NHL Rumor Mill – June 30, 2023

by | Jun 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 30, 2023

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, John Tavares, Noah Hanifin, Jeff Petry, Tyler Myers and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

KARLSON TRADE TALKS QUIET DOWN

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the trade talks regarding Erik Karlsson appear to be calming down. He believes teams are taking some time now to ponder their next moves after learning what the San Jose Sharks will seek in return for the 33-year-old defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much of Karlsson’s $11.5 million cap hit the Sharks are willing to retain will also affect how much interest they get in the 2023 Norris Trophy winner.

COULD THE LEAFS ATTEMPT TO MOVE TAVARES?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos wonders if Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving should approach team captain John Tavares about waiving his no-movement clause. He believes Tavares could draw a bidding war involving a dozen teams if the Leafs were willing to retain part of his $11 million average annual value.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

Kypreos acknowledged Tavares’ comments at the end of the Leafs’ playoff run regarding his intent to finish the final two years of his contract in Toronto. However, he also mentioned Treliving’s recent words describing his Core Four players: “Oh, I don’t think there’s ever any assurances in this business.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anything’s possible but if Treliving was going to go that route he would’ve done so by now.

NO SUITABLE OFFERS YET FOR HANIFIN

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports several teams, including the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, have contacted the Calgary Flames to express an interest in Noah Hanifin. However, the Flames have not yet received any offers they consider to be fair market value for the 26-year-old defenseman. General manager Craig Conroy told teams that he’s not selling low on Hanifin and is willing to wait for the right offer even if he doesn’t get it this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hanifin becomes an unrestricted free agent next July. If Conroy doesn’t get a suitable offer this offseason, he can try again leading up to next season’s trade deadline.

PENGUINS SHOPPING PETRY

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe reports the Pittsburgh Penguins are heavily shopping Jeff Petry. They’re not averse to retaining the 35-year-old defenseman but don’t think he’s a $6.25 million player. There isn’t much interest in Petry but that might change if the Penguins retained part of his cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Petry’s signed through 2024-25 with a 15-team no-trade list and a no-movement clause that ensures he cannot be demoted to the minors without his approval.

MYERS LINKED TO THE SHARKS

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting the Vancouver Canucks could attempt to ship defenseman Tyler Myers to the San Jose Sharks. He believes the Canucks have had that deal on the table for weeks but doesn’t know what the holdup is.

Peng speculates that it might not happen until after Sept. 1. That’s when Myers is due a $5 million signing bonus. After Sept. 1, they would only owe him $1 million of his $6 million salary, though that entire AAV would still count against the cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peng also noted that Seravalli linked the Penguins’ Jeff Petry to the Sharks. Perhaps Petry or Myers becomes a short-term replacement for Erik Karlsson if he’s traded this summer.

LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels looked at which players the Montreal Canadiens could attempt to move in the trade market this summer.

He believes winger Mike Hoffman is a player Canadiens GM Kent Hughes could look at moving before training camp opens in September. He’s entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Hughes would hope not to retain salary and give up an asset in order to get defenseman Joel Edmundson off his books. He has a year left at $3.5 million. Hughes could hold on to Christian Dvorak if he can’t get an asset in return. He’s under contract for next season at $4.45 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2023

by | Jun 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 29, 2023

The latest trade speculation involving William Nylander, Connor Hellebuyck, Noah Hanifin, Travis Konecny and more heading into Day 2 of the 2023 Draft in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NYLANDER FOR KARLSSON OR LINDHOLM?

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan speculates contract extension talks between Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and winger William Nylander might not go as smoothly as Treliving confidently predicted.

Koshan thinks it behooves Treliving to gauge Nylander’s value in the trade market for a return that improves the Leafs. “Speculation in a potential swap for Nylander has included Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For what it’s worth, the Leafs have reportedly looked into the cost of acquiring Karlsson from the Sharks. Moving Nylander and his $6.9 million cap hit for next season could help offset the cost of taking on Karlsson’s contract, though the Leafs would want the Sharks to retain a healthy portion of his $11.5 million annual cap hit through 2026-27.

For now, I suspect Treliving will continue with his contract extension discussions with Nylander.

DEVILS LOOKING AT HELLEBUYCK

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils remain interested in Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. However, he doesn’t think they want to pay a big price to get him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils could also want the Jets to retain part of Hellebuyck’s $6.16 million AAV for 2023-24. Some observers suggest the possibility of the Jets starting next season with Hellebuyck and then perhaps attempting to move him before the trade deadline to a club like the Devils.

PANTHERS INTERESTED IN HANIFIN

LeBrun reports the Florida Panthers are interested in Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin. Panthers winger Anthony Duclair is part of that discussion but LeBrun isn’t convinced they have the best chance of landing Hanifin.

