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 – November 10, 2024

by | Nov 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2024

The Jets set an early-season wins record, Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of the all-time goal record continues, Nathan MacKinnon takes over the scoring lead with a multipoint game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are the first team in NHL history to win 14 of their first 15 games with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Vladislav Namestnikov and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist and Cole Perfetti collected two assists for the 14-1-0 Jets, who sit atop the overall standings with 28 points. Roope Hintz replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk set a franchise record for the longest shutout streak (191:47), which ended late in the third period when Hintz scored.

Alex Ovechkin scored two goals to lead the Washington Capitals to an 8-1 rout of the St. Louis Blues. Connor McMichael also scored two goals, Dylan Strome had three assists and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist as he returned to action after missing the last five games with an upper-body injury. Scott Perunovich scored for the Blues, who gave up five goals in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 10 goals in 14 games and 863 for his career. He needs 32 to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals placed forward Sonny Milano on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Mikko Rantanen tallied twice and picked up an assist as the Avalanche overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook scored two goals and picked up an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (27 points) into first place in the scoring race with 29 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists as his club cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Connor Brown scored two goals and Mattias Janmark collected three assists for the Oilers. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without winger Brock Boeser as he remains sidelined with a suspected concussion. There is no timetable for his return.

A shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues gave the Florida Panthers a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Rodrigues also picked up two assists in regulation while netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots in regulation and overtime as the Panthers picked up their seventh straight victory. Scott Laughton had two assists for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Teammate Samuel Ersson made 28 saves as he returned to action following a two-game absence with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros had a 26-save shutout to blank the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault each tallied two goals as the Predators ended a three-game losing skid. Utah has only three wins in their last 10 games (3-5-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed defenseman Dante Fabbro on waivers before this game. He’s been the subject of recent trade speculation. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat (0-5-1). Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to eight games. Brendan Gallagher scored his seventh of the season for the floundering Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury following a collision with Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The rebuilding Canadiens hoped to improve when this season began but that optimism has now evaporated. Management is reportedly shopping around for a defenseman and a gritty forward but deals are difficult to find at this time of year. Head coach Martin St. Louis is safe from losing his job but he might benefit from a better staff of assistant coaches, particularly those with goaltending and defense expertise.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored in overtime as his club rallied from a 3-1 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 4-3. Hughes finished the game with two goals and an assist while teammate Dougie Hamilton had three helpers. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots while Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist.

The New York Rangers got 37 saves from goalie Jonathan Quick to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 4-0. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist while Chris Kreider, Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith also found the back of the net. The Red Wings have lost two straight games.

Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele had a goal and an assist as his club beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had two assists for the Kings. Dmitri Voronkov and Ivan Provorov each netted their first goals of the season for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed forward Alex Turcotte on injured reserve before this game. He missed their previous two games with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but a shootout goal by JJ Peterka gave them a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Tage Thompson tallied his 10th goal of the season and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 24 shots for the Sabres’ third straight win. Matt Coronato and Mikael Backlund replied for the Flames.

An overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Linus Ullmark made 14 saves for the win over his former team. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL will reveal the full rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Dec. 4. The tournament will take place from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston and replaces the 2025 All-Star Game.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from his conditioning stint with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They also assigned forward Matt Nieto to their affiliate for conditioning.

ROTOWIRE: Seattle Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn is expected to remain sidelined for another three weeks as he recovers from an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame as an influencer on Saturday. Former NHLers Pekka Rinne and Jussi Jokinen were among the inductees in the player category.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2024

by | Jun 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 23, 2024

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers as they prepare for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Jets could trade top prospect Rutger McGroarty, and more in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

STANLEY CUP FINAL NOTEBOOK

NEW YORK POST: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid can cement his legacy among hockey’s all-time greats if he leads his club to the Stanley Cup in Game 7 on Monday. He’s considered the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy regardless of the game’s outcome. With 42 points in this playoff run, he trails only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for the most in one postseason.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner became the first netminder in Stanley Cup playoff history to record an assist in a game where his club faced elimination. He collected that assist on Darnell Nurse’s empty-netter in Game 6.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

The latest on the Oilers and Panthers as they prepare for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Jets could trade top prospect Rutger McGroarty, and more in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: History will be made one way or another in Game 7. The Panthers will either win their first-ever Stanley Cup or the Oilers will become only the second team to overcome a 3-0 deficit and win the Cup.

THE ATHLETIC: Sean McIndoe believes it will be the biggest collapse in Stanley Cup playoff history if the Panthers lose this series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: History will be made on Monday.

Despite the intense pressure the Panthers are feeling, they can still win after blowing a 3-0 series lead. It’ll be joy mixed with relief if they can stem the tide of momentum that’s now rolling in the Oilers favor. Their championship will still be well-deserved.

There won’t be any shame for the Oilers if they fall short. Overcoming an 0-3 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final is significant.

However, an Oilers win will make this the greatest comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history. It will also be devastating for the Panthers, especially after how hard they worked to return to the Final after falling short last year.

McDavid is unquestionably the greatest player of his generation. Winning the Cup and the Conn Smythe in this series will put him in the same class as Gretzky and Lemieux.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates reported the Winnipeg Jets are likely to trade their top prospect, Rutger McGroarty.

