It was a busy Saturday around the NHL trade rumor mill, with Edmonton getting a boost back in the lineup, a fan-built blockbuster for Simon Edvinsson getting shot down in a hurry, and Nikita Kucherov’s agent briefly putting Montreal in the conversation before trying to pull it back.
For the Oilers, the timing could hardly be better. Zach Hyman is set to return from injury for the late game against Vancouver, while goaltenders Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry are also back in the mix.
Levi, who missed seven games with a lower-body injury, is expected to start. Jarry is available again after being out ill.
Hyman said it feels good to be back, adding that it’s easier to be sidelined when the team is winning. Babcock also made clear what Hyman brings to the group, calling him “a guy who does it right every single time.”
Edmonton’s lineup picture still has a few moving parts. Colton Dach is questionable, possibly because of the flu, which could open the door for Trent Frederic to return to the fourth line and leave Filip Hallander out. On defence, Jake Walman appears headed for a healthy scratch after logging a season-low 11:45 against Anaheim, with Ty Emberson set to slide back onto the third pair alongside Shakir Mukhamadullin.
Elsewhere, fans took a swing at a trade idea involving Detroit’s Simon Edvinsson, and the response was overwhelmingly negative. The PuckGM proposal had the Red Wings sending Edvinsson and a 2027 fifth-round pick to Toronto in exchange for Ben Danford, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Miles Wood and the Leafs’ 2027 second-rounder.
The pitch was framed as a way for Toronto to clear about $7 million in cap space, but it overlooks the kind of contract Edvinsson could command once he signs. He’s reportedly seeking around $10 million per season, which would be a major issue for a Maple Leafs cap situation that is already tight.
Detroit, meanwhile, has about $28 million in cap space, so the money side isn’t the problem for them. The issue is the return.
Trading away a high-upside young defenceman for a prospect, two veterans and a second-round pick did not sit well with voters. On the site’s “Who Says No?”
tool, Shawn Horcoff hung up, and 92% of voters rejected the deal.
Then came the Montreal angle. On DFO Insider, Dan Milstein, the agent for Nikita Kucherov, praised the Canadiens’ core and the way Kent Hughes has built the roster.
He also said Montreal’s contract structure leaves room for one or two more star players. Jeff Marek and David Pagnotta asked whether there was something to read into there, and Milstein appeared to regret the comment and tried to walk it back.
The cap math does make the idea at least possible. Montreal is projected to have about $29 million in cap space next season, and a $20 million contract for Kucherov would still leave roughly $9 million.
But the bigger question is how that would fit with the rest of the roster’s pay scale. Captain Nick Suzuki is at $7.875 million, Caufield makes a bit less, and Dobson and Hutson are both under $10 million.
A deal for Kucherov at more than double Suzuki’s salary could create complications with the young core. And since Kucherov doesn’t appear likely to take a major discount, Montreal would have to decide how far it’s willing to stretch its structure to make that kind of move happen.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Loss To Montreal Came With An Even Bigger Concern
The Maple Leafs had more to worry about than the final score after a 4-2 loss to Montreal, because the night quickly turned from a divisional setback into a health concern on the blue line. Alex Newhook led the Canadiens with two goals, Zachary Bolduc added a power-play marker and Jacob Fowler stopped 26 shots, but Torontos most troubling moment came when Morgan Rielly exited in the second period with a lower-body injury.
For a team already trying to steady itself in a tight race, losing one of its most important defensemen changes the tone of the conversation immediately. Toronto will have to sort out both the result and the status of Rielly, while Montreal leaves with a win that was built on timely scoring and a solid effort in goal. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Fans Will Hate What This Leafs Trade Idea Implies
A fan-made trade concept making the rounds on Puckpedia has stirred up plenty of skepticism, and for good reason. The idea would have Detroit part with Simon Edvinsson and a 2027 fifth-round pick while Toronto sends back Ben Danford, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Miles Wood and a 2027 second-round pick, a package that immediately invites questions about fit, value and whether either side would even have the cap room to make it work.
From the Leafs perspective, the proposal is the kind of swing that looks intriguing on paper but gets harder to justify once the details are unpacked. Toronto would be taking on another layer of salary pressure while trying to sell a future-focused return to Detroit, and the reaction from the fan base was predictably harsh, with the overwhelming majority voting it down. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Have A Morgan Rielly Problem They Can't Ignore
Morgan Riellys night against the Canadiens ended far earlier than the Maple Leafs would have wanted, and it came during a sequence that had plenty of urgency attached to it. The defenseman was hurt on a Montreal 3-on-1 chance early in the second period, then was pulled from the game with a lower-body injury after logging just 5:45 of ice time.
For a Leafs blue line that leans heavily on Riellys minutes and puck-moving presence, any absence is going to be felt quickly. The club did not offer any further specifics, leaving the next update on his status to carry real weight as Toronto waits to learn whether this is a short-term issue or something more disruptive. [Read more 🡒]