LATEST ON THE FLYERS

According to LeBrun, the Philadelphia Flyers continue to listen on Travis Konecny and received a few trade offers but nothing to tempt them into parting with the winger. Unless something changes, however, they’re likely to hang onto Konecny.

LeBrun’s TSN colleague Darren Dreger indicated before the opening round of the draft that Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim continues to draw interest.

WHEELER TO THE PENGUINS?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman thought the Pittsburgh Penguins had some interest in Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler. However, he’s not convinced it’s going to happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman published this before the Penguins acquired Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights yesterday. I’m just mentioning this in passing.

COULD THE LEAFS SIGN REAVES?

Friedman thinks it’s possible the Toronto Maple Leafs could sign rugged winger Ryan Reaves if he fails to land a new contract with the Minnesota Wild. The Leafs are looking to beef up their bottom-six forwards. Ottawa’s Austin Watson is another possibility.

KEEP AN EYE ON DVORAK

Friedman speculates there might not be a role for Christian Dvorak now that they’ve got so many centers. He could be someone worth keeping an eye on.

PREDATORS TRIED TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH IN THE OPENING ROUND

THE TENNESSEAN: Gentry Estes cited a report from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli indicating the Nashville Predators tried to make a big splash during the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. There was speculation they attempted to move up in the draft order by offering up promising goaltender Yaroslav Askarov as part of a package deal for one of the picks among the top 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One rumor had them offering Askarkov and the 15th overall pick as part of a package deal to the Montreal Canadiens for the fifth-overall selection. It never came to pass.










Notable Trades and Free Agent Signings Before the 2023 NHL Draft

by | Jun 28, 2023

Notable Trades and Free Agent Signings Before the 2023 NHL Draft

NOTE: The following moves occurred on June 28 prior to 6 pm ET. Any subsequent notable trades involving NHL players during the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft will be duly noted in a separate post following the completion of that round.

The New Jersey Devils sign Timo Meier to an eight-year, $70.4 million contract extension. The average annual value is $8.8 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meier, 26, is now the highest-paid forward on the Devils and the second-highest-paid player next to Dougie Hamilton ($9 million AAV).

New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier (NHL Images).

Joining the Devils in a trade from the San Jose Sharks before the March trade deadline, he had nine goals and 14 points in 21 regular-season games with the Devils. Including his totals with the Sharks, he finished the regular season with 40 goals and 66 points in 78 games.

Meier’s signing now gives the Devils an impressive core of scoring forwards, joining Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, Ondrej Palat and the recently-acquired Tyler Toffoli. This club will be difficult to contain offensively next season.

The Vegas Golden Knights trade Reilly Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a third-round pick in 2024. They also re-sign forward Ivan Barbashev to a five-year, $25 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With limited salary-cap space, the Golden Knights are forced to trade one of their few remaining “misfits” from their original expansion roster to free up the dollars to re-sign Barbashev.

Smith, 32, was a reliably productive top-six forward for Vegas, coming off his fourth 50-plus point season (56) in six years. He carries a $5 million AAV through 2024-25. He has a 12-team no-trade clause for 2022-23. In all likelihood, the Penguins weren’t on it.

The Penguins are trying to build around aging stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang for a quick turnaround after missing the playoffs this season. Smith should be a solid fit alongside Crosby or Malkin on their top two lines. He likely replaces pending UFA winger Jason Zucker.

Barbashev, 27, is five years younger than Smith and plays a more physical style. He’s a year removed from a 60-point performance with the St. Louis Blues.

Acquired from the Blues before the trade deadline, he had 16 points in 23 regular-season games with Vegas, finishing the season with 45 points. He also had 18 points in 22 playoff games helping the Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup.

The Colorado Avalanche acquired forward Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for the 37th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche wasted little time filling the gap after trading Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. Colton, 26, is a versatile middle-six forward with Stanley Cup experience who should fit in well with the Avs. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights but should be an affordable re-signing.

Salary-cap constraints force the Lightning to lose yet another player as their roster depth continues to whittle away. Some folks envisioned Colton as a potential replacement for Alex Killorn if he departs as an unrestricted free agent.

