NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2025

by | Mar 12, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 12, 2025

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

DAHLIN DENIES REQUESTING A TRADE

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

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

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

LATEST ON THE ISLANDERS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COULD THE CANADIENS SHOP FOR A CENTER THIS SUMMER?

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2025

by | Mar 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 11, 2025

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon reaches a notable milestone, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad receives a 20-game suspension, plus the latest on Brad Marchand, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Toews in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists to become the 100th player in league history to reach the 1,000-point milestone in a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Artturi Lehkonen, Martin Necas and Joel Kiviranta scored for the Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 80 points. Spencer Knight made 18 saves in his first loss since joining the Blackhawks earlier this month.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is the third player in franchise history to reach 1,000 points, joining Joe Sakic (1,641) and Peter Stastny (1,048). He extended his home points streak to 20 games and was named the NHL’s first star for the week ending March 9. Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos was the second star and Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson the third star.

The Ottawa Senators nipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Linus Ullmark kicked out 48 shots, including 27 in the second period. Dylan Cozens scored the game-winner and David Perron also tallied for the Senators. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cozens’ goal was his first with the Senators since they acquired him from Buffalo at the trade deadline. The win vaulted the Senators (71 points) one point over the Columbus Blue Jackets into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. With 66 points, the Red Wings are four points behind the Blue Jackets for the final Eastern wild card.

Shootout goals by Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. The Leafs opened a 3-0 lead on goals by William Nylander, Calle Jarnkrok and Simon Benoit but Utah got goals from Michael Carcone, Nick Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton to tie the game. The Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division with 81 points, while Utah (67 points) is three points behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Juuso Valimaki will be sidelined for 8-9 months following surgery to repair a torn ACL.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored two goals in a 3-2 upset of the Edmonton Oilers, ending a six-game losing skid. Alex Tuch netted his 25th goal of the season for the Sabres. Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard scored for the Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres winger Jason Zucker returned to action after missing six games with a lower-body ailment.

HEADLINES

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The NHL suspended Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad for 20 games without pay for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program. He will miss the remaining 18 regular-season games in the Panthers’ schedule and the first two games of the playoffs.

Ekblad released a statement expressing surprise that he failed a drug test. “Ultimately, I made a mistake by taking something to help me recover from recent injuries without first checking with proper medical and team personnel.” He accepted responsibility and apologized to his teammates, the club, and their fans for letting them down.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated Ekblad will be referred to the NHL/NHLPA program for substance abuse and behavioral health for evaluation and possible treatment.

Brad Marchand met with the media for the first time as a member of the Florida Panthers. He expressed his sadness and disappointment over the trade from the Boston Bruins on Friday and his gratitude over joining a competitive team like the Panthers, indicating they were the club he wanted to join when asked for trade destinations from Bruins management.

Marchand said he held no resentment toward the Bruins over the trade, saying he had “an incredible run in that organization” and was “extremely proud” of his legacy there.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand continues to rehab from an upper-body injury and remains sidelined week-to-week. He’s expected to return before the end of the regular season.

THE SCORE: Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour suggested his club should’ve confirmed that they could’ve signed Mikko Rantanen before acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche in January.

Brind’Amour said Rantanen informed them that the Hurricanes weren’t among the four teams he wanted to sign with. The 28-year-old winger was shipped to the Dallas Stars, signing an eight-year contract extension as part of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes traded Martin Necas, Jack Drury and two draft picks to acquire Rantanen. They received rookie forward Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-rounders from the Stars. That return should help them in the long term but doesn’t move them closer to the Stanley Cup this season, which was the point of acquiring Rantanen in the first place.

SPORTSNET: Jonathan Toews hopes to return to the NHL next season, but it won’t be with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 36-year-old center played 15 seasons with the Blackhawks from 2007-08 to 2022-23, stepping away from the game in 2023 dealing with health issues.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 10, 2025

by | Mar 10, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 10, 2025

The latest on Mitch Marner plus updates on the Rangers and Sabres in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS GM HOPES MARNER REMAINS WITH THE LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan reports Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving addressed reports claiming the club spoke to Mitch Marner about a possible trade to the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen, who was later dealt to the Dallas Stars.

