NHL Rumor Mill – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – May 5, 2026

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the latest on Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and Stars winger Jason Robertson, and some suggested targets for the Jets.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston believes the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the clock with team captain Auston Matthews. The 28-year-old superstar center has two years left on his contract, but league sources say he still isn’t sure if he’ll be back in the fall.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Matthews has reasonable concerns over the Maple Leafs’ direction under new general manager John Chayka. The two are expected to meet within the next two weeks. Chayka said he’s not putting a deadline on the Leafs captain regarding his own intentions.

Johnston believes Matthews wants to see a roster meaningfully upgraded by trades and free-agent signings. Keeping the high-scoring center in the fold will be critical to the club’s plans to retool the roster rather than a full-fledged rebuild.

As great a player as Matthews is, the Maple Leafs won’t get full value for him in a trade. Johnston believes the best-case scenario would be a return comparable to the package of future assets the Vancouver Canucks received from the Minnesota Wild for Quinn Hughes last December.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chayka faces a daunting task attempting to retool the Leafs this summer. Selling Matthews on his plans could be his biggest challenge.

If Chayka fails, he’ll have to peddle Matthews for the best return he can find, which won’t be easy given the latter’s no-movement clause.

Matthews will waive his clause if he wants out, but he will likely only have a handful of preferred destinations. The fewer he has, the harder it would be for Chayka to land a quality return.

Convincing Matthews to stay will be a far better option for Chayka than trying to move him for a return that won’t come close to being fair market value.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Lia Assimakopoulos reports Jason Robertson left a bit of uncertainty about his future with the Stars during his end-of-season media availability on Monday.

The 26-year-old left winger is due to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. He’s also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility unless he signs a long-term deal.

Robertson acknowledged that it’s a business on both sides, but he’s optimistic. “It’s a business,” Robertson said. “I learned that four years ago. It’s not my first time.”

Assimakopoulos believes Robertson is due for a significant pay raise. She speculated he could seek an extension similar to teammate Mikko Rantanen’s eight-year deal worth $12 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson lacked arbitration rights after completing his entry-level contract four years ago, giving Stars management the leverage in those negotiations. It’s a different story this time.

A lack of salary cap space further complicates things for the Stars, prompting speculation that they’ll shed salary to free up sufficient cap space to re-sign Robertson.

The Stars could peddle Robertson rather than making a cost-cutting trade or two that might weaken their roster depth. However, they would have difficulty replacing the offense he brings to their lineup.

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently looked at several types of players the Winnipeg Jets could target to upgrade their defense this summer.

One option could be free agency if they want to add a big, physical defenseman. Ates suggested e Carson Soucy, Andrew Peeke, and Connor Murphy as possible targets.

Another could be targeting a young RFA-eligible defenseman capable of more, such as Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils or Pavel Mintyukov of the Anaheim Ducks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Flyers, the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series with the Ducks, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, the 2026 Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday evening, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored his first NHL overtime playoff goal to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier, but the Hurricanes rallied as Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis scored to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for the Hurricanes, who hold a 2-0 lead as this series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Dan Vladar made 40 saves for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers had a much better effort in this game compared to the series opener, but they couldn’t build on their lead or shut down Carolina’s offense. Once again, it was the second line of Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven that made the difference for the Hurricanes. Speaking of Stankoven, this was the first game in this postseason that he was held off the score sheet.

Game 3 of this series is Thursday at 8 pm ET.

A controversial tie-breaking goal by Ivan Barbashev gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their second-round series. Barbashev’s goal came moments after a linesman waived off what appeared to be an icing call, infuriating Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who pleaded his case with the officials to no avail. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to four games while Mitch Marner had an empty-netter for the Golden Knights. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks. Game 2 of this series is on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s postseason debut after being sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is expected to miss this series with an undisclosed injury suffered during his club’s series-clinching win over the Utah Mammoth last Friday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets are the finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in real time starting at 7 pm ET at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. It will involve the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers have the best odds of winning the lottery based on their position in the standings at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team that sits lower in the order can move up 10 places if they win the lottery. However, only those sitting among the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.

Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds of doing so. They used that pick to select defenseman Mathieu Schaefer in the 2025 Draft. Schaefer had an immediate positive impact with the Islanders this season and is considered the favorite to win the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Mats Sundin and John Chayka as their new management team. Sundin is the Leafs new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, while Chayka is their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs ownership was already facing criticism from pundits and fans in Leafs Nation for these hirings before the introductions were made.

Sundin is a former captain of the Leafs and among the greatest players in franchise history, but he’s never held a management position before, and his role as a “senior executive advisor” suggests he won’t have a direct role in hockey ops decisions.

Most of the criticism was leveled at Chayka. His checkered past as GM of the Arizona Coyotes has many observers questioning Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment honcho Keith Pelley about the vetting process involved in Chayka’s hiring.

It led to an awkward moment when Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons directly challenged Pelley and Chayka, citing anonymous league sources critical of the latter’s previous experience with the Coyotes. Pelley insisted that the Leafs conducted their due diligence, while Chayka sidestepped questions about his complicated past.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that “at least one team” raised a tampering concern with the league, claiming that employees under contract may have been contacted by the Maple Leafs without proper permission. However, the league looked into the matter and found the complaint to be unsubstantiated. Seravalli stated that a Maple Leafs spokesman declined to comment but acknowledged the interaction with the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for sucker-punching Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of the first-round series between the two clubs.

D MAGAZINE: Robert Tiffin reports Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said he tore an oblique muscle during the Apr. 9 regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. He said the injury was slowly improving with each game, and he expects he’ll be fully healthy over the summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Sam Carrick (upper-body injury) might be available for his club’s upcoming second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens after all. He was initially considered unavailable, but is further along in his recovery than expected.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier will play for Switzerland in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has retired. He played in 206 NHL games from 2010-11 to 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators, finishing with six goals and 27 points. Holzer spent the past six seasons playing in Russia, Germany, and Austria.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2026

by | May 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2026

The Canadiens advance to the second round, the Avalanche draw first blood in their second-round series against the Wild, the Maple Leafs hire Mats Sundin and John Chayka, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 to win Game 7 of their first-round series to advance to the second round. Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook scored, and Jakub Dobes made 28 saves for the Canadiens, who set a playoff record for the fewest shots on goal (nine!) in a playoff win. Dominic James netted the only goal for the Lightning.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (NHL Images).

The Canadiens will face the Buffalo Sabres in the second round starting on Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was perhaps the ugliest performance by a winning team in a Game 7 situation that I’ve ever seen. It’s certainly the ugliest I’ve seen by the Canadiens, and I’ve been watching them since 1971.

The Canadiens were the better team for most of this series, but the Lightning dominated them in this contest. Dobes was the difference with a goaltending performance that ranks among the very best in franchise history. Their blueline got a boost with the return of Noah Dobson, who’d miss the first six games with an injured thumb.

Luck was also on the Canadiens’ side in this game. Both goals were flukes, with Suzuki’s puck tip deflecting off Lightning defenseman JJ Moser, and Newhook’s whack at a bouncing puck going into the net off the pants of Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Nevertheless, the Canadiens’ skill, speed, hard work, and physical play during the first six games put them in a position to win Game 7. It wasn’t pretty, and the bounces went their way, but Dobes’ goaltending got them over the finish line and into the second round for the first time in five years.

The Colorado Avalanche drew first blood in their second-round series with the Minnesota Wild with a 9-6 victory in Game 1. Cale Makar scored twice and collected an assist, Devon Toews had a goal and three assists, Nathan MacKinnon tallied a goal and two assists, and Martin Necas collected three assists for the Avalanche, who blew an early 3-0 lead before finally pulling away for the win in the third period. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Game 2 of this series is Tuesday, May 5, in Denver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was ’80s night in Denver, as this resembled one of those high-scoring postseason tilts from 40 years ago. The Avalanche seemed on the verge of rolling to an easy win, but the Wild pushed back, with the score knotted at 5-5 after two periods. Hughes’ performance moved him into first place among this year’s postseason scorers with 11 points.

