NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2023

by | Apr 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2023

A look ahead at what might be in store in the offseason for the Islanders and Wild plus the latest on the Jets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE ISLANDERS AND WILD?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton looked ahead at the offseason for the New York Islanders now that they’ve been eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. She believes they must address the lack of consistent scoring that plagued them throughout this season.

The Islanders could also use a reliable backup for starting goaltender Ilya Sorokin if Semyon Varlamov departs via free agency on July 1. She also wondered if general manager Lou Lamoriello might consider replacing rookie head coach Lane Lambert with a veteran bench boss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lamoriello is renowned for his secrecy so we have no idea what he’s got planned for the Islanders this summer. Nevertheless, it’s safe to assume that he’ll look at bolstering his popgun offense.

Lamoriello might have to go the trade route as Cap Friendly indicates the Isles have around $6.9 million available for 2023-24 with 18 roster regulars under contract. In other words, a dollar-in, dollar-out move.

Varlamov could return if he’s willing to accept a significant pay cut on a short-term contract. As for Lambert, your guess is as good as Lamoriello’s but it wouldn’t be shocking if he makes another change behind the bench.

ESPN.COM: Ryan S. Clark examined the offseason issues facing the Minnesota Wild following their first-round playoff elimination. He points out they’ll be hampered by the ongoing cost of buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter as it rises to a combined $14.7 million per season through 2024-25.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba (NHL Images)

They have eight players eligible for unrestricted free agent status including Matt Dumba, Marcus Johansson, John Klingberg and Ryan Reaves. Their restricted free agents include goaltending Filip Gustavsson, defenseman Calen Addison and forward Sam Steel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Wild have just $3.4 million in projected cap space next season with 22 roster players under contract. General manager Bill Guerin will have to shed salary to free up cap space to retain some of these players.

Most of those UFAs are goners except perhaps Johansson given his chemistry with young star Matt Boldy. Gustavsson has to be re-signed as aging Marc-Andre Fleury is no longer capable of handling the workload of a full-time starting goaltender.

LATEST JETS SPECULATION

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna discussed what the Winnipeg Jets should do in the offseason following their disappointing season.

McKenna believes they should trade center Mark Scheifele as he’s been there too long and they need to shake up the dressing room. He thinks Scheifele will have some trade value given his career-best 42-goal performance this season.

Servalli believes a new contract for Connor Hellebuyck is the priority facing the Jets. He’s eligible for UFA status after next season. Seravalli wondered if they’ll trade Hellebuyck if he’s not interested in a contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One or perhaps both of those players could be shopped this summer. The same goes for Blake Wheeler. Like Scheifele and Hellebucyk, Wheeler’s slated for UFA status next summer.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek discussed the possibility of the Canadiens acquiring Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois during their latest “32 Thoughts” podcast.

Marek said he’s led to believe there are other clubs also interested in Dubois despite the speculation suggesting the Canadiens are his preferred destination. Friedman mentioned Kirby Dach being the return for Dubois was suggested to him but he believes if it were that simple it would’ve been done by now.

Dumont dismissed the notion of the Canadiens parting with Dach. He also noted that Friedman pointed out the Jets will have little leverage given that Dubois is a restricted free agent this summer who’s a year away from UFA status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Any team interested in Dubois other than the Canadiens might be willing to acquire him for this season with the hope of signing him before his UFA eligibility next year. However, they’re not going to overpay to get him given the Jets’ lack of leverage.

The Canadiens will have considerable leverage to acquire Dubois, assuming they indeed want to acquire the 24-year-old center and sign him to a lucrative long-term contract. They have an extra first-round pick in this year’s draft belonging to the Florida Panthers which could be enticing for the Jets if it’s also bundled with a quality prospect or promising young NHL player.

