NHL Rumor Mill – July 21, 2025
NHL Rumor Mill – July 21, 2025
What’s the latest on the Oilers and Devils goaltending? What kind of return could the Blue Jackets get for Yegor Chinakhov? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins believes Oilers starting goaltender Stuart Skinner could be in line for a lucrative new deal when his contract expires at the end of this season.
The 26-year-old netminder is in the final year of a three-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $2.6 million. Leavins points to the five-year deal ($6.25 million AAV) that Lukas Dostal recently signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a blueprint for Skinner’s next contract.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can hear the eyerolls of Skinner’s critics, but backstopping the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals matters. If he has a solid performance this season, he won’t have any problem landing a deal comparable to Dostal’s, either with the Oilers or another team via free agency.
Leavins also examined the Oilers’ current goaltending conundrum, particularly Skinner’s inconsistency. If he’s a “1B” goalie, they must find someone to be their “1A”.
The Oilers had “active interest” in Arturs Silovs. However, the Vancouver Canucks refused to trade him to Edmonton, shipping him instead to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They’re also rumored to have an interest in Boston Bruins third-stringer Michael DiPietro.
Landing one of those goalies might’ve been an upgrade over current Oilers backup Calvin Pickard, but their limited NHL experience doesn’t address the need of bringing in a “1A” goalie.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The goalie market is thin right now. If the Oilers seek an upgrade, they’ll have to wait for the coming season to unfold and hope that better options become available.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols wonders what the Devils will do with goaltender Nico Daws after they brought back Jake Allen as Jacob Markstrom’s backup.
Daws, 24, is in the final season of a two-year contract with a cap hit of $812,500. He’s eligible for restricted free-agent status next summer with arbitration rights and is no longer exempt from waivers.
It’s unlikely Daws would pass unclaimed through waivers. Nichols suggested the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets or Chicago Blackhawks might pluck him off the wire. He proposed trying to trade Daws, either on his own or packaged with defenseman Dougie Hamilton or center Dawson Mercer in a larger deal.
Nichols included the Oilers among his list of potential trade partners for Daws. He also mentioned the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights as possible landing spots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Silovs and DiPietro, Daws has potential but also a limited NHL resume, so it’s debatable if he can be considered an upgrade over Pickard for the Oilers.
The Flames could use a replacement for Dan Vladar after he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this month. Vegas Hockey Now’s Hannah Kirkell indicates the Golden Knights need a clear-cut backup for starter Adin Hill.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Brian Hedger examines what type of return Yegor Chinkhov might fetch in the trade market. The 24-year-old forward recently requested a trade from the Blue Jackets, citing misunderstandings with head coach Dean Evason.
Hedger considers Chinakhov “largely undefined as a player.” A first-round pick in 2020, he’s been hampered by injuries, limiting him to 175 NHL games.
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell could seek an established NHL player in return. However, trading him creates an additional hole in their forward lines, having let James van Riemsdyk, Sean Kuraly and Justin Danforth depart via free agency.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hedger noted that Chinakhov has one more year remaining on his contract. Staying in Columbus could help him improve his trade value. It could also give the forward and the Jackets time to sort out their differences.