This move also gives the Lightning one pick in the first five rounds. The second-rounder originally belonged to the Canadiens, who shipped it to the Avalanche in the Newhook deal.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2023

by | Jun 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2023

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, Alex DeBrincat, Connor Hellebuyck and more heading into the first round of the 2023 Draft in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS INTERESTED IN KARLSSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Toronto Maple Leafs have spoken to the San Jose Sharks about defenseman Erik Karlsson. However, general manager Brad Treliving cannot attempt to get serious about acquiring the 33-year-old Norris Trophy winner until he’s got clarity about players that he’s trying to sign to contract extensions such as Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Referencing the recent Kevin Hayes and Taylor Hall trades, LeBrun said Sharks general manager Mike Grier is not giving away a future Hall-of-Famer like Karlsson away for free. Grier is willing to retain part of Karlsson’s $11.5 million average annual value through 2026-27 but not half of it. The Seattle Kraken and Carolina Hurricanes are among a number of others who’ve expressed interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun noted how the Philadelphia Flyers traded away Hayes to the St. Louis Blues for nothing. Ditto the Boston Bruins shipping Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks. Karlsson, however, is a different level of player. He remains an elite talent who should fetch a quality return for the rebuilding Sharks.

How much of Karlsson’s cap hit Grier is willing to retain will determine what type of return he could get. As LeBrun pointed out in his recent column in The Athletic, interested teams will be more receptive to getting Karlsson at $7.5 million to $8 million annually than at $9 million to $9.5 million.

DEBRINCAT TO DETROIT?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion is prepared to move winger Alex DeBrincat if they can get the right deal in place. The 25-year-old winger is a restricted free agent who is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

DeBrincat’s camp has informed the Senators that he’s not interested in a long-term contract extension. The club has filed for arbitration to ensure he doesn’t receive an offer sheet while they try to trade him.

While DeBrincat lacks no-trade protection, his agent has presented the Senators with a list of preferred trade destinations. It’s believed the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Detroit Red Wings are on that list. Garrioch suggested the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues could be looking for scoring.

There’s speculation the Red Wings might send its No. 17 selection in this year’s draft to the Senators as part of a package offer for DeBrincat.

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan noted that Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s priority is landing a scoring forward who is fairly young and will be with the club for several years.

Khan suggested DeBrincat as one option along with Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny. When it comes to the Senators winger, he believes Yzerman is unlikely to pull the trigger unless he can get an extension with the player first.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun noted that the Red Wings seem like a logical landing spot for DeBrincat. However, he got the sense that they aren’t close to a deal to land the Michigan native.

LeBrun also noted the Stars’ interest in DeBrincat but they lack the cap space unless they ship out some salary. He also indicated that Dorion is fine with getting a 2024 first-rounder in return so this week isn’t a deadline for moving the winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators could wait until the date of their arbitration hearing with DeBrincat (sometime between late July and early August) to trade him. While Dorion will be patient with his handling of this situation, I doubt that he wants it to drag on for too long. He’s got a valuable trade chip that is drawing interest from clubs in need of scoring.

LATEST ON HELLEBUYCK

SPORTSNET’s Elliotte Friedman yesterday reported hearing that a trade involving Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck isn’t on the front burner right now. He said there are a lot of goalies available right now and teams are trying to determine who’s available at what price via trade or free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The free-agent market is thin on quality starters this year. Hellebuyck, Boston’s Linus Ullmark and Anaheim’s John Gibson are believed to be trade candidates. Of that group, Hellebuyck has the better resume.

Ullmark won the Vezina this season and it was well-deserved but he doesn’t have the same body of work as Hellebuyck, a former Vezina winner who was a finalist for the award this year. The Bruins netminder also has a full no-movement clause until July 1 when it becomes a 16-team no-trade. Hellebuyck has a slightly more expensive cap hit but lacks no-trade protection.

WILL THE ISLANDERS MOVE JOSH BAILEY?

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears believes the Islanders will attempt to move winger Josh Bailey in a cost-cutting trade. Failing that, they could buy him out before the 5 pm deadline on June 30.

SABRES STILL TRYING TO MOVE OLOFSSON

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn reports the Buffalo Sabres are exploring a trade of winger Victor Olofsson. He wonders if there’s a market for a one-dimensional winger carrying a cap hit of $4.75 million.










Notable NHL Trades for June 27, 2023

by | Jun 27, 2023

Notable NHL Trades for June 27, 2023

The New Jersey Devils acquire winger Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils will be a very scary team to face in 2023-24. Imagine a first line centered by Nico Hischier with Ondrej Palat and Jesper Bratt on the wings with Toffoli skating on right wing on the second line centered by Jack Hughes with Timo Meier on the left wing.

Toffoli had requested a trade from the Flames after indicating he wasn’t interested in a contract extension. He’s coming off a career-best performance with 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points. If he meshes well with Hughes and Meier, the Devils will possess an even more lethal scoring punch than what they had this season.

This move leaves the Devils with $19 million in cap space with 15 active roster players under contract. Meier remains to be re-signed which could eat up a big chunk of that cap space.

