The NHL trade market may be quiet, but Buffalo sounds ready to make noise.
According to the reporting in the source, the Sabres are pushing for a blockbuster deal to solve their goaltending issue, with Connor Hellebuyck at the center of the chatter. The key word there is “pursuit” - and as the source notes, that’s not the same thing as saying a deal is close.
Buffalo wants him. The real question is whether they’re willing to pay what it takes.
Elsewhere on the goalie market, Shayna Goldman of The Athletic took a deep look at Carolina Hurricanes RFA Alexander Nikishin, breaking down the stats, charts, new contract ask, and projected value. It’s the kind of evaluation that gives teams a clearer sense of what they’d be buying if they jump in.
The free-agent board has also started to narrow for Patrik Kane. Mark Lazerus reported that his options are down to two teams: Chicago, where he’d be returning to his hockey home, or Buffalo, his real hometown.
That leaves Detroit in a tough spot, and Kevin Allen wrote that the Red Wings need more than draft picks and futures if they’re going to replace what they’d lose. The source says Dylan Larkin is still a Red Wing, but the message is clear: Detroit wants a full NHL trade package.
In Philadelphia, the fallout from the Carlsson situation continues to shape the conversation. Will James handled a heavy mailbag from Flyers fans, with the source making a point that some of them were at least not writing in crayon.
And in Washington, Alex Ovechkin’s beer-loving fans got a little extra attention after he signed his new contract. The source says Ovechkin heard about the Wednesday gathering in his honor and then did what you’d expect from the Great 8: he downed a couple with the boys.
Back in Pittsburgh, the focus is on the Penguins’ next move, and the organization is still sorting through its own identity. Vince Comunale looked at the recent run of one-and-done alternate jerseys, while another piece in the source pushed for a different kind of rebuild altogether - not the splashy chase for big names, but the “boring” version. It’s a stance that fits the moment, especially with the Penguins’ prospect pool still hard to pin down.
That group is deep, but not easy to rank. The source points to a mix of players at very different stages: Liam and Markus Ruck as prospects still a few years out, Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty as players on their last chance, and Bill Zonnon as one of the closer names who still fits the pure-potential category. A top-20 list is coming this week, though the source admits the challenge is figuring out how to compare such a varied bunch.
And then there’s the annual Wellsboro trip, which is about to pull attention away from hockey for a few days. The routine is familiar: a likely Penguins transaction, a drive through the Appalachian hills, lunch at the chrome Wellsboro Diner, a hike through the PA Grand Canyon, a $7 movie and $2 popcorn at a 100-year-old theater, a couple nights in the 150-year-old hotel where Groucho Marx once stayed, and maybe an afternoon wine tasting on the Finger Lakes if there’s time.
The town itself gets a full endorsement too, with its tree-lined streets and original gas lamps. The source even mentions buying AI glasses to record part of the trip - though not to overdo it.
On the Pirates side, the mood has shifted fast. Pittsburgh was sitting at exactly .500 when Milwaukee came to town, and now the club is three games over .500 and back in the wild-card chase.
Danny Demilio called it a statement from the Pirates. The only question left, as the source puts it, is whether anyone can pitch in relief.
In Other News...
Penguins Just Added New WBS Depth With Bigger Implications For Pittsburgh
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have started laying some early groundwork for 2026-27, adding defenseman Brent Johnson and forwards Lucas Ciona and Mark Senden on American Hockey League contracts. It is the kind of depth-building move that often gets overlooked in July, but these are the sorts of players that can shape the organizations day-to-day stability, especially for a club that has long served as an important pipeline for Pittsburgh.
Johnson is coming off a strong rookie season in the ECHL and is still early in his pro career, while Ciona brings a championship background from the WHL and a draft pedigree from Calgary. Senden adds a different layer as a veteran with multiple titles at different levels, giving Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a mix of youth, experience and versatility as the Penguins continue to stock the system, even as season-ticket packages and corporate partnership opportunities for next season are already on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospect Depth Suddenly Looks More Interesting Than Fans Realize
The back end of the Penguins prospect list is starting to look a lot less like filler and a lot more like a real pipeline. In a ranking of the organizations top 20 young players, the names clustered near the bottom still carried enough intrigue to suggest there may be more NHL value here than fans typically expect, especially once the evaluation shifts from draft pedigree to development curve and eventual fit.
Tommy Galvas, Quinn Beauchesne and Finn Harding all fit that theme in different ways, with the analysis weighing ceiling, likelihood and timeline rather than just where they were selected. Galvas brings the appeal of a right-handed offensive defenseman with World Junior production, Harding has already pushed into the AHL picture, and Beauchesne has clearly forced his way into the conversation as the prospect group gets a closer look from the Penguins player-development staff. [Read more 🡒]