NHL Rumor Mill – February 15, 2025
NHL Rumor Mill – February 15, 2025
Check out the latest on the Kraken, Oilers, Jets, Kings and Utah HC in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHICH PLAYERS COULD THE KRAKEN TRADE BY MARCH 7?
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman cited a rumor claiming Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann could be available at the March 7 trade deadline.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann (NHL Images).
Friedman said teams were calling the Kraken to inquire about the availability of the 28-year-old McCann. However, the club had not informed teams that the winger was available. He believes it would take a sizable offer to pry McCann away from the Kraken.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McCann is the Kraken’s franchise scoring leader. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5 million and a 10-team no-trade list.
McCann’s 14 goals in 57 games is well off his career-best 40-goal performance in 2022-23 but his team-leading 42 points puts him within reach of his third straight season with at least 60 points.
The Kraken isn’t facing pressure to move McCann but maybe they’ll consider it if they receive a substantial offer.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kate Shefte looked at several Kraken players who could become trade bait by March 7.
Topping her list are forwards Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde, who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jaden Schwartz and Jamie Oleksiak are a year away from UFA eligibility but they’re also still playing important roles.
Winger Eeli Tolvanen’s solid play and reasonable $3.48 million AAV through next season are enticing. However, he re-signed with the Kraken last summer and is a young, multifaceted player they can build around. Struggling winger Andre Burakovsky might benefit from a change of scenery but he carries an AAV of $5.5 million for the next two seasons.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tanev and Gourde will probably be playing elsewhere by March 7. Gourde is recovering from sports hernia surgery but is expected to return to action by late March.
LATEST ON THE OILERS GOALTENDING
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson was recently asked by some readers if the Oilers will attempt to upgrade their goaltending by the trade deadline. One mentioned Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson while another suggested Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Hockey Club.
Matheson dismissed those suggestions. While admitting he’d like to see more consistency from Oilers starter Stuart Skinner, he doesn’t see Gibson or Vejmelka as an upgrade. He also indicated that general manager Stan Bowman was happy with Skinner’s play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner and backup Calvin Pickard backstopped the Oilers to within one game of winning the Stanley Cup last year. They’re not Vezina Trophy candidates but they’ve come through when their team needed them most. No one in the trade market could be an improvement over either of them.
POTENTIAL JETS TRADE BAIT
THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates recently looked at what the first-overall Winnipeg Jets might offer up at the trade deadline to bolster their roster for a deep playoff run.
The Jets’ 2025 first-round pick is available along with their second-rounders in 2026 and beyond. They might be willing to part with their 2026 first-rounder and prospect winger Colby Barlow for the right price.
Ates considers forward Cole Perfetti and prospects Elias Salomonsson, Brad Lambert and Brayden Yager as untouchable.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are in “win-now” mode but not to the point where they’ll sacrifice too much of their future for rental players. They’ll need most of their top prospects as eventual replacements for veteran stars like Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey.
KINGS SHOPPING FOR RIGHT-SHOT FORWARDS
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said the Los Angeles Kings were in the market for right-shot forwards.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings will likely seek wingers who can skate on the top two lines alongside centers Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield. They need the offensive boost, sitting 20th in goals per game average (2.83) while their power-play percentage (14.6) is 29th overall.
A LOOK AT FOUR UTAH HC TRADE CANDIDATES
THE HOCKEY NEWS: If the Utah Hockey Club becomes sellers at the deadline, Spencer Lazary recently listed forwards Alex Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad, defenseman Ian Cole and goaltender Karel Vejmelka as trade candidates All four are UFA-eligible on July 1.
Lazary believes Kerfoot could draw interest from the Oilers, Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils. The Oilers could also revisit their interest in Bjugstad, who might be enticing to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild.
The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings could have Cole on their radar. Vejmelka could draw interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lazary also suggested the Oilers could look at Vejmelka as a rental but that’s unlikely as I noted above.