NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2025

by | Mar 21, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2025

Speculation over the futures of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Kings GM Rob Blake, an update on Sam Bennett’s contract talks, and the latest on John Gibson in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SHANAHAN AND BLAKE?

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos believes Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and Los Angeles Kings general manager Rob Blake are two executives to watch this summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan (NHL.com).

Shanahan’s contract expires at the end of this season. The Leafs’ performance in the upcoming postseason could determine his fate. The Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders could be monitoring his situation.

Speculation suggests Blake could reassess his future with the Kings regardless of how far they go in the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres need someone to oversee its hockey operations while the Islanders could shake up their front office if Lou Lamoriello steps down as president of hockey operations and general manager.

UPDATE ON BENNETT’S CONTRACT TALKS

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos reports the contract talks between the Florida Panthers and Sam Bennett are going well. The 29-year-old center is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Some believe Bennett will re-sign with the Panthers. Kypreos cites Bennett’s love of the team, head coach Paul Maurice’s love of the player, and a contract that could be around $60 million with no state tax.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The average annual value of a seven-year contract would be just over $8.57 million. If it’s eight years, it’s $7.5 million.

LATEST ON GIBSON

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes there’s some frustration John Gibson wasn’t moved at the trade deadline from the player, Ducks management and the teams interested in him. Friedman expects this could resume in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list. The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly looked into acquiring him last summer but opted to stick with their current goaltenders.

It’s believed the Ducks’ reluctance to retain salary hampered previous efforts to trade Gibson. With the salary cap rising significantly over the next three years, they could have better luck finding a suitor willing to take on his full cap hit. However, the rising cap could make the Ducks willing to retain some of his AAV to facilitate a trade and bring this ongoing saga to a close.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2025

by | Mar 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2025

The Capitals become the first team to clinch a playoff berth as Alex Ovechkin moves closer to breaking the goals record, the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck and the Leafs’ John Tavares reach notable milestones, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Washington Capitals became the first team to clinch a 2025 playoff berth by nipping the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Alex Ovechkin tallied his 888th regular-season goal and Anthony Beauvillier collected two assists as the Capitals sit first overall in the standings with 100 points. Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is seven goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 11 and is now listed as day-to-day.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 21 shots for his 40th win of the season in a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kyle Connor’s shorthanded goal in overtime gave the Jets the win as they sit first in the Western Conference with 100 points. Jeff Skinner tallied twice for the Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck reached the 40-win plateau for the second time, joining Marc-Andre Fleury as the only active goaltender to achieve that feat and joined Ryan Miller as the second American-born netminder to do so. He also joined Hall-of-Famer Ken Dryden as the fourth-fastest goalie to reach the 40-win single-season milestone.

The Oilers entered the game with leading scorer Leon Draisaitl sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Captain Connor McDavid missed the third period with an upper-body injury for precautionary reasons and goaltender Stuart Skinner was pulled late in that period due to concussion protocols following a collision in the crease.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares scored twice and collected an assist to reach the 1,100-point plateau in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers. Jake McCabe had three assists as the Leafs got their third straight win to tie the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers with 87 points. Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck each had two points for the Rangers (72 points), who’ve lost three straight and sit two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Speaking of the Panthers, they got an overtime goal from Aleksander Barkov to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 25-save shutout as the Panthers hold first place in the Atlantic with 35 regulation wins. Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 27 shots for the Blue Jackets as they dropped their fifth straight game and sit three points back of the Canadiens.

Meanwhile, Montreal (74 points) picked up a point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders. Bo Horvat tallied twice, including the game-winner, and Ilya Sorokin kicked out 38 shots and collected two assists for the Islanders, who are two points behind the Canadiens. Patrick Laine and Brendan Gallagher scored as the Habs overcame a 3-1 deficit to force the extra period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Gallagher announced his mother Della passed away on March 8 following a long battle with brain cancer. My condolences to Gallagher and his family.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev tallied a hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Dorofeyev reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time while Jack Eichel, Brandon Saad and Noah Hanifin each had two points for the Golden Knights, who sit first in the Pacific Division with 88 points. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins, who’ve lost four straight and sit five points behind the Canadiens.

