NHL Rumor Mill – February 26, 2026

by | Feb 26, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – February 26, 2026

Who could the Maple Leafs peddle if they become trade deadline sellers? What’s the latest on Canadiens winger Patrik Laine? Could Brendan Shanahan and Marc Bergevin join the Predators’ front office? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MAPLE LEAFS TRADE CANDIDATES

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan looked at five potential Maple Leafs trade candidates if management becomes a seller by the March 6 trade deadline.

Bobby McMann topped the list. The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Maple Leafs currently lack a first-round pick in this year’s draft. Given the way first-round picks are thrown around in trades now, McMann could fetch one.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann (NHL Images).

McMann has said he wants to re-sign with the Maple Leafs, but that could cost between $4.5 million and $5 million per season. Koshan believes he’ll be moved if he hasn’t signed an extension before next Friday.

Scott Laughton is also UFA-eligible, and he hasn’t provided the return that the Leafs sought when they sent a first-rounder and prospect Nikita Grebenkin to the Philadelphia Flyers last year to get him. He could be an effective depth player for a contender.

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million. He could be an attractive piece for teams with Stanley Cup aspirations.

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz’s four-year contract extension begins next season with an AAV of $3.75 million. Injuries have hampered his performance this season.

Like McMann and Laughton, forward Calle Jarnkrok is due to become a UFA on July 1.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos reports the Maple Leafs would like to re-sign McMann, but it doesn’t seem like they’re willing to pay him up to $5 million annually. They’d also like to keep Laughton, but where his salary number starts is debatable.

There’s not much of a goalie market heading toward the trade deadline. The Leafs might have to wait until the offseason to determine who stays or goes between Stolarz, Joseph Woll, and Dennis Hildeby.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon listed some possible trade destinations for McMann.

Topping his list is the Edmonton Oilers, followed by the Utah Mammoth, New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McMann’s style of play and his affordable $1.4 million cap hit will make him among the most desirable players at this year’s trade deadline.

The Oilers lack their 2026 first-rounder, and their prospect pool is getting shallow. The other clubs have their first-rounders, while the Islanders and Kraken each have two, though their spare first-rounders come with conditions attached. Most of them also have plenty of prospects and promising young players to draw on for trade bait.

CANADIENS AND KINGS DISCUSSED PATRIK LAINE

TVA SPORTS: According to Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period, the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings had talks about Patrik Laine in recent weeks.

The Kings are looking for a top-six forward and spoke with the Canadiens about Laine, who is due to return to action after being sidelined by abdominal surgery since October. However, there doesn’t seem to be a fit right now, and the Kings are looking elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was expected that the Kings would return to the trade market following Kevin Fiala’s season-ending leg injury during the Olympics. No surprise that they checked in with the Canadiens, who could be having some difficulty fitting players returning from injuries back into their lineup.

It’s doubtful that Laine will end up with the Kings by the trade deadline, but the 27-year-old winger could end up with another playoff contender by March 6.

The Canadiens have played well in Laine’s absence, and he no longer fits in their plans. He’s UFA-eligible on July 1. The asking price won’t be high, and the Canadiens could be willing to retain part of his $8.7 million cap hit.

COULD SHANAHAN AND BERGEVIN JOIN THE PREDATORS?

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports multiple NHL sources claim Brendan Shanahan and Marc Bergevin have been linked to the Nashville Predators.

Shanahan is the former president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Bergevin is the former general manager of the Montreal Canadiens and currently an associate GM with the Buffalo Sabres.

Predators general manager Barry Trotz has indicated he will step down as soon as a suitable replacement is found. It’s rumored that Shanahan would become the Predators’ President of Hockey Operations while Bergevin would be their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy stated that his sources caution that nothing is set in stone yet. Shanahan and Bergevin could be among several candidates for those positions.

For now, Trotz remains as general manager and is handling the club’s plans for the upcoming trade deadline. There is no timetable to replace Trotz, but it’s believed the club prefers to do so before the 2026 NHL Draft in June.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 17, 2025

by | Sep 17, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – September 17, 2025

Updates on the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, and the Jets’ Kyle Connor, plus the latest Maple Leafs’ speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON KAPRIZOV’S CONTRACT SITUATION

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Minnesota Wild’s eight-year, $128 million contract offer to Kirill Kaprizov remains on the table despite the winger rejecting the proposal last week.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

He also indicated that the Wild are definitely not engaged in trade discussions with other teams regarding Kaprizov. Their only focus is re-signing him as they believe the winger wants to stay in Minnesota.

Kaprizov has not been heard from since rejecting the offer. He will meet the media when training camp opens on Thursday, as will general manager Bill Guerin.

