Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 2) – March 1, 2026

by | Mar 1, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part 2) – March 1, 2026

Check out the latest on the Rangers, Red Wings, Golden Knights, Sabres, and Blackhawks in Part 2 of the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR RANGERS’ ADAM FOX & BRENNAN OTHMANN

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reported Friday that Adam Fox offered up a noncommittal comment about his future with the Rangers following the club’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (NHL Images).

When asked if he wanted to stay with the Rangers as they retool their roster, Fox said he was just trying to focus on this season. “That’s really all I can do right now…That’s a conversation for when we’re done playing.”

Walker believes it’s been difficult for Fox and his teammates to deal with the Rangers’ decision in January to retool, which included trading superstar Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings last month. She indicated there is uncertainty about what the team will look like in the foreseeable future and how long it’ll take to return to contender status.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury met with the Rangers’ leadership group (including Fox) and those locked into long-term contracts. At the time, it seems all of them were willing to see it through, which was contrary to Fox’s comments on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox’s remarks have already rippled around the league. No one is suggesting that he’s available at the trade deadline or that he wants out of New York, but his comments leave the door open for speculation about his future with the Rangers. It could be something to monitor during the offseason.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh believes it’s time to accept the reality of Brennan Othmann’s situation with the Rangers. The 23-year-old has bounced between the Blueshirts and their AHL affiliate since 2024. He has one goal in 17 games this season, and his play away from the puck has drawn criticism from head coach Mike Sullivan.

Baugh reports the Rangers are open to trading Othmann. They have a logjam of bottom-six forwards, and it would be best for everyone if he were moved by the March 6 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Baugh pointed out that Othmann is the latest in a long list of recent developmental letdowns for the Rangers, a problem that predates the current management. Of the nine first-rounders they selected from 2017 to 2021, only Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider are still with the team, and both of them are considered trade candidates.

PROPOSED DEFENSE TRADE TARGETS FOR THE RED WINGS

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen recently listed Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues, MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames, Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Braden Schneider of the Rangers as potential blueline trade targets for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Allen’s list was published before last Thursday’s news that the Red Wings have an offer on the table for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers.

If Myers declines to accept a trade to Detroit, perhaps the Red Wings will shift their focus to those defensemen listed by Allen.

WHAT COULD THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND SABRES DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster believes the Vegas Golden Knights could attempt to acquire a top-nine forward before the March 6 trade deadline, preferably one who can add scoring among their middle-six.

The Golden Knights can’t do anything unless they place William Karlsson on season-ending long-term injury reserve. Karlsson hasn’t played since Nov. 8, and there are varying reports suggesting he could be done for the season or might return in time for the playoffs.

Putting Karlsson on season-ending LTIR would free up $3.5 million in salary-cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights always seem to surprise us around this time of year with their salary-cap gymnastics to make moves that bolster their roster. They’ll definitely do something if Karlsson hits SLTIR for the season.

THE ATHLETIC: With the Buffalo Sabres on the verge of ending their 14-year playoff drought, Matthew Fairburn recently examined what would be an ideal trade deadline for the club.

Retaining Alex Tuch tops that list. The 29-year-old forward is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He’s still unsigned, but Fairburn believes it would be a mistake to trade such an important core player. Both sides have plenty of time before July 1 to negotiate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tuch’s not going anywhere at the trade deadline. While they would risk losing him to free agency on July 1, moving him now could jeopardize their chances of ending their long playoff drought. It would send the wrong message to his teammates, and to the club’s long-suffering fans.

Fairburn also believes the Sabres must add another defenseman and a forward. Given their limited salary-cap space, he recommends affordable additions such as Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bobby McMann of the Toronto Maple Leafs, or Boone Jenner of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a long time since the Sabres were deadline buyers. They won’t go crazy, largely because of their salary-cap limitations, but they could attempt to add an affordable rental or two.

THE LATEST BLACHAWKS SPECULATION

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Jack Bushman cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who reported the Blackhawks attempted to work out a contract with UFA-eligible forward Ilya Mikheyev. However, they’ve been unsuccessful thus far, and he’s “out there” in the trade market.

Friedman also wondered about promising defenseman Kevin Korchinski. The Blackhawks have a lot of young blueliners. The 21-year-old Korchinski has spent the past two seasons in the minors, and Friedman speculated he could become available for the right price.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

by | Nov 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the NHL and NHLPA discuss neck guards for its players, Paul Stastny retires, the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy is suspended, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson tallied a hat trick and defenseman Quinn Hughes had three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro replied for the Predators. The Canucks end the month of October with a record of 6-2-1 while the Predators slipped to 4-5-0.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better start for the Canucks compared to last season (2-5-2), 2021-22 (3-5-1) and 2020-21 (4-5-0). A healthy roster, strong performances from Pettersson and Hughes and the players’ adjustment to head coach Rick Tocchet’s system are among the contributing factors. Pettersson sits second among NHL scorers with 16 points and Quinn (11 points) is tied for the scoring lead among NHL defensemen.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Cam Talbot made 29 saves, Phillip Danault scored what proved to be the game-winner and Quinton Byfield collected two assists for the 5-2-2 Kings. John Tavares scored and William Nylander collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to a team record nine games for the 5-3-1 Maple Leafs.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league has initiated discussions with the NHL Players Association to increase neck protections among its players. The move comes following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson on Saturday after his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game in England.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there’s a huge level of concern around the NHL about this issue with teams calling league headquarters for direction. Three teams (Pittsburgh, Washington and Carolina) have started the process of optional neckguards for their players while the Penguins are making them mandatory for their AHL and ECHL affiliates.

Pierre LeBrun, meanwhile, indicated that cut-resistant gear has been a topic of discussion for the past half-dozen NHL general managers meetings dating back to Evander Kane’s wrist injury last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot implement changes to player equipment without the consent of the NHLPA. However, it sounds like the PA could be receptive to this issue. Teams are already taking action to allow their players the option of wearing cut-resistant gear. This could be something that gets put into practice more quickly than previous changes to equipment policies.

NHL.COM: Paul Stastny has retired after 17 NHL seasons. He had 293 goals and 822 career regular-season points in 1,145 games with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. He also had 73 points in 118 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stastny’s best seasons were with the Avalanche, including a career-high 79 points in 2009-10. He reportedly sought the guidance of his father, Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, before reaching this decision. Stastny told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he’s interested in returning to hockey one day in a management role.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a four-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Monday.

The Bruins also announced that blueliner Matt Grzelcyk will miss “a couple of weeks” with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Bruins center Matthew Poitras and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski won’t be returned to their respective junior teams. Both will remain with their NHL clubs following their nine-game trials with their respective teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means their entry-level contracts now go into effect and will count against their respective teams’ salary-cap payrolls for this season.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury that will keep him off the ice for a little while. Meanwhile. Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov will miss four to six weeks due to a broken finger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hits just keep on coming for the struggling Sharks. The absence of Couture has hurt their offense and Barabanov’s absence won’t help.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach underwent successful knee surgery in New York on Tuesday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready to return to action next season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche blueliners Cale Makar and Bowen Byram missed practice on Tuesday and are questionable for Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks center Conor Bedard is off to a promising start with six points in nine games. However, Ottawa Senators center Ridly Greig was the rookie points leader for October with seven points in eight contests.

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level and placed forward Adam Erne on waivers.