This high-scoring game was entertaining, but don’t expect to see more like this as this series goes on. Both clubs will likely improve their defensive play after this.

Both teams were missing key players from their lineup. Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and blueliner Jonas Brodin will miss the first two games of this series with lower-body injuries.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired former captain Mats Sundin as vice president of hockey operations and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka as their new GM. A press conference to officially announce their hiring is expected to be held on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These hirings have elicited largely negative reactions from some pundits and Leafs fans on social media. Most of the negativity is aimed at Chayka, who had an underwhelming record with the Coyotes before re-signing in 2020 and being suspended by the league for one year for attempting to pursue job opportunities with other teams while still employed by the Coyotes.

Maybe Sundin and Chayka will have better luck in their roles than their predecessors over the past 20 years, but most of the club’s critics aren’t giving them the benefit of the doubt. It will be interesting to see what they’ve got in store for this franchise.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin will represent the team at the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday. The Canucks hold the best odds of winning the first-overall pick, something they’ve never had before.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Canucks, they interviewed former Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion for their vacant general manager position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Looking forward to reaction from our Senators fans in the comments section about this story. However, that doesn’t mean Dorion is getting the job. Unlike the Maple Leafs, the Canucks have cast a wide net in their search for a new general manager, speaking with several former NHL general managers and assistant GMs.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres centers Sam Carrick and Noah Ostlund will be sidelined for their upcoming second-round series against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have fired the coaching staff of their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

by | May 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

The Hurricanes defeat the Flyers in the opening game of their second-round series, the schedule for the second round is released, the latest on the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Logan Stankoven scored twice to lead his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round playoff series. Frederik Andersen had a 19-save shutout, and Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played better in the third period, but it was all Hurricanes in the first period and most of the second. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet admitted his team wasn’t mentally prepared for this contest. He believes they were still riding the emotional high of making the playoffs and winning their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins

Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven (NHL Images)

Carolina’s second line of Stankoven, Blake, and Taylor Hall remains a scoring force in this postseason.

Stankoven is tied with Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel for this postseason’s goal-scoring lead with six goals. He’s also set a franchise record with a five-game playoff goal-scoring streak. Four of his six goals were series-openers.

Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers returned to action after a lower-body injury sidelined him from Game 4 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series with the Ottawa Senators. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin remained out of their roster as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Flyers forward Owen Tippett missed this contest with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day.

NHL.COM: The schedule for the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was released.

Game 1 of the series between the Hurricanes and Flyers began Saturday. Game 2 will be on Monday, May 4, in Carolina.

The opening game of the series between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche will be on Sunday, May 3, in Colorado. Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek is questionable for Game 1 of this series with a lower-body injury.

Game 1 of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights begins on Monday, May 4, in Las Vegas.

The Buffalo Sabres will face the Montreal Canadiens or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Game 1 of that series begins on Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo. The Canadiens and Lightning face off in Game 7 in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers center Leon Draisaitl was frank about his club’s performance and his concern about their future. Speaking with the media on Saturday, Draisaitl said he felt the Oilers “are not trending in the right direction,” adding that they’ve taken “big steps backward.” He warned that the Oilers must get a grip on this situation and return to the right direction.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid concurred with Draisaitl’s assessment of the club’s direction. Following their first-round elimination by the Anaheim Ducks, McDavid said he felt the Oilers were “an average team all year.” He said he still felt that way, adding that he and Draisaitl deserve their share of the blame, and that they can all be better and need to improve.

“There’s no doubt everybody knows what we’re trying to do here in Edmonton, and it’s no secret,” McDavid said, referring to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. “We’re pressing pretty hard, so the patience is obviously worn pretty thin.”

McDavid also shot down trade speculation that surfaced during and after the series against the Ducks. “I want to win, and I want to win here in Edmonton. That’s my focus.”

However, McDavid declined to comment on whether he’ll play out his upcoming two-year contract with the Oilers. “I’m not going to get into all that,” he said. “The only thing that matters is competing for the big trophy. That’s all that matters. And if I feel that’s here, then yeah.”

