In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the St. Louis Blues got Pavel Buchnevich signed to a new deal but what did they have to give up to get that deal done? Meanwhile, are the New York Rangers shopping Kaapo Kakko? There isn’t anything happening on the Sidney Crosby extension front, which has at least one analyst concerned. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers want to get Leon Draisaitl locked up to an extension right away, but what about Evan Bouchard?
Blues Budged to Get Buchnevich Signed
Blues’ general manager Doug Armstrong admitted that he had to cave to get Buchnevich signed this off-season. The GM told Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post, “We talked [with Buchnevich’s side] again on the first, did the deal on the second. I’ll be honest with you, I budged.” Armstrong said the term was the cost of doing business.
The salary cap hit isn’t unreasonable, but the length of the contract at six years and the modified no-trade clause weren’t something the Blues were keen to do.
Rangers Shopping Kaapo Kakko
At the start of June, New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced the team had agreed to terms with forward Kaapo Kakko on a one-year contract extension. Less than a month later, there is talk that the Rangers might be trying to trade the player.
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Phil Kocher cites a report from Vince Z. Mercogliano: “I’m pretty sure they’re dangling Kaapo Kakko and will pursue deals to possibly move him this summer. I think they’re not thrilled with the offers that they’ve gotten so far which is why he’s still on the roster.” It doesn’t sound like there are offers out there for the Rangers to consider, so this could take some time if the team is looking to move on.
Nothing Yet on a Crosby Extension
Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now suggested the lack of progress being made between the Penguins and captain Sidney Crosby regarding a new extension is troubling. He writes, “Both Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas and Crosby have specifically stated that the conversations and negotiations will be private. That’s fine, but notice that neither side has yet used the phrase “optimistic.””
Kingerski suggests it might not be a coincidence that the Penguins signed a number of one-year deals in free agency and noted the direction of the team might account for why Crosby hasn’t re-signed yet. He threw out a hypothetical trade to the Montreal Canadiens as an option for Crosby if things really go sideways.
Oilers Will Wait on Evan Bouchard’s Extension
While the Oilers would like to get Leon Draisaitl signed right away, they won’t rush to get an Evan Bouchard extension done. The Bouchard negotiation is very different as he’s an RFA.
As Jason Gregor points out, there isn’t the same urgency as Draisaitl, because Bouchard isn’t a UFA and the Oilers are looking at a similar deal for the defenseman whether he signs now or in a year from now. If anything, the cost of his next deal could go down if they wait.
Bouchard turns 25 in December and is coming off a record-breaking playoff performance. He became only the fourth defender to score 30+ points in a playoff year. He should have strong numbers again next season but reproducing what he did in 2024-25 could be challenging. So too, Edmonton could qualify him next June, likely leading to him filing for arbitration and setting a deadline for a deal.
Gregor writes:
I’d be shocked if they actually met with an arbitrator, as most players sign a contract before the arbitration process. Is there a risk in waiting until the end of the season? I don’t see how since it will be difficult for Bouchard to produce significantly more points than he did last season, and if he does, he’s still likely a $10m-$11m defender.
The Bouchard deal is a problematic one because of the size of the raise he’ll be getting. Draisaitl and Bouchard’s new contracts will come as the salary cap goes up $4-$5 million. Unfortunately, Draisaitl’s new deal will eat up almost all of that additional cap space. The Oilers will need to find an additional $5 million or so to fit in Bouchard’s deal.
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