The NHL rumor mill is spinning fast, and three names are sitting right in the middle of it: Connor Hellebuyck, Alexander Nikishin and Kirill Marchenko.
The biggest swing here is a potential three-way deal involving Hellebuyck and Nikishin. Hellebuyck, a superstar goaltender, has requested a trade and is refusing to report while he waits for a new deal. Nikishin is in a different spot but brings his own complications, since he has also asked for a trade and is not under contract.
The Carolina Hurricanes are interested in landing Hellebuyck, and it sounds like he would be open to going there. The challenge is simply finding the right structure for a deal.
Nikishin has been given permission to talk with other teams about a new contract, though the Jets are reportedly not a team he would sign with. If Winnipeg were to move Hellebuyck to Carolina, Nikishin would not be part of the return, even though that setup would have made plenty of sense on paper.
The Nashville Predators have also entered the picture. They’ve shown interest in Nikishin, and according to Elliotte Friedman, he would be willing to sign there.
With the assets the Predators picked up in the Luke Evangelista trade, they now have some extra draft capital to play with. That leaves the door open for a three-team arrangement in which Hellebuyck goes to the Hurricanes, Nikishin ends up with the Predators, and the Jets collect picks and other assets.
In Vancouver, Filip Chytil is dealing with another setback. His career has already included multiple concussions and facial injuries, and this latest scare came during preseason action against the Edmonton Oilers. In a freak collision, Chytil and referee Riley Brace bumped into each other as they headed toward the corner, and Chytil then went shoulder-first into the boards.
The Canucks have placed Chytil on injured reserve, and while the exact injury hasn’t been announced, general manager Ryan Johnson said, “As nasty as that looked, he came down on the shoulder, and it’s more of a muscular strain”
There’s no timetable yet, but Chytil has been listed as week-to-week. The encouraging part for Vancouver is that this does not appear to be another concussion scare, even though there was concern about the way his head jolted sideways on contact.
Then there’s Kirill Marchenko, where the chatter is starting to tilt toward Boston. The Canadiens, Maple Leafs and Oilers have all been mentioned in the mix, but the Bruins are now looking like the team to watch.
On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman said several clubs are interested in Marchenko and noted that Boston had an offer for him. There are a couple of extra breadcrumbs too: Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, posted a short video of a bear on X, and Bruins star David Pastrnak recently followed Marchenko on Instagram.
That could all be coincidence. But with those signals stacking up, the Bruins are beginning to look like the front-runner.
In Other News...
Stuart Skinner Gets A Fresh Chance To Silence Doubts In Winnipeg
Stuart Skinners preseason numbers have given the Winnipeg Jets something to mull over as they sort out their crease. He allowed five goals on 32 shots in a recent game against Colorado, but his two preseason starts still left him with a .922 save percentage, a reminder that the veteran goalie has been in this spot before and found a way to handle bigger stages.
Skinners track record is part of what makes this storyline worth watching. He served as Edmontons starter during two deep playoff runs, including the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, and now he gets a fresh chance in a new setting to quiet the doubts that followed him. For Winnipeg, it is a chance to see whether that experience translates into the kind of steady presence they want in net over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Are Chasing A Huge Goalie Gamble They Cant Afford To Miss
Connor Hellebuycks name has quickly moved to the center of the goalie market, and for good reason. The Winnipeg netminder is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and the 2025 Hart Trophy winner, so any conversation about a move immediately comes with weight, especially with his no-move clause shaping where he can and cannot go. He has been linked to San Jose, which has already been checking out the idea of a deal, and his stance on Canadian clubs has narrowed the path enough to make the West Coast stand out.
For the Sharks, the appeal is obvious: a franchise looking to stabilize its crease would be staring at one of the best goaltenders of this era, plus a contract and cap hit that would demand real planning. The fit would also have to make sense against San Joses roster and salary structure, which is where the gamble gets complicated. Hellebuyck can change the outlook of a team in a hurry, but getting from interest to actual agreement is where this situation starts to get tricky. [Read more 🡒]