An overtime goal by Philip Broberg lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3, vaulting them one point ahead of the Canucks into the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 77 points. Dylan Holloway and Tyler Tucker each had a goal and an assist as the Blues picked up their fourth straight win. Canucks winger Brock Boeser scored twice, including the tying goal with four seconds left in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg have become key contributors for St. Louis this season. Since being signed away from the Oilers last summer, Holloway sits second among Blues scorers with 56 points while Broberg (22 points) leads their defensemen with a plus/minus of plus-13 and sits fourth in ice time per game (20:21).

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their win streak to eight games by beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Sean Walker were the goal scorers as the Hurricanes sit second in the Metro Division with 88 points. William Eklund scored for the Sharks, who played without defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (upper-body injury).

Brock Nelson scored his first two goals with the Colorado Avalanche in a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Cale Makar, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each collected two points as the Avalanche put this game away early with four goals in the first period. Dylan Cozens scored for the Senators, who pulled goalie Linus Ullmark after he gave up those four first-period goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 87 points. The Senators have lost two straight but hold the first Eastern wild card with 77 points, three up on the Canadiens. Senators defenseman Nick Jensen missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, mathematically eliminating the latter from the 2025 playoff race. Trevor Moore, Alex Turcotte and Joel Edmundson scored for the Kings, who’ve won six of their last seven contests to sit two points behind the Oilers with 83 points. Connor Bedard replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost six straight games.

Four unanswered third-period goals by Connor Zary, Daniil Miromanov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri lifted the Calgary Flames over the New Jersey Devils 5-3, putting them within two points of the Blues for the final Western wild-card spot. Devils captain Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist as his club sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points.

Shootout goals by Nikita Kucherov and Gage Goncalves gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (85 points), who sit two points behind the Panthers and Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Oskar Back and Mason Marchment replied for the Stars, who got a 38-save performance from Casey DeSmith. They sit second in the Central with 90 points.

The Anaheim Ducks got 33 saves from goalie John Gibson to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Gibson had missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist for the Ducks while Steven Stamkos scored for the Predators.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Dylan Guenther, Kevin Stenlund and Mikhail Sergachev got the Utah Hockey Club a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Stenlund goal resulted from an attempted pass by Sabres center Tage Thompson on a 6-on-4 situation that inadvertently went into his own net. The win puts Utah (73 points) four points behind the Blues for the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres announced defenseman Jacob Bryson signed a one-year, $900K contract extension before this game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2025

by | Mar 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 19, 2025

Sidney Crosby passes Wayne Gretzky for most points with a franchise, the Canadiens climb back into a wild-card spot, three Capitals reach personal milestones, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored to reach his 1,670th regular-season point in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders. Kyle Palmieri had a goal and two assists as the Islanders scored four unanswered third-period goals. With 70 points, the Isles are three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby took sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list for most points with a single franchise. Gordie Howe is the all-time leader, netting 1,809 with the Detroit Red Wings. Steve Yzerman is second, tallying 1,755 with the Wings. Mario Lemieux is third with 1,723 with the Penguins.

Crosby, 37, is under contract for two more seasons with the Penguins. He has 74 points in 68 games this season. If he remains close to that pace between now and the end of 2026-27, he could overtake Howe.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech returned to the lineup due to an illness, but blueliner Alexander Romanov missed the game with a similar illness.

The Montreal Canadiens regained the second wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Christian Dvorak had a goal and three assists, Josh Anderson tallied twice, and Brendan Gallagher had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens (73 points) as they tallied five goals in the third period for their sixth straight win. Travis Hamonic had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern wild card with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens briefly held that wild-card spot on Jan. 21, only to tumble by dropping eight of their next nine games (1-8-1). Since Feb. 22, the Habs have gone 8-1-2.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson and forwards Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas reached notable personal single-season milestones in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Thompson stopped 23 shots for his first NHL 30-win season, Wilson scored for his first 30-goal season, and Protas had two assists to set the single-season points record (61) for an NHL player born in Belarus. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals regained first place in the overall standings with 98 points, holding a game in hand over the Winnipeg Jets. The Wings (70 points) continue to flounder, losing eight of their last 10 to sit three points behind the Canadiens.