The reports stated the Leafs offered prospects Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten, plus two first-round picks to the Hurricanes for Rantanen. The Hurricanes countered by pitching a swap of Rantanen for Marner. Treliving is believed to have told the winger that their priority was to re-sign him, but there was an opportunity to be traded to Carolina if he preferred. Marner is said to have stated he wanted to stay in Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Treliving said he wouldn’t get into questions about contract talks with the Marner camp. However, he claimed they wanted to keep the winger in Toronto for a long time, dismissing the possibility of the trade request becoming a distraction. He also praised Marner for how well he handled this situation.

Marner said he was focused on this season, adding he wants to play for the Leafs. Nevertheless, Koshan believes plenty of teams will line up to sign the 27-year-old winger if he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner will seek a substantial raise over his current $10.3 million annual cap hit. He might accept slightly less than Leafs captain Auston Matthews’ team-leading $13.25 million AAV to stay in Toronto, but he could get more than that on the open market.

The reports indicated that Leafs management stressed to Marner that they wanted to re-sign him when they informed him of the trade offer from the Hurricanes. They didn’t ask him to waive his no-movement clause but left it up to him to decide what he wanted to do.

Taken at face value, it doesn’t seem like this situation will adversely affect their contract negotiations. Nevertheless, with the trade deadline having passed, we’ve reached the point where speculation over the future of pending UFA stars like Marner will begin to dominate the rumor mill.

WHAT WILL THE RANGERS DO WITH ZIBANEJAD, PANARIN & KREIDER?

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks briefly looked ahead at what could be in store in the offseason for forwards Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Both players surfaced in trade rumors this season.

Zibanejad has a full no-movement clause throughout his contract, which expires in 2029-30. Brooks believes any discussions with the 31-year-old forward will be held this summer and won’t be allowed to carry over into training camp in September. The same goes for any possibility of a trade for Kreider.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple also believes any discussions regarding the futures of Zibanejad and Kreider will be relegated to the offseason. He speculated that Kreider could become a buyout candidate if no one wants to take on his $6.5 million AAV for the next two seasons.

Staple suggested looking into whether Artemi Panarin will waive his NMC. The 33-year-old winger has a year remaining on his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin carries an AAV of $11.6 million for next season, but he’s due to earn $8 million in actual salary, of which $7 million will be paid out on July 1 as a signing bonus. That could make him enticing for cost-conscious clubs, assuming he’s willing to accept a trade to one of them.

Zibanejad has an AAV of $8.5 million but has five more years left on this deal. Factor in his age (he turns 32 in April) and declining production, and he won’t be an easy sell in the trade market. The 33-year-old Kreider and his recent injury history could also affect his trade value. Buying out his contract will count as $3 million against the Rangers’ salary cap for 2025-26, $4 million for 2026-27, and $1.5 million annually for the following two seasons. 

LATEST ON THE SABRES

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington reports the trade of Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators for Josh Norris on Friday wouldn’t have happened if Sabres owner Terry Pegula was planning to fire general manager Kevyn Adams. However, Harrington believes Adams is getting one last chance from Pegula.

Meanwhile, Adams denied there was any truth to a rumored move of pending restricted free agent JJ Peterka to the New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are about to extend their league-record playoff drought to 14 seasons. Adams will have a projected $22.4 million in offseason cap space to make additions to his roster.

Adams complained last December of the difficulty he faced last summer trying to attract quality players via free agency or the trade market. If his offseason moves fail to improve the Sabres, he won’t be in his current job by this time next season.










Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2025

by | Mar 7, 2025

Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2025

The Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2027 second-round pick. The Bruins retained half of Marchand’s $6.13 million cap hit.  

Boston Bruins traded Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Fraser Minten and a first-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs trade Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar to the Pittsburgh Penguins. More to follow. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire Luke Kunin from the San Jose Sharks for a 2025 fourth-rounder. 

The Ottawa Senators acquired Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins and a fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Noah Gregor, Zack Ostapchuk and a second-round pick. 

Philadelphia Flyers trade Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for Givani Smith.

The Buffalo Sabres shipped Henri Jokiharju to the Boston Bruins. Details to follow.  

The Dallas Stars acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks. The Stars sign Rantanen to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $12 million. More details to follow.

