The Chicago Blackhawks have set themselves up for a youth movement, but that comes with a tricky side effect, as, eventually, there is not room for everyone. With a wave of forward prospects pushing toward the NHL and several veteran contracts expiring in 2026, the Hawks may soon have to choose between bringing back Jason Dickinson or Ilya Mikheyev, as pointed out by Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times . Both are pending free agents, both are trusted in defensive situations, and bot...
The Calgary Flames are sinking fast with a 5-13-2 record, and as the standings worsen, the trade market is circling. According to TSN insider Pierre LeBrun , Blake Coleman has unexpectedly become the player rival teams are calling about most frequently. LeBrun reported on Insider Trading that multiple clubs have reached out to general manager Craig Conroy to express their interest, hoping Calgary might be open to discussions closer to the March 6 trade deadline . Despite the noise,...
Keep an eye on the Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks, as the two teams could be linking up in the near future to make a trade. The Hurricanes are in the market for a defenceman and the Sharks have a surplus on their back end, so the stars could align for both general managers. Carolina has been keeping close tabs on the waiver wire, but missed out on some of the previous talent that went through, so now have been rumored to have ramped up talks on the trade front. Hurricanes GM Eric Tuls...
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of heat on them as they are second-last in the NHL and are below .500. Injuries and poor play haven't helped them, but this is a team that is expected to, at the very least, make the playoffs and have a chance of going on a run. They have the stars to do so and have made the playoffs for many years in a row at this point. David Pagnotta reported, "They've been looking for a puck mover on the back-end, that seems to be amplified a little bit more...and a top-6...
It is abundantly clear that the Edmonton Oilers need goaltending. Calvin Pickard should be done at the NHL level, given his season so far, and Stuart Skinner can't seem to hold down the net as a good enough starter during the regular season and some of the playoffs for Edmonton. There will be goalies available as there have been during the season and the offseason the last number of years that the Oilers have missed out on. They can't afford to do that anymore if they want to be competitive. T...
Despite back-to-back impressive wins, the Buffalo Sabres once again find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Comference standings, in real danger of extending their league-record playoff drought to 15 seasons. That has the vultures circling again. Even star center Tage Thompson hasn’t been immune from the trade talk this time around. But insider Elliotte Friedman, on his 32 Thoughts podcast , has reiterated what we’ve been hearing, that the Sabres have no intention of trading T...
The Detroit Red Wings are still holding their own 1/4 of the way through the season and are second in their division with a record of 11-7-1, having won five of their last 10 games. Whether they are competing or not, there are a couple of players they'd like to get rid of to clear out cap space and roster spots for the youth or new players. David Pagnotta said, "If this is where the team is going to be...a wildcard bubble team...the more we're going to hear of guys like JT Compher and Andrew C...
The Ottawa Senators are suddenly scrambling for help on the left side of their defence, and one name keeps coming up. With Thomas Chabot sidelined for at least a couple of weeks and Donovan Sebrango claimed on waivers earlier this season, general manager Steve Staios has been working the phones looking for a left-shot defender. The goal is not a splashy top-four addition, but a steady depth option who can help in Belleville and be ready for call-ups. That is exactly where a potential Vil...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are running out of runway to keep pretending everything is fine. An uneven start, injuries to key names and a five game skid have pushed trade talk back to the front burner, and the big question around the league is starting to become: are the Leafs actually willing to start trading players, or is this just noise. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has made it clear that management prefers “hockey trades” right now, roster for roster instead of burning more futur...
The Nashville Predators can't hide the fact that this team just isn't going to compete for the Stanley Cup or the playoffs. It is time for them to rebuild, as the retool hasn't worked. To do that, some of the top sellable pieces will have to be traded. This includes the top players who signed last offseason. David Pagnotta said, "I do think both Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault are willing, will be willing, to move to a top-tier contender." Stamkos and Marchessault are both Stanley Cup...
The Montreal Canadiens are starting to come back down to Earth after a very good start to the season. As it has gone in many recent seasons, injuries have already caught up to them. Patrik Laine has already been out of the lineup and has played just five games, but it was announced that two players have undergone surgeries and another is out with a different injury. It was reported that Alex Newhook will miss four months after undergoing surgery for a fractured ankle. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle a...
Finding adequate defensemen in the NHL is usually more difficult than having forwards who can do the job. Even with fewer roster spots for d-men, there are always teams looking for defensive upgrades, not only for playoff runs, but in general. Four teams are expected to be in the hunt this season. Christ Johnston reported, "I could be Toronto, it could be Utah's a team looking for a top-4. Edmonton could be in that market. Vegas will be in that market...that could be a team I think will be sho...
The New Jersey Devils have entered crisis mode after losing superstar Jack Hughes for roughly eight weeks. Hughes suffered a serious finger injury in what the team called a freak accident at a team dinner, requiring surgery and leaving New Jersey without its leading scorer. The timing could not be worse for a team that opened the season 12-4-1 and climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference. Internal replacement options exist, but they do not inspire confidence, and pressure is heavy to...
