In today’s NHL rumors rundown, we look at the Vancouver Canucks opening the door to major trades, a surprising new contender emerging for Quinn Hughes, the Edmonton Oilers putting their goalies on the clock, and why the Calgary Flames are being pushed to lock in GM Craig Conroy.
Canucks Make Multiple Veterans Available
The Vancouver Canucks sent shockwaves around the league Monday night when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the organization has officially informed teams it is open to trading several veteran players.
Related: Maple Leafs: 3 Potential Trade Targets From the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver is actively listening on pending UFAs and players with term, which includes notable names such as Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger, Kiefer Sherwood, David Kampf, Derek Forbort, and Tyler Myers. Elias Pettersson, despite his hefty $11.6 million cap hit, is believed to be available as well.
Friedman stressed that, with Jim Rutherford’s reputation for acting early, rival teams don’t expect this to be a false alarm. Sherwood is already generating interest and could be among the first to move.
Flyers Emerging as a Sneaky Contender for Quinn Hughes
Friedman reports that Quinn Hughes isn’t on the Canucks’ radar for a trade. He noted, “The obvious question is: Does this mean Quinn Hughes? I’m told the answer is no, at this time.” That won’t stop teams from showing interest, or from the Canucks potentially listening.
Frank Seravalli threw a curveball by pointing to a surprising Metropolitan Division rival as a team that might kick tires on a trade: the Philadelphia Flyers.
Seravalli noted that Philadelphia is “salivating” at the thought of Hughes, and the fit is intriguing. Hughes thrived under current Flyers coach Rick Tocchet and is close friends with Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov. The Flyers have a growing young core, plenty of draft capital, and significant cap space. If Hughes becomes available, they could offer a package few teams can match. With Hughes signed through 2026-27, interest is only going to grow.
Oilers Betting Their Season on Skinner and Pickard
The Edmonton Oilers’ rocky start has led to questions about whether to wait on moves or stress upgrading their goaltending. On Oilers Now, Bob Stauffer and Frank Seravalli clashed over whether the schedule or a Stanley Cup Final hangover was to blame. Seravalli pushed back hard, arguing Edmonton’s issues are rooted in their overall play—most notably their goaltending.
That led to Stauffer revealing nothing is imminent, adding, “I think ultimately the play of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard over the next month is going to decide the course of action that Stan Bowman is going to have.”
Seravalli questioned why the team keeps delaying decisions when solutions exist, pointing to Colorado’s successful overhaul of its goalie tandem. This all came after a report by Pierre LeBrun that the Oilers were planning a 30-game audit of their roster.
Flames Urged to Secure Craig Conroy’s Future
After Don Maloney said that the Flames aren’t looking to tear things down to the studs, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis argues the Calgary Flames’ next move needs to be about securing their future and extending general manager Craig Conroy.
Francis says it is “beyond insulting” that Conroy is operating as a lame-duck GM with his contract expiring next summer.
The delay seems to be in announcing an extension for a GM overseeing the 31st-ranked team. Others believe that Maloney is the problem and the organization needs to remove him from the equation.