New Jersey Devils acquire Cody Glass from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick.

The Boston Bruins Trade Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers and a second-round pick.

The Detroit Red Wings Acquire Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Joe Veleno.

The Philadelphia Flyers trade Scott Laughton, a fourth-round pick and a sixth-rounder to the Toronto Maple Leafs for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick.

The Buffalo Sabres trade Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker.

The Winnipeg Jets acquire Luke Schenn from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The Jets also acquire Brandon Tanev from the Seattle Kraken for a 2027 second-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Anthony Beauvillier to the Washington Capitals for a second-round pick in 2025.

The Philadelphia Flyers traded Andrei Kuzmenko to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. Flyers retain 50 percent of Kuzmenko’s $5.5 million cap hit. 










NHL Rumor Mill – March 1, 2025

by | Mar 1, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – March 1, 2025

Check out the latest on Brock Boeser, JJ Peterka, Scott Laughton, Ryan O’Reilly, Rickard Rakell, Brandon Tanev and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

BOESER REJECTS CANUCKS’ CONTRACT OFFER

CANUCKS ARMY: David Quadrelli cites Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reporting the Vancouver Canucks offered Brock Boeser a five-year, $40-million contract ($8 million annually). However, the 28-year-old winger is seeking a long-term deal.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

Seravalli wrote that the Canucks intend to make one more offer to Boeser before the March 7 trade deadline. If he rejects it, they’ll explore trade options ahead of the deadline. They could also keep him as an “own rental” to help them secure playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are the only team that can offer Boeser the maximum eight-year contract. He will get at most seven years on the open market but that’s still longer than what the Canucks are reportedly offering him. Boeser could get a bigger average annual value if he tests the market on July 1.

TEAMS CALLING SABRES ABOUT PETERKA

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli added JJ Peterka to his latest trade board. He claims sources are saying the Buffalo Sabres are rejecting calls for the 23-year-old winger, but the volume of calls has increased, and the amount of chatter around the league is growing.

Seravalli added Peterka to his board for several reasons. First, the Sabres haven’t done anything yet to shake up their roster. Second, Peterka has value in the trade market. Third, he’s a restricted free agent this summer who could become an offer-sheet target.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s not surprising the Sabres are rejecting offers for Peterka. He has 44 points in 55 games this season, putting him on pace to exceed his career-best 50 points in 82 games in 2023-24.

If they were to trade him (and that’s a big “if” right now), general manager Kevyn Adams will want a return that helps his club right away, like last season’s swap of Casey Mittelstadt to Colorado for Bowen Byram. He won’t want draft picks and prospects because his club has plenty of those.

Peterka is completing his entry-level contract and is in line for a significant raise. With over $33 million in projected cap space for 2025-26, they can afford to re-sign him, even with Byram and Jack Quinn also RFA-eligible this summer. That cap space also blunts the threat of an offer sheet.

FLYERS STILL RELUCTANT TO MOVE LAUGHTON

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz cited TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting Friday that the Philadelphia Flyers’ asking price for Scott Laughton is a first-round pick, or the prospect equivalent of one.

However, multiple team sources claim the Flyers remain wary of moving the popular 30-year-old forward. They’re concerned about what his departure might do to the culture and morale among the players.

If the Flyers decide to move Laughton, Kurz believes it’ll be to a team of his choosing despite his lack of no-trade protection. He speculated that the Maple Leafs would make the most sense since Laughton is from the Toronto area.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs would have to offer up their 2026 first-rounder because they traded away this year’s pick. Failing that, they’ll have to offer a prospect like Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan, but they might not be to the Flyers’ liking. Minten was a second-round pick. Cowan was a first-rounder, but he went 28th overall.

UPDATE ON O’REILLY

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the Nashville Predators are still getting calls about Ryan O’Reilly, but they’re not getting offers that would convince them to move the 34-year-old center. They’re not shopping O’Reilly but remain willing to entertain offers. The asking price must include a good young NHL player who can step into the Predators’ lineup right away.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly is signed through 2026-27 and lacks no-trade protection. However, the Predators are treating him like he has full no-movement protection, giving him complete control over this situation.

