing over $1.8 million in salary-cap space to use for the upcoming trade deadline.

TSN: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Guillaume Brisebois and St. Louis Blues forward Robby Fabbri were also placed on waivers Sunday.

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers prospect winger Porter Martone sees his move from the OHL to the NCAA this season as a stepping stone on his path toward the NHL. He saw it as an opportunity to sharpen his skills and his physical game.

If his NCAA season ends on March 29, he would be eligible to sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers, which could lead to his NHL debut in April.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 2) – March 1, 2026

by | Mar 1, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 2) – March 1, 2026

Check out the latest on the Rangers, Red Wings, Golden Knights, Sabres, and Blackhawks in Part 2 of the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR RANGERS’ ADAM FOX & BRENNAN OTHMANN

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reported Friday that Adam Fox offered up a noncommittal comment about his future with the Rangers following the club’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (NHL Images).

When asked if he wanted to stay with the Rangers as they retool their roster, Fox said he was just trying to focus on this season. “That’s really all I can do right now…That’s a conversation for when we’re done playing.”

Walker believes it’s been difficult for Fox and his teammates to deal with the Rangers’ decision in January to retool, which included trading superstar Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings last month. She indicated there is uncertainty about what the team will look like in the foreseeable future and how long it’ll take to return to contender status.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury met with the Rangers’ leadership group (including Fox) and those locked into long-term contracts. At the time, it seems all of them were willing to see it through, which was contrary to Fox’s comments on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox’s remarks have already rippled around the league. No one is suggesting that he’s available at the trade deadline or that he wants out of New York, but his comments leave the door open for speculation about his future with the Rangers. It could be something to monitor during the offseason.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh believes it’s time to accept the reality of Brennan Othmann’s situation with the Rangers. The 23-year-old has bounced between the Blueshirts and their AHL affiliate since 2024. He has one goal in 17 games this season, and his play away from the puck has drawn criticism from head coach Mike Sullivan.

Baugh reports the Rangers are open to trading Othmann. They have a logjam of bottom-six forwards, and it would be best for everyone if he were moved by the March 6 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Baugh pointed out that Othmann is the latest in a long list of recent developmental letdowns for the Rangers, a problem that predates the current management. Of the nine first-rounders they selected from 2017 to 2021, only Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider are still with the team, and both of them are considered trade candidates.

PROPOSED DEFENSE TRADE TARGETS FOR THE RED WINGS

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen recently listed Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues, MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames, Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Braden Schneider of the Rangers as potential blueline trade targets for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Allen’s list was published before last Thursday’s news that the Red Wings have an offer on the table for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers.

If Myers declines to accept a trade to Detroit, perhaps the Red Wings will shift their focus to those defensemen listed by Allen.

WHAT COULD THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND SABRES DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster believes the Vegas Golden Knights could attempt to acquire a top-nine forward before the March 6 trade deadline, preferably one who can add scoring among their middle-six.

The Golden Knights can’t do anything unless they place William Karlsson on season-ending long-term injury reserve. Karlsson hasn’t played since Nov. 8, and there are varying reports suggesting he could be done for the season or might return in time for the playoffs.

Putting Karlsson on season-ending LTIR would free up $3.5 million in salary-cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights always seem to surprise us around this time of year with their salary-cap gymnastics to make moves that bolster their roster. They’ll definitely do something if Karlsson hits SLTIR for the season.

THE ATHLETIC: With the Buffalo Sabres on the verge of ending their 14-year playoff drought, Matthew Fairburn recently examined what would be an ideal trade deadline for the club.

Retaining Alex Tuch tops that list. The 29-year-old forward is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s still unsigned, but Fairburn believes it would be a mistake to trade such an important core player. Both sides have plenty of time before July 1 to negotiate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tuch’s not going anywhere at the trade deadline. While they would risk losing him to free agency on July 1, moving him now could jeopardize their chances of ending their long playoff drought. It would send the wrong message to his teammates, and to the club’s long-suffering fans.

Fairburn also believes the Sabres must add another defenseman and a forward. Given their limited salary-cap space, he recommends affordable additions such as Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a long time since the Sabres were deadline buyers. They won’t go crazy, largely because of their salary-cap limitations, but they could attempt to add an affordable rental or two.

THE LATEST BLACHAWKS SPECULATION

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Jack Bushman cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who reported the Blackhawks attempted to work out a contract with UFA-eligible forward Ilya Mikheyev. However, they’ve been unsuccessful thus far, and he’s “out there” in the trade market.

Friedman also wondered about promising defenseman Kevin Korchinski. The Blackhawks have a lot of young blueliners. The 21-year-old Korchinski has spent the past two seasons in the minors, and Friedman speculated he could become available for the right price.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 1) – March 1, 2026

by | Mar 1, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 1) – March 1, 2026

The annual trade deadline is March 6. Check out the latest on Robert Thomas, Vincent Trocheck, Ryan O’Reilly, Nazem Kadri, Elias Pettersson, Bobby McMann, Tyler Myers, and more in Part 1 of the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE CENTERS OF ATTENTION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports centermen are drawing a lot of attention in the rumor mill, referring specifically to Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers, Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators, and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames.