The Flames, meanwhile, get a decent return in Sharangovich. A restricted free agent coming off a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $2 million, he should be an affordable re-signing.

A versatile forward who can play center or on either wing, the 25-year-old Sharangovich is a year removed from a career-best of 24 goals and 46 points. His production dropped this season to 13 goals and 30 points as he was dropped to the Devils’ third line. He’ll get an opportunity to earn top-six minutes in Calgary.

The Winnipeg Jets trade Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Alex Iafallo, Gabriel Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari as well as a 2024 second-round pick. The Kings also signed Dubois to an eight-year contract believed to be worth an average annual value of $8.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a major move by the Kings as they attempt to move from playoff contention status into a Stanley Cup contender.

Dubois, 25, is a top-six forward who can play center or wing. The 6’4”, 214-pounder is coming off a career-best 63 points with the Jets, reaching the 60-point plateau for the third time in five years. He can play a two-way game but does his best work in the offensive zone.

Coming off a one-year, $6 million contract, it was assumed the Dubois camp would seek over $9 million annually for their client. He’s still getting a healthy raise here on a long-term deal.

Winnipeg Jets trade center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings (NHL Images).

Dubois comes with some baggage having forced the Jets (and before them, the Columbus Blue Jackets) into trading him. Nevertheless, Kings general manager Rob Blake believes he’s worth the investment. He’ll likely skate as their second-line left wing alongside Kevin Fiala.

The Jets wanted a return that helps them now and in the future.

Vilardi is the main addition here. The 23-year-old winger shook off early injuries that threatened his career to enjoy a career-best 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games this season. A restricted free agent with arbitration rights, he should be an affordable re-signing for the Jets. If Vilardi can stay healthy, he should a productive forward in Winnipeg.

Iafallo, 29, plays a solid two-way game and should fit in well on the Jets’ checking lines. He’s signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $4 million. He had 36 points in 59 games this season, marking the fifth straight season he’s exceeded the 30-point plateau.

The 23-year-old Kupari is completing his entry-level contract. He’s split the past three seasons between the Kings and their AHL affiliate. He has potential as a playmaking forward who can play center or wing.

The Philadelphia Flyers traded center Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2024. The Flyers also retain 50 percent of Haye’s $7.14 million average annual value through 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the aftermath of a reportedly attempted trade by the Flyers and Blues that would’ve included defenseman Travis Sanheim going to St. Louis with Hayes and blueliner Torey Krug going to Philadelphia. Krug, however, nixed that deal by refusing to waive his no-trade clause.

The Flyers really wanted Hayes gone after he butted heads at times this season with head coach John Tortorella. They settled for retaining half of his cap hit to move him. It’s the second significant trade by new general manager Daniel Briere, who shipped Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this month in a deal involving the Los Angeles Kings.

With half of Hayes’ salary off their books, the Flyers have over $10 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 with 15 active roster players under contract. One wonders what other moves Briere might have up his sleeve in the coming days.

As for the Blues, GM Doug Armstrong appears committed to making a quick turnaround for next season after missing the 2023 playoffs. They’re getting a 31-year-old center who put up 54 points with this season’s floundering Flyers. He’ll likely slot in as their second-line center, which likely means they won’t be bringing back former captain Ryan O’Reilly, who was dealt to Toronto before the March trade deadline.

The Colorado Avalanche traded center Alex Newhook to the Montreal Canadien in exchange for the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the 37th overall pick and prospect Gianni Fairbrother

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is an affordable gamble by the Canadiens, who already possess a promising prospect pool along with several talented youngsters already on their roster.

Kent Hughes made one notable reclamation project last season by acquiring Kirby Dach from Chicago. Newhook looks like the latest one. He’s coming off his entry-level contract.

The 22-year-old is a former first-round pick by the Avalanche who has two 30-plus point seasons under his belt. Capable of playing center or wing, the 5’10”, 190-pounder he has good speed and playmaking abilities. He’s also of the right age to fit into the Canadiens’ rebuilding program.

Colorado, meanwhile, now holds two picks in the first round and one in the second of this year’s draft. They had no selections from rounds two through four before this trade so this move puts them in a much better position. They can retain those new acquisitions to restock their prospect pipeline or perhaps use them as trade bait to add to their current roster.

The New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Once considered a future starting goalie for the Devils, Blackwood has been hampered by frequent injuries. The 26-year-old was limited to 47 games over the past two seasons.

A restricted free agent who’s a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility, Blackwood was no longer a fit with the Devils with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their current tandem. They might not be done making trades involving a goaltender as they’ve been linked to Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck.