I’ll be very surprised if the Canadiens agree to part with Dach for Dubois. They are very pleased with his performance this season despite being sidelined by injuries at times. He had terrific chemistry on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and showed potential as a second-line center as well.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2023

by | Apr 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2023

The Leafs rally to push the Lightning to the brink of elimination, the Golden Knights are in the driver’s seat in their series with the Jets and the Kraken and Devils tie their respective series at two games apiece. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Auston Matthews scored twice to start the rally in the third period, Morgan Rielly tallied the tying goal and Alex Kerfoot scored the winning goal in overtime. Alex Killorn scored twice for the Lightning, who are now down 3-1 in the series and on the brink of elimination as the series returns to Toronto for Game 5 on Thursday.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tampa Bay was in full control of this game entering the third period but seemed to run out of gas against the Leafs’ determined push. The Lightning lacks the depth that carried them to three straight Stanley Cup Finals and two championships and it showed in that period.

Toronto was in this position two years ago but fell in seven games to an underdog Montreal Canadiens team. This year, however, I think it’s going to be a different outcome. This is a deeper, more mature Leafs roster with the presence of a proven playoff performer like Ryan O’Reilly (seven points in four games) making a difference in key situations.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden scored twice in a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Shea Theodore and Chandler Stephenson each collected two assists for the Golden Knights as they take a 3-1 series lead back to Vegas on Thursday. Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who also lost center Mark Scheifele with an injured hand in the first period. He’ll be re-evaluated on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-depleted Jets are in a deep hole against a healthier, deeper Golden Knights roster. Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey is done for the series with a lower-body injury while winger Nikolaj Ehlers remains sidelined by an upper-body injury. Scheifele’s injury could be the final nail in their playoff coffin.

An overtime goal by Jordan Eberle lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 to tie their series at two games apiece. The Kraken took a 2-0 lead on goals by Will Borgen and Daniel Sprong but Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the Avalanche to tie the game. Seattle forward Jared McCann left the game in the first period after a late hit from Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who claimed he was unsure whether the puck was still in play when he hit McCann. This series resumed in Denver for Game 5 on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A weak attempt by Makar to explain away this uncharacteristic late hit on his part. The puck was going out of play when the incident occurred. The on-ice officials initially assessed a major penalty but changed it to a two-minute minor in yet another example of the plethora of puzzling calls in every series of this round.

The New Jersey Devils evened their series with the New York Rangers at two games apiece with a 3-1 win in Game 4. Jack Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler and Ondrej Palat scored while Akira Schmid stopped 22 shots for the win. Vincent Trocheck replied for the Rangers. This series returns to New Jersey for Game 5 on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers seemed headed for a sweep after dominating New Jersey in the first two games. However, the Devils did a fine job shutting down the Blueshirts’ offense by limiting them to just two goals in the next two games. Schmid’s steady goaltending seems to be a calming influence on his teammates.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk $5,000.00 for cross-checking Boston Bruins forward Garnet Hathaway during Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.

Speaking of the Bruins, captain Patrice Bergeron could make his series debut in Game 5 on Wednesday. He missed every game thus far with an upper-body injury. Center David Krejci could miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Joe Pavelski resumed skating with several teammates on Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion in Game 1 of their series against the Minnesota Wild. There remains no timetable for his return to action.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Wild, meanwhile, needs more production from scorers Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Kaprizov has scored only once while Boldy is still seeking his first goal of this series.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Will it be Stuart Skinner or Jack Campbell in goal for the Oilers in Game 5 tonight against the Los Angeles Kings? Skinner got the start in every game of this series but Campbell took over after the first period in Game 4 with his club down 3-0 and backstopped them to a 5-4 series-tying overtime win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Campbell earned the start based on his solid play in Game 4 but they’ll probably return with Skinner for Game 5.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders must do a better job of capitalizing on their scoring chances against the Carolina Hurricanes, especially on rebounds. The Isles are down 3-1 in this series and could be eliminated by the Hurricanes tonight.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed forward Walker Duehr to a two-year contract extension worth $825K.

NHL.COM: Justin Braun announced his retirement after 13 NHL seasons. The 36-year-old defenseman had 34 goals and 199 points in 842 regular-season games between 2010-11 and 2022-23 with the San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. He also had three goals and 16 points in 119 playoff games and reached the 2016 Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Braun in his future endeavors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2023

by | Apr 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2023

The Devils, Golden Knights and Leafs garner tough overtime victories, the Avalanche hold off the pesky Kraken, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights needed overtime for a 5-4 victory in Game 3 over the Winnipeg Jets after the latter overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third period. Michael Amadio tallied the winning goal while Jack Eichel scored twice and collected an assist for Vegas. Nino Niederreiter, Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry scored in the third to rally the Jets while Neal Pionk collected three assists. The Golden Knights lead the best-of-seven first-round series 2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets also lost puck-moving defenseman Josh Morrissey for the remainder of the series after he suffered a lower-body injury in the first period. That’s a major setback to their hopes of winning this series.

Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Morgan Rielly lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 4-3 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Ryan O’Reilly had a three-point performance, scoring the tying goal late in the third period to force the extra period. Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game could be a preview of what the remainder of this series will look like. After each club traded lopsided wins in the first two games, Game 3 was a more closely-contested and physical match. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos goaded Auston Matthews into a fight in the third period while Nikita Kucherov jumped Rielly after he crunched Lighting forward Brayden Point into the end boards.

Leafs fans have to be feeling better about the goaltending of Ilya Samsonov. He bounced back from a brutal 7-3 loss in Game 1 with two solid victories in the next two games, including a 36-save effort in Game 3.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers 2-1 on an overtime goal by Dougie Hamilton. Rookie goalie Akira Schmid stopped 35 shots to win his first NHL playoff game while Jack Hughes scored the tying goal for the Devils. Chris Kreider netted his playoff-leading fifth goal for the Rangers, who still hold a 2-1 lead in this first-round series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a big win for the Devils. Had they lost Game 3 they would’ve faced the almost impossible task of overcoming an 0-3 deficit to win the series.

Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each scored twice as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 6-4 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Jaden Schwartz tallied two goals while Matty Beniers scored his first NHL playoff goal for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken opened the scoring, fell behind 3-1 and rallied back to tie the game before MacKinnon and Rantanen put this one out of reach. MacKinnon praised the Kraken as “a really great team,” calling this series the hardest first round he’s been in thus far.

The Avalanche got the win without winger Valeri Nichushkin as he’s out for what head coach Jared Bednar called “personal reasons.” Kraken forward Morgan Geekie missed this one with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

TSN: Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen underwent successful hand surgery and is sidelined indefinitely. He suffered the injury during Game 2 of the Hurricanes’ win over the New York Islanders.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said center David Krejci is 50-50 to play in Game 4 today against the Florida Panthers. Krejci missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: It’s uncertain if Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek will be in the lineup for Game 4 today against the Dallas Stars. He’d missed the final two weeks of the regular season and the first two games of this series with a lower-body injury. He played just one shift in Game 3.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Wild, they’ve shaken up the coaching staff of their AHL affiliate. General manager Bill Guerin yesterday announced the Wild won’t renew the contracts of Iowa Wild head coach Tim Army and assistant coaches Nate DiCasmirro and Nolan Yonkman.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: There’s concern among Edmonton followers that the Oilers could lose their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers are down in the series 2-1 as they’ve struggled to hold leads and have been undisciplined at times against the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are an improved team over the one that pushed Edmonton to seven games in last year’s opening-round series. If the Oilers lose today they’ll be down 3-1 in the series and face elimination on home ice in Game 5.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers recalled defenseman Lucas Carlsson as Aaron Ekblad and Josh Mahura will be game-day decisions for today’s matchup with the Bruins.

OTTAWA SUN: The deadline for final bids for aspiring owners of the Senators is expected to be May 15.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2023

by | Apr 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2023

The Islanders set a playoff record against the Hurricanes, the Kings down the Oilers in overtime again and the Bruins and Wild take the lead in their respective series. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders got four goals within a span of 2:18 in the third period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Kyle Palmieri, Matt Martin, Scott Mayfield and Anders Lee were the goal scorers in an exciting finish to what had been a close-checking game up to that point. Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for the Islanders. The Hurricanes lead the best-of-seven opening-round series 2-1.

New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders set an NHL record for the fastest four goals in a playoff game. This was the first postseason contest ever played at the Isles’ home arena UBS Arena.

Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov returned to action after missing the first two games of this series with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Trevor Moore lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Adrian Kempe scored the game-tying goal on a power play 18 seconds after the Oilers took a 2-1 lead on Connor McDavid’s second goal of the game. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 38 shots for the Kings for their second overtime win in this series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leon Draisaitl was critical of the officiating after being called for unsportsmanlike conduct for a light slash on Kings defenseman Drew Doughty following McDavid’s second goal.

