NHL Rumor Mill – June 9, 2025

by | Jun 9, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 9, 2025

Big changes could be coming for the Rangers, the latest on the Penguins, and a list of potential buyout candidates in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RUMBLINGS OF BIG CHANGES FOR THE RANGERS

THE ATHLETIC’s Arthur Staple reported that the word at the NHL Draft Combine was that the New York Rangers are among the teams looking to shake up their rosters this summer. The others include the Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth, and Seattle Kraken.

Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and Artemi Panarin are considered the only untouchables on the Rangers roster. Staple believes general manager Chris Drury could attempt to sign Vladislav Gavrikov if the Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks considers it inevitable that the Rangers will trade K’Andre Miller. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and is coming off a disappointing 2024-25 performance.

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller (NHL Images).

Several sources told Brooks that they believe Miller will be targeted with an offer sheet if he isn’t moved by July 1. He believes the offer would be around five years with an average annual value between $6 million and $7.012 million, which the Rangers “all but certainly would not match.” They would receive a first and third-round pick as compensation.

Parting with Miller would leave the Rangers without a left-shot defenseman who can skate alongside Fox on their top defenseman pairing. Unless such a blueliner is part of the return in a trade involving Miller, Brooks believes they’ll have to overpay for a UFA like Gavrikov if he’s available.

Brooks also indicated that Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere is “surely available” and was the topic of several conversations at the draft combine, “though it is unclear whether the majority of inquiries were outgoing or incoming.”

If the Rangers can’t move Miller for a defenseman and instead move him for a forward, Brooks believes Drury could use Lafreniere as a trade chip to add a left-shot blueliner.

Brooks pointed out that Vincent Trocheck’s no-trade clause becomes a 12-team no-trade list on July 1. If next season goes sideways, he believes Trocheck could become one of the Rangers’ most attractive trade chips.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury was among the busiest general managers in this season’s trade market. He began tinkering with his roster in December, hoping to stage what would be a quick turnaround in their fortunes within a season or two.

If he’s peddling Miller and Lafreniere, he’ll want good NHL players in their prime in return, not draft picks and prospects, unless he intends to use those as trade bait as well.

PENGUINS COULD SPURN FREE AGENCY FOR THE TRADE MARKET

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe reported Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said he’s probably not going to be as aggressive in the free-agent market, unless it’s for a younger player “who maybe deserves a little more term.”

Dubas said he’s been getting trade inquiries from other clubs, indicating that some of them are rebuilding clubs looking to take the next step in their development.

Yohe stated the Penguins have “a bushel of draft picks and several veterans they’re willing to trade.” In return, Dubas wants young, talented players who no longer fit with their current teams. He’ll also be watching cap-strapped clubs looking to offload some salary.

Penguins fans could want Dubas to target restricted free agents with offer sheets, like the St. Louis Blues did last summer when they signed Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers. However, he doesn’t think that’s going to happen much this summer because of the rising salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins could have two first-rounders in this year’s draft if the Rangers agree to send them their 2025 pick as part of the terms of the J.T. Miller trade with the Vancouver Canucks, who included that pick as part of the return to the Penguins for Marcus Pettersson.

They also have three third-rounders and two fifth-rounders in this year’s draft, three second-rounders and two third-rounders in 2026, and two second-rounders, three third-rounders and two fourth-rounders in 2027.

The veterans who they are willing to move could include defensemen Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves, goaltender Tristan Jarry, and forward Kevin Hayes. However, rival clubs are likely more interested in top-six forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.

POTENTIAL BUYOUT CANDIDATES

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently published his list of seven players he believes could be bought out of their contracts this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first buyout window opens the later of June 15 or 48 hours following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final and closes at 5 pm ET on June 30. A team can get a second, 48-hour buyout window if a player files for arbitration and is settled or awarded, beginning three days following the settlement or award.

Defenseman T.J. Brodie of the Chicago Blackhawks tops Seravalli’s list, with forward Pierre Engvall of the New York Islanders and blueliner Matt Dumba of the Dallas Stars sitting second and third, respectively.

