NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2025

by | Jun 28, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 28, 2025

Are the Canadiens seeking another trade after acquiring Noah Dobson? What’s the latest on the Penguins? What’s going on with Rasmus Andersson, Bowen Byram, Darnell Nurse, and more? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CANADIENS NOT DONE DEALING AFTER ACQUIRING DOBSON?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens aren’t done making trades after acquiring Noah Dobson on Friday from the New York Islanders. They want to add to their top-six forwards.

The Canadiens seek a second-line center, but are also open to adding a winger. LeBrun said they’re among several teams interested in Jordan Kyrou. The 27-year-old right winger has six years left on his contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $8.125 million.

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou (NHL Images).

Teams aren’t certain how serious Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is about moving Kyrou, whose no-trade clause begins on July 1.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports Armstrong declined to comment on the Kyrou speculation. He noted that the Blues are in the market for a center, but those options are dwindling with John Tavares and Sam Bennett off the free-agent market and the Avalanche trading Charlie Coyle to Columbus.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The asking price for Kyrou is likely a top-six center, but the Canadiens are also in the market for a similar player. It’s doubtful there’s a fit there.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels speculates the Canadiens’ acquisition of Dobson could make puck-moving blueliner Mike Matheson available. The 31-year-old has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $4.875 million and an eight-team no-trade list.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont also suggested Matheson as a trade chip in the Canadiens’ efforts to land a center. He also thinks they’ll try to move Carey Price’s contract ($10.5 million AAV for 2025-26) to a rebuilding team attempting to reach the $70.2 million salary-cap floor.

THE LATEST PENGUINS RUMORS

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman cited Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas telling NHL.com that there was no truth to a rumor that appeared on Friday suggesting Sidney Crosby was being traded to the Colorado Avalanche.

Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, also weighed in to shoot down the speculation, calling the chatter “baseless rumors”. Meanwhile, Avalanche center and Crosby’s friend Nathan MacKinnon tweeted the rumor was “fake news”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone suggested months ago that Crosby should take one more run at a Stanley Cup by joining his buddy MacKinnon in Colorado and it keeps resurfacing for some stupid reason. They can’t seem to grasp that the long-time Penguins superstar intends to finish his career in Pittsburgh.

Crosby signed a two-year contract extension beginning in 2025-26 last September. If he truly wanted another shot at the Stanley Cup, he’d be going to market on Tuesday instead of sticking with the rebuilding Penguins.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying there was trade talk between Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Sabres regarding Penguins winger Bryan Rust. The 33-year-old forward has a no-trade clause until July 1.

Kingerski also indicated some Western Conference clubs have an interest in Penguins forward Rickard Rakell. He suggested keeping an eye on the Los Angeles Kings, who looked into Rakell’s availability at the March trade deadline.

TEAMS REMAIN INTERESTED IN RASMUS ANDERSSON AND BOWEN BYRAM

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Calgary Flames aren’t feeling pressure to move Rasmus Andersson. The Buffalo Sabres feel the same way about Bowen Byram.

Nevertheless, there are teams interested in the two defensemen. They include the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. Dreger also thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs could be in the mix.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports the Columbus Blue Jackets lost out to the Montreal Canadiens for Noah Dobson. However, they still want a top-four right-shot defenseman and remain interested in Rasmus Andersson.

THE LATEST ON DARNELL NURSE, K’ANDRE MILLER AND JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU

TSN: Ryan Rishaug reported there was nothing to recent speculation over the future of Darnell Nurse with the Edmonton Oilers. The 30-year-old defenseman is signed through 2029-30 with an AAV of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have been shedding salary to free up cap space to re-sign defenseman Evan Bouchard and to improve their goaltending. The Nurse rumor was probably based on the wishful thinking of an Oilers follower hoping his club would ditch that hefty contract.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports that the uncertainty over the trade status of K’Andre Miller could complicate the Rangers’ offseason plans. The 25-year-old defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights who has been a fixture in the rumor mill for months.

Walker noted that the Rangers have been tied to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who is UFA-eligible on July 1. It could cost an annual average value between $7 million to $8 million to sign him. It would be challenging to fit Gavrikov and Miller within their salary cap without making other moves.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith report the New York Islanders have informed teams they don’t intend to trade Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The 32-year-old center has a year left on his contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2025

by | Jun 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2025

The Islanders select Matthew Schaefer first overall in the first round of the 2025 draft, further details emerge in the new CBA extension, the Stars’ Jim Nill is GM of the Year again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FIRST ROUND OF THE 2025 NHL DRAFT

NHL.COM: An emotional Matthew Schaefer was chosen first overall by the New York Islanders in the opening round of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles.

