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. 










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 23, 2025

by | Feb 23, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 23, 2025

Check out the latest on Mikko Rantanen, Brayden Schenn, Seth Jones, Brock Boeser and Karel Vejmelka in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT WILL THE HURRICANES DO WITH MIKKO RANTANEN?

SPORTSNET: Elliott Friedman reports Mikko Rantanen could potentially become the biggest name leading up to the March 7 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Rantanen last month from the Colorado Avalanche in a blockbuster three-team trade. The 28-year-old winger is in the final season of his contract with a $9.25 million cap hit, of which the Hurricanes hold half ($4.625 million) and the Chicago Blackhawks the other half as part of the terms of the three-team deal. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

During the 4 Nations Face-Off, Hurricanes management met with Rantanen’s representatives. Friedman believes the Canes made an offer “into the nine digits” (over $10 million annually). Rantanen has yet to decide as he’s still processing the trade from the Avalanche and everything else since then. It shouldn’t be taken one way or the other.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

If Rantanen becomes available, interested teams want to ensure they have their best trade assets ready. Friedman also wondered if the Hurricanes are confident they can get Rantanen under contract after March 7 if they’ll keep him and attempt a Stanley Cup run.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers wonder if Rantanen is a good fit with the Hurricanes, citing his lack of production since joining the club.

Mark Lazerus of The Athletic disputes this, as does Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky. They point to his solid overall analytic numbers, and while his shooting percentage is down, it’s only a matter of time until that improves. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour is also pleased with Rantanen’s performance.

The Hurricanes obviously want to retain Rantanen, hence the rumored offer of an eight-year contract with an AAV of $14 million. However, he’s still trying to adjust to a significant change in his life that he wasn’t expecting, or at least, wasn’t expecting so soon.

TEAMS COULD TRY TO UNITE THE SCHENN BROTHERS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman observed there’s been much recent trade talk about Brayden Schenn. Last week, the St. Louis Blues captain said he hasn’t been approached by management about waiving his no-trade clause and is trying not to think about it.

Friedman thinks there are teams talking about uniting Brayden with his brother Luke Schenn (who plays for the Nashville Predators) in separate trades. They previously played together with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013 to 2016.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would be an expensive acquisition. Brayden has three more seasons after this one with an AAV of $6.5 million while Luke has a year left on his deal with an AAV of $2.75 million.

The rising cap for next season would make it easier to take on over $9 million in combined salary. However, it won’t be easy to do leading up to this year’s trade deadline when only nine teams currently have over $10 million in cap space.

LATEST ON SETH JONES, BROCK BOESER AND KAREL VEJMELKA

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman followed up on Seth Jones’ recent comments about his openness toward the possibility of a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. He doesn’t believe the 30-year-old defenseman has given them a list of destinations but if he does go, he wants it to be to a contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap space would be an issue. Jones carries an AAV of $9.5 million for the next five seasons. A deadline deal is possible if the Blackhawks retain up to half of his annual cap hit. Otherwise, it might be an offseason trade when teams have more cap room.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports contract talks remain at an impasse between the Vancouver Canucks and winger Brock Boeser. He considers it hard to imagine the Canucks not moving him before the March trade deadline since teams are willing to pay for a proven playoff performer.

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance believes the Canucks could retain Boeser as an “own rental” for the playoffs unless they stumble in the standings leading up to March 7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks will seek a solid return for Boeser. Their preference could be for a good young NHL forward plus a draft pick and/or a prospect.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there are ongoing contract talks between the Utah Hockey Club and goaltender Karel Vejmelka. He suggested recent contract extensions for goaltenders could be used as comparables. “Depending on the progress of negotiations, Vejmelka is potentially an interesting trade target.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those comparables include Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen (five years, $4.5 million AAV) and Colorado’s Mackenzie Blackwood (five years, $5.25 million AAV).










NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2022

by | Nov 24, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2022

Check out the latest Canadiens speculation plus a look at some other potential blueline trade targets for the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The New Jersey Devils’ rumored interest in Josh Anderson apparently hasn’t waned since the offseason. Canadiens podcaster and former broadcaster Tony Marinaro reports Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald wants the 28-year-old Canadiens winger badly.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).

Marinaro wonders if the Devils would part with a promising youngster such as Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec or Alexander Holtz in a package deal. It remains to be seen if Canadiens GM Kent Hughes (no relation to Luke or Devils winger Jack Hughes) would be willing to move Anderson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marinaro also claims there are a couple of teams besides the Devils who would take Anderson. Assuming the Canadiens are willing to move him, they probably aren’t in any rush to do so at this stage in the season.

If there is interest in Anderson, it might be best to wait until the March 3 trade deadline approaches to start considering serious offers. His value in the trade market could be much higher by that point.

Marco D’Amico recently listed Sean Monahan, Joel Edmundson and Christian Dvorak as the Canadiens’ top-three most valuable trade chips.

