NHL Rumor Mill – December 31, 2025

by | Dec 31, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 31, 2025

Check out the latest on the Canucks and Jets in the final NHL Rumor Mill for 2025.

THE LATEST CANUCKS SPECULATION

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reported earlier this week that he’d heard “from a good source” that teams are still calling the Vancouver Canucks about Elias Pettersson. However, another source says what those other teams were really going to offer for the 27-year-old Canucks center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson is in the second season of a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. He had 23 points in 31 games.

A better question would be, “Why would they acquire a center who is struggling to meet the expectations that come with his expensive contract?”

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Sharks may have some interest in Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’re not the only team reportedly interested in Sherwood. It’s believed the Canucks seek a good young NHL player for the 30-year-old winger. They might have to settle for a draft pick and a prospect.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal reports the Canucks have a logjam of young forwards who deserve playing time, and not enough lineup spots to go around. He suggests they should consider moving a pending unrestricted free agent, such as Sherwood or Evander Kane, preferably earlier rather than closer to the NHL Trade Deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks could retain Sherwood and Kane for as long as possible in the hope of driving up their value in the trade market. However, Jim Rutherford (the Canucks’ president of hockey operations) has a well-established reputation for making trades well before the trade deadline. He could do it again with Sherwood or Kane.

WILL THE JETS BECOME BUYERS OR SELLERS?

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Paul Friesen believes Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff must do something soon to reverse the Jets’ sagging fortunes.

A lack of secondary scoring has been their undoing this season. Friesen believes Cheveldayoff must address this issue quickly. He dismissed the notion that it’s too late in the season to do so, pointing out that the St. Louis Blues did so around the same time last season, leading to their surge from “near-worst to a playoff spot.”

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates believes Cheveldayoff will seek draft picks for pending UFAs like Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson, and more if the Jets become sellers by the trade deadline.

Ates doubts that Cheveldayoff will sell early to try and finish last to improve the odds of winning the 2026 draft lottery. He thinks the Jets GM will remain committed to this roster until the February Olympic break before selling if the club is still near the bottom of the standings by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets’ lack of scoring depth beyond forwards Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi, and defenseman Josh Morrissey has hurt them this season. Ates noted that calling up their top offensive prospects isn’t much of a solution, pointing out that they “are scoring less at the AHL level than most Jets whose jobs they’d be taking at the NHL level.”

Finding that scoring punch won’t be easy. There has been more movement in the trade market of late, but Ates observed that the Jets have traded away too much draft capital to put toward landing a top-six forward.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2025

by | Dec 30, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2025

Are the Oilers planning to trade winger Andrew Mangiapane? Could the Bruins pursue Maple Leafs forward Matias Maccelli? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

OILERS COULD TRY TO MOVE ANDREW MANGIAPANE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman wondered if Andrew Mangiapane could become the odd man out on the Edmonton Oilers as their roster gets healthier.

Mangiapane, 29, signed a two-year contract with the Oilers on July 1 with an average annual value of $3.6 million. He has 11 points in 39 games, and his playing time has been reduced recently.

Edmonton Oilers winger Andrew Mangiapane (NHL Images).

Meanwhile, Mark Spector cited Friedman saying the Oilers and Mangiapane are exploring a path to move him to another NHL club. He noted that the winger was a healthy scratch for Monday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Spector pointed out that Mangiapane has a full no-trade clause for the remainder of this season. However, Friedman thinks the winger would waive it for a chance to go somewhere where he’ll get more playing time. Given his struggles and his cap hit, however, it might not be easy to move him.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson stated that Mangiapane skated among the Oilers’ top-six forwards during the first two months of this season. However, he’s been unable to regain the form that made him an effective middle-six forward during his tenure with the Calgary Flames.

Matheson believes Kasperi Kapanen would be a suitable replacement for Mangiapane on the third line once he finally returns from his knee injury. He suggested the Jets, Flames, and Pittsburgh Penguins as possible trade destinations.

David Staples believes the Oilers’ scratching Mangiapane from Monday’s game against the Jets bodes well for their chances of trading him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Approaching the midseason point of the schedule, there is starting to be some separation between the contenders and pretenders in the tightly packed standings. There has also been a recent increase in trade activity, suggesting that more clubs are willing to make moves than they were through October and November.