Speaking of the Jets, they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks. Brock Boeser scored two goals and had an assist and Pius Suter tallied twice as the Canucks maintained their grip on the final Western Conference wild card with 75 points. Nikolaj Ehlers and Alex Iafallo scored for the Jets (98 points).

St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Dylan Holloway collected three assists as the Blues picked up their third straight win, sitting behind the Canucks with 75 points. Brady Skjei scored for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks hold that final wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Blues. Predators forward Michael McCarron was ejected after accruing 20 minutes in penalties, including a major penalty for a dangerous hit on Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich, a five-minute major for fighting Jake Neighbours, and a 10-minute game misconduct.

The Calgary Flames kept pace in the Western wild-card race by nipping the New York Rangers 2-1. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist, MacKenzie Weegar collected two assists, and Matt Coronato tallied the winner for the Flames, who sit two points back of the Canucks. Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers, who sit one point behind the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jonathan Huberdeau was held scoreless in this contract, but RG.Org’s Jim Biringer reports the 31-year-old winger has improved his overall game this season, earning praise from general manager Craig Conroy. With 50 points in 67 games, he’s on pace for his best season since joining the Flames in 2022.

The Rangers announced forward Arthur Kaliyev will miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs with an upper-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman scored two goals and picked up an assist in a 7-1 drubbing of the Utah Hockey Club. Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mattias Ekholm each had a goal and two assists as the Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division with 84 points. Sean Durzi scored for Utah (71 points), who sit four points behind the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman missed Sunday’s game with an undisclosed injury while Ekholm (undisclosed) had missed six games.

The Dallas Stars nipped the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Mikael Granlund tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, while Thomas Harley had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who hold second place in the Central Division with 89 points. Leo Carlsson scored twice for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars coach Peter DeBoer said sidelined forward Tyler Seguin continues skating regularly and should be ready to return around the end of the season. The news regarding top defenseman Miro Heiskanen (knee surgery) is less positive, as he could remain sidelined through at least the first round of the playoffs.

Shane Wright scored twice as the Seattle Kraken netted six unanswered goals in a 6-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Adam Larsson had a goal and two assists for the Kraken. Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The NHL announced the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will play a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden next season as part of its annual Global Series on Nov. 14 and 16 at Avicii Arena.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports each of the men’s hockey teams participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics will name its first six roster players in June. It’s the first time the NHL will participate in the Winter Games since 2014. The rest of the rosters will be announced in December.

THE ATHLETIC: New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald made an impassioned plea for cut-resistant equipment during Tuesday’s meeting of NHL general managers in Florida. He cited his son Casey’s close call last December when a skate blade slashed his neck during an AHL game. Casey is the captain of the Hartford Wolfpack. The wound required 25 stitches to close.

DAILY FACEOFF: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of an America-Russia hockey series involving players from the NHL and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The NHL released a statement indicating they were made aware of the conversation between Trump and Putin, however, they were not a party to them and thus considered it inappropriate to comment.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Such a tournament would require the NHL’s blessing and that of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which has banned Russia’s participation in international tournaments due to its war with Ukraine.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2025

by | Mar 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2025

The Avalanche spoil Mikko Rantanen’s homecoming, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl extends his points streak, plus the latest on Auston Matthews, Travis Konecny and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche spoiled Mikko Rantanen’s return with a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Cale Makar scored in overtime and collected two assists while teammates Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin each had a goal and an assist. Rantanen collected an assist on Jason Robertson’s game-opening goal while teammates Mavrik Bourque and Matt Duchene scored in the third period to force the extra frame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen received a standing ovation from the Colorado fans during his video tribute. He spent nearly 10 seasons with the Avalanche.

The Avalanche are 8-0-1 in their last nine games, gaining ground on Dallas in the Central Division standings. They sit two points behind the Stars in third place with 85 points. Dallas has dropped three of their last four contests.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had an assist to extend his points streak to 18 games as his club downed the New York Rangers 3-1. Connor McDavid scored and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected three assists as the Oilers (82 points) moved one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings into second place in the Pacific Division. Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers as they cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Zach Hyman missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek made 18 saves to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Albert Johansson, Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper scored for the Wings as they picked up their second win in their last nine games. The victory moves within two points of the Rangers in the wild-card race. The Golden Knights sit first in the Pacific Division with 86 points but have dropped four of their last five games.

