The NHL rumor mill had a busy day, and three situations stood out: Florida’s aggressive push for Connor Hellebuyck, Boston’s attempt to pry Filip Hronek out of Vancouver, and the still-unresolved contract talks between Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Florida’s interest in Hellebuyck was especially striking because of the size of the package it reportedly put on the table. Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that the Panthers were willing to send Evan Rodrigues, the draft picks they used to acquire Brady Tkachuk - including the ninth and 25th overall picks in 2026 - plus another roster player, though not Anton Lundell.
For a goalie, that’s a massive swing. The Panthers had lost Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov to free agency and were clearly hunting for help in net.
What makes the Hellebuyck chatter even more interesting is that those assets are no longer sitting in Florida’s pocket. The broader league picture, according to the rumblings, is that plenty of teams are in the same boat: the pieces they once could have used in a deal are already gone. That leaves the Jets in a tricky spot when it comes to finding what they’d consider a fair return.
Boston, meanwhile, was also taking a big swing on the trade market. In a recent episode of “Behind the B,” the Bruins accidentally gave a look behind the curtain, with a whiteboard in the background showing the PuckPedia trade tool and revealing their offer for Hronek. The Bruins were prepared to send prospect Liam Pettersson and two of their own first-round picks.
That offer tells you plenty about how the Bruins viewed the blue line market this summer. They were linked to defensemen like Darnell Nurse and Rasmus Andersson as well, and while they did add Will Borgen, that move doesn’t sound like the kind of headline-grabber they were chasing.
For Vancouver, Hronek remains one of the players they have little interest in moving despite the teardown around him. He’s viewed as a possible next captain, has been strong individually, and appears happy to stay put.
The Blue Jackets’ situation with Fantilli has been slower-moving, but no less important. He still hasn’t signed, and with training camp already four days in, the delay is becoming more noticeable.
Aaron Portzline reported on the first episode of the Bobby Mac & Porty Show that Fantilli was unwilling to negotiate a new deal before reaching restricted free agency. The exact reason isn’t clear, whether he was looking for an offer sheet, more comparable contracts, or something else, but the intent was to get into the offseason unsigned.
That doesn’t mean he wants out of Columbus. It does mean the sides have yet to close the gap. Friedman added on the same podcast, “[Fantilli] had a target in mind for some time, and they just haven’t really budged from it…to this point, Columbus is not there.”
There may be room to work now that comparable deals for Cutter Gauthier, Connor Bedard, and Leo Carlsson are in the mix, but the basic reality hasn’t changed: negotiations are still ongoing, camp is moving on, and one side is eventually going to have to give.
In Other News...
Bruins Camp Opens With One Absence And A Heartbreaking Loss
The Bruins have opened camp with the usual early fall rhythm of sessions, scrimmages and line combinations that stay largely intact from one day to the next. There is, however, one personnel change already on the board: Billy Sweezey is dealing with an upper-body injury, which has created an opening for Dylan Mackinnon to join the camp roster as Boston starts sorting through its depth and conditioning work before the preseason games begin.
The bigger news, though, has nothing to do with a lineup card. The organization is mourning the death of Alex Gimenez, who had just been hired in July as the teams director of hockey operations for the collective bargaining agreement, a loss that has cast a shadow over the first days of camp. Around the league, there have been other notable storylines involving familiar names, but for the Bruins, this week has been defined first by that absence off the ice and the reminder that some things matter far beyond the competition for roster spots. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Prospect Dan Locmelis Is Already Facing A Tough Camp Reality
Bostons training camp has barely had time to breathe, and that makes every day of evaluation feel a little sharper for the Bruins. With a shortened preseason and a quick turn to the regular season opener, the club is already sorting through the bottom of the roster, where young players have less margin for error and fewer exhibition games to make an impression.
For Dan Locmelis, that reality is setting in fast. The prospect is in the mix, but the Bruins have roster flexibility with him that they do not have with some others, and that could shape where he starts the season if the club decides he is better served in Providence. For now, Boston is still working through those decisions as the preseason moves along, and Locmelis is one of the names most affected by how little time there is to sort it all out. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Camp Just Gave Fans A Real Early Roster Test
The Bruins used a short training camp scrimmage Thursday to squeeze in an early roster look before their first preseason game, and it brought all 49 players at camp onto the ice. The session was split into two groups and had the feel of a first small sorting exercise, the kind that can start to separate the bodies from the names as camp moves toward more serious lineup decisions.
The workout also offered a minor health check, with Billy Sweezey back after missing one day because of an upper-body injury. Group A came out on top in the 30-minute run, getting the deciding goal late from Navrin Mutter on a setup by Brendan Gaunce, a tidy camp moment that at least gives the staff one more name to think about as the preseason opens. [Read more 🡒]