The Edmonton Oilers may have a Darnell Nurse trade on the table, but the real wrinkle is how much salary would go with him. According to David Pagnotta on Hello Hockey, the retention piece depends on where Nurse lands.
“My understanding if this trade does happen with the Ducks, there would be no salary retention. I think there is retention in place if he goes to Philly…I don’t think it’s overly significant”
In Detroit, the Patrick Kane question is still alive, even after Steve Yzerman opened the door a little wider on the future of Dylan Larkin. Helene St.
James of the Detroit Free Press reported that Yzerman confirmed over the weekend that Larkin requested a trade shortly after the Red Wings’ season ended, while also saying he wouldn’t guarantee that Larkin would be traded. That leaves Kane’s situation in the mix, since the pending UFA is someone Yzerman said they’d love to have back next year.
Kane finished last season with 16 goals and 57 points, and he had 21 goals and 59 points in 72 games the year before. After the season, Kane said he’d like to come back and be a part of the solution, though that was before Larkin’s trade request became public.
He’s also been on two straight one-year deals, both signed on June 30, the day before free agency.
In New York, the Rangers appear set to keep Alexis Lafreniere rather than use him as a trade chip. Peter Baugh and Vincent Z.
Mercogliano of The Athletic reported that two league sources said Lafreniere is expected to remain with the Rangers going into next season. The team is still chasing more scoring up front, but not at the expense of subtracting one.
There hasn’t been much noise around Braden Schneider’s contract talks either. Heading into draft weekend, sources said discussions with the pending RFA’s camp had been quiet.
The Rangers did look into moving him, but they weren’t interested in draft picks. Their focus is on landing a young, offensive forward.
Potential names for New York could include Ville Heinola, a puck-moving defenseman, and Beck Malenstyn for the bottom six, though Malenstyn re-signed with the Sabres this morning. The Rangers are also looking for a fourth-line center to replace Sam Carrick, who was traded to Buffalo at the deadline.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Can Feel Another Drury Twist Coming After Dorofeyev
Pavel Dorofeyev is in the door as part of the Rangers roster retooling, and for a front office that has already shown a willingness to keep adjusting the pieces, it feels like the start of a larger summer rather than the finish. Chris Drurys name remains attached to plenty of the speculation around what comes next, especially with free agency approaching and New York still weighing the kinds of additions that can deepen the lineup without forcing a bigger reset.
Mats Zuccarello keeps hovering in the background as a possible reunion, while Beck Malenstyn and Mason Marchment have also surfaced as types of players who could fit what the Rangers are trying to build. The uncertainty is part of the story now because Drury has not made himself available to explain where the club stands, and until he does, the sense around the team is that another move could arrive quickly or the board could stay still a little longer. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Wont Like Which Current Piece Just Entered Trade Buzz
Trade chatter around the league usually starts to take on a different feel once teams begin sorting out their own roster plans, and that is where the Capitals and Flyers have found themselves. Washingtons GM Chris Patrick confirmed he has spoken with the agents for Brandon Duhaime and Trevor van Riemsdyk, though he would not say whether either player is set to return, while Kevin Weekes reported the Capitals are still hunting for a defenseman and forward depth and have interest in pending UFA Boone Jenner.
For Rangers fans, the more relevant part is how quickly these offseason conversations can spill into broader trade buzz around the league. The Flyers have their own contract questions to settle with Rasmus Ristolainen, and NHL trade target lists are already starting to surface names tied to notable contenders, including pieces that could easily draw attention from New York if the market keeps heating up. [Read more 🡒]
Alexis Lafrenieres Rangers Future Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
Alexis Lafrenires name has surfaced in the kind of offseason chatter that always follows a disappointing stretch for a player with his profile, and it has naturally pulled the Rangers into the conversation. Reports suggest some analysts have floated him as a trade candidate, while the team has done what front offices often do this time of year and quietly gauged the market as part of broader due diligence rather than a sign of an imminent move.
The timing is what makes the discussion interesting in New York. Lafrenire has one season left before a modified no-trade clause kicks in, so the window for any real decision is getting tighter whether the Rangers intend to use it or not. For now, the sense around the situation is that the club is weighing options, other names are in the trade mix too, and Lafrenire remains more a topic of speculation than a player on the block. [Read more 🡒]