The Rangers may be the team to watch if their season starts going sideways fast.
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, a bad first quarter could push general manager Chris Drury into making bigger moves than anyone in New York wants to think about right now. And if it gets to that point, Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin could all end up in the conversation.
There’s no sign the Rangers are actively shopping those names, but the pressure would be real if the results turn ugly. Drury has already made major changes to the roster, and this season could wind up being a defining one for the organization.
Connor Hellebuyck is another name floating around the rumor mill, and San Jose has been mentioned as a possible landing spot.
Jamie McLennan made the case that the Sharks should at least take a hard look at the Winnipeg Jets goalie, saying he could speed up the growth of a young team. McLennan pointed to Yaroslav Askarov as part of the equation and suggested Winnipeg could try to land a young goalie who is still learning how to become a true No.
- He also tied the idea to what Anaheim did last year, calling it the kind of path that could make San Jose more dangerous as the group gains experience.
“If I’m San Jose, I take a pretty good hard look at him. They’ve got Askarov there, and that might be a scenario where Winnipeg can get themselves a really good young goaltender who’s just learning to become a number one.
And Hellebuyck might fast-track what’s going on in San Jose. To me, if I’m San Jose, I look at what Anaheim did last year, and I think that’s what is in store for them: a dangerous team that is just getting better with experience.
You add a Hellebuyck in there, it might be very interesting, because San Jose has nothing but cap space and picks and prospects. You can make a pretty good deal there if I’m Kevin Cheveldayoff and Mike Grier.”
Hellebuyck, 33, still has five years left on his seven-year, $59.5 million contract. Last season was a rough one by his standards: a 23-23-11 record, 2.86 goals-against average and .895 save percentage in 57 starts.
He wants a fresh start and is said to have plenty of teams on his preferred list. Whether San Jose is on it is the open question.
In Carolina, the Alexander Nikishin situation has only gotten messier.
Nikishin’s agent has publicly said NHL teams are trying to get involved, but the Hurricanes have not been willing to talk trade. Nikishin reportedly asked for a change of scenery after last season, and now his agent says there is at least one sign-and-trade offer sitting there. The agent also says Nikishin has no intention of going back to the KHL, which leaves him in a tricky spot if Carolina keeps holding firm.
Chris Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show that the Hurricanes don’t have to do anything at all. “They (Canes) don’t have to do anything either, in a sense.
He’s a player in a tough spot. He can’t really do much other than sit out and hope that forces a change.”
Johnston also said Carolina is comfortable with its depth even without Nikishin, despite the 24-year-old having been part of the Hurricanes’ top six last season.
In Edmonton, the Mike Babcock hire has become its own headline, and Bryan Hayes thinks that may be the point.
Hayes said the Oilers may have wanted the conversation to shift away from the bigger issues hanging over the team, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the ongoing talk about McDavid’s future. In his view, Babcock’s arrival has taken over the spotlight, which is exactly what a polarizing coach with a long résumé tends to do.
Hayes also called some of the Oilers’ messaging around the hire “performative” and said they’ve been “laying it on thick”. He added that it has made former coach Kris Knoblauch look incompetent.
For now, Babcock is the story in Edmonton. The question is whether that keeps the heat off the issues the Oilers may actually need to answer.
In Other News...
Sharks Showed Promising Young Signs But One Question Still Lingers
The Sharks got a good look at some of their young talent in a preseason test against the Vegas Golden Knights at SAP Center, and there were encouraging signs even in a 2-1 shootout loss. Michael Misa found the net for San Jose, while the game offered a full three-period snapshot of how the roster is starting to take shape as camp moves along.
Among the more notable developments was the preseason NHL debut of Ivar Stenberg, who drew attention for his work in both the defensive end and the transition game. Those kinds of performances matter most in October because they hint at how quickly young players can earn trust, and San Jose left this one with a better feel for several of its prospects - even if the final question around how much of that promise translates into lasting lineup decisions still hangs in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Suddenly Have Two Early Roster Questions Before Opening Night
Will Smiths situation in San Jose is one more reminder of how quickly preseason storylines can shift from training camp chatter to longer-term roster questions. The Sharks forward still has not finalized a long-term contract, but the tone around the negotiations does not suggest any urgency, with talks expected to keep rolling through the season as he settles into his role.
Across the division, the Ducks are already dealing with a more immediate kind of uncertainty. Drew Helleson and A.J. Greer are both banged up enough that their availability for the season opener is in question, which leaves Anaheim facing early lineup decisions before the games even start to count. For a team trying to get established, opening night availability matters, and these are the kinds of issues that can complicate the first week of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
PWHL San Jose Is Finally Taking Shape As Bigger Roster Questions Loom
PWHL San Jose took another step toward becoming a real on-ice roster this week, opening ticket sales to fans who had already placed deposits and announcing its latest pair of signings. The team added forward Sloane Matthews of Ohio State and goaltender Tia Chan of UConn, continuing the slow but steady build of a club that will soon be trying to turn local interest into a home-ice product at SAP Center.
The additions give San Jose more shape heading into its first season in the market, with the club now at eight forwards and three goaltenders under contract. It also reinforces how much work remains, even as the team plans to open the bottom bowl of SAP Center for all 15 of its home games. The early roster core is starting to come into focus, but the bigger questions around depth and balance are still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]