Blackwood will now get a chance at a fresh start with the rebuilding Sharks. He could get a one-year “show-me” contract with the opportunity to earn a longer-term deal based on performance. Failing that, they could ship him to a playoff contender at next year’s trade deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2023

by | Jun 27, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2023

What next for the Bruins following the Taylor Hall trade? What’s the latest on Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mark Scheifele, Erik Karlsson, Alex DeBrincat and Tom Wilson? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE BRUINS?

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss explained the motivation behind the Bruins trading Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks was to free up salary-cap space. The move clears Hall’s $6 million average annual value from the Bruins’ books for the next two seasons. They now have over $10 million in cap room for 2023-24.

Goss believes the Bruins’ priority now is re-signing Tyler Bertuzzi, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The 28-year-old winger could command between $5.5 million and $7.5 million annually on his next contract.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites an NHL source claiming the Bruins aren’t done shedding salary. The source believes general manager Don Sweeney is going to move a defenseman. He also claims the trade rumors surrounding goaltender Linus Ullmark are true. Murphy speculates Matt Grzelcyk could be the defenseman on the move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winner of the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy, Ullmark earns an AAV of $5 million through 2024-25. He has a full no-movement clause until July 1, when it drops to a 16-team no-trade list.

Unless Ullmark agrees to waive his clause before then, the Bruins will have to wait until Saturday to trade him, assuming he’s the goalie they intend to move. They could decide to peddle restricted free agent netminder Jeremy Swayman.

LATEST ON PIERRE-LUC DUBOIS’ TRADE TALKS

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Montreal Canadiens appeared to be out of the bidding in trade talks for Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Jets don’t want to go into rebuild mode while the Canadiens don’t want to give up good playing assets off their existing roster.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

The Canadiens have re-engaged discussions with the Jets. However, Dreger believes the Los Angeles Kings remain the front-runners for Dubois.

Dreger also indicated things were “simmering” regarding trade talks on Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported that rumors claiming the Kings had permission to discuss a contract extension with Dubois weren’t true. Nevertheless, Friedman wondered if Dubois would sign an eight-year extension or a one-year deal to bring him up to UFA eligibility next summer.

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck reported the Kings were willing to offer up forwards Gabe Vilardi and Alex Iafallo for Dubois. He believes the Canadiens won’t have much else to sway Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff if they’re not willing to part with young center Kirby Dach.

Speaking of Scheifele, Billeck wondered if he might be on the Bruins’ radar following their cost-cutting move of Taylor Hall to Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless the Kings drop out I think they’re the most likely destination for Dubois. The rebuilding Canadiens are understandably intrigued about Dubois. However, the cost of giving up a good young player such as Dach as well as paying over $9 million annually to sign Dubois to a long-term deal is probably something they’re not comfortable doing right now.

As for Scheifele going to Boston, most of that freed-up cap space could go to re-signing Tyler Bertuzzi. Unless the Bruins shed more salary, I don’t see the Jets center landing in Beantown this summer.

LATEST SENATORS SPECULATION

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch acknowledged San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson’s recent comments about his willingness to accept a trade back to the Senators. However, such a move would mean clearing Thomas Chabot’s $8 million AAV through 2027-28 to create sufficient cap space for Karlsson’s contract even if the Sharks retained part of his $11.5 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It would be a nice story, Karlsson returning to a rising young Senators club five years after he was traded away. As Garrioch pointed out, however, this is a different team than the one he left, built around a good young core of talent. While anything’s possible, I don’t see Karlsson returning to the Senators as a player.

Turning to Alex DeBrincat, Garrioch cited league executives expressing their belief that the Detroit Red Wings are high on the 25-year-old RFA winger’s list of preferred trade destinations. However, dealing with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman isn’t easy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also cited Yzerman’s reputation as a tough negotiator as well as his reluctance to sign players to long-term contracts with Dylan Larkin as the sole exception.

Garrioch also noted that DeBrincat has been linked to the Nashville Predators. That’s prompted speculation whether Nashville goalie Juuse Saros would head the other way but there’s mixed feelings over whether the Predators want to part with Saros.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stranger things have happened but I’m still not convinced that Predators GM Barry Trotz will part with Saros. He’s been talking as though he’s retooling rather than rebuilding his roster. In that case, it makes sense to hang onto Saros.

The Senators could also have some interest in Calgary Flames winger Tyler Toffoli, who would make sense on a short-term contract. Toffoli has indicated he would be open to a trade. He has a year remaining on his current deal.

There was a rumor claiming the Washington Capitals would like to make a deal to send Tom Wilson to the Senators. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told TSN there was no truth to the rumor and he’s not trading the power forward.