u/athleticwonder

Nichols reported today that Nemec requested a trade (agent unavailable for comment). What's crazy is that GM Sunny Mehta reportedly hasn't even reached out for a new deal yet. Nemec allegedly wants the Luke Hughes $9M AAV. With only $11.875M in cap space for 2026-27, matching an offer sheet leaves the Devils with under $3M to fill out the rest of the roster. Do you think New Jersey makes a cost-cutting trade to keep him, or is he gone?

Marek brought up Kyrou today on Daily Faceoff. The idea of Kyrou's speed with McDavid is incredible, but he has an $8.125M AAV for 7 more years and a full NTC. The Blues reportedly want a young NHL player, a prospect, and a 1st round pick, and they aren't selling low despite his point drop this year.

The Leafs have a logjam with Woll, Stolarz, and Hildeby (all require waivers). The Flyers need a reliable 1A/1B partner for Vladar because Ersson struggled. Woll’s injury history means he can't play 50 games, making a tandem in Philly ideal.

Do you guys think Woll’s injury history is too much of a risk for Brière to take, or is the upside worth a mid-round pick?

According to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic, contract talks between the Sabres and Alex Tuch have hit an interesting point. Buffalo reportedly opened the bidding around $8M AAV, but Tuch’s camp is aiming for a double-digit deal comparable to Adrian Kempe’s 8-year, $85M contract ($10.625M AAV) signed last fall.

Considering the Sabres only have about $12.9M in cap space for 2026-27, giving Tuch $10.6M would leave just over $2M to round out the rest of the roster. This almost guarantees that if they meet his asking price, Jarmo Kekäläinen will have to execute multiple cost-cutting trades to free up room.

Is Tuch worth a double-digit AAV to this franchise, or do they need to hold the line at $9M?

Murat Ates brought up a really interesting scenario today. Dorofeyev just put up 37 goals, but Vegas is capped out and looking to extend Andersson. A $6M offer sheet puts him in the compensation tier of a 1st and 3rd round pick. Given the Jets' need for secondary scoring, is giving up a mid-to-late 1st worth an established 25-year-old scorer?

Hear me out. Ben Pope noted recently that Kyle Davidson has to be aggressive this summer because the UFA market is incredibly shallow. The Blues are clearly at a crossroads and need to shed salary to retool.

Kyrou makes $8.125M through 2031. The Blackhawks have the cap space and the draft capital. Pairing Kyrou with Bedard could accelerate the rebuild massively. The biggest hurdle is his No-Trade Clause, but playing with Bedard might be the selling point.

What would a realistic package for Kyrou look like without getting fleeced? I'm curious what you guys think the Blues would actually demand from Blackhawks?

I've been looking into the recent rumors surrounding Vincent Trocheck and the Leafs. According to reports (including Justin Bourne's notes on Toronto's need for center depth), Trocheck is on Chris Drury's to-do list. Here is a quick summary of what I found:

The Ask: NYR wants Matthew Knies.That's a hard NO from the Leafs.

The Realistic Package: Colorado's 2027 1st round pick + defensive prospect Ben Danford.

The Hurdle: Trocheck (33 yrs old, $5.275M AAV for 3 more years) wants to play on the US East Coast. Convincing him to waive any clauses for a Canadian team is the biggest roadblock.

If they can get past the geography issue. Would you guys do a 1st (from Colorado) + Danford for Trocheck?

We all know Guerin needs clarity before July 1. Hughes is open to staying, but if his camp asks for a $17M AAV to match Kaprizov, the Wild's cap structure is toast. Amato from Sportsnet is reporting that Guerin will shop him if there's no extension.

New Jersey has the exact assets needed to pull this off, and we all know Quinn wants to play with Jack and Luke eventually. Is it better to get a king's ransom from NJ now, or risk losing him for nothing next year?

Josh Yohe recently brought up the idea of the Penguins kicking the tires on Connor McDavid, mostly banking on the allure of him wanting to play with Sidney Crosby and using Pitt's prospect pool to get it done.

It’s a fun video game idea, but it’s not happening. McDavid needs a Cup to cement his legacy alongside Gretzky/Lemieux/Crosby. The Pens are entering a rebuild and their window is essentially closed.

Edmonton isn't trading him for prospects. If McDavid leaves the Oilers, the real threat is the Leafs in 2028 when he hits UFA status, especially if Toronto locks up Matthews and hits on a prospect like Gavin McKenna. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Hughes/Hischier rumor is floating around today from James Nichols. Hughes is open to extending, but the Wild likely can't afford him if they are paying Kaprizov $17M/year and Hughes also wanting $17 million/year.

The Devils could swoop in and offer Hischier + Nemec/Silayev + a 1st round pick. Both players would need to agree to extensions before the trade to avoid them walking to UFA status.

Personally, I think the cap math makes sense for Minnesota to move a D-man for a top-tier center, but giving up Hischier AND Nemec feels like a massive overpay by NJ. What do you guys think? Is Hughes worth the captain, Nemec, and a 1st-round pick?

