NHL Rumor Mill – December 6, 2025

by | Dec 6, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 6, 2025

Could the Devils attempt to acquire Predators winger Steven Stamkos? Were the Canucks scouting Canadiens forward Zach Bolduc? What’s the latest on Alex Formenton? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols weighed in on a recent rumor suggesting the Devils may be interested in Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos.

Nichols noted that the Devils were among the few suitors for Stamkos when he went to free agency in July 2024. While his production has declined with the Predators, it could improve playing with the Devils, where he’d have playmakers such as Jesper Bratt and a healthy Jack Hughes to set him up.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

Nevertheless, a Stamkos trade would be a risky move. He’s 35, with two years remaining on his contract, which carries an average annual value of $8 million. A potential trade would require the Predators to retain some salary, which means increasing the compensation going to Nashville.

Nichols wondered if a prospect such as Seamus Casey and two second-round draft picks would be enough to land Stamkos.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils have been struggling to score lately, partly because Hughes is sidelined with an injured hand. Once he returns, they could still seek a reliable scorer.

Stamkos probably isn’t the only one they’re considering, assuming he’s willing to waive his no-movement clause to go to New Jersey. Management will likely remain patient and see what other options emerge in the trade market as more teams fall by the wayside in the playoff chase.

TVA SPORTS: CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal claimed the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild are two teams with an interest in Kiefer Sherwood. The 30-year-old Vancouver Canucks winger is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July, and the two sides aren’t any closer to a contract extension.

The Canucks recently scouted the Canadiens during their game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. They’re interested in getting a young player in exchange for Sherwood, and Dhaliwal wondered if they might target someone like Canadiens winger Zack Bolduc.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are interested in adding to their forward line, preferably a second-line center. However, giving up the 22-year-old Bolduc (who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues last summer) for the 30-year-old Sherwood goes against the Habs’ habit of bringing in players in their twenties with term remaining on their contracts.

The Canadiens probably prefer to offer up a draft pick or prospect for Sherwood. If the asking price is Bolduc, they might look elsewhere for help at forward.

TSN: Darren Dreger believes Alex Formenton could become an offer-sheet candidate next summer.

The 26-year-old Ottawa Senators forward is a restricted free agent who is now ineligible to play in the NHL this season because he wasn’t signed by the Dec. 1 deadline for an RFA contract.

In September, Senators general manager Steve Staios said Formenton would not be returning to the club, as both sides believed it was best for him to have a fresh start elsewhere. Staios attempted to trade Formenton this fall, but couldn’t find any takers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2025

by | Dec 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2025

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt collects his fourth shutout in six starts, Steven Stamkos, Jamie Benn, and David Perron reach notable career milestones, the three stars and the rookie of the month for November are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for his fourth shutout in his last six games to blank the Edmonton Oilers 1-0. Jonas Brodin scored the only goal as the Wild improved to 15-7-5. Stuart Skinner made 23 saves for the Oilers, who slipped to 11-11-5.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wallstedt became the second-fastest goaltender in NHL history to record five career shutouts, doing so in 15 games. Frankie Brimsek holds the record with nine games.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos scored to reach his 1,200th career NHL regular-season point in a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots, and Michael Bunting had a goal and an assist for the Predators (9-13-4). Morgan Frost replied for the 9-15-4 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is the sixth active player to reach the 1,200-point milestone, joining Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Detroit Red Wings forward Patrik Kane, and Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar.

Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first NHL goal. He pointed skyward to honor his late brother Orca Wiesblatt, who died in a car accident in September.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov lifted the New York Rangers over the Dallas Stars 3-2. Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Rangers (14-12-2), who have three wins in their last four games. Kyle Capobianco and Mikko Rantanen scored for the 17-5-5 Stars as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas captain Jamie Benn played his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game. Meanwhile, Stars winger Tyler Seguin left the game early in the first period after injuring his right leg following a collision with Gavrikov. Earlier in the day, the Stars announced defenseman Lian Bichsel will miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury suffered in Sunday’s win over the Ottawa Senators.