Chicago forward Joe Veleno, St. Louis Blues winger Mathieu Joseph, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl, and San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic round out the list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All but Veleno are over the age of 26, meaning their buyouts are calculated at two-thirds of the remaining value over twice the remaining term. The 25-year-old Veleno’s buyout would be calculated at one-third of the remaining value over twice the remaining term.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2024

by | Oct 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 7, 2024

The Canucks re-sign Nils Hoglander and acquire Erik Brannstrom, several notable players land on waivers as teams make their final roster cuts for the regular season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed winger Nils Hoglander to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3 million.

Vancouver Canucks winger Nils Hoglander (NHL Images).

Hoglander, 23, is in the final season of a two-year contract with a $1.1 million AAV. He scored a career-high 24 goals last season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche traded defenseman Erik Brannstrom to the Canucks in exchange for blueliner Tucker Poolman and a 2025 fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche signed Brannstrom this summer but adding John Ludvig off waivers over the weekend made him expendable. The Canucks have put him on waivers to send him to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.

Poolman, 31, is in the final year of his contract. He’s suffered migraines since 2022 and is permanently sidelined. The Canucks retained 20 percent of his $2.5 million cap hit but it still provides them with much-needed cap room. It’s expected the Avs will place him on LTIR.

DAILY FACEOFF: Several notable players were placed on waivers Sunday. They include New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Justin Holl, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray, Buffalo Sabres netminder James Reimer, and Calgary Flames forward Jakob Pelletier.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles placing Engvall on waivers raises some eyebrows. The 28-year-old forward’s contract makes him unlikely to be claimed by another club. He’s entering the second season of a seven-year contract with a $3 million annual cap hit. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s Rumor Mill.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen believes Holl’s $3.4 million AAV through 2025-26 makes him unlikely to be claimed by a rival club.

The move leaves the Wings with seven defensemen, opening the door to add a 13th forward. It’s expected they’ll sign Austin Watson, who’s been in training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson examined why Pelletier is on waivers The 23-year-old winger was the Flames’ first-round pick (26th overall) in the 2019 draft. However, he’s struggled to nail down a full-time roster spot, bouncing between the Flames and their AHL affiliate over the past two seasons. Pelletier carries an affordable $800K cap hit and could become a tempting option for a rival club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Utah Hockey Club signed Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, two-way contract after the 26-year-old forward played well during his professional tryout offer.

TSN: The Carolina Hurricanes released Sam Gagner from his professional tryout offer.

SPORTSNET: Monday’s preseason game between the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning was canceled due to Hurricane Milton’s approach. This game was originally scheduled for Sept. 27 but was postponed because of the effects of Hurricane Helene.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The approach of Hurricane Milton forced the Panthers to cancel their public Stanley Cup ring presentation ceremony at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 17, 2024

by | Jun 17, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 17, 2024

More suggested contract buyout candidates plus the latest on Pavel Buchnevich in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE POTENTIAL BUYOUT CANDIDATES

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal listed 12 players to monitor when the NHL’s contract buyout window opens following the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most players on this list also appeared on Daily Faceoff’s recent buyout candidate list. You can read my take on those here.

The list includes Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary, Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer, New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, Detroit Red Wings blueliner Justin Holl, and Winnipeg Jets rearguard Nate Schmidt.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are squeezed for cap space for 2024-25, hampering efforts to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos. Buyout out Sheary will only free up $1.4 million in cap space for next season, but every bit helps now.

Buying out Grubauer would save the Kraken over $4.9 million for 2024-25. However, they might not be ready to hand the starter’s job to Joey D’Accord just yet. If D’Accord can carry that burden next season, they can explore trading or buying out Grubauer next year.

The Rangers won’t buy out Trouba. Granted, he’s overpaid at $8 million per season through 2025-26. However, his postseason struggles were likely tied to playing on an injured ankle since March. For a team with Stanley Cup aspirations that needs more toughness, getting rid of their most physical player doesn’t make sense. If they wish to part ways with Trouba, they’d be better off shedding his salary through the trade market.

Buying out Holl now makes sense if the Red Wings can’t find any takers for Holl in the trade market. The authors observed he was a health scratch for 38 games this season. They also pointed out that the Wings have a glut of bottom-three defensemen with Ben Chiarot, Olli Maatta and Jeff Petry signed for next season. The Wings have nearly $30 million in cap space for next season but buying out Holl adds another $2.2 million annually to the kitty for the next two seasons.