Mangiapane’s production was declining during his final two seasons with the Flames. That slide continued last season with the Washington Capitals. Another change of scenery is unlikely to spark a return to his 40-plus form from earlier in his career.

The Flames are transitioning toward younger talent, so it’s unlikely that they’re interested in a reunion with Mangiapane. Ditto the Penguins. The Jets could be an option given their struggles this season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25.

BRUINS INTERESTED IN MATIAS MACCELLI

NESN: Victor Barbosa cited The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, who suggested the Boston Bruins attempt to acquire Matias Maccelli from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Shinzawa believes Maccelli, a 25-year-old left-shot winger, would provide the Bruins with some offensive help among their top-nine forwards.

Barbosa indicated that rumors linked the Bruins to Maccelli earlier this month. He also pointed out that they tried to acquire the winger from the Utah Mammoth before he was shipped to Toronto in an offseason trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maccelli has struggled with the Leafs this season, but his production improved recently. They could hang onto him to see if he can build on that uptick, but could also decide to peddle him while he still has some value. Whether it’ll be to a division rival, such as the Bruins, remains to be seen.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2025

by | Dec 29, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2025

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we catch up on recent speculation about the Flyers and the Predators.

THE LATEST ON THE FLYERS

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco reported last week that his sources claimed the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild discussed a trade in which the Wild offered up center Ryan Hartman.

The Flyers are seeking a short-term replacement for Tyson Foerster, who could be out for the remainder of this season following surgery for an upper-body injury. Hartman, 31, is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $4 million and a 15-team no-trade list.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Bobby Brink (NHL Images).

Wild general manager Bill Guerin has some salary cap flexibility after acquiring Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this month. Guerin is in no hurry to move Hartman, but could move the veteran forward if he’s looking to make another impact move this season.

Di Marco indicated the Wild have shown interest in Flyers winger (and Minnesota native) Bobby Brink. The 24-year-old Brink is eligible to become a restricted free agent in July and carries a $1.5 million cap hit this season.

According to Di Marco, the Flyers aren’t rushing to move Brink. However, given their depth on the wings, he might not fit into their long-range plans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Di Marco wonders if the Flyers and Wild might revisit their discussions leading up to the trade deadline. Whether the Flyers want Hartman or the Wild remains interested in Brink by that point remains to be seen. That will depend on each club’s needs and their placement in the standings by that point.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James cited a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, where the latter indicated the Flyers are in contract extension talks with Christian Dvorak.

Dvorak, 29, signed a one-year, $5.4 million contract with the Flyers in July as a free agent. He has 24 points in 36 games, putting him on pace to exceed his career high of 38 points in 2019-20.

Because Dvorak is on a one-year contract, the earliest he can sign an extension is Jan. 1. Friedman said some teams don’t expect Dvorak to be available next summer.

James also mentioned Sunday’s report that Flyers defenseman Yegor Zamula has changed agents and could attempt to terminate his contract to sign with another NHL team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dvorak has fit in well with the Flyers this season. He’s among the reasons why they have exceeded expectations thus far by contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He could be inked to a multi-year deal soon after New Year’s Day.

UPDATE ON THE PREDATORS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reported last week that Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz’s patience with embattled head coach Andrew Brunette has paid off, with the club rising from the bottom of the Western Conference standings to within three points of a wild-card berth.

The heat is off the Predators for now, but his club’s recent improvement won’t force Trotz to deviate from his plan to integrate more youth into his roster. LeBrun believes he’s still open to listening to offers for veteran forwards such as Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault as the March 6 trade deadline approaches.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz won’t be a seller if the Predators are in the playoff chase by March 6. However, a significant offer for Stamkos or Marchessault (provided they waive their no-movement clauses) could prove too tempting to pass up.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 28, 2025

by | Dec 28, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 28, 2025

The holiday roster freeze has ended, but the rumor mill didn’t sleep during that period. Check out the latest on Auston Matthews and Marc-Andre Fleury, plus updates on the Flames in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

On Dec. 22, SPORTSNET’s Nick Kypreos said he believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs could talk with Auston Matthews next summer about a possible trade.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Matthews is under contract with the Maple Leafs through 2027-28. Kypreos acknowledged that Matthews’ no-movement clause means it would be a joint effort between the player and management to find a suitable destination if one side or the other believes it’s time for a change. He felt that this would also be a move that occurs in the summer rather than during the season.