McDavid also confirmed that he played with an injury during the Ducks series, suffering a fractured bone in his left foot in Game 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers GM Stan Bowman acknowledged the club isn’t where they want to be while pointing to the positives from this season, such as the evolution of players Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Savoie, and Josh Samanski.

Nevertheless, the comments from McDavid and Draisaitl are a shot across Bowman’s bow. He’ll face a daunting task attempting to improve the Oilers. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to hold a press conference on Monday to officially announce the hiring of former team captain Mats Sundin and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka to join their front office.

It’s been previously reported that the Leafs were interested in hiring Sundin as vice president of hockey operations and Chayka as general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports of Sundin and Chayka being the frontrunners for those positions drew a nervous vibe from Leafs Nation. It will be interesting to see what those two have in store for the club during this offseason.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will have an in-person meeting with the league’s department of player safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their first-round series.

THE SPORTING NEWS: Speaking of the Bruins, forward James Hagens is reportedly joining Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will have a virtual hearing with the department of player safety on Monday for his sucker punch to the head of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of their first-round series.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers owner Vinnie Viola got his second Kentucky Derby win on Saturday. Viola is a co-owner of Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot that won the 152nd running of the Derby at Churchill Downs.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers promoted assistant director of player development Tanner Glass as their new director of player development.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2026

by | May 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2026

The Sabres and Golden Knights advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Lightning force Game 7 with the Canadiens, the Jack Adams Award nominees are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ACTION

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first playoff series win since 2007 by defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 6 to win their best-of-seven first-round series four games to two. Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Zach Benson each had two points, Mattias Samuelsson scored the winning goal, and Alex Lyon stopped 25 shots for the Sabres, who await the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-Montreal Canadiens series. David Pastrnak replied for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo’s speed and scoring depth made the difference in this series against the defensive-minded Bruins. Alex Lyon also stabilized the goaltending for the Sabres, replacing a struggling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the starter after Game 2 and winning three of the next four games.

Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was ejected from the game late in the third period for slashing Benson after the latter slewfooted him to the ice. Following the game, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov told reporters he played through a torn MCL suffered during Game 3 of this series.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club to a series-winning 5-1 victory in Game 6 of their first-round series against the Utah Mammoth. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to three games while Carter Hart made 22 saves for the Golden Knights, who took this series in six games and will face the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. Kailer Yamamoto scored for the Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner silenced critics of his playoff performance with a clutch effort in this contest. It was a heartbreaking lopsided loss for the young Mammoth, who had played well through the first five games, but the Golden Knights’ experience and solid defensive play tilted this series in their favor.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 6 of their first-round series, forcing a seventh and deciding game back in Tampa Bay on Sunday. Gage Goncalves scored in overtime while Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 30-save shutout for the Lightning. Jakub Dobes stopped 32 shots for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This has been the best series of the opening round. This physical, fast-paced, closely contested tilt between these evenly matched teams should be going the distance. Every game has been decided by one goal, with four of them requiring overtime. Each contest could have gone either way.

HEADLINES

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Game 1 of the second-round series between the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes is Saturday in Raleigh at 8 pm ET.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin are expected to play in Game 1 against the Flyers. Both players were injured during the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

NHL.COM: Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dan Muse of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year, as voted by the National Broadcasters’ Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to three worthy finalists. Cooper has never won this award despite his many years of success with the Lightning. Muse is a finalist in his first-ever season as an NHL head coach. Ruff won the award in 2005-06 during his first tenure with the Sabres.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he hasn’t thought about signing a contract extension this summer. The 38-year-old superstar has completed the first season of his two-year contract. “I haven’t thought that far ahead, but we’ll wait and see,” Crosby said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby likely wants to find out what general manager Kyle Dubas’ offseason roster plans will be, and whether they include negotiating an extension.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Evgeni Malkin said he’ll sign with another NHL team if the Penguins don’t re-sign him this summer. The 39-year-old forward is completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how Crosby reacts if his long-time teammate ends up signing elsewhere this summer.