The Ottawa Senators improved to 13-9-4 with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Brady Tkachuk and Fabian Zetterlund each had a goal and an assist. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had two points for the 13-9-3 Canadiens, who have lost two straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forward David Perron collected an assist in his 1,200th career regular-season NHL game. Tkachuk’s goal was his first of the season after missing 20 games with an injured thumb.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied twice to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-1. The league-leading Avalanche (19-1-6, 44 points) extended its point streak to 17 games. Linus Karlsson scored for the 10-14-3 Canucks, who have two wins in their last 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 22 goals and 46 points. Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood left this game in the second period for precautionary reasons with tightness in his back. Meanwhile, teammate Valeri Nichushkin returned to action after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Boston Bruins 5-4, snapping a four-game losing skid. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist for the 14-11-2 Red Wings. Hampus Lindholm had three assists, and Alex Steeves tallied two goals for the Bruins (15-13-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins winger David Pastrnak missed his third straight game with an undisclosed injury and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of this week. Meanwhile, winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to action after being out since Nov. 15 with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their third win in their last four games by downing the Florida Panthers 4-1. Troy Stecher and Dakota Joshua each had a goal and an assist, and Joseph Woll turned aside 26 shots for the 12-11-3 Maple Leafs. Sam Reinhart got the only goal for the Panthers (12-12-1), who’ve dropped three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo will be sidelined longer than expected with a lower-body injury. He’s been out since Nov. 13 and recently suffered a setback in his recovery.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Bo Horvat and Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders (14-10-3) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Dominic James scored for the 16-8-2 Lightning, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

A shootout goal by Shea Theodore gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Carter Hart made 27 saves in his season debut with the Golden Knights (12-6-8). Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-6 Blackhawks, who have one win in their last seven games.

The Washington Capitals picked up their fifth straight win by defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Alex Ovechkin collected two assists for the Capitals (16-9-2). Adrian Kempe scored for the 12-7-7 Kings.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard are the league’s three stars for November 2025. Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt is the Rookie of the Month for November.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers forward Tyson Foerster will be sidelined for two to three months with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier (upper body) was placed on injured reserve

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The NHL is sending a memo to its 32 teams reminding them about its rule requiring players to wear helmets during warmups. This comes after the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils violated that rule in recent games. Neither club is expected to be punished beyond a warning.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 1, 2025

by | Dec 1, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – December 1, 2025

Check out the latest on the Islanders and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ISLANDERS SPECULATION

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears recently listed several factors that could play into the Islanders’ approach to the March 6 trade deadline.

Their current record suggests they’re more of a playoff contender than originally thought when the season began. They could also have over $12 million in usable salary-cap dollars if or when Alexander Romanov and Semyon Varlamov join Pierre Engvall on long-term injury reserve.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee (NHL Images).

Meanwhile, veteran forwards Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau are on expiring contracts, which could make them valuable trade chips if the Isles become sellers. However, it’s difficult to imagine general manager Mathieu Darche trading either player if his club continues playing the way it has.

Improving their defense corps should be the Islanders’ priority. They miss the sidelined Romanov on the left side, and they never fully replaced the departed Noah Dobson on the right. Sears considered Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames as an obvious fit. Filip Hronek of the Vancouver Canucks could be another, but he’s reportedly not among the players the Canucks would consider moving.

The Isles could use another scorer and some physicality among their bottom-six forwards.

Following Kyle Palmieri’s season-ending knee injury, Sears suggested Darche shouldn’t make any hasty decisions that might sacrifice future first-round picks or top prospects to replace the sidelined winger or bolster their defense.

THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma reports Palmieri’s injury has put the Islanders among the rumored suitors for Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood. The 30-year-old winger is enjoying a career-best performance thus far. Canucks management is wary that he’ll regress, but is also buoyed by the possibility that he’ll return a first-round pick, and possibly more, in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kuzma observed that the Islanders may not wish to mortgage their future in pursuit of Sherwood, but he believes they’d have to at least part with a first-rounder to land the feisty winger. That would also apply to any other significant player (Andersson, Hronek) that they could be monitoring in the trade market.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

THE ATHLETIC’s Julian McKenzie cited a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger on Friday in which Dreger claimed that Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios would like to add a forward or a defenseman to his roster. However, he doesn’t think that Staios is going to be “a big game hunter” in the trade market.

Dreger also dismissed the possibility of promising defenseman Carter Yakemchuk becoming a trade chip. “Not going to happen.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios wants to improve his roster, but not at the expense of his top prospect. Yakemchuk is projected to fill the role of a top-pairing, right-shot defenseman.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports league sources told him that there is “virtually no chance” that the Senators will find a trade partner for Alex Formenton’s rights. The 26-year-old winger is a restricted free agent, and the deadline for him to sign a new NHL contract is 5 pm ET on Dec. 1.

The Senators have tried to trade Formenton’s rights for months, seeking a draft pick in return. If he’s not traded and signed by Monday’s deadline, he’ll be ineligible to play in the NHL this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

by | Nov 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2025

A 15-game schedule for Friday, evaluations of the 32 teams, the latest on the attempted sale of the Penguins, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The return of Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk from injury and the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of their 11th straight win highlight Friday’s 15-game schedule.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

Tkachuk has been sidelined since Oct. 16 following surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb. He’s making his return in his hometown of St. Louis against the Blues.