The Jets hoped to sign McGroarty following the 2023-24 NCAA season. However, they couldn’t guarantee him NHL playing time so the 20-year-old forward is returning to the University of Michigan for 2024-25.

Ates believes there is a disconnect between how the Jets’ player development viewed and communicated its plan with McGroarty and the player’s view of his future. “He no longer believes his future is with the Jets,” writes Ates, citing a league source claiming the youngster felt his path to the NHL with another team.

WINNIPEG SUN: Scott Billeck cited a source suggesting this doesn’t look good for the Jets’ organization, pointing to how the club has handled young center Cole Perfetti and defenseman Ville Heinola.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe cite a source suggesting the Jets could regret trading McGroarty. “Winnipeg really needs to revisit its development plan”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Jets trade McGroarty it’ll be before or during the first round of the upcoming trade. They should get a solid return like a high first-round pick or another high-quality prospect. Nevertheless, this situation raises questions and criticism of the Jets’ development system.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Anthony Mantha has been informed he will not be returning with the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old winger was acquired from the Washington Capitals before the March trade deadline. He was a healthy scratch in the final four of their seven playoff games. Mantha is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings signed forward Alex Turcotte to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $775K.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators added Darby Hendrikson to their coaching staff.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks have hired Rich Clune as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2022

by | Sep 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 16, 2022

Nathan MacKinnon could be getting close to a new contract with the Avalanche, an update on Brad Marchand’s recovery from hip surgery, Canadiens top prospect Juraj Slafkovsky plays well in debut game during Prospects Challenge and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Nathan MacKinnon is hoping to soon have a contract extension with the Colorado Avalanche. Speaking with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman on their “32 Thoughts” podcast, the 27-year-old center said he assumed the deal would be in place on July 13, the first day when he was eligible to re-sign.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

While admitting it’s taken a little longer than he anticipated, MacKinnon believes the extension is “totally” on its way to completion. “It should be done shortly, I’m hoping,” he said. The long-time Avalanche superstar is earning a team-friendly average annual value of $6.3 million entering this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report suggests MacKinnon could become not just the highest-paid player in Avalanche history but also the highest-paid in the NHL. That honor is currently held by Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, whose AAV is $12.5 million through 2025-26.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Brad Marchand is hoping to return to action with the Bruins by late November, perhaps by the American Thanksgiving weekend. The 34-year-old winger underwent double hip surgery during the offseason. He’s set to begin skating on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins will also be without defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk to start the season. McAvoy underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to return to the lineup by early December. Grzelcyk also had shoulder surgery and could be back by early November.

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens prospect Juraj Slafkovsky collected an assist and was named the second star in a 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres in the Prospects Challenge tournament on Thursday. The 18-year-old winger was the first-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He saw playing time at even strength and in special-team situations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky’s progress will be closely monitored by Montreal fans and pundits. The Canadiens are rebuilding and the young Slovakian winger is expected to be a key part of the process. Whether he starts this season with the Canadiens or their AHL affiliate in Laval depends on his performance during training camp, which opens next week.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said league revenue exceeded $5 billion for the first time despite disruptions earlier in the 2021-22 season due to COVID-19. With the NHL returning to a normal schedule for 2022-23, Daly is optimistic that continued revenue growth will lead to a significant increase in the salary cap sooner instead of later.

The salary cap increased by $1 million to $82.5 million for 2022-23. Daly expects it will rise again by $1 million for 2023-24 but suggested it could increase further if revenues grow enough.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap is growing slowly because the players’ share of revenue exceeded the owners’ during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. As a result, the players have to make whole the owners’ share through escrow, which affects the salary cap’s rate of increase.

It’ll be interesting to see how much the cap could rise for next season if revenue increases exceed expectations. Earlier this year, Daly suggested it would take until 2024-25 before we’d see a significant rise in the cap.

TORONTO SUN: Michael Traikos reports Daly also indicated the NHL and NHL Players Association are committed to an international tournament calendar that would see the league participate in the next three Winter Olympics and an additional three World Cup of Hockey tournaments.

The deputy commissioner admitted there are challenges associated with that calendar and no guarantees given Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. However, it’s not necessarily dependent on Russian participation.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Sean Durzi to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.7 million. Durzi, 23, had 27 points in 64 games as a rookie last season. Earlier this week, the Kings also re-signed blueliner Mikey Anderson to a one-year deal.

THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Kings, Alex Turcotte won’t participate in the club’s rookie camp and could miss the start of their main training camp next week due to concussion-related symptoms suffered during the 2022 AHL Calder Cup playoffs. The 21-year-old center’s bid to become a full-time NHL player has been hampered by injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Turcotte was the fifth-overall pick in the 2019 Draft and is considered among the Kings’ top prospects. He played eight games last season with the Kings and 27 with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have invited forwards Derick Brassard and Michael Dal Cole to training camp on professional tryout offers.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers signed defenseman Jason Demers to a professional tryout offer.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: With goaltender Andrew Hammond deciding not to report to training camp on a PTO, the Panthers have brought in J-F Berube on a professional tryout offer.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets will unveil a statue of the late Dale Hawerchuk on Oct. 1 at True North Square. Hawerchuk was selected first overall by the Jets in the 1981 draft and spent nine of his 16 NHL seasons in Winnipeg. He won the Calder Trophy in 1982 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He passed away at age 57 from stomach cancer in 2020.