LeBrun also mentioned that the vibes in these negotiations are not cordial compared to those with the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid. “This is a little more edgy, let’s just say, between Kaprizov’s agent and Guerin,” Lebrun said. “I think last week was very emotional, and it’s not clear what the endgame here is.”

The Wild believe they made an “unbelievable offer” of eight years with an average annual value of $16 million. LeBrun isn’t certain how far they might have to move off that, but they may have to to get a deal done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli noted that there’s been some speculation linking Kaprizov to the New York Rangers or the Chicago Blackhawks. However, he indicated that there hasn’t been as much trade talk about the winger as some suggest. Seravalli stated that he’s seen little indication from the Kaprizov camp that the superstar winger wants to play elsewhere.

WILL THE RANGERS RE-SIGN PANARIN?

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano wondered what’s next for Artemi Panarin in his contract year. The 33-year-old New York Rangers winger’s point-per-game rate dipped to its lowest since 2018-19, his last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

It’s believed Rangers GM Chris Drury is in no rush to decide how aggressively he’ll pursue an extension for Panarin. The club has cap flexibility, but they’re closely monitoring some of the big-name players who could become UFAs next summer, like the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mercogliano recently speculated about the possibility of the Rangers pursuing Kaprizov if he becomes available by the March 2026 trade deadline. He suggested including winger Alexis Lafreniere in the deal, clearing his $7.45 million cap hit from their books. It would give the Rangers over $37 million in cap space, more than enough to sign Kaprizov and perhaps retain Panarin on a reduced salary.

KYLE CONNOR AND THE JETS ARE TALKING ABOUT AN EXTENSION

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there is an open line of communication between Kyle Connor and the Winnipeg Jets, who have made re-signing the 28-year-old winger a priority.

“I don’t doubt for a second that they will extend Kyle Connor,” Dreger said. He went on to say that the winger has been an important part of the club’s past, present, and future. There is no timeline for getting a deal done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Kaprizov, Connor is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Some folks wondered if the Jets risk losing Connor after Nikolaj Ehlers departed for the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent in July. However, they re-signed core players Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele in 2023.

Connor is just as important as Hellebuyck and Scheifele, so don’t be surprised if he’s re-signed to a lucrative new contract.

THE LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes re-signing goaltender Anthony Stolarz should be the Maple Leafs’ priority. He anticipates the 31-year-old will get a nice raise over his current $2.5 million AAV after leading the league in save percentage last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the two sides are working on a multi-year extension. He considers Kevin Lankinen’s contract with the Vancouver Canucks (five years, $4.5 million AAV) as a comparable.

Koshan anticipates Leafs GM Brad Treliving could move a depth forward in a cost-cutting trade before the start of the regular season. Calle Jarnkrok, David Kampf, or Nick Robertson are the likely candidates.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2024

by | Oct 5, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2024

Check out the latest on the Leafs and Stars in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel wondered if Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren could end up on the trade block.

He reports the Maple Leafs were open to trading Liljegren this summer as the threat of arbitration loomed before signing the 25-year-old blueliner to a two-year contract. However, he’s fallen down the depth chart in training camp and perhaps out of the opening-night lineup.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren (NHL Images).

Liljegren carries a $3 million average annual value through 2025-26, making him a potentially expensive seventh defenseman. Siegel wondered if he had any trade value with that cap hit and if it would be wise to move him given they have an older defense corps with injury questions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For the time being, no, and given the injury histories of Chris Tanev and Jani Hakanpaa, it would be best to hang onto Liljegren and allow him to play his way back among the top-four blueliners.

Siegel also pondered whether the Leafs will make a move to address their crowded forward lines.

He wondered if they might move fourth-line forward David Kampf and his $2.4 million AAV and replace him with the more affordable Steven Lorentz, who’s in camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO). Siegel also mused over whether Calle Jarnkrok fits within head coach Craig Berube’s system and if Max Pacioretty will get a contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kampf and Jarnkrok have frequently come up as trade candidates this week. One of them might be moved before the Leafs’ season opener next week.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau wondered what moves the Dallas Stars might make at the March 7 trade deadline to improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

Proteau believes GM Jim Nill will likely focus on bolstering his blueline but points out the Stars only have around $693K in salary-cap space. He thinks Nill will have to get creative if he hopes to add a veteran defenseman by the deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The right side of the Stars defense is a concern. They added two physical right-shot rearguards with Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin but could use another one with better all-around skill.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

by | Oct 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

The latest on the Bruins’ negotiations with Jeremy Swayman plus an update on the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We are experiencing technical difficulties today that are affecting the layout of today’s updates. We hope to have this rectified soon. Your patience is appreciated. 