The 17-year-old Erie Otters defenseman overcame a broken clavicle this season and the loss of his mother, Jennifer, to breast cancer and his billet mother, Emily Matson, to an apparent suicide last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer was the consensus pick as this year’s top prospect among scouts and analysts. He has tremendous character and determination to match his skills as a potential first-pairing NHL defenseman.

First-overall pick Matthew Schaefer (center) is flanked by second-overall pick Michael Misa (left) and third-overall pick Anton Frondell (NHL.com).

The San Jose Sharks chose center Michael Misa of the Saginaw Spirit with the second-overall pick. Center Anton Frondell of SHL club Djurgardens IF went third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other notable selections included center Caleb Desnoyers of the Moncton Wildcats going fourth overall to the Utah Mammoth. He’s the first QMJHL player to be a top-10 pick since the New York Rangers chose Alexis Lafreniere first overall in 2020.

James Hagens of Boston College began this season projected to become the top prospect in this draft. He tumbled to seventh, not because he played poorly but because those ahead of him had better seasons. Comedy actor Adam Sandler reprised his Happy Gilmore character to announce the Bruins had chosen Hagens, much to the young center’s delight.

The Nashville Predators selected Brady Martin with the fifth-overall pick. However, the 18-year-old Soo Greyhounds center wasn’t in attendance in Los Angeles, preferring to remain at home helping tend his family’s dairy farm in Elmira, Ontario. Martin was surrounded by family and friends watching the draft on a big-screen TV in his backyard.

Analysts were caught by surprise when the Columbus Blue Jackets went off the board to select Russian goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov with the 20th overall pick. It wasn’t as bad as when they (and everyone else) were left scratching their heads over the Blue Jackets selecting Yegor Chinakhov 21st overall in 2020, but the move still raised some eyebrows.

You can see the complete list of first-round picks and analysis at NHL.com. Rounds 2-7 will be held on Saturday starting at noon ET.

Meanwhile, the reaction to the decentralized format of this year’s draft on social media was overwhelmingly negative. My friend Scotty Wazz of The Face Off Hockey Show has the details.

I felt sorry for the prospects. The best day of their young careers was spoiled by this lifeless, overly long event. It lacked the energy and excitement of the previous format in NHL arenas, with executives from all 32 teams in attendance to announce their selections. Hopefully, the league returns to the tried-and-true previous formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

MORE DETAILS EMERGE FROM THE NEW NHL CBA

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced they had agreed to a four-year extension of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). It will begin in 2026-27, pending ratification votes on both sides.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun revealed some additional key points in the new agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the pertinent details originally reported (including an 84-game schedule beginning in 2026-27, reduction of contract terms, plugging the LTIR loophole) by following this link.

Training camp will be shortened from 21 days to 13 (18 days for rookies) to accommodate the 84-game schedule.

A salary cap will be introduced for the playoffs that applies only to the 20 players suiting up for each game. Teams will be able to shuffle their rosters between games, but the game-day lineup must be cap-compliant.

The minimum salary will be $850,000 in 2026-27, $900,000 in 2027-28, $950,000 in 2028-29, and $1 million in 2029-30.

Salary retention will still be allowed in trades, but a second retention on the same contract can only happen 75 regular-season days after the first one. That ends the use of a third-party broker in real time to facilitate a trade.

Neck protection will become mandatory beginning in 2026-27. Players with at least one NHL game before that season will be grandfathered and won’t be subject to this rule.

Fitness testing will no longer be permitted during training camp or the regular season.