The Los Angeles Kings got their most important bit of business done early, securing the Adrian Kempe extension that fans have been waiting on. The 29-year-old winger has agreed to an eight-year, 85 million dollar contract that carries a 10.625 million dollar cap hit and runs through the 2033-34 season. For a team bracing for captain Anze Kopitar’s looming retirement, locking in their best goal scorer was non-negotiable, and general manager Ken Holland finally pushed it across the line. K...
Former Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf became an unrestricted free agent on Friday following his clearing of unconditional waivers and having his contract terminated. And while the Vancouver Canucks were able to sign him to a one-year deal, it appears that another Canadian rival was also interested in signing the veteran center. According to Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canad a, the Montreal Canadiens made an effort as well, but the Canucks were the frontrunners all the wa...
Jack Hughes can't catch a break. The New Jersey Devils announced on Saturday, Hughes underwent surgery on his pinky finger, and is expected to be out for two months. He'll be re-evaluated in six weeks to confirm his timelines. Hughes was injured in a freak accident at a team dinner recently, as his injury woes continue. Hughes, 24, has appeared in 17 games this season, scoring 10 times and adding 10 assists. Hughes has yet to play an 80-game season throughout his career and has only dres...
The Nashville Predators are in advanced trade talks with multiple teams at the moment, as GM Barry Trotz is pondering roster changes. The Preds, once again, haven't met expectations this season and there's an impending fire sale brewing. Unrestricted free-agent forward Michael Bunting is drawing a ton of interest from other teams, as the pesky forward is a great middle-six option, who can move up to the top line in spurts. Bunting is signed for this season at $4.5 million AAV and does not hold...
Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford continues to be open about the eventual departure of captain Quinn Hughes. Rutherford recently held a press conference and touched on Hughes' future, stating even if Hughes does leave, the Canucks aren't looking for a full rebuild. Rutherford admitted that in any big trade, the Canucks would be prioritizing NHL players over picks and prospects. So, with that being said, if Hughes winds up dealt to his dream destination of the New Jersey Devils to team...
At this point, almost everyone knows that the Edmonton Oilers need better goaltending, but it isn't always that easy to come by. Some of the highest-paid goaltenders are sub-.900 SV%, while others are unexpectedly playing great, season after season. One thing remains the same though. The Oilers' goaltending brings them down. The Oilers have made attempts to get goalies who have been traded in recent years, but to no avail. At this point, it is very much needed as Calvin Pickard appears to be d...
The Nashville Predators are hanging on by a thread and it could snap at any moment. After the disastrous 2024-25 season that has carried over into this season, the Predators are on the verge of becoming sellers and going into a rebuild after a failed attempt at competing. The team is third-last in the NHL with a record of 6-9-4, despite winning the first game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Sweden. There have been plenty of players mentioned as trade candidates, including Ryan O'Reilly, Ste...
It is no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs have to do something to get some life into the team and make the playoffs in the first year without Mitch Marner. Whether that comes with a big move or a few smaller roster-shifting moves, something has to and is going to get done eventually. The Calgary Flames are last in the NHL and should absolutely sell what they can. They aren't winning with the core they have. The proof is in the last few years of failed attempts to make the playoffs. These ar...
The Minnesota Wild are rumored to be open for business as GM Bill Guerin is looking to make significant upgrades to his roster. The Wild enter Saturday's action with a 7-7-4 record, and are having serious issues scoring goals. Hockey insider Frank Seravalli recently commented on the Wild and mentioned Guerin's intentions: Frank Seravalli: Re Wild: Bill Guerin in general is relatively aggressive, at some point this season you'll probably see him make a move; they need more scoring help - Flames...
Like a house of cards waiting to collapse. That’s essentially how insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period describes the Calgary Flames right now. Everyone around the league is keeping a close eye on the Flames, who continue to bring up the rear in the NHL, with just 12 points, at 5-12-2, in an extremely disappointing start to the season. Names like Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman have been circulating like wildfire, but Pagnotta told Jeff Marek on The Sheet that...
The St. Louis Blues are not a good team this season and it is going to take quite a bit to turn things around so that the GM doesn't start to have to make significant changes. The Blues are stuck in the middle while having too many tradeable veterans in places where the youth can step in and step up to take over once they're gone. It makes sense for a retool because this isn't a team likely to rebuild at this stage. The Blues are in talks with teams, as it would be odd if GMs don't call and se...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are not in a great spot behind the pack in the Eastern Conference and a lot of things just aren't quite right this season. Between injuries, the defensive system, and players needing to play better or step up, there is a lot that needs to change. The Maple Leafs are expected to be in the playoffs every season and there are a ton of eyes on them before even factoring in that it is the first season without Mitch Marner after tons of criticism. Trades have surrounded the t...