LATEST ON SWAYMAN

TSN: Boston Bruins president Cam Neely seemed to let the cat out of the bag regarding the club’s contract offer to Jeremy Swayman.

“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely told reporters on Monday.

His remarks suggest the Bruins have offered Swayman an average annual value of $8 million at the league’s maximum term of eight years.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Fantucchio reports that Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, took to social media Monday refuting Neely’s claim that the Bruins offered them a deal worth $64 million. 

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

“I feel the need to defend my client,” wrote Gross. “This was the first time ($64 million) was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made approaching that level.”

Gross concluded by saying his camp was “extremely disappointed” and it was unfair to Swayman. “We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.” 

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy cites NHL sources suggesting Bruins ownership could be unhappy over Swayman’s comments in August regarding his contract negotiations. During an interview with Marc Lewis of Savage Sports, Swayman described his unhappiness over the arbitration process for his last contract, adding he’s since educated himself on the business side of the game and doesn’t want to adversely affect the market value of comparable goaltenders. 

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman examined where things could go in the Swayman negotiations from here. 

Friedman believes the goalie’s camp is calling a timeout as they carefully evaluate the situation. That could include a trade as speculation “ran rampant” following Neely’s remarks. He also thinks the Bruins have publicly indicated how far they’re willing to go with their negotiations, putting the pressure firmly on Swayman. 

Both sides are in agreement on a league-maximum eight-year contract but remain far apart on the money. Friedman thinks the Bruins may have offered between $60 million and $62 million. He also mentioned hearing trade rumors a couple of weeks ago but the Bruins were intent on signing Swayman but he wonders if things may have changed. 

THE ATHLETIC: Despite the contract standoff between Swayman and the Boston Bruins, Fluto Shinzawa reports the Bruins aren’t ready to trade the 25-year-old goaltender. 

Shinzawa points out that the Bruins need Swayman. The 25-year-old is poised to be their starting goalie for the next several seasons. He also noted that the Bruins would set a very high asking price while the acquiring team must sign him to a new contract.

It’s believed Swayman seeks an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shinzawa’s report was published before Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply.

The Bruins have until the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents to get Swayman under contract. The sooner they can accomplish that, the better it’ll be for the team and the netminder, who has already missed most of training camp and preseason play with the Bruins’ Oct. 9 season opener fast approaching.

It’s still premature to suggest trading Swayman. Nevertheless, the longer this standoff continues, the more speculation will be raised about his future in Boston. Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply suggest the crossroads has been reached. We’ll learn soon enough which direction they take. 

HOW WILL THE MAPLE LEAFS SHED SALARY?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Evan Doerfler cited TSN’s Darren Dreger last week suggesting Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf as cost-cutting candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are above the $88 million salary cap for the upcoming season. They must be cap-compliant before the start of the regular season.

Jarnkrok, 33, has an injury history and has already missed preseason play with a lower-body injury, raising concerns about his availability this season. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $2.1 million and has a 10-team no-trade list.

Kampf, 29, has earned praise for his defensive work on the Leafs’ fourth line. Those skills might give him value in the trade market but his $2.4 million AAV through 2026-27 could be a sticking point for some teams. Like Jarnkrok, he has a 10-team no-trade list.

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan also mentioned Jarnkrok and Kampf as cost-cutting trade candidates. He suggested defenseman Conor Timmins and his $1.1 million cap hit could also be a trade option.

Nick Robertson requested a trade during the offseason but Koshan doesn’t expect he’ll be traded. The 23-year-old winger played well in training camp after signing a one-year deal with the Leafs.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle speculates the Leafs could get some early-season cap relief by placing Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar on long-term injury reserve. He also suggested Timmins could end up on waivers and Marshall Rifai be used as their seventh defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puckpedia has the Leafs sitting above the cap by $1.069 million. They must be cap-compliant but must also find room to sign forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz.

It’ll be interesting to see how they address this issue.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 25, 2024

by | Sep 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 25, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s preseason action, injury updates on several notable stars, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: A five-goal third period rallied the New York Rangers to a 6-4 victory over the New York Islanders. Chris Kreider and Zac Jones each scored twice and collected an assist. Mathew Barzal tallied two goals, and Anthony Duclair collected two assists in his debut with the Islanders.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (lower-body injury) and defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body) left this contest. Head coach Peter Laviolette said they were still being evaluated after the game.

The Boston Bruins doubled up the Washington Capitals 4-2. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo stopped all seven shots he faced for the Bruins in this game.