D’Amico noted TSN’s Pierre LeBrun recently linked Monahan to the Colorado Avalanche, who could be among several clubs that will be in the market for a second-line center. Edmundson has apparently been the subject of conversations between Hughes and his peers, while the recent improvement of Dvorak could bolster his trade value.

Speaking of Anderson, D’Amico speculated the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers could present irresistible offers to Hughes at some point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe Monahan, Edmundson or Dvorak could be moved before Anderson. Much will depend on where the Canadiens are in the standings leading up to the March 3 trade deadline and what the market is for those players. Given the plethora of defensemen the Canadiens are carrying, maybe Edmundson gets traded first.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan reports the Canadiens possess a logjam of defensemen with Mike Matheson’s recent return from injury and the rise of promising blueliners like Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj and Johnathan Kovacevic. He also noted there were 19 scouts at Tuesday’s game between the Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of those scouts would’ve been there simply because their teams will be playing the Canadiens or Sabres in the near future. However, I daresay some could be there to check out some potential trade bait.

LIST OF POTENTIAL BLUELINE TRADE TARGETS FOR THE LEAFS

THE SCORE: Sean O’Leary recently published a list of 10 defensemen the Toronto Maple Leafs could target to bolster their injury-ravaged blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Leary’s list came out before the Leafs acquired promising rearguard Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 23. However, they could perhaps pursue one of his suggested trade targets if Timmins doesn’t pan out or if Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and TJ Brodie are sidelined longer than expected.

Pending unrestricted free agent options include the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gavrikov, the Washington Capitals’ Dmitry Orlov, the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba, the New Jersey Devils’ Damon Severson, the Seattle Kraken’s Carson Soucy and the Vancouver Canucks’ Luke Schenn.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t see Orlov, Dumba, Severson and Soucy going anywhere as long as their respective teams remain in playoff contention. Gavrikov could be shopped if he hasn’t signed a contract extension before the trade deadline. Schenn will likely become available if the Canucks fail to gain ground in the standings.

Notable defensemen with term remaining on their contracts include the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun, the Boston Bruins’ Mike Reilly and Matt Roy and Sean Walker of the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The high asking price for Chychrun is likely too rich for the Leafs. Reilly could be a good option but the Bruins may be reluctant to trade him to a division rival. Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has a trade history with Kings GM Rob Blake so perhaps Roy or Walker would be more likely options here.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2020

by | Oct 30, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2020

The Sabres avoid arbitration with Victor Olofsson, the Stars name Rick Bowness as a full-time coach, former Panthers GM Dale Tallon cleared of wrongdoing, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres avoided salary arbitration with Victor Olofsson by reaching an agreement on a two-year, $6.1 million contract.

Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Olofsson had an impressive first full NHL season, scoring 20 goals and 42 points in 54 games to become a finalist for the 2019-20 Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. This is a reasonable raise for the 25-year-old winger, who becomes a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2022.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars removed the interim tag from head coach Rick Bowness’ job title as he signed a two-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise. Bowness took over behind the bench on Dec. 10 and guided the Stars to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The NHL has cleared former Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon of wrongdoing following an investigation into whether he used racially-charged language during the club’s time in the Toronto playoff bubble.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tallon was reportedly being considered for an advisory role with the Pittsburgh Penguins. This could clear the way for his new job but is being greeted with criticism by some observers.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes are renouncing the rights of 2020 fourth-round pick, Mitchell Miller, after reports emerged of his bullying and racially taunting an African-American classmate with developmental issues four years ago.

THE DENVER POST: Former Colorado Avalanche winger Colin Wilson discussed his struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as drug and alcohol abuse, in The Players’ Tribune on Thursday. The 31-year-old center also indicated hip injuries may have brought his NHL career to a close. He’s now sober, receiving therapy and back in New England preparing for the next step in his life.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson spent 11 seasons in the NHL with the Nashville Predators and the Avalanche, tallying 113 goals and 286 points in 632 games. Best wishes to him in his future endeavors.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has an option to sell the club back to former owner Peter Karmanos. While the coronavirus is affecting the NHL’s economics, Dundon doesn’t believe it will affect his ownership of the club. “I don’t have any intention of not owning the team,” he said.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning officially announced the signings of Patrick Maroon and Luke Schenn. The pair signed new contracts with the Lightning on Oct. 9.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks have loaned center Kirby Dach to Team Canada’s roster for the 2021 World Junior Championships.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A wise decision by the Blackhawks. This will allow Dach to get in some meaningful playing time under a quarantine bubble in Edmonton as he and the Hawks await the start of the 2020-21 season.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed restricted free agent defenseman Sami Niku to a two-year contract worth an annual average value of $725K.

NORTHJERSEY.COM: The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Colton White to a one-year, two-way contract.

TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens have been refused access to their practice facility in Brossard by public health officials. The facility is within a COVID-19 red zone.