Year-over-year increases on front-loaded contracts will be limited to 20 percent of the first year, down from 25 percent. The lowest year must be at least 71 percent of the highest year, up from 60 percent. For example, if the highest year’s compensation is $10 million, the lowest year’s compensation cannot be less than $7.1 million. The year-to-year differences cannot exceed $2 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow The Athletic’s link above for the entire list.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars is the 2024-25 winner of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. It’s the third straight year he’s received this honor, making him the first GM to win this award three times.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights officially announced the re-signing of winger Brandon Saad. He agreed to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $2 million. The 32-year-old receives a base salary of $1 million with a $1 million signing bonus and a full no-trade clause.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers officially announced the re-signing of forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year extension with an AAV of $3.85 million. This deal was initially reported several days ago, although the cap hit is slightly lower than the original report of $4 million.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken GM Jason Botterill intends to retain Philipp Grubauer rather than buy out the final two years of the struggling goaltender’s contract. “We believe that Philipp can bounce back from that situation,” said Botterill. “We think there’s an opportunity still for success here.”

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres signed forward Jack Quinn to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $3.375 million. Quinn, 23, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Austin, Texas, is tossing its hat into the NHL expansion ring. The league has informed interested parties that the expansion fee is $2 billion. Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis and New Orleans are also believed to be potential expansion markets.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2025

by | Jun 27, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 27, 2025

The 2025 NHL Draft begins Friday evening. Check out the latest trade speculation on Noah Dobson, Bowen Byram, Rasmus Andersson, K’Andre Miller, Vladislav Gavrikov and more in today’s Rumor Mill.

ISLANDERS ENTERTAINING OFFERS FOR NOAH DOBSON

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports the New York Islanders are listening to trade offers for Noah Dobson. The 25-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights seeking a significant raise over the $4 million average annual value (AAV) of his previous contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dobson could become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next summer if he gets a new contract via arbitration this summer. Rumor has it his camp wants an AAV between $10 million and $11 million. Any club interested in acquiring him will want assurances that he’ll sign an extension.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (NHL Images).

Johnston claims the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues are among the teams that have spoken to the Islanders about Dobson. The blueliner is also eligible to sign an offer sheet if he’s still unsigned on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team signing Dobson to a deal with an AAV between $10 million and $11.7 million would have to part with two first-round picks, a second-round pick and a third-rounder as compensation to the Islanders. Anything over $11.7 million costs four first-rounders.

The Canadiens could use an experienced top-four, right-shot defenseman to take some pressure off Calder Memorial Trophy winner Lane Hutson. The Blues have Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk on the right side, but the former is 32 and the latter 33.

The Isles are gauging the market, but it doesn’t mean they’re actively shopping Dobson. If they don’t get any intriguing offers, they’ll continue negotiating a new contract with the blueliner.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias weighed in on the Dobson speculation. He believes Montreal makes little sense as a trade destination for the type of return the Isles would want for Dobson. He felt the Blues and San Jose Sharks might make the most sense, as could the Utah Mammoth if Sean Durzi and the 2025 fourth-overall picks were part of the return.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports Canadiens executive VP of hockey ops Jeff Gorton maintained his club intends to stick with their rebuilding plan. “This is a big weekend for us, and it’s a big summer for us, but we’re not going to do anything that’s stupid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Taking on Dobson at $11 million annually could be a stupid thing, especially when the priority remains adding a top-six forward, preferably a second-line center. Dobson is a talented puck-moving defenseman entering his playing prime, but he’s currently not an $11 million AAV player. 

IS BOWEN BYRAM NEXT ON THE SABRES’ TRADE BLOCK?

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there’s a lot of interest in Bowen Byram. Like Dobson, the 24-year-old is an RFA defenseman with arbitration rights. The Sabres could look at avoiding a potential contract snarl by trading him, like they did earlier this week with winger JJ Peterka by sending him to the Utah Mammoth.

Dreger believes the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and perhaps the Toronton Maple Leafs could be interested in Byram.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A left-shot defenseman, Byram was acquired by the Sabres from the Avalanche. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams prefers player-for-player swaps because his club already has a well-stocked prospect pool. The asking price for Byram could be a top-six forward.

THE LATEST ON ANDERSSON, MILLER, GAVRIKOV AND ARVIDSSON

CALGARY SUN: Wes Gilbertson reports Flames GM Craig Conroy confirmed he’d spoken with Rasmus Andersson, saying things were “all good” between them. The 28-year-old defenseman has been the subject of frequent trade rumors. “If he’s a Calgary Flame in September, he’s a Calgary Flame”, said Conroy.

However, Gilbertson believes there’s no guarantee that Andersson will still be around by then. He’s a year away from UFA eligibility and there are contending teams interested in the right-shot rearguard.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker believes the rest of the Rangers’ offseason plans depend on what they do with K’Andre Miller. Like Dobson and Byram, the 25-year-old left-side defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights who has been the subject of trade conjecture for weeks.