The Avalanche sit atop the overall standings with a record of 17-1-5 (39 points). They have an opportunity to win 11 straight games for the second time in franchise history. Center Nathan MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points, while defenseman Cale Makar leads all defensemen with 30 points.

Meanwhile, the “Black Friday” tradition continues as the Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers. In California, the Anaheim Ducks host the Los Angeles Kings as the two rivals jockey for first place in the Pacific Division.

CNBC: Michael Ozanian made his annual evaluation of all 32 NHL franchises.

The Toronto Maple Leafs once again top the list at $4.30 billion, followed by the New York Rangers ($3.8 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($3.4 billion), Los Angeles Kings ($3.15 billion), and Edmonton Oilers ($3.1 billion).

The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Detroit Red Wings round out the top 10 franchises.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ranked 32nd ($1.4 billion), with the Buffalo Sabres at 31 ($1.42 billion), the Ottawa Senators at 30 ($1.44 billion), the Winnipeg Jets at 29 ($1.46 billion), and the San Jose Sharks at 28 ($1.55 billion).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Being in two of the NHL’s smallest markets partly accounts for the Senators and Jets’ placement. The Blues Jackets and Sharks have been rebuilding in recent years, while the Sabres have missed the playoffs for a league-record 14 years.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: There are conflicting reports regarding the sale of the Penguins.

Pittsburgh sports radio host Mark Madden claimed the attempt by current owner Fenway Sports Group to sell the team to the Hoffman Group was off. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the negotiations remain more difficult than expected, but the Hoffman Group remains within its exclusive negotiating window and is moving forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Friedman said, “We will see.”

TSN: Edmonton Oilers winger Kasperi Kapanen appeared to suffer an injury during practice on Thursday. He has been sidelined since Oct. 19 with an undisclosed injury and only recently rejoined his teammates in practice.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Speaking of the Oilers, winger Jack Roslovic is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken after blocking a shot during Tuesday’s loss to the Dallas Stars.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens reclaimed forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs and sent him to their AHL affiliate in Laval.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

by | Nov 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2025

Avalanche extends their win streak to 10 games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scores after a pregame ceremony honoring two career milestones, Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reaches 400 career regular-season points, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The league-leading Colorado Avalanche (17-1-5, 39 points) extended their win streak to 10 games by blanking the San Jose Sharks 6-0. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 26-save shutout against his former club, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Cale Makar collected an assist to lead all NHL defensemen with 30 points. San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov was pulled early in the second period after giving up four goals on 19 shots. The Sharks slipped to 11-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 18 goals and 39 points.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 908th career regular-season goal in a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to extend his goal streak to four games as the Capitals (13-9-2) have won five of their last six games. Gabriel Vilardi tallied twice for the Jets, who’ve lost three in a row and dropped to 12-10-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals honored Ovechkin for reaching 900 career goals and 1,500 regular-season games in a pregame ceremony.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reached the 400-point regular-season milestone with two goals and an assist to nip the Utah Mammoth 4-3. Jakub Dobes stopped 31 shots, Zach Bolduc had a goal and two assists, and Ivan Demidov tallied the winning goal as the Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead but rallied to improve their record to 12-7-3. Barrett Hayton, Kailer Yamamoto, and Michael Carcone replied for the Mammoth (12-9-3), who are 2-2-3 in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw the debut of Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom. Meanwhile, Mammoth blueliner Sean Durzi returned to the lineup after missing 21 games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Simon Nemec lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists for the 15-7-1 Devils, who moved into first place in the Eastern Conference. Cam Fowler had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who dropped to 7-10-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Evgenii Dadonov is expected to be out for a period of time after suffering an undisclosed injury during Monday’s game with the Detroit Red Wings.

Two goals in the opening 90 seconds by Brandon Hagel and Charle-Edouard D’Astous powered the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 31 shots as the Lightning (14-7-2) picked up their fifth straight win to sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 30 points. Joel Farabee scored for the 8-14-3 Flames, whose three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are reportedly poised to extend the contract of general manager Craig Conroy.