THE ATHLETIC’s Josh Yohe reported Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs was dealing with a knee injury during the first-round series against the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Yohe observed, you’d never know Silovs was playing hurt based on his performance in that series.

SPORTSNET: Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen was fined $5,000 for cross-checking Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov in Game 6 of their first-round series on Thursday. The Wild won that game and eliminated the Stars.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The St. Louis Blues signed winger Dylan Holloway to a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $7.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway signed a two-year offer sheet with the Blues two years ago that went unmatched by the Edmonton Oilers. It was a costly loss for the Oilers, as the speedy 24-year-old winger has been a good fit with the Blues. He netted a career-high 63 points in 77 games last season, and had 51 points this season despite missing 23 games with an ankle injury.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks center Connor Bedard won’t be playing for Canada in the upcoming IIHF World Championship. The 20-year-old center is currently rehabbing a shoulder injury.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs had hoped to interview Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois as part of their ongoing search for a new GM. However, the Lightning denied them permission.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils announced they are parting ways with assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon and senior advisor Chuck Fletcher.

THE ATHLETIC: Jed Ortmeyer is out as the New York Rangers’ director of player development.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 30, 2026

by | Apr 30, 2026

NHL Rumor Mill – April 30, 2026

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk addresses the trade rumors swirling about him, the Penguins could face some tough choices about two of their top players, and the latest on the Maple Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BRADY TKACHUK SHOOTS DOWN TRADE RUMORS AGAIN

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators captain Brady Tkachuk dismissed the trade rumors that have swirled around him in recent weeks.

“I’ve never said (that I want to be traded), teams never said it, I’ve always believed in this team, I’ve always believed in playing for this city, and the city’s always been good to me,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know what else to say other than what I’ve said countless times, but I still have to answer to it. A lot of that stuff has never come from my mouth.”

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Tkachuk said he remains fully committed to the team and the city, adding that the rumors about his future in Ottawa have become a frustrating distraction.

The Senators captain has two years left on his contract with a full no-movement clause. He and the Senators can begin discussions on an extension next July.

Tkachuk said he hasn’t given any thought to an extension because it’s a year away, focusing instead on what improvements he and the team can make for next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All the conjecture about Tkachuk has been based on random media musings as some pundits attempt to glean his mood through his on-ice performance, body language, and interactions with his brother, Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk.

There’s no reason to doubt Tkachuk’s sincerity about his commitment to the Senators. Nevertheless, as Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan observed, the speculation about his future in Ottawa will likely persist until contract extension talks begin next year.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE PENGUINS?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton looked at what the offseason keys are for the Pittsburgh Penguins following their first-round elimination by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Shilton believes this could be the summer when the Penguins must decide whether they’re going all in on rebuilding their roster. They have four picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft, and could get a lot more if they put Sidney Crosby on the trade block.

Crosby has a year left on his contract, and he probably isn’t keen to spend it fronting a retooling roster. They must also decide if they’ll re-sign Evgeni Malkin or let the long-time Penguins star depart as a free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be surprising if general manager Kyle Dubas tries to convince Crosby to accept a trade. If that deal goes through, it’ll likely be because Crosby asked to be traded.

The Penguins exceeded expectations this season as they continue to transition toward a younger roster. Dubas and Crosby could be fine with seeing how things go next season.

Whether Malkin returns could affect that plan, but Crosby could return even if his long-time teammate signs elsewhere.

THE LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported the Toronto Maple Leafs are working on installing former Leafs captain Mats Sundin as vice-president of hockey operations and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka as their new GM.

“As it stands right now, I’m under the impression it’s gonna be Sundin and Chayka, and they just have to close the deal,” Friedman said. “Nothing is done until it’s done, but that’s what I believe is going on.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chayka being a candidate for the Leafs GM role isn’t sitting well with pundits and podcasters in Leafs Nation. He checks the ownership’s requirement for a “data-driven” general manager, but his checkered past as GM of the Coyotes raises questions about who is conducting this search and why they haven’t found better options.