TSN: Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland said he increased the contract offer his predecessor made to pending UFA defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. So far, however, there’s still no deal in place. It’s projected he could get a long-term deal with an AAV of $7.5 million on the open market.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson speculates the Oilers could “sweeten the pot” to move Viktor Arvidsson in a cost-cutting trade. He proposed packaging the 32-year-old winger with the 2025 fourth-round pick they received from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week in the Evander Kane trade.

LATEST ON THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Hannah Kirkell looked at some recent rumors regarding the Golden Knights.

She doesn’t believe they have any intention of moving forwards William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. Kirkell also doesn’t buy into the rumors linking them to Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram because he doesn’t fit their preference for physical blueliners.

Kirkell also pointed out the Golden Knights’ limited cap space has shrunk with the re-signing of Reilly Smith (one year, $2 million) and could deplete further with the anticipated re-signing of Brandon Saad.

UPDATE ON THE CANUCKS

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Vancouver Canucks hope to make more moves this week. Acquiring a center is on their priority list. One move that could be off the table is trading Thatcher Demko. The 29-year-old goaltender is a year away from UFA eligibility.

SEVERAL FIRST-ROUND PICKS IN PLAY

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Pittsburgh Penguins hold picks No. 11 and 12 in the first round. They’re willing to move one of them for a good, young NHL player. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens could move the No. 16 or 17 pick for a top-six forward.

The Philadelphia Flyers are holding onto their first-rounder (sixth overall) but are willing to entertain offers for picks No. 22 and 31. The Nashville Predators hold picks 5, 23 and 26 and are considering their options.

With the seventh-overall pick, the Boston Bruins haven’t ruled out moving that selection for a return that would provide immediate improvement to their roster.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 26, 2025

by | Jun 26, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 26, 2025

What’s next for the Sabres following the Peterka trade and the Oilers after the Kane trade? What’s the latest on Erik Karlsson, Jordan Kyrou, Rasmus Andersson, Aaron Ekblad and more? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SABRES AND OILERS

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington believes the Sabres must have bigger moves in store after the “flimsy return” they received in the JJ Peterka trade. They shipped Peterka to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan.

With defenseman Bowen Byram expected to be the next trade candidate, Harrington thinks they have to be getting back a top-six forward to replace Peterka.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll have our answer in the next several days as trade activity picks up before the start of the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1. Byram’s been a fixture in trade rumors for months, with the expectation that he’d fetch a top-six forward.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Edmonton Oilers aren’t done making cost-cutting moves after trading Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks. They must re-sign restricted free agent (RFA) defenseman Evan Bouchard, and Leon Draisaitl’s new contract kicks in on July 1.

LeBrun believes Viktor Arvidsson will be next on the trade block. The 32-year-old winger has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.4 million. He also has a full no-movement clause, but he met with Oilers management and both sides agree it would be best if he moved on. His agent is working with the Oilers to find a suitable trade partner, and LeBrun thinks a deal could occur within the next two to three weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moving Kane leaves the Oilers with $16.2 million in cap space with 19 active roster players under contract. That’ll go up to $20.6 million if Arvidsson is traded, leaving enough room to re-sign Bouchard and address other roster needs.

THE LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is believed to be open to waiving his no-movement clause to go to a contender. However, the Penguins might have to retain some salary to reduce his cap hit to $7.5 million per season.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images)

Karlsson, 35, is signed through 2026-27 with the Penguins carrying $10 million of his $11.5 million average annual value (AAV). He’s also entitled to a $5 million bonus on July 1. Other teams could prefer waiting until that’s paid, but the Penguins could be less inclined to trade him after that date unless they get an extra asset in the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson’s contract, coupled with his declining performance, will make it difficult for the Penguins to find a trade partner this summer. It’s not impossible, but those factors will make it difficult.

Meanwhile, LeBrun’s colleague Scott Wheeler reports the Penguins are aggressively trying to move up in the first round of the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft. They spoke to the Chicago Blackhawks about the third-overall pick. He believes they really like prospect winger Porter Martone and centers James Hagens and Roger McQueen.

ARE THE BLUES PEDDLING JORDAN KYROU?

