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...
Flyers Youth Just Changed The Feel Around This Losing Streak
The Flyers finally broke through Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, and the mood around the room shifted with it. A nine-game losing streak can make every shift feel heavier than it should, but this one was built on the kind of energy the club has been trying to lean into, with Matvei Michkov supplying offense and rookie Oliver Bonk seeing meaningful ice time as Philadelphia got contributions from up and down the lineup.
Dan Vladar was steady enough to let the young group breathe, turning away chance after chance while the Flyers protected the lead and played with a little more conviction than they had during the skid. Michkov's power play finish gave the team the kind of lift it needed, and the bigger question now is whether this was just one clean night or the start of the kind of reset this roster has been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Lose Another Key Forward As Early Scoring Pressure Builds
The early season injury churn around the league is already reshaping lineups, and Philadelphia has its own concern in the mix with Owen Tippett sitting out because of an upper-body injury. The Flyers have leaned on his speed and scoring threat through the opening stretch, so any absence there matters, especially for a team trying to establish some early offensive pressure and avoid falling behind in the standings.
Tippett was a game-time decision before ultimately not dressing, leaving the Flyers to absorb another blow up front without one of their more important wingers. He has one goal and one assist in nine games this season, a reminder of how much Philadelphia has been counting on him to drive chances while the rest of the forward group tries to fill the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Offensive Struggles Are Raising A Bigger Question Up Front
The early offensive returns have only deepened the sense that the Flyers are still searching for a real play-driving presence up front. Through the first stretch of the season, they have had a hard time finishing chances, and the attack has been stuck in a familiar place, with too many nights where two goals is close to the ceiling rather than the baseline. Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster and Trevor Zegras have all been part of that conversation, not because they have been singled out for blame, but because each has been asked to help lift a group that still lacks a clear high-end scorer.
Christian Dvorak fits into the same broader question, which is whether the current roster is made up mostly of useful complementary pieces who need a more dynamic linemate to look their best. The Flyers can survive stretches like this if the overall team game stays tight, but the bigger concern is what happens when the offense needs someone to tilt the ice and there is no obvious answer on the roster. For now, that leaves the front office and coaching staff weighing whether the fix is internal growth, a new combination, or something more significant up front. [Read more 🡒]