Draisaitl accepted responsibility for taking a bad penalty but noted the officials ignored Doughty’s earlier knee-on-knee hit on McDavid, who was uninjured on the play. “I just really don’t know what the standard is right now,” he said.

Kings forward Blake Lizotte missed Game 3 with a lower-body injury. Winger Kevin Fiala remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

The Boston Bruins doubled up the Florida Panthers 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their opening-round series. Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist, David Pastrnak tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal and Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins got the win with their two top centers out of the lineup. Patrice Bergeron (upper-body injury) missed his third straight game and will be out for Game 4 but could make his return when this series shifts back to Boston for Game 5. David Krejci, meanwhile, was scratched from Game 3 with an upper-body injury.

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad missed the third period following a hit from Bruins blueliner Charlie McAvoy, who also leveled Panthers forward Anton Lundell later in the game. Lundell said he was fine after the game. There was no postgame update on Ekblad, who will be evaluated today.

Speaking of the Bruins, they topped the list of 15 NHL teams incurring performance bonus overages this season which will count against their salary cap for next season. The Bruins lead the way with $4.5 million due to the bonus-laden one-year contracts of Bergeron and Krejci.

Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello scored twice and teammate Ryan Hartman had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Filip Gustavsson returned to the Wild net and made 23 saves as his club took a 2-1 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild dominated the Stars with their physical play in this contest. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond in Game 4 on Sunday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Head coach Rick Bowness is hopeful he’ll return to the lineup for Game 3.

CALGARY SUN: Flames prospect Dustin Wolf is the winner of the Les Cunningham Award as the most valuable player in the American Hockey League.

DAILY FACEOFF: There could be a potential conflict of interest regarding the Philadelphia Flyers’ search for their next president of hockey operations and general manager.

The Flyers are reportedly at least the second team to hire Neil Glasberg of PBI Sports as a consultant to aid in the search. However, he’s also an agent for several team executives and head coaches who could become candidates for open positions.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2023

by | Apr 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2023

The Rangers take a 2-0 series lead over the Devils, the Avalanche, Golden Knights and Leafs bounce back to tie their respective series, plus updates on Joe Pavelski, Patrice Bergeron and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers beat the New Jersey Devils 5-1 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series. Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, Chris Kreider scored twice and Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots for the Rangers. Erik Haula replied for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils had a better start to this game compared to Game 1 but once again the experience of the Rangers shone through. The Blueshirts overcame a 1-0 deficit with veteran stars like Kane, Kreider and Vladimir Tarasenko leading the way. This series shifts to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 with the Rangers having an opportunity to pull off a sweep on home ice.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

John Tavares collected a hat trick and Morgan Rielly’s four assists tied a franchise playoff game record as the Toronto Maple Leafs thumped the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-2. Mitch Marner scored twice and picked up an assist as the Leafs tied their series 1-1 as it heads to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A convincing bounce-back win for the Leafs as they avenged their humiliating 7-3 loss in Game 1. Tampa Bay played this game without sidelined defensemen Victor Hedman (undisclosed) and Erik Cernak (head injury). Hedman is listed as day-to-day and could return for Game 3 on Saturday. Lightning forward Mike Eyssimont (upper body) also missed this contest but be in the lineup for Game 3.

The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Seattle Kraken 3-2 and tie their series at a game apiece. Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews scored for the Avalanche. Justin Schultz and Brandon Tanev tallied for the Kraken, who got a 38-save performance from goaltender Philipp Grubauer. The series heads to Seattle for Games 3 and 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A pep talk by sidelined captain Gabriel Landeskog in the first intermission helped the Avalanche recover from their shaky first period.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets to tie their series 1-1. Jack Eichel scored his first-ever playoff goal while Laurent Brossoit kicked out 31 shots for the Golden Knights. The series moves to Winnipeg for Games 3 and 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers was sidelined for the second straight game. He’s been out of the lineup since April 11 with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Joe Pavelski will not travel with the Stars as they head to Minnesota for Games 3 and 4 of their first-round series. The 38-year-old winger remains sidelined in concussion protocol. Head coach Pete DeBoer remains hopeful that Pavelski can return to the lineup later in the series.