STLTODAY.COM: Matthew DeFranks was asked about the recent trade speculation involving Blues winger Jordan Kyrou. He cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli placing the 27-year-old winger at No. 2 on his latest trade targets list.

DeFranks said he hasn’t heard much on the Blues’ end, but they’re usually tight-lipped about these things. He noted that Kyrou has been the subject of trade rumors in the past. He’s a young, cost-controlled scorer who has improved his defensive deficiencies.

However, Kyrou’s trade value has never been higher. The Blues are deep in wingers and need help at center. They could also use another young defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kyrou completed the second season of his eight-year contract. His salary-cap hit is expensive ($8.125 million), and he has a no-trade clause that begins on July 1. If the Blues are shopping him, they could be eyeing a trade before next Tuesday; otherwise, they’ll need Kyrou’s approval.

UPDATE ON RASMUS ANDERSSON

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico reports the Calgary Flames are taking trade calls on Rasmus Andersson. The 28-year-old defenseman is a year away from UFA eligibility. Contract extension talks last week reportedly didn’t go well.

D’Amico cited a source claiming the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins have looked into Andersson. One source believed the Blue Jackets make a lot of sense, given their $40.4 million in cap space and depth in draft picks and prospects to use as trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: D’Amico cited another source claiming the Ottawa Senators were pursuing Andersson. However, recent reports claim they’re on his six-team no-trade list.

IS AARON EKBLAD HEADED TO THE UFA MARKET?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun considers Aaron Ekblad likely headed to the UFA market next Tuesday. The long-time Florida Panthers defenseman reportedly hasn’t had any contract extension talks with management since last summer, though he expects the Panthers will make an offer before July 1.

Contract term was the issue in last summer’s discussion. LeBrun thinks that will still be a factor as the Panthers could be reluctant to invest too long in the 29-year-old Ekblad.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad has repeatedly said he wants to stay with the Panthers. It’s believed he’ll take a pay cut from his current $7.5 million. If the term remains the issue, he might have to accept a three-year deal to remain in Florida. We’ll know for sure by July 1.

COULD THE KINGS PART WITH ALEX TURCOTTE?

MAYOR’S MANOR: There’s plenty of chatter suggesting the Los Angeles Kings could move Jordan Spence and/or Trevor Moore this week. However, Alex Turcotte could also be worth watching. Multiple teams are said to be interested in the 24-year-old winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Turcotte is entering the second season of his three-year contract with an AAV of $775,000. He’s battled injuries in recent years but played a career-high 65 games this season, netting 23 points. The former first-round pick (fifth overall, 2019) could be part of a bigger trade package.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2025

by | Jun 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2025

The Mammoth acquire JJ Peterka from the Sabres, the Oilers trade Evander Kane to the Canucks, the Golden Knights re-sign Reilly Smith and are close to re-signing Brandon Saad, the latest CBA news, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE BUFFALO NEWS/THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: The Buffalo Sabres traded winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for defenseman Michael Kesselring and forward Josh Doan. The Mammoth also signed Peterka to a five-year, $38.5-million contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.7 million.

Buffalo Sabres trade winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Peterka, 23, completed his three-year, entry-level contract. The up-and-coming winger finished second among Sabres scorers this season with a career-best 68-point performance. However, he was reportedly unhappy in Buffalo and wanted to move on.

This is the second significant June trade made by Utah general manager Bill Armstrong. Last year, he acquired defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to improve the depth on his blueline. This time, he’s bolstered the offense among his top-six forwards with a player who fits well within his club’s young roster core.

Kesselring, 25, should address the Sabres’ need for an experienced right-shot defenseman to skate alongside Owen Power. Doan, 21, is a promising power forward with middle-six forward potential.

The Sabres might not be done dealing. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/THE PROVINCE: The Oilers traded winger Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a straightforward salary dump by the cap-strapped Oilers, clearing Kane’s $5.125 million cap hit from their books for next season. The move removes some toughness and speed from the Oilers’ scoring lines, but it was necessary to free up cap room to re-sign restricted free agent Evan Bouchard and to address other roster needs.

The Canucks are betting that Kane can replace the toughness and physical leadership they lost when they traded J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers in January. The 33-year-old winger is a Vancouver native who is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

It’s assumed Kane will be motivated to play well for his hometown club in the final year of his contract. Canucks management downplayed his history as a toxic dressing-room presence earlier in his career. Nevertheless, Kane is entering a fragile Vancouver dressing room. Divisions between Miller and Elias Pettersson before the former’s departure contributed to the Canucks’ missing the playoffs.