Montreal Canadiens forward Michael Pezzetta netted two goals as his club blanked the New Jersey Devils 3-0. Samuel Montembeault and Connor Hughes combined for the 24-save shutout.

The Buffalo Sabres downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Sabres winger Tyler Tullio picked up two assists.

A shorthanded goal by Zack Ostapchuk in the third period lifted the Ottawa Senators to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jake Sanderson also scored for the Senators.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on a goal by Aleksi Heimosalmi with 45 seconds remaining in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first time Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour coached his son Skyler in an NHL game. The younger Brind’Amour is attending Hurricanes training camp on a professional tryout offer. He logged over 14 minutes of ice time and went seven-for-10 in the faceoff circle.

The Anaheim Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Carson Meyer and Mark Pysyk each scored a goal and collected an assist for the Ducks.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 18 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Brock Boeser and Jonathan Lekkerimaki each picked up two assists.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left practice on Tuesday with a minor upper-body injury. The injury isn’t considered serious.

SPORTSNET: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane isn’t expected to return to action until February at the earliest as he recovers from surgery for two sports hernias and four abdominal muscle tears. It’s possible he won’t return until the start of the playoffs in late April.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some conspiracy-minded folks believe this is a ploy by the Oilers to garner cap relief by having Kane and his $5.125 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve, using the savings to add players at the trade deadline.

Kane’s recovery timeline was listed as five to six months. That puts his return as sometime in mid-to-late March, shortly following the trade deadline. If they have him on LTIR and exceed the cap to add players at the deadline, they must be cap-compliant if he’s medically cleared to play, meaning they must shed salary, which could be difficult to do after the deadline.

It’s better for the Oilers cap-wise not to place Kane on LTIR as they can accrue cap space throughout the season to put toward any roster additions by the March 7 trade deadline. That could be difficult as they have less than $1 million in cap space to start this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Florida Panthers forward Tomas Nosek is expected to miss weeks with an upper-body injury suffered during Sunday’s preseason game against the Nashville Predators. It was thought he suffered a concussion but that’s not the case.

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks center Thomas Bordeleau is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

THE SCORE: Free-agent forward Phil Kessel is willing to sign a professional tryout offer if the fit is right. Kessel, 36, didn’t play last season after going unsigned. He’s the NHL’s reigning Ironman with 1,064 consecutive games. He’s also eight points away from 1,000 for his career.

TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman dismissed recent rumors claiming the league is preparing to expand to 34 clubs.

“Everything that’s been written in the last week is categorically wrong,” said Bettman. “We’re not going through an expansion process.”. The commissioner said he’ll update the league board of governors on Oct. 1 about places that have expressed an interest, but there’s nothing else going on regarding expansion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent media speculation claimed the league is considering returning to Atlanta and expanding to Houston. It can’t be ruled out but isn’t imminent because of the high expansion fees that could reach $2 billion and the lack of a suitable venue in Atlanta.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

by | Feb 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

The league returns to action from its All-Star break on Monday plus the latest on Mark Scheifele, Zach Parise, Ryan Pulock, Mattias Samuelsson, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon can regain first place in the race for the Art Ross Trophy as they visit the New York Rangers on Monday evening. MacKinnon (84 points) sits one point behind league-leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zach Parise will make his debut with Colorado in this game. The 39-year-old winger signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Avalanche on Jan. 26. He believes joining the Avs gives him a great opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is expected to return to action after missing the Blueshirts’ last game before the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.

In Toronto, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews can build on his lead for the Maurice Richard Trophy when his club faces off against the New York Islanders. With 40 goals, Matthews holds a three-goal lead over Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also got some good news as defenseman Ryan Pulock was activated off long-term injury reserve. He’d been sidelined since Dec. 7 with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Leafs placed forward Calle Jarnkrok on injured reserve while forward David Kampf remains out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of returning from injury, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will suit up against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. He missed their last six games with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets went 2-3-1 during their leading scorer’s absence.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s season is over as he faces surgery for an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, his teammate Jack Quinn will be sidelined for six to eight weeks recovering from surgery for a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Two big blows for the Sabres in a season that started with the promise of their long-awaited breakthrough as a playoff contender. Instead, they’re headed for another disappointing finish.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins yesterday signed Jesse Puljujarvi to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $800K. The 25-year-old winger underwent double hip resurfacing last summer. He’d been playing with the Pens’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a professional tryout offer (PTO) last month, collecting nine points in 13 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi worked hard to save his career and return to the NHL. It remains to be seen where things go from here but it’s admirable that he reached this point.

CAP FRIENDLY: indicates the Minnesota Wild placed forward Pat Maroon on injured reserve.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames claimed defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.