In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the New Jersey Devils are in some cap trouble, so letting a player or two go will be necessary to beef up the lineup. What might they want to bring in, and who’d be going out? Meanwhile, veteran Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson is set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer, and extension talks should heat up soon. Finally, after acquiring Quinn Hughes on Dec. 12, the Minnesota Wild are presumed to still be active on the trade market.
Devils Seeking Out Forward; Must Clear Cap Space
The New Jersey Devils, holding onto a playoff spot despite the absences of several key players, are in the market to upgrade their roster, particularly at forward. But their cap situation could make that difficult to accomplish, according to Chris Johnston via The Chris Johnston Show.
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New Jersey has just under half a million dollars in cap space at the moment, so a big-money player will theoretically have to depart for them to make additions.
Johnston names Ondřej Palát ($6 million cap hit) and Dougie Hamilton ($9 million cap hit) as possible expendables. They’ve struggled to put up points, with only 15 across 66 combined games.
Hamilton, a defenseman, may be expendable due to playing a position of strength and having a big cap hit. Johnston says, “I don’t think it’s a case where the Devils are just trying to unload him. I just think it’s a possibility, given, you know, some of the other players they have on that blue line, right?”
Injuries have ravaged the team, but the thinking could be that Brett Pesce and Simon Nemec, when healthy, can occupy the first and second pairings on the right side. This would make Hamilton internally replaceable.
Carlson Extension Talk Could Start “Later on in the Season”
John Carlson has been the backbone of the Washington Capitals’ defense for a little over a decade, at this point. Even at age 35, he has been strong this season as far as the box score is concerned: 27 points in 31 games with a plus-7 rating.
He’s in the final season of an eight-year, $64 million contract that he signed back in June 2018. With no apparent plans to retire, the pending UFA has a few months to decide on re-upping his deal or moving on elsewhere.
According to Dave Pagnotta on NHL Now, the two sides haven’t yet engaged in extension talk, but that should be coming “later on in the season.” For a specific time period, he named the Winter Olympic break, set for February 2026.
Washington remains one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, positioned second in the Metropolitan Division standings. Getting a deal done will be critical, but it’s also good not to rush things amid a promising start through 35 games.
Wild to Remain Aggressive on the Trade Market
While the Quinn Hughes rumors were loud, the Minnesota Wild shocked the hockey world regardless when they landed him in exchange for Zeev Buium, Liam Öhgren, Marco Rossi, and a 2026 first-round pick. Even with the franchise-altering splash, however, they may not be done.
As Anthony Di Marco stated on TSN 690, he doesn’t expect the Wild to just be active. He expects them to be aggressive. “I fully expect the Minnesota Wild to be one of the more aggressive teams between now and the trade deadline in early March.”
Lacking center depth following the departure of Rossi, that’s a position Di Marco thinks the team could address. Specifically, he notes the Calgary Flames’ Nazem Kadri. The 35-year-old has eight goals and 23 assists in 35 games this season, showing he still has what it takes to be a top-six centerman.