LeBrun believes the Predators are more likely to move UFA-eligible forward Gustav Nyquist. He wondered if the Los Angeles Kings might be interested.

LATEST ON RAKELL

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel downplays the recent speculation swirling around Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson. He believes forward Rickard Rakell remains their most valuable trade chip if GM Kyle Dubas is willing to part with him.

Karlsson’s hefty annual cap hit and full no-movement clause are significant obstacles. Meanwhile, the more affordable Rakell would fetch the best return. He leads the team with 25 goals and is second in points with 49.

The Penguins are open to offers but aren’t rushing to trade Rakell. He’s got three more years left on his contract, plus they could be reluctant to move another of Sidney Crosby’s linemates.

Nevertheless, his trade value probably won’t get any higher than it is right now. If a team makes an offer that tops what the Penguins got in the Marcus Pettersson trade, Dubas will listen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some general managers could be unwilling to meet that asking price because Rakell’s stats are directly tied to being Crosby’s linemate. He may get moved at the deadline but Dubas could wait until the offseason for better offers.

KRAKEN’S TANEV GARNERING INTEREST

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Seattle Kraken left winger Brandon Tanev is drawing some interest from playoff contenders and bubble teams.

The 33-year-old Tanev is UFA-eligible this summer. He carries a $3.5 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list. LeBrun claims Tanev prefers joining an upper-echelon contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tanev’s energetic, gritty style of play is well-suited for postseason action.

WHO COULD THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS TARGET AT THE DEADLINE?

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster cited Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon recently saying he doesn’t anticipate his team will be a big spender at the trade deadline.

Webster noted the Golden Knights have limited trade capital in draft picks, prospects and available players. They made a recent significant addition by signing Brandon Saad to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Nevertheless, the Golden Knights could target an affordable forward like Seattle’s Brandon Tanev, Montreal’s Jake Evans or Chicago’s Ryan Donato.

Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders, Mikko Rantanen of the Carolina Hurricanes and Brad Marchand of the Boston Bruins are long-shot options. Webster doesn’t see them pursuing Anaheim’s John Gibson to shore up their goaltending.










NHL Rumor Mill – February 28, 2025

by | Feb 28, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – February 28, 2025

Check out the latest on Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand, Brock Nelson, Dylan Cozens, Jake Evans and many more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILL THE HURRICANES TRADE OR RETAIN MIKKO RANTANEN?

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli cited sources saying the Carolina Hurricanes remain in active conversation with the representatives for Mikko Rantanen. The 28-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Seravalli said the Hurricanes put a “franchise-record” deal on the table for Rantanen. He indicated they had permission from the Colorado Avalanche to speak with the winger before acquiring him and knew what he was seeking in his next contract.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

The Hurricanes haven’t gotten an answer from Rantanen yet. If the answer is a hard no, they will very much consider keeping him for the remainder of the season. To deal him, they’d have to get a return that improves their chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Rantanen camp is expected to let Hurricanes management know where they stand within the next several days, possibly by the end of this weekend. The Canes have also spoken with several teams, telling them they don’t intend to trade Rantanen but will circle back if that changes.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports that if Rantanen remains on the Hurricanes roster after the trade deadline, they’re the only team that can offer him an eight-year contract. He doesn’t believe they’ve offered the winger $14 million annually or close to it. He thinks the total amount is slightly over $100 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slightly over $100 million could put the average annual value between $12.5 million and $13 million.

Friedman wouldn’t say the Rantanen situation is holding up the trade market, but he thinks some teams would regret missing the opportunity to acquire him because they’d already traded away their best assets. He also wondered if a non-contender, like the Anaheim Ducks, might try to acquire him if they could speak to him beforehand to find out if they could sign him.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos points out that Carolina’s offer falls far short of the deal Leon Draisaitl signed last year with the Edmonton Oilers ($14 million AAV over eight years) that reset the market. He also speculates the offer was heavily back-loaded with deferred payments, something most players and agents aren’t comfortable with.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky gave up a scoring forward (Martin Necas), a checking-line forward (Jack Drury) and two draft picks for Rantanen, confident that he could re-sign him. Instead, he’s facing the possibility of Rantanen becoming another costly rental player who departs on July 1.

