NHL Rumors: Tuch Leak, Skinner and McDavid Beef, Maple Leafs and Andersson

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has leaked the ask from pending UFA forward Alex Tuch. Meanwhile, are the Toronto Maple Leafs back in the running for Rasmus Andersson? Finally, the game on Tuesday between the Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins proved that any narrative suggesting a beef existed between Connor McDavid and Stuart Skinner was inaccurate.

Kevyn Adams Leaks Alex Tuch Contract Ask

Darren Dreger revealed on TSN OverDrive Tuesday that former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams shared what pending UFA forward Alex Tuch is asking for on a contract extension. It’s rare for a GM to share that kind of detail, and several sources suggested this was a petty response to being let go by the organization this week.

Dreger reports that Adams revealed Tuch wants just above what Adrian Kempe is making in Los Angeles, which means he’s seeking in excess of $10.625 million per season.

Whether this is a Sabres-only price tag or what Tuch would be seeking if he tests the free agent market is unclear. New GM Jarmo Kekalainen spoke with the media about Tuch this week and noted, “It always takes two parties to agree on a number that both feel is reasonable… Not just for today, but moving forward when you have to build with your team. Alex is a really good hockey player. We appreciate him, we like him, we want to get him signed.”

It is expected that Kekalainen will be aggressive in making moves and possibly changes. The Edmonton Oilers have been linked to Tuch in trade speculation.

Rumors of Beef Between Skinner and McDavid Squashed

Speaking of the Oilers, Edmonton played Pittsburgh on Tuesday night and it was a tough outing for former Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner. He finished with a .762 save percentage and allowed six goals, and four points each from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

For some reason, going into the game, the narrative was that McDavid might have had issues with Skinner and was part of the reason that the goalie was traded. Two emotional moments caught on camera seemed to squash said speculation.

Connor McDavid's former Edmonton teammate Stuart Skinner just happened to walk by as he spoke with @NabilKarimTV pregame ???? pic.twitter.com/e1Vx0e6EhL

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) December 17, 2025

There was a moment on the ice, after McDavid scored an empty net goal, where he gave a little stick tap to Skinner. It was as if to say, ‘I get it. Good job. Sorry about all of this.’ There were also two moments outside of the game where McDavid and Skinner embraced and spent some time offering hugs and moments of friendship and encouragement.

This is not the behavior of two guys who aren’t fans of each other.

Maple Leafs Trying to Get Back Into the Rasmus Andersson Business

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Toronto has kicked tires again on trade talks involving Rasmus Andersson. The trade market for the top-four defensemen is picking up now that Quinn Hughes is no longer available.

LeBrun reports, “What is going to be interesting is how the Flames handle that potential trade. Do they move him as a traditional rental? Or do they involve the agent Claude Lemieux in a potential sign-and-trade to get more value?”

TSN’s Darren Dreger added that the Maple Leafs are waiting for prices to soften as more sellers potentially enter the market. “They need more sellers in the market, and right now, that’s not the case,” he said.