Despite the recent drop-off in Matthews’ performance, Kypreos doesn’t think that it’s permanent. He suggested that other clubs could share that view, speculating the Los Angeles Kings could see the Maple Leafs center as a replacement for the retiring Anze Kopitar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings would undoubtedly be interested in Matthews if he became available next summer, and they have the cap space to absorb his $13.25 million average annual value for the next two seasons.

However, the Kings could lack the assets the Leafs would want in return. They’d want a good young center as part of the deal, meaning they will likely ask for Quinton Byfield. They’ll also want a first-round pick and a couple of other pieces as well.

The Kings wouldn’t be the only club getting into the bidding. Unless they are willing to include Byfield, they might not win a bidding war over other teams that Matthews might consider acceptable trade destinations.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that former NHL head coach Peter DeBoer reached out to Maple Leafs bench boss Craig Berube to address recent rumors suggesting he could replace him.

DeBoer sent a note to Berube telling him to ignore the speculation. He stated that he hasn’t been in discussions with the Maple Leafs and isn’t taking his job.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A classy move by DeBoer, who knows what it’s like to deal with speculation about being fired. He’s currently serving as an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

COULD A TEAM TEMPT MARC-ANDRE FLEURY OUT OF RETIREMENT?

BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli suggested the Edmonton Oilers should try to coax goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury out of retirement.

The 40-year-old netminder hung up his pads at the end of the 2024-25 playoffs following a 21-season NHL career. Seravalli noted that Fleury recently played in an outdoor game in Aspen, CO, with some NHL alumni, and before that, took some shots with some Minnesota Wild extras. He also played one period of a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a way of bringing his long NHL career full circle.

Seravalli isn’t entirely convinced that Fleury is done, but admitted it would take a special circumstance or situation to convince the future Hall of Famer to come out of retirement.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports some teams have checked in with Fleury to see if there’s any chance he’d consider coming out of retirement. LeBrun isn’t surprised that teams with goalie needs would look into Fleury’s availability.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports he’s heard that Fleury is open to the right opportunity for a comeback. He thinks the Oilers could be a team to watch, especially after the Tristan Jarry trade, pointing out that Jarry and Fleury were former teammates in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It says something about the lack of quality goaltenders in the trade market when teams are checking with a recently retired netminder, especially what that goalie was in a backup role last season.

Fleury was asked about whether he’d reconsider retirement after his brief preseason appearance with the Penguins in September. “I am tired. My hip is sore,” he replied, prompting Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe of The Athletic to proclaim that Fleury’s career is over.

Some clubs with shaky goalie depth could be calling Fleury’s agent to see if his client might consider a comeback. The Oilers could be among them, but they’re likely to stick with backup Calvin Pickard and call-up Connor Ingram until Jarry returns from injury, which could take about the same amount of time that Fleury would need to get up to NHL speed if he were pondering a return.

By the way, Fleury and Jarry weren’t teammates for long in Pittsburgh. The latter played only one game with the Penguins during the former’s final season.

THE LATEST FLAMES SPECULATION

VICTORY PLUS: Before the holiday roster freeze, Frank Servalli reported there’s been “a lot of tire-kicking” on Rasmus Andersson. The 29-year-old Calgary Flames defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Servalli acknowledged that the Flames received an increase in calls about Andersson following the Quinn Hughes trade earlier this month. He believes the interest in the Flames blueliner is genuine, but teams aren’t ready yet to start making offers, especially when they don’t know if he’s willing to consider a contract extension.

Andersson isn’t the only player on the Flames drawing attention in the trade market. According to Seravalli, his sources claim 20 clubs have expressed interest in Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old winger is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $4.9 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.

Servalli said the Flames aren’t in a rush to move Coleman. He believes it will take “something good” to tempt them into moving the veteran winger.