Tulsky could listen to offers before the March 7 trade deadline if Rantanen doesn’t want to re-sign. However, it’s doubtful he’ll get a return that improves the Hurricanes’ chances of winning the Stanley Cup. He’ll probably keep him and hope for the best in the postseason.

If the Hurricanes win the Cup, it’ll be a worthwhile move by Tulsky. If they don’t, it will be poor asset management on his part, which might not sit well with team owner Tom Dundon.

Kypreos believes the Maple Leafs could be among the suitors if Rantanen becomes available in the trade market. He noted that the Hurricanes only carry half of the winger’s $9.25 million AAV ($4.625 million), making it possible for the Hurricanes or another team to do the same again if he hits the trade block before the March 7 deadline.

Rantanen could become the perfect rental player for the Leafs if they can meet the Hurricanes’ asking price. Kypreos suggested a package of a top prospect like Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan, winger Bobby McMann, and a draft pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adding Rantanen won’t address the Leafs’ pressing need for a third-line center. That’s why Brayden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues is reportedly their primary trade target. If Rantanen did become available, Kypreos’ trade proposal wouldn’t be enough to land him.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports multiple NHL sources claim Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney isn’t shopping captain Brad Marchand, but he’s keeping his options open. He’s telling interested teams that his first choice is to re-sign the 36-year-old winger, but he’s not ruling anything out.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos dismissed the notion of the Bruins trading Marchand. He’s indicated that his focus is to stay in Boston and believes everything will work itself out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both sides stated they intend to get a deal done. Even if it’s not completed by March 7, they’ll likely keeping negotiating for something that ensures Marchand finishes his career as a Bruin.

TSN: Chris Johnston noted Bruins forward Trent Frederic is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The 26-year-old is UFA-eligible and garnered interest in the trade market before his injury. Some teams want to know how many weeks Frederic could be out. It’s not believed to be a season-ending injury and the Bruins believe he’s a player they could still move if it comes to that by next Friday.

ISLANDERS STILL HOPE TO RE-SIGN BROCK NELSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports there’s still no indication that the New York Islanders will make Brock Nelson available in the trade market. He believes they’re still hoping to re-sign the 33-year-old center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s clear to everyone except Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello that it’s time to rebuild. If Nelson remain uncertain about staying, then it’s time to open the phone lines and entertain serious offers.

UPDATES ON THE SABRES

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there remains interest in Buffalo Sabres forwards Dylan Cozens and Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram. However, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams hasn’t received any suitable offers for them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those offers are likely lowballs hoping to steal one of them away for pennies on the dollar. Adams is interested in a hockey trade, similar to the one he made last year when he sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Avalanche for Byram. If you’re not offering something comparable to that, he won’t take your calls.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Sabres are trying to re-sign Jordan Greenway.

CANADIENS SEEK MORE THAN DRAFT PICKS FOR THEIR TRADE BAIT

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports that a sizeable gap remains in contract talks between Montreal Canadiens management and center Jake Evans. He and linemate Joel Armia are the two Canadiens gaining the most traction in the trade market.

LeBrun believes Winnipeg, Toronto, Edmonton, New Jersey and Minnesota are among the clubs calling about Evans and/or Armia. However, the Canadiens are telling teams that they’re prepared to keep both players if they don’t receive serious offers, saying they’ve got plenty of draft picks already.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Canadiens are holding out for at least a second-rounder for Evans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It sounds like Canadiens GM Kent Hughes would like a good young prospect or an NHL player who fits within their rebuilding plans. There’s speculation that Hughes could bundle Evans and Armia with a draft pick if it would fetch a return that helps them now and in the future.

RUMORS OF NOTE FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman cited FanDuel Sports Network’s Andy Strickland reporting the Hurricanes will work to retain pending UFA winger Taylor Hall.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich’s full no-trade clause, which was negotiated into his extension that begins on July 1, is already in effect. As per the CBA (Section 11.8b), a player eligible for this clause can have it added to a current contract.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov recently changed agents. However, the Kings remain optimistic they can re-sign him and aren’t setting March 7 as the deadline to get a contract done.

The New Jersey Devils’ priority is to acquire a center.