With Igor Shesterkin out for the season, the New York Rangers have been thrown into the goalie market, and Josh Wegman of theScore laid out 10 names that could enter the conversation.
The list splits into a few different buckets. At the top, Connor Hellebuyck is labeled “Not realisic,” while the short-term UFA patchwork includes Petr Mrazek, Matt Murray and James Reimer. Wegman’s trade list is where the more intriguing possibilities sit: Jordan Binnington of the Blues, John Gibson of the Red Wings, Darcy Kuemper or Anton Forsberg from the Kings, Arturs Silovs of the Penguins, and Sam Montembeault of the Canadiens.
On the Detroit side, Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet looked at center options if the Red Wings decide to go down the trade route involving Simon Edvinsson. Detroit wants to sign Edvinsson, but Elliotte Friedman has reported that he’d prefer to be moved. There’s also the possibility that Dylan Larkin could be moved, and the reports say the Wings would want a center who can step in right away.
If interim GM Shawn Horcoff is moving both, Dixon suggests the team could change its ask and target a center in return for Edvinsson. He ran through a handful of possible fits.
Caleb Desnoyers of the Utah Mammoth is one name to watch, especially after Frank Seravalli reported that Utah is interested in Edvinsson and was aggressive this past offseason in trying to add help up front. The Mammoth already have some center depth with Logan Cooley, Vincent Trocheck / Nick Schmaltz, and Barrett Hayton.
Berkly Catton of the Seattle Kraken is another option. He was the eighth overall pick in 2024, and Seattle has stocked up on centers over the years with Matty Beniers, Jake O’Brien and Shane Wright, who could also interest the Red Wings.
James Hagens of the Boston Bruins would be a tougher get, but the payoff would be a top-pairing left-handed defenseman who can eat 23 minutes a night.
Dalibor Dvorsky of the St. Louis Blues could come into play if St. Louis sees Robert Thomas and Mason McTavish as its top two centers for the long haul, especially with the Blues also taking Tynan Lawrence at No. 11 this past year.
Kent Johnson of the Columbus Blue Jackets rounds out the list, though Dixon noted Columbus would likely need to add more to make the deal work. Johnson had 24 goals and 57 points two years ago, but has been in the rumor mill for what seems like years.
In Other News...
Blues Needed A Spark And These Young Players Finally Delivered
The Blues spent much of the week looking for a jolt after back-to-back losses to Chicago and San Jose, a rough stretch that made their comeback win over Columbus feel all the more important. In a season where every answer seems to come with a new question, the spotlight landed on a few younger pieces, with Mason McTavish and Joel Hofer among the names helping steady things when the schedule started to tilt the wrong way.
Dylan Holloway was part of that push, and Jimmy Snuggerud stood out even more in the evaluation of the week. Snuggerud emerged as the Blues top performer over the stretch, a timely development for a team that badly needed someone to provide a spark and change the tone after a frustrating start to the week. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avs Assistant Leaves Colorado With One Big Question For Bednar
Dave Hakstols time with the Colorado Avalanche appears to be ending almost as quickly as it began, with the former NHL coach expected to take over at Arizona State University. Colorado has given him permission to work through the transition, and theres a real chance he could be behind the bench for the Sun Devils next game. For a staff that has valued continuity and structure, it is one more notable change around a program that has already had to adjust on the fly.
The opening at Arizona State comes in the wake of the school moving on from Greg Powers amid an investigation tied to a player injury incident involving Matthew Mayich. That backdrop gives Hakstols arrival a different kind of urgency, since he is stepping into a job under scrutiny and with immediate expectations attached. For the Avalanche, the bigger question is not whether the move makes sense for Arizona State, but how quickly Colorado can absorb the loss of an assistant it only recently added. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Injuries Are Piling Up As Binnington Talk Gets Louder
The first week of the season has already put the Blues in a familiar spot, trying to balance their early results with a growing list of health concerns. St. Louis is 2-2-1 through five games, but the lineup has taken hits, including Dillon Dube, who is set to miss a lengthy stretch after suffering a neck injury. Around the league, several players are also dealing with notable injuries, adding to the sense that the opening month is already testing roster depth in a hurry.
Jordan Binningtons name keeps surfacing anyway, because the goaltending market has been squeezed and teams are watching for any possible solution. With the Blues still sorting through their own injury picture, the talk around Binnington has only grown louder as clubs look for stability in net. The Rangers move with Igor Shesterkin has only added to the churn, and it leaves St. Louis in the middle of a situation that feels bigger than one hot rumor. [Read more 🡒]