Rumor Wire
NHL Rumors
The latest NHL trade talk, contract reporting, free-agency movement, and roster decisions from the In The Rafters newsroom.
Sabres Sign Peyton Krebs to Four-Year, $18 Million Contract, Avoiding Arbitration
Buffalo settled Monday before Krebs’ scheduled hearing, on a $4.5 million AAV deal that carries a modified no-trade clause in its back half.
Report: Kraken Have Agreed to Move Shane Wright, His Agent Says, With No Trade Done Yet
Agent Kurt Overhardt says Seattle GM Jason Botterill agreed to send the 2022 fourth overall pick to ‘a team in need of a top young center.’
Penguins Sign Nicholas Robertson to Two-Year, $6.5 Million Deal, Canceling His Arbitration Hearing
The $3.25 million AAV contract settles Robertson’s case two weeks before his July 28 hearing — and leaves brother Jason’s July 25 date in Dallas as the one to watch.
Ducks Reportedly Shopping Frank Vatrano to Vancouver to Clear Money for Cutter Gauthier
Rick Dhaliwal says Anaheim called the Canucks about taking Frank Vatrano and will likely need to attach sweeteners to move salary — all to fund Cutter Gauthier’s next contract.
Rangers Sign Braden Schneider to One-Year, $5.5 Million Contract, Avoiding July 29 Arbitration Hearing
Schneider’s settlement more than doubles his cap hit and takes the Rangers’ only arbitration case off the docket two weeks before his hearing.
Predators Hold 26 Contracts for a 23-Man Roster, With Lyubushkin, Marchessault and Kemell Viewed as Trade Candidates
Nashville has 26 players for 23 opening-night spots, and Lyle Richardson of Spector’s Hockey reports Ilya Lyubushkin, Jonathan Marchessault and Joakim Kemell are the likeliest to be moved.
Sharks Are Positioning Themselves as a Serious Option in the Hellebuyck Trade Market, per Winnipeg Free Press
Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports San Jose is positioning itself as a serious option for Connor Hellebuyck — and notes the Sharks just signed his longtime backup, Eric Comrie. Buffalo still looms as the most logical fit.
Stars and Jason Robertson Are Expected to Resolve Contract Standoff Before July 25 Arbitration Hearing
Stars insider Bruce LeVine expects the Robertson standoff to end before the July 25 arbitration hearing — with a new contract or a trade. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit are all reported to be watching.
Report: Canadiens Interested in Anthony Mantha, but Only on a Short-Term Deal
BPM Sports’ Marc-Olivier Beaudoin reports Montreal has shown interest in the free-agent winger — but the Canadiens want a very short-term deal while Mantha is seeking term, and the odds of a match are slim.
Oilers Re-Sign Colton Dach to Two-Year, $2.4 Million Contract
Edmonton closed out its restricted free agent business Sunday, re-signing the 23-year-old forward for two years at $1.2 million per season with about $4.7 million in cap space remaining.
Flyers’ Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras Draw July 20 and 22 Arbitration Hearing Dates
Philadelphia chose the front of the arbitration docket: Drysdale goes July 20, Zegras July 22. Settlements can come any time before the hearings.
Lafreniere Projected to Open 2026-27 on Rangers’ First Line With Zibanejad and Dorofeyev
The Athletic projects Alexis Lafreniere to open the season with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Dorofeyev after a 28-point closing stretch on the top power play. The deployment he has never had is finally his.
Jets and Sabres Are Still Talking Hellebuyck Trade, With Winnipeg Seeking Luukkonen, a Forward and a Top Prospect
David Pagnotta says trade conversations between Winnipeg and Buffalo have continued past the draft, with Hellebuyck willing to go to the Sabres and the Jets motivated to move him before the season.
Maple Leafs Say They Aren’t Shopping Matthew Knies, but Will Listen on an Overpay
Toronto keeps denying it is trading its 23-year-old power winger, yet the reporting won’t stop. Frank Seravalli says the Leafs and Stars have discussed a No. 7 pick for Knies.
Kirby Dach’s Arbitration Hearing Set for July 30, Giving Canadiens 17 Days to Reach a Deal
Montreal’s only arbitration case has a date. Dach and the Canadiens have until July 30 to bridge a narrow gap between a $3.4 million floor and his $4 million qualifying offer.
Yzerman Offers No Guarantee on Dylan Larkin Trade as Detroit’s Standoff Drags Into July
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman says there is no guarantee the captain gets moved, and with rosters filling out, Larkin is increasingly likely to open the season in Detroit.
Avalanche Plan to Open Cale Makar Extension Talks in Mid-July, Sakic Says
Joe Sakic says Colorado will begin extension conversations with Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen in mid-July. Makar can be a free agent next summer, and the market for stars has moved sharply upward this month.
