In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Alex Ovechkin is just three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. Can he do it this week? Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins do plan to make a splash this summer, and they have plenty of ammunition with which to do so. Finally, the Vancouver Canucks all but got themselves eliminated from playoff contention in an ugly loss to the Seattle Kraken. Where do the Canucks go from here?
Ovechkin Just 3 Goals From Gretzky’s Record
The Washington Capitals superstar winger is getting closer, and the NHL has people now following him to every game to document everything. Ovechkin scored career goal No. 892 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday, putting him three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 with seven games remaining in the regular season.
What felt like a tight race to break the record before the end of the season now feels like a near given. Ovechkin has scored in three consecutive games. The Capitals have today off, but Ovechkin’s chase will resume Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Needless to say, if there’s a team that Ovechkin could score a hat trick on, it might be Chicago.
Penguins Have Everything in Play This Offseason
According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic:
The Pittsburgh Penguins have a potential of 11 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, but they don’t figure to use all of them. For one thing, you can only sign so many players, and roster limits do exist. Those draft picks also provide ammunition. Everything is in play for the Penguins this summer.
source – ‘What I’m hearing about the Penguins’ NHL Draft, free agency’ – Josh Yohe – The Athletic – 04/02/2025
Kyle Dubas is focused on getting the Penguins back into the playoffs so the expectation is that he’ll be trading some of his picks and prospects for NHL-ready help. Yohe adds, “So, with those 11 draft picks, don’t be surprised if you see Dubas get aggressive on draft night in Los Angeles.”
Yohe does not completely rule out the idea that the Penguins might consider an offer sheet but adds, “I still wouldn’t bet on it. I haven’t heard the Penguins are targeting any restricted free agents, and I don’t see Dubas making that kind of move just yet.”
Canucks Have Difficult Offseason Decisions Ahead
Following the Canucks 5-0 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, the Canucks playoff hopes are essentially dashed. What happens in the summer should be quite the storyline. The Canucks have Brock Boeser and Pius Suter as pending UFAs. They might have to make a decision on Thatcher Demko, who has one more season remaining on his deal, but could be a goaltender other teams look at.
Of course, there’s the drama surrounding head coach Rick Tocchet. The organization wants to keep him as head coach and is prepared to exercise its option on his contract, but it’s not clear he’s eager to stay. Part of that could be the uncertainty surrounding the team and the future of superstar Quinn Hughes, whose contract is up in 15 months.
Former NHL star Chris Pronger wrote, “With that loss last night to THE #Kraken the #Canucks have turned the lights out on their playoff hopes. It is over. Time to reset and game plan for next year and the future.” Thomas Drance of The Athletic writes:
“Leaving aside some of the biggest offseason questions — Rick Tocchet’s long-term future or Hughes being just 15 months away from becoming extension-eligible — that’s the challenge Rutherford and Allvin will face this summer. Get this team back on track and graft multiple high-end forwards onto this roster despite holding insufficient assets and cap space weaponry for the task at hand.”
source – ‘The Canucks’ sealed fate, Jared McCann and the risks of short-term thinking’ – Thomas Drance – The Athletic – 04/03/2025