The NHL’s latest trade chatter brought a little of everything on September 24, 2026: a depth pickup in goal for Ottawa, a lingering name to watch in Edmonton, and a salary-cap jump that could reshape the league’s spending power in a big way.
Ottawa addressed a hole in its goaltending depth by landing Jonas Johansson from Tampa Bay for future considerations. It’s a modest move, but one that fits the moment.
Johansson posted a .884 save percentage in 25 games last season, and while those numbers don’t jump off the page, he brings plenty of NHL mileage after stops in Buffalo, Colorado, Florida, and Tampa. He has already cleared waivers, so Ottawa gets him without any extra hassle.
The Senators needed the help after losing Leevi Meriläinen on waivers to Vancouver. That left a vacancy, and Johansson slides in as a low-cost answer. It’s not the kind of transaction that changes a team’s ceiling, but it does plug a real depth issue before the season gets rolling.
The bigger buzz around the league is still centered on Kirby Dach. He’s currently battling for a spot in Montreal, and Edmonton’s interest has been tied to him for months.
The obvious assumption was that the Oilers wanted to pair him with his brother, Colton, in their hometown. But Frank Seravalli says that isn’t the real reason Edmonton is circling.
According to Seravalli, the key figure is Stan Bowman, who drafted Dach third overall in Chicago and still believes injuries have been the main thing standing between Dach and a much higher level of play. Edmonton and Calgary have both reportedly been waiting on Montreal, hoping the Canadiens’ asking price eventually comes down.
Montreal, though, is not expected to simply hand him over. The Canadiens sent a clear signal this summer when they turned Dach’s qualifying offer into a two-way deal, a move that suggests the team wanted to push his price down.
Dach has said he isn’t feeling added pressure and is focused on the basics. Still, with Edmonton apparently ready to strike if the opportunity opens up, this is a situation that could pop at any point - this season, at the deadline, or even in free agency.
Then comes the financial news, and it’s the kind that could change how the league does business for years. Elliotte Friedman reported that the salary cap is projected to rise from $104 million this season to $127.5 million by 2028-29. That’s a $23 million increase in three years, and it’s a massive shift for a league that has spent years working within tighter limits.
Gary Bettman pegged league revenue at about $8.1 billion for the coming season, and that growth is driving the cap spike. For teams already spending big on young stars - Anaheim, San Jose, and Colorado with Carlsson, Celebrini, and Makar - the extra room is a huge relief. Edmonton also stands to benefit, especially with McDavid’s contract set to expire after 2027-28, right as the cap could be climbing to a much higher level.
On the other side of the ledger, smaller-market clubs that already struggle to reach the cap floor are going to feel even more pressure. The takeaway is simple: bigger contracts are coming, and the numbers attached to them may get eye-opening fast.
In Other News...
Former Canadiens Are Suddenly Fighting For Their NHL Futures
A cluster of familiar names hit waivers on Sept. 25, turning what is usually a routine roster squeeze into a reminder of how quickly NHL careers can shift. Joshua Roy, Jordan Harris, Sean Farrell and Corey Schueneman were among the players exposed, and for Canadiens fans, the list carries extra weight because these are all skaters who had been part of Montreals pipeline or recent roster picture.
Roy, Harris and Farrell had already been moved on from by Montreal earlier this offseason or in recent years, which makes this latest round of roster churn feel less like a surprise than a checkpoint. Add in Marc Del Gaizo and William Trudeau, both of whom were with the Laval Rocket last season and were placed on waivers by the New York Rangers, and the wider picture gets clearer: former Canadiens and recent organization pieces are suddenly fighting to keep their NHL paths alive. [Read more 🡒]
Florian Xhekaj Is Making The Canadiens Opening Night Decision Tough
Florian Xhekaj has turned a straightforward roster conversation into one of the more interesting camp questions around the Canadiens. Nick Suzuki and Phillip Danault have both offered strong backing for the young forward, pointing to the way he plays and, in Danaults case, the faceoff ability that can matter so much when coaches start sorting out the bottom of the lineup. Around the organization, the support has been building too, with Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis also noting his consistency and presence.
For a player trying to force his way onto the opening-night roster, that kind of attention matters, especially this late in camp. Xhekaj has given the Canadiens enough to think about that the decision no longer looks routine, and the preseason finale now looms as the place where he can make one last impression before the final call is made. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Are Suddenly In A Crowded Race For A Scorer
The Canadiens have already been tied to the search for a second-line center, with Winnipegs Mark Scheifele surfacing as a possible answer for that need. It is the kind of hockey-month chatter that usually follows a team trying to sharpen its middle six, and Montreal is not alone in watching the market closely as other clubs angle for help down the middle and on the wing.
Kirill Marchenko has become another name drawing attention from around the league, with the Oilers, Maple Leafs, Bruins and others showing interest, which helps explain why this forward market has started to feel crowded in a hurry. Edmontons interest in Montreal forward Kirby Dach is also part of the backdrop, and with no official trades announced yet, the Canadiens remain in the middle of a wider scramble that could shape how this group looks going forward. [Read more 🡒]