The NHL’s trade board has already been shaken up by a wave of big names coming off it, but the noise is far from over. With free agency set to open on Wednesday, teams are still hunting for cap relief, roster fixes, and the kind of swing that can change the league overnight. At the center of it all are five names that would qualify as true blockbusters if they move: Zach Werenski, Dylan Larkin, Connor Hellebuyck, Jason Robertson, and Darnell Nurse.
Dylan Larkin is the first one to break wide open. The Detroit Red Wings captain has asked for a trade, and Steve Yzerman confirmed the request publicly.
Yzerman also said Larkin provided a short list of teams he’d be willing to waive his no-trade clause for, but he didn’t commit to moving him, noting that Larkin still has five years left at $8.7 million per season. Minnesota and Vegas are the teams to watch, though the belief is that Dallas is the destination Larkin would most like.
Connor Hellebuyck is another name that could move soon, and the sense around the league is that a deal may be close. Buffalo and Carolina are the frontrunners, and there were reports that Carolina put together an offer to Winnipeg that included a first-round pick and defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
Buffalo, meanwhile, reportedly laid out a major package of its own, one that included the fourth overall pick, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jack Quinn, and additional assets. Elliotte Friedman said talks between Buffalo and Winnipeg are not dead, even if the two sides remain far apart.
For now, Hellebuyck is still a Jet.
Jason Robertson’s situation took a sharp turn when he turned down an eight-year offer from Seattle worth $15 million per season after Dallas gave the Kraken permission to negotiate. That shut down what would have been a huge trade.
The Stars then spoke with Pittsburgh about a possible deal, and Dallas is said to be looking for a Rantanen-caliber return. Robertson becomes a restricted free agent on July 1, and he’s making it difficult for Dallas to move him.
Whether that means he’s leaning toward a new deal in Dallas or simply has a different plan, the Stars clearly have work to do.
Werenski may be the biggest prize of the bunch. The reigning Norris Trophy winner has drawn interest from Dallas, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Philadelphia, San Jose, and Carolina, with Dallas and Philadelphia described as the most serious suitors.
Toronto remains involved, but the challenge there is assembling a package Columbus would actually accept. Werenski has full control over where he goes, which makes this one of the most unpredictable situations heading into free agency.
Columbus has been slow to move on talks, and other teams are waiting to see what happens because his status could affect the entire market.
Then there’s Darnell Nurse, who has also asked for a trade out of Edmonton. He has given the Oilers a list of three to five teams he’d waive his no-movement clause to join, and the believed teams on that list are Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Boston.
Nothing sounds especially close right now, which leaves Edmonton with a few paths: Nurse could widen the list to include teams such as Anaheim or San Jose, or he could wind up staying put. As of Monday, Anaheim is still interested, San Jose is moving in, and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia remain on his approved list.
In Other News...
Patrick Kane May Be Facing The Choice Sabres Fans Dread
Patrick Kanes next move is shaping up as one of the more intriguing free-agent decisions of the NHL summer, and Buffalo has a real stake in where it lands. The 37-year-old winger is expected to test the market after his season with the Detroit Red Wings, and the Sabres are among the teams believed to have interest as they look for help up front and in a market that doesnt offer many obvious landing spots for a player of his profile.
The wrinkle for Buffalo is the one that has lingered around Kane for years: he is a Buffalo native, which has always given any possible homecoming an extra layer. Reports have linked the Sabres and Maple Leafs to him, with Chicago also in the mix, and the uncertainty only adds to the tension for a fan base that has seen plenty of near-misses. Whether this turns into the long-awaited hometown ending or another pass on Buffalo is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Evan Rodrigues Just Reopened A Familiar Sabres Debate
Evan Rodrigues latest move is the kind that inevitably drags Buffalo back into the conversation, because his NHL path still traces to the Sabres. He originally signed with the organization after going undrafted, spent multiple seasons in the system, and only later became the sort of reliable, versatile forward other teams kept wanting in their lineup. The New Jersey Devils are the latest club to bet on that version of Rodrigues, adding him as part of a trade that also sent Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank to Florida in exchange for Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves.
For Buffalo, the familiar debate is less about the trade itself than what Rodrigues has become since leaving. Hes now a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a player with a track record that looks very different from the one he carried when he was still trying to establish himself in Rochester and beyond. With one year left on his contract before free agency, the next question is whether the Devils got him at the right time and whether Sabres fans are left wondering what might have been if his development arc had played out a little differently in their own sweater. [Read more 🡒]