Boston Bruins forward Alex Steeves scored twice for his first NHL multi-goal game in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 44 shots as the Bruins improved to 14-11-0. Mathew Barzal scored for the 13-9-2 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Islanders announced that they would not loan rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer to Canada’s World Junior Team. That’s understandable, given Schaefer’s value to the Islanders. Meanwhile, the Isles announced Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to return from an upper-body injury before Christmas.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry made 29 saves in his return to action to double up the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-2. Matt Dumba and Kevin Hayes tallied their first goals of the season for the Penguins (11-6-5), who picked up their third win in their last 10 games. Jason Zucker and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who slipped to 9-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Penguins returned goaltender Sergei Murashov to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Given his solid performance during his call-up, he might not be down on the farm for long.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 36 shots in a 4-2 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. The win improved the Rangers to 12-11-2. Sebastian Aho and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two points for the Hurricanes (14-7-2), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller picked up an assist as he returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Easton Cowan scored to tie the game for the Maple Leafs (10-10-3), who got their second win in their last nine games. Zach Werenski scored for the 11-9-3 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last three (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Auston Matthews and Matthews Knies returned to the Maple Leafs lineup after missing several games with injuries. The Leafs also placed forward Sammy Blais on waivers.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson had a goal and two assists as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on a shootout goal by Shane Pinto. Linus Ullmark made 32 saves for the Senators, who improved to 12-7-4. Brett Howden, Jack Eichel, and Mark Stone scored as the Golden Knights (10-5-8) overcame a 3-1 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stone returned to the Golden Knights’ lineup after being sidelined since Oct.18 with an injured wrist. Meanwhile, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk confirmed he will return to action on Friday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been out with an injured thumb since Oct. 13.

The Vancouver Canucks got a 37-save performance by call-up goalie Nikita Tolopilo in his season debut to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Max Sasson, Filip Hronek, and Tom Willander each collected two points for the Canucks (10-12-2), who snapped a three-game losing skid. Jackson LaCombe had a goal and two assists for the 14-8-1 Ducks, who remain in first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks starting netminder Lukas Dostal missed this contest with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Dallas Stars defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok snapped a 2-2 tie to lift his club over the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Roope Hintz and Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars (15-5-4) as they extended their road points streak to 10 games. Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn tallied for the 11-6-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jared McCann collected an assist as he returned to the Kraken lineup after being sidelined since Oct. 18 with a lower-body injury.

The Nashville Predators ended a three-game losing skid with a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the 7-12-4 Predators. Alex DeBrincat, James van Riemsdyk, and Ben Chiarot scored for the Red Wings (13-10-1), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

Four unanswered goals by Emil Andrae, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, and Sean Couturier rallied the Philadelphia Flyers from a 2-0 deficit to upset the Florida Panthers 4-2. The win improved the Flyers’ record to 12-7-3. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers (12-10-1).

The Minnesota Wild collected their sixth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Filip Gustavsson turned aside 34 shots for the 13-7-4 Wild. Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (10-8-5), who are winless in their last five contests (0-3-1).










NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2025

by | Nov 24, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – November 24, 2025

Check out the latest on the Flames, Senators, and Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis recently reported that Calgary Flames president of hockey operations Don Maloney pushed back on the idea that his club should trade Nazem Kadri. The 35-year-old center has been at the top of most pundits’ lists of veterans that the Flames could trade to accelerate a rebuild.

“I think we need more Kadris, not less,” Maloney said. “We need more of that winning.”

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

Maloney also said that the Flames aren’t giving up on his playoff dreams. He also rejected the idea of tanking the season to secure a top-three pick in next year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri has frequently surfaced in the rumor mill since the summer of 2024. The Flames’ struggles this season added fuel to the media speculation, with pundits suggesting trade destinations for the veteran center.

Earlier this month, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Flames ownership wasn’t interested in trading Kadri. Maloney is the first member of the club’s front office to speak against the notion of moving the veteran center.

Maloney’s remarks should put a damper on the Kadri trade rumors for now. If the Flames remain at the bottom of the standings heading into the new year, don’t be surprised if the Kadri rumors rekindle, especially by the March 6 trade deadline.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau examined possible trade partners for the Ottawa Senators as they look to take a big swing in the trade market.

Proteau observed that the Senators need help on the blueline, sitting among this season’s 10 worst defensive clubs. He speculated that the Flames, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues could become sellers. More clubs will join them as the trade deadline approaches.

The Senators have around $1.4 million in current cap space, but that will rise to over $5 million in accrued space by the March 6 trade deadline. They don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but they do possess their first-rounders in 2027 and 2028 to draw on for trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given their limitations in terms of cap space and trade capital, the Senators could have a difficult time winning any bidding wars by the deadline.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski suggested the Penguins draw upon their goaltending depth for trade bait to land some scoring help.

The Penguins will soon have three healthy goaltenders, including promising Sergei Murashov. He pointed out that there are five NHL teams with save percentages below .885, six if you include the Maple Leafs’ .886.

With Murashov playing well in tandem with Arturs Silovs, and veteran Tristan Jarry due to return soon from an injury, the Penguins could have two expendable goalies in Silovs and Jarry.

Kingerski believes Jarry’s desirability is dubious, especially after coming off another lower-body injury. He believes Silovs could fetch a better return like a second-round pick, which could be flipped to acquire a middle-six forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The most likely scenario is the Penguins will return the waiver-exempt Murashov to their AHL affiliate, then gauge the performances of Jarry and Silovs before deciding if they’ll peddle the latter.