Friedman admitted being skeptical about the Thomas trade rumors when they first appeared, but now believes it could happen before the March 6 trade deadline. He thinks the Utah Mammoth is among the interested teams, pointing out that Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong drafted Thomas when he was working for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco reports sources say Thomas is a player the Boston Bruins really like. The Blues have set a high asking price for the 26-year-old center, but Di Marco indicates the Bruins have four first-round picks in the next two drafts and are willing to part with prospects such as Matthew Poitras and Dean Letourneau.

New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (NHL Images)

Friedman mentioned that Trocheck’s preference is to stay in the Eastern Conference. A couple of far-west teams expressed interest in the 32-year-old center, but were told he’s not going out there. The Minnesota Wild have been linked to Trocheck. Friedman thinks “they’re a maybe.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic reported Friday that the Wild are considered the favorite to land Trocheck. However, his colleague Michael Russo wondered if general manager Bill Guerin is willing to part with the necessary assets to get it done after giving up so much to acquire Quinn Hughes in December.

Mercogliano also noted the Carolina Hurricanes and Detroit Red Wings have also been rumored to be interested in Trocheck, but he’s not sure if they’ll part with their top assets.

Friedman said O’Reilly has no desire to leave the Predators in the middle of a playoff race. Nevertheless, he thinks teams will still try to tempt the Predators into moving O’Reilly. The veteran center lacks no-trade protection, but he’s been told he’ll have the final say over his situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Score’s Josh Wegman observed that Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently reported the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars were among the clubs believed to be interested in O’Reilly.

As for Kadri, Friedman believes the Flames have been waiting patiently for a good offer to come.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Di Marco believes the Bruins like Kadri, but they’re not keen to take on an aging player with a $7 million average annual value through 2029. He also claimed the Bruins like Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, but the remaining term of his contract ($6.25 million through 2030-31) does cause some trepidation on their part.

Meanwhile, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun believes the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche could be among the interested parties. It’s doubtful that the Canadiens will add a 35-year-old center carrying that much term to their young roster. However, the Avalanche recently freed up some cap space by trading Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh for Brett Kulak, raising speculation that they could attempt to reacquire Kadri.

THE ATHLETIC: Cory Lavalette recently listed Trocheck, Thomas, and O’Reilly as potential trade targets for the Carolina Hurricanes. Of these, he considers O’Reilly as the most cost-effective move, provided he still has enough left in the tank to be effective for the playoffs.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports teams have been calling the Vancouver Canucks about Elias Pettersson. The 27-year-old center has six years left on his contract with an AAV of $11.6 million and a full no-movement clause.

Nevertheless, teams are still seeing if Pettersson might be available. Garrioch noted that the Detroit Red Wings are seeking a second-line center, and they have the tradeable assets and cap space to take on Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It still seems like a Pettersson trade is something more likely to happen in the offseason rather than the trade deadline. Moving that hefty salary isn’t easy during the regular season, and there could be better options in the summer when teams have more cap space to work with.

THE LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Maple Leafs are considering moving players with term remaining on their contract, as well as pending unrestricted free agents. That doesn’t mean they’ll trade core players such as Auston Matthews or William Nylander, but perhaps someone like defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Friedman believes Ekman-Larsson is on the Edmonton Oilers’ radar. He thinks they’re looking at adding a right-side defenseman (which Ekman-Larsson has done) or potentially a third-line center. They have to move on from Andrew Mangiapane.

As for UFA-eligible winger Bobby McMann, Friedman said it could go either way. He’s been told there is an extension that both sides know could happen. The fact that the 29-year-old winger remains a Maple Leaf suggests there’s nothing in the market that they would currently trade him for.

UPDATE ON TYLER MYERS AND MORE CANUCKS SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports he believed (as of Saturday night) that the Detroit Red Wings’ offer for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers remains on the table. He thinks everyone involved was expecting a decision by Monday, but he doesn’t know where it currently stands. Friedman also doesn’t believe that the Canucks have a firm offer from another team for Myers.

Friedman also said things are quiet right now on Elias Pettersson. He stated that the Canucks are not interested in retaining any salary to facilitate a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s because six years is a long time to be carrying dead cap space, even with the salary cap rising. It can still hamper efforts to retain key players or add to the roster as salaries rise.

BRUINS LINKED TO THE BLUES AND FLYERS

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco reported the Boston Bruins were interested in St. Louis Blues defensemen Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk. Parayko has a full no-movement clause and carries an AAV of $6.5 million through 2029-30. Faulk is signed through 2026-27 with the same AAV as Parayko and a 15-team no-trade list.

Di Marco reports the Bruins have moderate interest in Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. However, they’ve checked in several times on Flyers winger Owen Tippett, who has six years left on his deal with an AAV of $6.2 million. The Flyers aren’t looking to move the 27-year-old Tippett, but are believed to be open to discussions, though their asking price could be significant.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins GM Don Sweeney tipped his hand with his failed attempt to acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames before he was shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in January. Parayko and Faulk would be expensive additions, though Faulk would cost less than Parayko.

As for Ristolainen, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported last week that the Flyers’ asking price would have to start with a first-round pick for GM Daniel Briere to consider it. Briere is looking at what the Boston Bruins got from the Toronto Maple Leafs last year for Brandon Carlo, which was a prospect (Fraser Minten), a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 fourth-rounder.