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason accused some of the Dallas Stars of embellishment during their first two games of the first-round series. “It’s a fine line because we don’t dive. The Minnesota Wild don’t dive,” he said. Meanwhile, it’s unclear if sidelined Wild centers Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman will be ready for Game 3 tonight.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron remains questionable for Game 3 of his club’s series with the Florida Panthers. The 37-year-old remains sidelined by an upper-body injury suffered during the club’s final regular-season game in Montreal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Many fans and pundits wondered why Bergeron played in what was a meaningless game before the playoffs began. It has since emerged that he wanted to play in front of his father in Montreal for what might be the last time as his dad is currently battling cancer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: New York Islanders coach Lane Lambert is struggling with limited options to replace sidelined defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper-body) in his club’s first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lambert said Romanov is getting closer to returning to action but didn’t indicate when he’ll be back.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Kings hope to avoid the slow starts that plagued them during the first two games of their series with the Edmonton Oilers. They overcame a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 overtime win in Game 1 and rallied to tie the second game 2-2 before falling by a score of 4-2. Game 3 goes tonight in Los Angeles.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Jan Rutta underwent core muscle surgery and is in a recovery period of eight-to-ten weeks.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri called his fourth knee surgery “a quick cleanup” and expects to be ready for training camp in September.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Jason King will not be returning next season.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2023

by | Apr 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2023

What moves should the Blues and Coyotes make this offseason? Is this Matt Dumba’s final season with the Wild? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT SHOULD THE BLUES DO THIS OFFSEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford recently made some suggestions regarding offseason moves for the St. Louis Blues.

One was trading Torey Krug or Nick Leddy if there’s any interest in them this summer provided they’re willing to waive their no-trade clauses. It would help the cap-strapped Blues and allow younger defensemen more playing time during the club’s roster retooling.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given their ages (32) and contract terms, that could be easier said than done. The oft-injured Krug carries an average annual value of $6.5 million through 2026-27 while Leddy’s is $4 million through 2025-26.

Leddy seems the easiest to move but that depends on whether there’s a market for him and if he’ll agree to be traded.

Colton Parayko popped up in trade rumors this season but nothing materialized. It seems unlikely that the Blues will move him because they’d need to find a suitable replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parayko also has a full no-trade clause. It was rumored that he’d only waive it for the Edmonton Oilers as his hometown is St. Albert, Alberta. If so, forget about moving him anytime soon.

Rutherford also suggested a contract buyout for Marco Scandella if they fail to move Krug or Leddy. He has one season left on his contract worth $3.275 million. A buyout would save them $2 million for 2023-24 and $1 million the following season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could be their best option if they can’t move Krug or Leddy or find a trade partner for Scandella.

WHAT WILL THE COYOTES DO THIS SUMMER?

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan recently looked at several questions facing the Arizona Coyotes this summer.

One of them was what this year’s draft will provide the Coyotes. They have 12 picks in this year’s draft, including two first-rounders, four in the third round, and two in each of rounds five and six. They also have a total of 47 picks over the next four drafts.

Morgan doesn’t expect they’ll trade either of this year’s first-rounders. However, they do have the pieces with their other picks to trade for a young prospect or existing NHL player.

There’s also the possibility of a trade on the draft floor. Morgan noted that Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz drew plenty of interest leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes could be a team to monitor as the opening day of the draft (June 28) approaches. General manager Bill Armstrong could look at packaging some of those picks (other than his 2023 first-rounders) for a young player who can help accelerate their rebuild.

Morgan speculated that Schmaltz might fetch them another first-rounder. It’s not a far-fetched suggestion given how often his name surfaced in the rumor mill before the trade deadline.

IS DUMBA’S TENURE WITH THE WILD DRAWING TO A CLOSE?

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Sarah McLellan reports this year’s playoffs could be the final leg of Matt Dumba’s 10 seasons with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With the Wild facing a salary-cap crunch this summer, he’s unlikely to be re-signed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is probably Dumba’s final season with the Wild. His name frequently surfaced in trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the March 3 deadline.