Coleman is a Dallas native, which had Seravalli musing over the possibility of the Dallas Stars attempting to acquire Coleman and Andersson. However, he doubted they had sufficient trade assets to pull that off, suggesting they would likely target Andersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames clawed their way out of the bottom of the Western Conference standings to within five points of a wildcard playoff berth. If they fail to gain more ground, they’ll likely be sellers by the March trade deadline, or before the Olympic break in February.

However, if they keep rising in the standings, management might be less inclined to sell, preferring instead to keep Andersson as their own rental for the playoffs.










Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

by | Dec 23, 2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I’m taking my annual Christmas break from Tuesday, December 23, to Saturday, December 27. The next update to this site will be Sunday, December 28—my thanks to all of you who follow and support this site. I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a Happy Holiday season. 

 

Happyholidays Christmastree GIFfrom Happyholidays GIFs










NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2025

by | Dec 22, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2025

Check out the latest speculation on the Avalanche, Islanders, and Kings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak believes the first-overall Colorado Avalanche will “almost certainly” add another defenseman before the March 6 trade deadline. However, adding a third-line center is a more pressing need.

The Avalanche could stick with Ross Colton in that role. Bednar recently praised Colton’s efforts in his first game in that role. They could stick with him if the cost of finding other options proves expensive.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

Masisak suggested former Colorado centers such as Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators and Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames as possibilities. However, the cost for both makes them unlikely trade targets for the Avalanche.

Other options include Alexander Wennberg of the San Jose Sharks, Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks, and former Av Charlie Coyle of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly reportedly isn’t considering a trade at this time. Kadri’s contract and the Flames’ asking price are too expensive. The Sharks won’t part with Wennberg if they remain in playoff contention.

Dickinson and Coyle could be more affordable if the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets go into sell mode. However, the Avs could be forced to overpay if other clubs get into the bidding, and they’ve already sacrificed future assets in recent years.

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Islanders have a steady, left-shot defenseman and a top-six winger near the top of their Christmas wish list to replace sidelined blueliner Alexander Romanov and winger Kyle Palmieri.

If the Islanders become buyers, they could get salary-cap relief by placing Romanov and Palmieri on long-term injury reserve. San Jose Jose Sharks defensemen Mario Ferraro and former Islander Nick Leddy could be blueline targets, while Kiefer Sherwood of the Vancouver Canucks or Matias Maccelli of the Toronto Maple Leafs might make sense as a replacement for Palmieri.

Sears doesn’t see general manager Mathieu Darche parting with a first-round pick to get any of those players.

For now, it’s too early to tell which path Darche might choose. Sears noted that a couple of bad weeks could knock them out of playoff contention in the tightly packed Eastern Conference.

If Darche buys early, he could be parting with future assets that he’ll need to recoup if things go sideways. If he waits too long, he’ll end up in sell mode with UFA-eligible forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Darche will remain patient for now, especially given how few sellers there are in the trade market. The Isles’ performance in January will likely determine which path he takes, especially if more teams become sellers.

The Sharks aren’t likely to part with Ferraro and Leddy if they remain in playoff contention. Sherwood is available, but the Canucks’ asking price could be too high for Darche. Maccelli should be an affordable addition, but his struggles this season don’t make him an enticing trade target.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens believes the Los Angeles Kings have more work to do after trading center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. He noted they didn’t get a roster player back in the deal, and the club continues to struggle offensively.

Stephens pointed out that the draft pick they got in the Danault deal would look good if the Kings were rebuilding. However, the club is built to win right now, and they still believe they can reach the playoffs and make some noise.

That second-round pick will only be valuable if it can be turned into a player (like Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators or Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues) who makes the Kings better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings GM Ken Holland probably isn’t done making moves. Stephens pointed out that they shed Danault’s $5.5 million cap hit for this season and next, giving the Kings $9.2 million in current cap space, and a projected deadline cap space of $26 million.

As mentioned earlier, O’Reilly isn’t prepared to consider a trade right now. Meanwhile, the Blues intend to seek full value for any player they trade, meaning they’ll want a young NHL player for Schenn instead of draft picks.