Based on Russo's recent notes about Guerin looking for a 1C and bringing up Dylan Larkin, I wanted to break down what this actually looks like.

If Yzerman decides Detroit needs a mini-reset, Larkin is the biggest piece on the board. But Detroit's ask is going to be astronomical. We are talking Wallstedt, Yurov, plus future 1sts.

Larkin fixes the Kaprizov center issue instantly, but losing Wallstedt could haunt the franchise in 4-5 years. What is the absolute maximum you would give up for Larkin?

Hey everyone, I was looking at the Stars' salary cap numbers today and the math for Robo's next deal is giving me a headache. He's reportedly looking for around $12M AAV (similar to Rantanen money), but the Stars only have about $11M in projected space with 19 guys signed.

Lia Assimakopoulos recently reported that Tyler Myers ($1.5M) is a top trade candidate. Personally, I think this is a must-move. Myers struggled to adapt to our breakout schemes after the deadline, and his value is arguably at an all-time low. Dallas might have to attach a draft pick just to get someone to eat his $1.5M so we can bridge the gap for Robo.

Do you guys think someone takes Myers straight up, or do the Stars have to attach a sweetener? And is moving Sam Steel inevitable too? Let's discuss.

Hey everyone, after the series against the Avs, it's clear Guerin needs to find a 1C/2C. They have about $13.5M in cap space going into 2026-27 with 17 guys signed. The loudest rumor right now is Vincent Trocheck from the Rangers. He brings exactly the 200-foot game the Wild need, and his $5.625M hit for the next 3 years is incredibly manageable for a top-six guy.

The major hurdle is that he allegedly prefers to stay in the East. Do you think Minnesota is close enough to a Cup that he'd waive that preference? Would you give up premium assets for a 33-year-old?

Anthony Di Marco dropped some interesting notes recently about Michkov. After showing up to camp out of shape and being benched by Tocchet for inconsistent play, the Flyers aren't rushing to trade him, but he's apparently no longer off-limits.

Selling low on him right now seems like terrible asset management unless they get an irresistible offer for a 1C.

Do you guys think Michkov bounces back next year, or is the front office right to start listening to offers?

Corey Masisak at the Denver Post recently touched on this, and looking at the numbers, the Avs are in a tight spot.

The Cap: $104M next season.

The Roster: 17 players signed through 26-27.

The Space: Less than $3M to fill the remaining spots.

Ross Colton is the glaring target to clear space. He’s carrying a $4M cap hit with one year left, his offensive production has dipped, and he was a healthy scratch to start the playoffs. The biggest hurdle is his 12-team no-trade list, which gives him a lot of leverage on where MacFarland can actually send him.

Can the Avs realistically find a taker not on his list who will absorb $4M without Colorado retaining?

Philly has the flexibility to make a hockey trade. Shane Wright is only 22 but struggled under Lane Lambert this season. Given the Flyers' surplus of wingers, trading for Wright seems like the perfect low-risk, high-reward move for Briere.

What would a realistic trade package from Philly look like?

Cam Neely recently noted the Bruins need more talent/speed and a true 1C. We all know Lindholm's offense hasn't matched his contract. But looking ahead to 2026-27, Boston is projected to have over $16.3M in cap space. If Elias Pettersson is truly desperate for a change of scenery out of Vancouver, Boston has the draft capital (future 1st) and the cap space to absorb him, especially if Vancouver retains a bit of salary.

Putting EP40 next to David Pastrnak could fix Boston's top-six issues overnight.

Would you give up a massive haul for Pettersson right now if the Canucks retain salary on a trade?

Matheson floated the idea yesterday. Both guys have NMCs and are signed through 2029-30. Nurse makes $9.25M, Rielly makes $7.5M.

The rumor suggests Leafs are actively looking to move Rielly, and Nurse might waive to go home to Ontario (he grew up with Max Domi).

My take is basically that it's trading two different flavors of defensive anxiety, but the Oilers win simply because of the $1.75M cap savings.

Would you do this if you were Stan Bowman or John Chayka?

William James of Philly Hockey Now recently sparked the debate on if the Flyers should use their cap space to pursue Auston Matthews. The rumored ask from Toronto's front office would be astronomical, likely centered around Porter Martone and Jamie Drysdale.

Getting swept by Carolina showed the Flyers power play and finishing need serious help, but is giving up a top center prospect and a key young defenseman worth it, even for a Rocket Richard winner?

Do you make this trade or keep the kids?

We all know the offense was a massive issue this year (2.76 G/PG, 27th overall). Nichols floated the idea of moving the 12th overall pick to the Blues for Kyrou.

On paper, the fit is incredible. St. Louis gets to reset with a high draft pick, and the Devils get a guy whose speed and finishing would be lethal next to Hughes. The two big hurdles are his $8.125M cap hit and his NTC.

I'm curious what the consensus is here. Is Kyrou the right target, or is that cap hit too much of an anchor for the next few years?