A few familiar names keep surfacing around the NHL rumor mill, and the latest chatter touches everything from Alex Ovechkin’s future in Washington to trade possibilities in Montreal, Winnipeg, Colorado and Carolina.
The biggest uncertainty centers on Ovechkin. Darren Dreger said on TSN OverDrive that, based on how active Chris Patrick and the Capitals have been, “Just how active Chris Patrick and the Capitals have been, all indications are he’s not , but we don’t know that officially yet.”
In Montreal, the Canadiens explored Mason Marchment, but only up to a point. Pierre LeBrun reported that the Canadiens were interested in Marchment, though they were not willing to commit long-term and block players. Eric Engels added that Montreal’s best path to improving this offseason is through trades rather than free agency.
Winnipeg’s goaltending situation also remains part of the rumor conversation. Nick Kypreos said on Sportsnet that the likely Hellebuyck scenario would involve Buffalo sending “Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jack Quinn …to the Jets.
The Jets’ original ask was for Zach Benson, but the Sabres haven’t been willing to go there.” Dreger also noted that the Jets signing Stuart Skinner to a two-year deal with a $3.75 million cap hit does not mean a Hellebuyck trade is around the corner.
He described Skinner as “a good insurance goalie, or a backup to Hellebuyck.”
Out in Colorado, the Avalanche sound ready to keep their powder dry and build cap space for later. Evan Rawal reported that Joe Sakic basically said the team is done, adding: “We have a little bit of cap space that we’re just going to try and accumulate over the course of the year, see how much money we can save for the deadline.”
Carolina is still shopping for help on the back end. David Pagnotta said the Hurricanes were actively looking at the defenseman market yesterday.
And one more name to watch: Alexander Nikishin. Dreger said on TSN’s Free Agent Frenzy that he believes Nikishin is “likely ending up in the West; I know St. Louis was a contender.”
In Other News...
Frederik Andersen Is Leaving Carolina With One Big Goalie Question
Frederik Andersens departure leaves Carolina with a familiar offseason task and a little less certainty in goal. Andersen had been part of the Hurricanes recent core in net, but his next stop is now settled on a one-year deal that gives Edmonton some flexibility on the contract side while keeping the cap hit manageable. For Carolina, the more immediate question is how the crease looks without him and what kind of answer the front office wants to find next.
The wrinkle is that Edmonton did not stop with Andersen. The Oilers also brought in Devon Levi from Buffalo, and with Tristan Jarry expected to stay put, they now have three goalies under contract. For the Hurricanes, that kind of movement only sharpens the attention on the market ahead, because once a veteran like Andersen is gone, the ripple effect can reach well beyond one roster spot. [Read more 🡒]