The Utah Mammoth have a fit in mind if they go after Simon Edvinsson, and the logic is easy to see. Frank Seravalli said on Sports 1440 that the Detroit Red Wings defenseman makes a lot of sense for Utah because he could slide right onto the second pair and give their blue line a needed boost. Seravalli also pointed to Utah as one of only two teams - Montreal being the other - with the picks, prospects and players to swing a deal for Edvinsson and Larkin in one trade.
In Los Angeles, the Kings have at least done their homework on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. The Kings are winless to start the season and have only $2 million in salary cap space, so any move would have to be carefully structured. Their goaltending hasn’t helped matters: Darcy Kuemper has struggled, and he’s in the final year of his contract carrying a $5.25 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause.
The Fourth Period reported that the Kings have been loosely linked to Hellebuyck, though it’s unclear whether talks have picked up. Hellebuyck has a no-movement clause, but he is willing to waive it for certain teams.
Frank Seravalli added that GM Ken Holland has checked on the cost, and that the Jets are looking for a package including at least one NHL-calibre forward. In that kind of deal, Alex Laferriere could be part of the return, along with prospects and at least one first-round pick.
Seravalli also raised the bigger question around the Kings’ start. If they end up at, say, 1-8-2, giving up a 2027 first-round pick could become a tough call.
The team has already been without Kevin Fiala and Mats Zuccarello, and that has not helped the 0-3-2 start. Through five games, Kuemper and Anton Forsberg have combined for a .848 save percentage, and that number has to climb.
Hellebuyck could change the outlook in a hurry, but there’s still the matter of whether he would want to go there.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild face a tricky cap question of their own. Seravalli said AFP Analytics projects Jesper Wallstedt’s next contract at $8 million over five years, though it could come in higher.
Even at that number, the Wild would be looking at $14.8 million tied up in Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson for four more years. If Quinn Hughes lands around $20 million, the math only gets tighter.
And around Philadelphia, Tyson Foerster has become a name that other teams are watching, but probably not one that’s realistically available. Teams have been wondering about him, yet it sounds like he belongs on the Flyers’ untouchable list.
In Other News...
Kings Early Season Spiral Is Raising A Bigger Concern
Alex Laferriere gave the Kings exactly the start they wanted at Crypto.com Arena, scoring 31 seconds into the game against Boston. It was the kind of quick strike that can settle a team into a rhythm, but the lead did not last, and Los Angeles spent the rest of the night chasing a game it never fully got back under control.
The 4-1 loss was the Kings sixth straight to open the 2026-2027 season, another frustrating step in a start that has already begun to raise bigger questions about how quickly this group can stabilize. Now the schedule turns immediately to a five-game road trip, beginning against the Capitals, with little time for the Kings to sort out what is slipping away before the trip gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Give Taylor Ward Another Chance With Boston Coming In
The Kings shuffled their roster again before welcoming the Boston Bruins, bringing Taylor Ward back up to the NHL group after he had recently cleared waivers and been assigned to Ontario. Ward joined practice with the club, another reminder of how often he has moved between Los Angeles and the AHL in previous seasons as the organization keeps looking for the right fit on the roster.
Jared Wright, meanwhile, was sent back to AHL Ontario after another brief NHL stint, leaving the Kings to adjust their lineup on the fly once more. For a team trying to manage the bottom of the roster while staying ready for a heavy opponent, the next call-up or reassignment can come quickly, and Ward now gets another opportunity to make his case. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Depth Shuffle Ahead Of Boston Raises A Bigger Roster Question
The Kings made another small but meaningful roster tweak before facing Boston, recalling winger Taylor Ward from AHL Ontario and sending Jared Wright back to the Reign. It is the kind of move that can look routine on paper, but for a team juggling depth and lineup flexibility, it also says plenty about how close the back end of the roster remains in flux.
Ward is getting his first NHL recall of the season after clearing waivers last month, while Wright has now been assigned to the minors for the second time this week. Even so, this may not be a long-term demotion for Wright, since there is still a chance he comes back up again soon after getting into a game tonight, leaving the Kings with a familiar question about who is truly sticking and who is simply passing through. [Read more 🡒]