The St. Louis Blues cruised to a 7-2 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Jordan Kyrou collected three assists while Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours each had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who are tied with the Vancouver Canucks with 73 points. Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish each had two points for the Ducks.

Speaking of the Canucks, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Utah Hockey Club. Logan Cooley snapped a 1-1 tie and Clayton Keller put the game away with an empty-net goal as Utah sits two points behind the Blues and Canucks. Quinn Hughes scored for Vancouver, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The race for the final Western wild card is heating up. For a while, it was just the Canucks and the Calgary Flames jockeying for that spot, but the Blues and Utah have surged over the past couple of weeks to make this interesting.

Canucks center Filip Chytil missed this game as he’s in concussion protocol following an unpenalized blindside hit by Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club announced that a lower-body injury has sidelined forward Liam O’Brien for the next four weeks.

The New York Islanders kept their playoff hopes alive by doubling up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Marc Gatcomb, Maxim Tsyplakov, Noah Dobson and Simon Holmstrom scored four unanswered third-period goals for the Isles (68 points), putting them four points behind the Rangers. Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 85 points but have dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly returned to action after undergoing surgery in November for an abnormality in his heart, skating over 14 minutes and collecting an assist. Teammate Adam Pelech missed this game with a lower-body injury. Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews continues to be hampered by an undisclosed injury that has affected his scoring. Nevertheless, he’s determined to remain in the lineup as the Leafs jockey for playoff positioning with 16 games left in the regular season.

THE ATHLETIC: Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny is mired in a goal-scoring slump with one goal in his last 21 games. He’s also dealing with the departures of friends and former teammates Scott Laughton, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee this season.

ROTOBALLER: Buffalo Sabres forward Jiri Kulich is in concussion protocol following a hit by Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden on Saturday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Sunday’s PWHL game between the Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens drew 14, 288 to Detroit’s Little Caesar’s Arena, setting the US attendance record for women’s hockey. The Sirens defeated the Frost 4-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The PWHL has drawn 1 million fans in just two seasons.

RG.ORG: Former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk officially announced his retirement last week. The first-overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2001 NHL Draft, Kovalchuk spent 13 seasons in the league with the Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals. Winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2003-04, he finished with 443 goals and 433 assists for 876 points, and 11 goals and 28 points in 40 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kovalchuk was among the league’s most dazzling goal-scorers in his prime, He exceeded the 40-goal plateau six times between 2003-04 and 2009-10, including two 52-goal seasons.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 14, 2025

by | Mar 14, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 14, 2025

The latest on Brock Boeser, Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Donato plus a look at the Wild’s potential free-agent targets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HURRICANES HAD INTEREST IN BOESER

CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal recently reported the Carolina Hurricanes were believed to have made a pitch for Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser in the hours before last Friday’s trade deadline.

Boeser, 28, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. There’s been no sign of progress in contract extension talks with the Canucks.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

Dhaliwal said the Hurricanes attempted to flip one of the two first-round picks they received from the Dallas Stars in the Mikko Rantanen trade to the Canucks as part of their offer for Boeser. He also indicated the Canucks made another contract offer to Boeser but it was unclear how much it differed from their original pitch of five years at $8 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boeser could be heading to free agency on July 1, where the Hurricanes might be willing to sign him after losing out on Mikko Rantanen.

There’s plenty of time for Boeser and the Canucks to reach an agreement and things can change quickly. However, Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin saying Boeser didn’t draw attractive offers in the trade market before last Friday’s deadline might not have sat well with the winger’s camp.

WHO WILL THE WILD TARGET THIS SUMMER?

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith and Michael Russo looked at which free agents might be on the Minnesota Wild’s radar this summer. The buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter drop from a combined $14.7 million to $1.7 million next season, freeing up valuable cap space for general manager Bill Guerin to bolster the roster.

The upcoming UFA class doesn’t contain many game changers. Minnesota native Brock Nelson could extend with the Colorado Avalanche, Mitch Marner will be too expensive, while the rest (John Tavares, Jamie Benn, Claude Giroux) are in their mid-to-late thirties.