The same goes for Schmidt. He has a year left on his deal with an AAV of $5.95 million, which is a lot for a third-pairing defenseman. The Jets have $13 million in cap space. Buying out Schmidt frees up $3.2 million for 2024-25.

LATEST ON PAVEL BUCHNEVICH

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli included Pavel Buchnevich in his recent Trade Targets list. He wondered if the St. Louis Blues are prepared to pay the 29-year-old winger a big raise on a long-term contract.

Buchnevich has produced 206 points in 216 games with the Blues. The winger has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.8 million. Seravalli expects that he’ll be in line for a raise in the $8 million-plus range.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli noted that Buchnevich was a hot commodity before the March trade deadline but the Blues’ asking price was three first-round equivalents. That price could drop as the winger would now be a one-year rental unless inquiring teams intend to re-sign him.

There was talk earlier this year that the Blues were interested in re-signing Buchnevich and he wanted to stay. We’ll find out soon enough whether those discussions get serious.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2024

by | Mar 22, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 22, 2024

Could Jake Guentzel return to the Penguins? Which notable players could become buyout candidates this summer? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: In his recent mailbag segment, Josh Yohe was asked whether Jake Guentzel might return to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a free agent this summer. He initially felt that was next to impossible but he isn’t so sure now after talking with team sources. Yohe believes Guentzel could be in play if his asking price is within $8 million annually rather than $10 million.

Could Jake Guentzel return to the Pittsburgh Penguins this summer? (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Never say never but Yohe admits he thinks it’s unlikely. Guentzel might be open to an offer from the Penguins if he goes to market on July 1. However, he’ll likely receive more lucrative contract proposals from other clubs. His time with the Carolina Hurricanes could convince him that it’s time to close the Pittsburgh chapter of his career and carry on elsewhere.

Yohe was also asked what the first order of business should be this offseason for Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas. He believes Dubas should attempt to move veteran wingers Reilly Smith and Rickard Rakell to clear cap space to make room for younger, hungrier players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yohe noted that the salary cap is expected to rise significantly next season, making it easier to move those players. Smith and Rakell have eight-team no-trade lists for next season and $5 million cap hits. However, Smith might be the easiest to move. He has a year left on his contract and a Stanley Cup championship on his resume. Rakell, meanwhile, has four more seasons remaining on his deal.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jacob Punturi believes the Penguins need to find a way to shed Ryan Graves’ contract. Signed last summer to a six-year, $27 million contract, the 28-year-old defenseman has struggled in his first season in Pittsburgh. He has a 12-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moving Graves won’t be easy despite the salary cap rising by a projected $4. 4 million. His $4.5 million cap hit isn’t the issue as the remaining five years of the deal. The Penguins could stick with Graves for next season and hope to improve his game.

BUYOUT CANDIDATES FOR THE COMING OFFSEASON

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau looked at five players who could be in consideration for contract buyouts during the two-week buyout window in late June.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic tops his list. The 36-year-old blueliner has two years remaining on his contract at an annual average value of $7 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks could hang onto Vlasic for one more season before going the buyout route. That way, they’ll only have part of his cap hit on their books for two seasons rather than four.

Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Johansen is next. He has one year left on his deal with an $8 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will depend on Johansen’s health. He reportedly has a hip injury that has prevented the Flyers from sending him to their AHL affiliate. If Johansen is still recovering from that injury in June, the Flyers won’t be able to buy out his contract.

Justin Holl of the Detroit Red Wings, John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, and Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres are Proteau’s other three buyout candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holl has two years left on his contract. However, the $1.133 cap hit per season for four years might not be difficult for the Wings to carry with the projected increases in the cap for the next two seasons.

The Ducks will likely try again to see if they can trade Gibson. If they have to retain salary over the final three seasons of his contract, it’s better than carrying $2.133 million annually for six years.

Given Skinner’s $9 million AAV for the next three seasons, he seems the least likely to be bought out. Proteau pointed out the Sabres would get a $1.44 million cap hit for next season, rising to $4.44 million for 2025-26 and $6.44 million for 2026-27 before dropping to $2.44 million annually for the final three years.










Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

Check in regularly for today’s notable player moves during the opening day of the NHL’s annual free-agent market.

New York Islander sign goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $11 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign center J.T. Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Scott Mayfield to a seven-year, $24.5 million contract. 

Seattle Kraken signed Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $6.3 million contract.

Colorado Avalanche signs Jonathan Drouin to a one-year, $825K contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Lars Eller to a two-year, $4.9 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Pierre Engvall to a seven-year, $21 million contract. 

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Miles Wood to a six-year, $15 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins sign defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year, $27 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins bring back goaltender Tristan Jarry on a five-year, $28.875 million contract.

Anaheim Ducks sign Alex Killorn to a four-year, $25 million contract. 

Arizona Coyotes sign Jason Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Conor Sheary to a three-year $6 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign forward Gustav Nyquist to a two-year, $6.37 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year, $10.20 million contract. 

Washington Capitals sign Max Pacioretty to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Vancouver Canucks sign Carson Soucy to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year, $18 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year. $7.75 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes bring back goaltender Frederik Andersen on a two-year, $6.8 million contract. 

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract.

Buffalo Sabres sign defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. 

Edmonton Oilers sign winger Connor Brown to a one-year, $4 million contract. 

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year, $12 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a two-year $4.7 million contract. 

New York Rangers sign right wing Blake Wheeler to a one-year, $800K salary plus $300K max bonuses.

Boston Bruins sign left wing James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign winger Milan Lucic to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Los Angeles Kings sign Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder in the 2024 NHL draft.  The Canadiens are retaining 50 percent of his cap hit.

Nashville Predator sign Luke Schenn to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.3 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 10, 2022

by | Sep 10, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 10, 2022

A look at the latest Leafs speculation as training camp approaches in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel wondered when the Toronto Maple Leafs and Rasmus Sandin will finally reach an agreement on a new contract. The 22-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights, giving him little leverage except to not report to training camp.

Missing playing time could put Sandin at risk of falling behind his teammates. Siegel suggests the young blueliner accept a one-year deal that would provide him with arbitration rights next summer or a two-year deal similar to the one Timothy Liljegren signed in June with an average annual value of $1.4 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how the Sandin camp handles this. Missing training camp (and preseason play) almost always hampered a player’s performance upon his return to the lineup.

The Leafs are currently over the $82.5 million salary cap for the coming season by roughly $1.5 million. General manager Kyle Dubas could be forced to make a significant cost-cutting move to accommodate whatever Sandin is seeking. Taking the one-year deal and garnering arbitration rights next summer would give the young blueliner the leverage to secure better terms on his next contract.

Siegel also noted the Leafs wouldn’t necessarily have to do anything to get under the cap until Sandin signs. They could ice a 20-man roster to start the season if need be. He acknowledged that defenseman Justin Holl has surfaced as a trade candidate but doesn’t see the sense in trading him while Sandin remains unsigned. Dubas could also place Holl on waivers but there’s the risk of losing him to another club for nothing.

The Leafs signing Zach Aston-Reese to a professional tryout offer also caught Siegel’s eye. Among the reasons could be to provide options in case they want to move a forward such as Alex Kerfoot, though he doesn’t see Aston-Reese as an improvement over Kerfoot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kerfoot carries an AAV of $3.5 million and he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Moving him would put them under the cap by $2 million, providing sufficient wiggle room to ink Sandin.

However, the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan is skeptical about a Kerfoot trade. “If Dubas had true designs on moving Kerfoot, you would think it would’ve happened by now.”

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Luke Fox was asked about what it might cost for the Leafs to acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The reader wanted to know if “2 firsts, Sandin and Robertson” might get it done. Fox considered that a load to surrender for a playoff rental. He suggested “a first-round pick, a mid-round pick, a quality prospect, and a roster player.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s assuming Kane waives his full no-movement clause to go to Toronto. And Dubas convinces the Blackhawks to retain half of Kane’s $10.5 million salary-cap hit. And he finds a third team willing to help him divide the remaining $5.25 million in half to squeeze the winger within the Leafs’ limited cap payroll. Provided, of course, Dubas outbids other clubs for Kane’s services.

Let’s revisit this at the 2023 trade deadline and see if it works out.