Trocheck’s No-Trade List Changed on July 1, Opening the Door to the Mammoth Deal
The New York Post reports Vincent Trocheck’s no-trade protection dropped from 12 teams to 10 on July 1, which made the Rangers’ trade with Utah possible. Trocheck also said he’s open to playing the wing.
Blues Re-Sign Oskar Sundqvist to One-Year, Two-Way Contract
The 32-year-old forward returns on a deal worth $850,000 at the NHL level, per The Hockey News’ Lou Korac.
Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Says Any Elias Pettersson Trade Must Return Value, Not Just Clear Salary
Ryan Johnson told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre that Vancouver has no payroll restrictions and won’t move Elias Pettersson just to shed his $11.6 million cap hit.
Kraken Set Asking Price for Shane Wright in Trade Talks With Canucks: Zeev Buium or Tom Willander
Rick Dhaliwal reports Vancouver inquired on Shane Wright and Seattle asked for Zeev Buium or Tom Willander in return — a price the Canucks declined to pay.
Senators Re-Sign Claude Giroux to One-Year Deal Worth Up to $5 Million
Ottawa ends its week-long wait by re-signing the 38-year-old faceoff ace to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million, filling the top-nine hole it had held open.
Nick Robertson’s Arbitration Filing Puts a July Deadline on His First Penguins Contract
Robertson filed for salary arbitration days after Toronto traded him to Pittsburgh, with hearings set for July 20 to August 1. The filing takes offer sheets off the table and starts the clock on a deal with Kyle Dubas.
Flyers Not Expected to Offer-Sheet Adam Fantilli After Losing Carlsson, Per Reports
The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports Philadelphia is more likely to add depth than tender a second offer sheet, and Daily Faceoff’s sources say a Fantilli pursuit isn’t in the cards.
Bruins Aim to Extend Pavel Zacha, but Sweeney Is Listening to Trade Offers
Don Sweeney says his goal is to extend Pavel Zacha, coming off a career-high 65-point season, though the Bruins GM has also fielded trade calls on the center.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois Says Kucherov Extension Remains a Top Priority
After a hectic free-agency stretch, Tampa Bay’s general manager reiterated that re-signing reigning MVP Nikita Kucherov is still the club’s top priority, with talks ongoing through his agent.
Gavin McKenna Signs Entry-Level Deal With Maple Leafs, Turning Pro After One Season at Penn State
Toronto’s 2026 first-overall pick has signed a three-year entry-level contract, ending his college eligibility and setting up a push to make the Maple Leafs roster out of camp.
Sabres Actively Shopping Jack Quinn as Buffalo Reshapes Its Forward Group
Buffalo has been dangling winger Jack Quinn in trade talks since before the draft, with reporting tying him to the Sabres’ failed pursuit of Connor Hellebuyck and a wider roster overhaul.
Frederik Andersen’s One-Year Oilers Deal Carries $1 Million Cap Hit, $1.8 Million in Bonuses
Edmonton’s new goaltender met the media this week after signing a heavily incentive-based one-year contract — a low-risk structure for a team out of cap room and short on time.
Flames Sign Simon Nemec to Five-Year, $36.25 Million Contract
Calgary locked up the 22-year-old defenseman at a $7.25 million AAV on Monday, two weeks after paying two conditional first-round picks to get him from New Jersey.
Panthers Sign Eetu Luostarinen to Eight-Year, $40 Million Extension
Florida locked up the two-time Cup winner through 2035 at $5 million a year — an unglamorous retention move that reflects exactly how the Panthers intend to stay a contender.
Canadiens Sign Ivan Demidov to Eight-Year, $73 Million Extension
Montreal locked up its 20-year-old cornerstone through 2035 at a $9.125 million average, betting that Demidov’s ceiling justifies the number long before the deal begins in 2027-28.
Lightning Sign John Carlson to Two-Year, $17 Million Contract
Tampa Bay added the veteran defenseman at $8.5 million a season — a big number on a short leash, which is exactly how the Lightning have always preferred their risk.
Senators’ Offseason on Hold as Claude Giroux Tests Free Agency, Staios Says
Ottawa’s GM says the team has been “unwavering” in its message to Giroux and is keeping a spot for him — but every day of waiting thins the market for alternatives.
Reported Nico Hischier Extension Takes Canadiens’ Top Center Target Off the Market
NHL insider Kevin Weekes reports the Devils are finalizing a five-year extension worth just under $12 million annually — closing the door on Montreal’s most credible path to a No. 1 center.
Panthers’ Six-Year, $9 Million Radko Gudas Contract Draws League-Wide Cap Criticism
Florida brought back the 36-year-old defenseman at a $1.5 million cap hit through 2032, and much of the hockey world spent the week arguing the deal shouldn’t be legal. It is.
This wire is assembled from published In The Rafters reporting and mixes developing reports with roster-movement context. Finalized moves also roll into the Transactions board.