Adding Kane could be like pouring gasoline on a fire. If that happens, the ensuing drama could have significant consequences for the Canucks’ hopes of rebounding from this season’s disappointing performance.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights re-signed winger Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract. They are also reportedly close to signing winger Brandon Saad to a new contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Smith signing leaves the Golden Knights with $7.6 million in cap space with 18 active roster players under contract for 2025-26. Saad is coming off a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Vegas after his previous contract with the St. Louis Blues was terminated earlier this season.

Vegas is rumored to be among the favorites to sign Mitch Marner when the Toronto Maple Leafs winger becomes a UFA on July 1. Assuming Saad gets a deal similar to Smith, the Golden Knights will have to shed considerable cap space to create room to make a competitive bid for Marner.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL and NHL Players’ Association are believed to be getting close on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Details haven’t been revealed, but Friedman listed several items believed to be under consideration. They include reducing maximum length contracts from eight years to seven for re-signing players and from seven years to six for free agents from another team (UFAs).

Draft rights could be extended to age 22, and deferred salaries could be eliminated. There could be the implementation of a “permanent” emergency backup goalie (EBUG) to practice and travel with their NHL team. Revenue sharing could be tweaked to help some of the more middle-class teams.

The league will poll teams this summer for feedback on the decentralized draft. If the format proves unpopular, the league could revert to the previous format.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players might not kick up much of a fuss over a one-year reduction of contract lengths. Seven and eight-year deals can be cumbersome for a player who might prefer a trade, but the remaining term of their contract hampers efforts to move them. Besides, we could see fewer of those lengthy deals if more players sign shorter-term deals with an eye on cashing in under a higher salary cap down the road.

Moving from an 82-game regular season to an 84-game schedule has also been discussed. It could go into effect in 2026-27, reducing the preseason by four games. Changes to long-term injury reserve rules have also been part of the talks.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers’ 2025 Stanley Cup playoff run raked in over $266 million for the city of Edmonton.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco reports the New Jersey Devils remain in contract talks with Jake Allen. The pending UFA goalie is seeking at least a two-year term with an AAV of around $5 million, depending on the market and term. Allen is the top player in a shallow UFA goalie market.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2025

by | Jun 21, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2025

Check out the latest on Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, Rasmus Andersson, JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, Noah Dobson and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT COULD CONNOR MCDAVID’S NEXT CONTRACT LOOK LIKE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman speculated on what Connor McDavid’s next contract will look like. The 28-year-old Edmonton Oilers superstar is a year away from unrestricted free-agent (UFA) eligibility, with an average annual value (AAV) of $12.5 million.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Friedman doesn’t believe McDavid intends to leave Edmonton, but he thinks the Oilers captain might pursue a two-year contract instead of the maximum eight years. That would ensure the Oilers remain sharpest in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. He also thinks the AAV could be between $15 million and $17 million, but not as high as it could be.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman stressed that this is only his opinion as to what McDavid might do. I agree with him that McDavid is unlikely to leave the Oilers, but could opt for a short-term deal to give himself some wiggle room in case the club falls out of contention over the next several years.

COULD RASMUS ANDERSON LEAVE THE FLAMES?

Friedman reports that the feeling around the league is that Rasmus Andersson is ready for something new. The 28-year-old Calgary Flames defenseman is a year away from UFA status. The Flames are willing to move him, but only at the right price.

CALGARY SUN: Daniel Austin reports Flames general manager Craig Conroy said he’s had talks with Andersson’s agent. He indicated they have some clarity on where things are headed, but didn’t elaborate about the direction.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames could still re-sign Andersson. If not, they could hang onto him for the coming season and perhaps shop him at the trade deadline if they’re out of playoff contention by then. They could trade him this summer and avoid the unnecessary distraction of speculation about his future hanging over him and the club next season.

NO SHORT-TERM DEAL FOR MITCH MARNER?

Friedman said he received pushback on his suggestion that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner could opt for a four-year contract via free agency. However, he said a few teams had heard about it.

The Marner camp is expected to meet with teams (probably virtually unless they come to Toronto) on July 1, and then he could meet with a team or two before reaching a decision. However, that plan could backfire if he takes too long, as interested clubs could become impatient and make other plans.