SPORTSNET: Travis Roy, who was left paralyzed in his first college hockey game with Boston University in 1995, has died at age 45. He went on to become an advocate for spinal cord injury survivors both in and outside the sports world, raising over $9 million through the Travis Roy Foundation. He also worked in tandem with the Boston Bruins, with team president Cam Neely and former Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque among those extending condolences.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sympathies to Roy’s family, friends, and former teammates. Neely put it best when he called him “the ultimate symbol of determination and courage.”










List of Notable NHL UFA Signings – October 9, 2020

by | Oct 9, 2020

List of Notable NHL UFA Signings – October 9, 2020

8:30 pm ET: St. Louis Blues sign Torey Krug to a seven-year, $45.5 million contract.

7 pm ET: Toronto Maple Leafs sign T.J. Brodie to a four-year contract ($5 million AAV).

4 pm to 5 pm ET: Calgary Flames sign Jacob Markstrom to a six-year, $36-million contract.

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3 pm to 4 pm ET: Anaheim Ducks sign Kevin Shattenkirk to a three-year contract ($3.9 million AAV)

Washington Capitals sign defenseman Justin Schultz to a two-year, $8 million contract.

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2 pm to 3 pm ET: Florida Panthers sign Alexander Wennberg to a one-year $2.25 million contract.

New York Rangers sign Jack Johnson to a one-year, $1-million contract.

Nashville Predators sign Mark Borowiecki to a two-year, $4-million contract.

In other contract news, the Ottawa Senators sign Matt Murray to a four-year contract with an annual average value of $6.25 million. The Senators acquired Murray, a restricted free agent, on Wednesday from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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1 pm to 2 pm ET: Vancouver Canucks sign Braden Holtby to a two-year deal ($4.3 million AAV)

Minnesota Wild sign goaltender Cam Talbot to a three-year, $11-million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Anton Khudobin to a three-year contract ($3.5 million AAV)

Edmonton Oilers sign center Kyle Turris to a two-year contract ($1.65 million AAV)

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12 pm to 1 pm ET:  Washington Capitals sign goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign winger Wayne Simmonds to a one-year, $1.5-million contract with a full no-movement clause.

Detroit Red Wings sign winger Bobby Ryan to a one-year, $1-million contract.

Winger Pat Maroon (two years, $900K AAV) and defenseman Luke Schenn (one year, $800K) are returning with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year contract ($2.5 million AAV).

In other news, the Tampa Bay Lightning placed winger Tyler Johnson on waivers. He has four years remaining on his contract with a $5 million annual cap hit and a full no-trade clause.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson will remain with the Arizona Coyotes. His deadline to be traded to either Boston or Vancouver came and went without a deal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2020

by | Jan 18, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2020

Game recaps, Dougie Hamilton sidelined by a fractured fibula, Dave Backes on waivers, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli tallied his first career NHL hat trick as his club crushed the Winnipeg Jets 7-1. Nikita Kucherov scored twice, Ondrej Palat collected three assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy picked up his 10th straight win.

Anthony Cirelli’s first NHL hat trick carried the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Winnipeg Jets 7-1 (Photo via NHL Images).

Sidney Crosby scored in overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. He has six points in three games since returning from core muscle surgery. Bryan Rust’s 20th goal of the season tied the game and forced the extra period.

Anaheim Ducks center Sam Steel’s overtime goal lifted his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. It was the Hurricanes’ first game since losing defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a fractured left fibula. Teammate Jaccob Slavin will replace Hamilton at the upcoming 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton’s injury leaves a gaping hole in the Hurricanes’ blue line. With 40 points in 47 games, he’s the Canes’ highest-scoring defenseman and was well on his way to a career year. I’ll have more on the Hurricanes in the Rumors section.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly nearing a contract extension with Zack Kassian. The 28-year-old winger is completing a three-year contract worth $1.95-million annually and is due to become an unrestricted free agent in July. It’s assumed the deal will be announced before the trade deadline on Feb. 24. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kassian’s a big-bodied forward with 20-goal potential who plays a physical style and is popular among his teammates. It’ll be interesting to see how much of a raise he receives. It could be a five-year deal worth $4 million annually.

Nashville Predators winger Viktor Arvidsson was fined $2,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety under the league’s rules regarding diving and embellishment.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins placed veteran winger David Backes on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backes played infrequently this season due to his injury history and declining performance. His demotion will clear $1 million of his $6-million salary-cap hit from the Bruins’ books for the rest of the season. Backes could be bought out of the final season of his contract in June.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning placed defenseman Luke Schenn on waivers.

STLTODAY.COM: St. Louis Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson will return to the roster tonight after a 15-game absence in part because of an upper-body injury.

NBC SPORTS: Some good-natured billboard trolling between Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers fans has raised over $50K for various charities.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets TSN analyst Kevin Sawyer will address criticism regarding comments he made two weeks ago about an apparent hazing incident involving Jared Spurgeon during the Minnesota Wild defenseman’s junior hockey days. “Favourite story of Jared Spurgeon,” Sawyer began. “He was a 15-year-old. Two months into the season we saran-wrapped him to a pillar in the arena, about six feet up in the air … he was tiny. He looked like he was 12.”