NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2025
NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2025
What’s the latest on the off-season plans for the Canadiens, Canucks and Senators? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CANADIENS?
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Herb Zurkowsky and Stu Cowan report Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens executive vice-president of hockey operations, is pleased and proud of his rebuilding club’s performance this season. However, he felt there was still work to be done.
Gorton believes the Canadiens must improve defensively, they need more scoring, and must get bigger and more competitive. “We want to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup every year,” he said. “We’re getting there (but) we’re not quite there.”
Gorton acknowledged the club’s need for a second-line center, but suggested adding a creative winger who can drive the play could be another way to bolster their top-six forwards. He didn’t rule out the possibility of using an offer sheet to address a roster need.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes will explore the trade and free-agent markets for a second-line center. However, Gorton’s remark about seeking a winger suggests limited options will be available to address that center position.
Cowan noted that Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs is the type of winger Gorton was referring to. The 28-year-old is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. If Marner goes to market, the Canadiens could find it difficult to win a bidding war that could see him earn over $15 million annually on his next contract.
TSN: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes came to the defense of Patrik Laine. The 27-year-old winger had an up-and-down performance this season, missing the first two months of the season with a knee injury and the final three games of the postseason with a broken finger.

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine (NHL Images).
Speaking in French, Hughes told reporters the Canadiens wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Laine. He scored 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine received recent media criticism regarding his play, culminating in Pat Hickey of The Gazette calling for the winger to be traded or bought out. However, Laine’s return to the lineup in December was among the factors in their midseason turnaround that vaulted them into playoff contention.
Laine has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $8.7 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. They’ll likely hang onto him and try to find a playmaking second-line center or winger that best suits his shoot-first style of play.
TVA SPORTS: Hughes said the Canadiens haven’t announced their intentions regarding their UFA players like Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak and Michael Pezzetta. Management intends to meet soon to discuss their options and will inform those players of their decision.
COULD THE CANUCKS TRADE THEIR FIRST-ROUND PICK?
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma believes the Vancouver Canucks should use their first-round pick in this year’s draft (15th overall) as a trade chip to bring in a proven center.
The jury remains out on Elias Pettersson as a reliable first-line center. Meanwhile, health concerns continue to dog midseason acquisition Filip Chytil.
Kuzma suggested targeting someone like Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. Larkin recently expressed his unhappiness with management’s inability to make a significant move at the March trade deadline to improve the club’s playoff chances.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin may be unhappy with the Wings’ direction this season but there’s no indication that he wants to be traded. He also has a full no-trade clause and Kuzma acknowledged it would take something special to pry him out of Motown. A first-round pick would only be one piece of a likely three-asset offer to get him.
Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre also believes the Canucks must shop their 2025 first-rounder for a return that will help them bounce back next season. He agrees that they’ll target a top-six forward.
WHAT ARE THE SENATORS’ OFFSEASON PLANS?
THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie believes the Ottawa Senators will attempt to find a scoring forward this summer.
Toronto’s Mitch Marner could be a free-agent option but he’ll likely be out of the Senators’ price range. Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets seems a realistic target. They could also be linked to Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks.
The Senators also need more blueline depth. One option could be Rasmus Andersson if he and the Calgary Flames don’t agree to a contract extension this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The availability of salary-cap space and tradeable assets will be an issue if the Senators intend to go big-game hunting this summer.
They have a projected $17.5 million in cap room with 14 active roster players (including their core players except Giroux) under contract next season. Landing a top-six scorer will take up a big chunk.
The Senators used to have a deep prospect pool, but it’s now ranked 27th by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. They also don’t have a lot of extra draft picks to use as trade bait.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports sources told him the Senators will likely search for a top-six right wing and a right-shot defenseman.
Senators forward Drake Batherson’s name surfaced at the trade deadline, but the club instead traded Josh Norris to Buffalo for Dylan Cozens. Garrioch writes that several teams wonder if general manager Steve Staios would be willing to listen to offers for Batherson around the draft.
Garrioch believes the Senators would have to tread carefully regarding Batherson because of their scoring difficulties this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators would want an established player in return for Batherson, not picks, prospects or an inexperienced young NHLer. In other words, something like the Cozens-for-Norris deal.