Friedman thinks the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights will be among Marner’s suitors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are better-positioned cap-wise than the Golden Knights to make a lucrative offer. Vegas will have to shed considerable salary to make it happen, and that could hurt their overall depth.

Friedman again mentioned the possibility of Alex Pietrangelo starting the season on long-term injury reserve (LTIR), which would free up the cap room to pursue Marner. However, the Golden Knights already have an elite playmaker (Jack Eichel). What they need is a sniper, something Marner isn’t.

THE LATEST ON THE PANTHERS

Friedman reports the brakes are being pumped on the Sam Bennett extension talk. The 29-year-old Conn Smythe Trophy winner raised eyebrows by telling partygoers on Thursday that he wasn’t leaving the Florida Panthers. Friedman thinks Bennett wouldn’t have made that public declaration without knowing where the talks are going, but there hasn’t been an agreement yet.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards cited Panthers GM Bill Zito saying he’d like to bring everybody back, referring to his UFAs like Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand and Nate Schmidt.

Bennett is the priority, with Richards speculating his next contract could be in the range of $7.5 million and $8 million annually. He might get more on the open market, but he wants to remain with the Panthers.

The Panthers have $19 million in cap space for 2025-26. Richards considers it unlikely that Zito can pull it off without making some cost-cutting moves.

SPORTSNET: Brad Marchand is open to re-signing with the Panthers. “Give me a contract,” he said with a laugh when talking to reporters.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bennett will be re-signed. Ekblad could be if he agrees to a pay cut. Schmidt should also be an affordable re-signing.

Marchand reportedly wants a raise on a short-term deal, which is understandable because he was underpaid throughout his current contract. Unless he has a change of mind or Zito makes a cost-cutting trade, he’ll hit the open market on July 1

UPDATE ON THE SABRES

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn reported that trade rumors are getting louder regarding JJ Peterka of the Buffalo Sabres. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week that the 23-year-old winger isn’t happy in Buffalo and the Sabres are fielding calls from other clubs.

Peterka is a restricted free agent without arbitration rights. Fairburn said the Sabres aren’t keen on trading him. However, given the interest and demand, they need to hear what’s out there. Any return for Peterka must include pieces that can help the Sabres end their playoff drought next season.

Fairburn and colleague Shayna Goldman pondered the possibility of the Sabres trading Bowen Byram. They acquired the 24-year-old defenseman before the 2024 trade deadline. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights seeking a raise over his current AAV of $3.85 million.

THE SCORE: Sean O’Leary cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli claiming the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks were interested in Peterka.

CANUCKS ARMY: Tyler Kuehl cited Seravalli also saying the Canucks had some interest in Byram.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s also speculation Peterka and/or Byram could become offer-sheet targets if the Sabres fail to sign one or both before July 1. However, the Sabres have over $23 million in cap space, giving them plenty of room to match any offers.

The Sabres could trade one of them, but it won’t be for picks and prospects. As with the deal that brought Byram to Buffalo last year, it could be a player-for-player swap.

ISLANDERS LISTENING TO OFFERS FOR NOAH DOBSON

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Russ Macias cited Elliotte Friedman, saying that the Islanders are quietly testing the trade market for Noah Dobson during his Friday podcast. The 25-year-old defenseman is an RFA with arbitration rights.

This comes in the wake of Frank Seravalli claiming the Dobson camp sought a long-term deal with an $11 million AAV. Friedman indicated nothing’s set in stone, suggesting three options. They could sign him long term and perhaps trade him later if it doesn’t work out, risk a potentially contentious arbitration process, or trade him now.

Macias believes the Islanders will want a significant return. He noted Seravalli linked them to Buffalo’s JJ Peterka.

Friedman also mentioned the trade rumors about Isles blueliner Alexander Romanov, but he thinks they’ve set a high asking price for him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Dobson camp is seeking far more than what their client is worth. He deserves a raise over the $4 million AAV he earned this season, and has a promising 70-point season in 2023-24 on his resume. However, the decline in his production this season to 39 points makes it difficult to justify $11 million annually. A raise to between $8 million and $9 million would be reasonable.

This situation is an interesting early test for new GM Mathieu Darche. How he handles it will be a significant indicator of which direction he intends to take the Islanders in the coming years.