In today’s NHL rumors rundown, speculation surfaced that Kirill Kaprizov might be looking to leave the Minnesota Wild and join the Chicago Blackhawks. The journalist who made those comments felt forced to clarify after the rumors took on a life of their own. Meanwhile, reports are that Igor Shesterkin is looking to “reset the goalie market”, which is not good news at all for the New York Rangers. Finally, any talk of the Edmonton Oilers thinking about an Evander Kane trade is false.
Is Kaprizov Looking to Join the Chicago Blackhawks?
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic felt the need to clarify comments he made on a recent podcast, hinting that Minnesota Wild star player Kirill Kaprizov could be looking to leave the Wild and join the Chicago Blackhawks. Suggesting Kaprizov could bolt and join Connor Bedard in 2026 when his contract expires, rumors on this year’s NHL draft floor was that Kaprizov wanted to be in Chicago.
Lazerus added on Wednesday:
Let me clarify, please: I reported back in June that the Blackhawks see Kaprizov as a potential big add in two years, this generation’s Marian Hossa, so to speak. Is Kaprizov intrigued by the possibility? Sure. Does he “want” it now? No. I misspoke extemporaneously on the pod.
He added in follow-up posts, Lazerus added, “Kaprizov has two years left on his contract. This decision is forever away. Nothing is imminent, nothing is set in stone, Kaprizov is not asking out, nothing like that. Stand down. I didn’t intend to imply otherwise.” His last post read, “In short: The Blackhawks have their eye on Kaprizov in two years, not the other way around.”
Shesterkin Wants to “Reset Goalie Market”
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said in the latest TSN Insider Trading report that Igor Shesterkin is making things more and more difficult for the New York Rangers. Suggesting he’s already turned down a massive offer that exceeds what Carey Price was making with the Montreal Canadiens, LeBrun reports that Shesterkin and his people are looking “reset the market” on goalies.
Related: Shesterkin’s Firm Contract Stance with Rangers Could Lead to a Trade
Needless to say, he is not taking any kind of team-friendly deal to stay with the Rangers and given that he’s told the organization he won’t negotiate after the season starts, this situation is getting complicated.
LeBrun reports that Shesterkin wants to “blast through” comparable contracts for netminders like Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros, and Ilya Sorokin.
The Oilers Are Not Looking to Trade Evander Kane
With Evander Kane on the IR for as much as six months and the Oilers potentially set to use LTIR if they can find a player that will plug a hole for them on the roster, any talk of trade discussion involving Kane is speculation. The Oilers are absolutely not looking to trade Kane and are eager to have him back for the playoffs.
This is a player the Oilers know they will sorely miss. Kris Knoblauch talked about Kane’s presence in the lineup. This isn’t just a player who can score 20-plus goals, but he puts the other team on edge when he’s on the ice. The rest of the roster feels more comfortable when he’s in the game and Kane brings an element the Oilers don’t otherwise have.
“You want your best players in the playoffs and ultimately he’s one of our best players. Hopefully, his recovery goes well and he’s able to play. We have cap room for when he is healthy and ready to come back,” said Knoblauch.
The key to remember is that the NHL looks closely at teams making trades for injured players. It’s monitored whenever a club does so and they have that player on LTIR because they don’t have the cap space otherwise. That limits teams who would even consider adding Kane. And, if a club waited until he was healthy, it would likely be after the trade deadline.