Minnesota native Brock Boeser could be available, but Smith and Russo question if it’s worth overpaying for a winger whose value at the recent trade deadline was underwhelming.

Whatever Guerin has in mind must account for Kirill Kaprizov’s future with the Wild. Kaprizov can sign a contract extension on July 1 but Wild management must sell him on their seriousness of building a contender around him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild will be worth monitoring in the offseason. Guerin would make a foray or two into this summer’s UFA market, but he’ll also look at the trade market for suitable additions.

THE LATEST ON PALMIERI AND DONATO

TSN: Pierre LeBrun provided an update on contract extension talks between the New York Islanders and Kyle Palmieri, and the Chicago Blackhawks and Ryan Donato. On July 1, both players are eligible for unrestricted free-agent status.

The Palmieri negotiations are continuing and could be close to an agreement, though there’s no timeline for announcing the deal. Meanwhile, Donato and the Blackhawks have taken a breather on their extension discussions, but talks could resume soon.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2025

by | Mar 12, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2025

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin denies requesting a trade plus the latest on the Islanders and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DAHLIN DENIES REQUESTING A TRADE

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington reports Rasmus Dahlin angrily denied comments by TNT hockey analyst Paul Bissonnette claiming the Sabres captain indicated he wanted a trade during a meeting last week with general manager Kevyn Adams.

“I want to be moved? I don’t know what he’s talking about,” said Dahlin. He admitted he’s unhappy with the team’s performance but never told Adams he wanted out.

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

Bissonnette made the remarks on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, claiming the story was given to him “by the people who really matter and who move the needle as far as the insiders.” He claimed Dahlin told Adams that “he was gonezos” if things didn’t turn around fast.

“That bugs me, actually,” said Dahlin. “I get pissed off by that. I haven’t even mentioned the word ‘leave”. So yeah, that’s just how it is.”

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn acknowledged Dahlin’s comments. However, he believes Adams and Sabres owner Terry Pegula can’t be naive about the potential for other players getting discouraged with losing so often, especially restricted free agents like JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fairburn pointed out that Dahlin didn’t hide his frustration with the club’s lack of progress. That should worry the front office. Dahlin might not want out now but that could change if this moribund franchise doesn’t snap out of its long playoff drought. Other Sabres could also run out of patience if the losing continues.

LATEST ON THE ISLANDERS

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears reports the Islanders weren’t believed to be shopping Noah Dobson, nor was the 25-year-old defenseman looking to leave. His name appeared in the rumor mill last month after it was reported that he had changed agents.

Dobson indicated he wasn’t concerned about the speculation. He declined to get into the reasons behind the move but pointed out it happened well before it was reported. The blueliner is a restricted free agent on July 1.

Sears also speculated that Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee could surface in this summer’s rumor mill as Islanders’ management attempts to make the roster younger.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple reports Pageau’s name was never out in the trade market before the deadline. GM Lou Lamoriello said he didn’t want to completely bail on the current roster, preferring to give them a chance to continue competing for a playoff spot.

Pageau and Lee may be shopped during the offseason. They both have a year remaining in their contracts, which could make it easier to move them.

Staple speculated that Pierre Engvall and Scott Mayfield could be bought out of their contracts. Both have five years left on their contracts but Engall would count as $1 million against the cap if bought out while Mayfield would be $1.66 million. That would give the Isles a combined $4.33 million in cap savings per season over the next five years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Changes will be coming this summer for the Islanders. It remains to be seen whether Lamoriello will be the one making them.

COULD THE CANADIENS SHOP FOR A CENTER THIS SUMMER?

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes didn’t make a move at the trade deadline to add a second-line center, claiming the trade deadline wasn’t necessarily the best time to fill that spot. He indicated he called other GMs to spitball ideas on several things, including players who didn’t appear in the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline.

Hughes has put the futures of pending UFA players David Savard, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak on the back-burner. He’s not worried about the possibility of losing them to free agency in July, adding he felt it was more important to keep them so the younger players can lean on them down the stretch as the club pushes for a playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kirby Dach’s season-ending knee surgery left the Canadiens needing a reliable second-line center. Hughes has plenty of trade capital to draw on with draft picks and prospects to swing a deal for a center this summer.