In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off with the Dallas Stars and their decision regarding Jason Robertson. Next, we look at the New York Rangers and their letter to fans, the retool, and Artemi Panarin not receiving a contract extension. We then look at the Nashville Predators and their great play as of late, and what that could mean for players like Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos. Finally, the Calgary Flames and Rasmus Andersson are nearing a trade.
Robertson’s Ask Too High for Stars, Trade Still Possible
How often do we see one of the top wingers in the league traded? On top of that, how about two years in a row?
The Stars were the last stop for Mikko Rantanen last season, when his series of trades shocked the hockey world. Now, Robertson could be finding himself in the same boat, and the Stars may be the team to move the star.
Despite being labeled as aggressive buyers, the potential of a Robertson trade continues to regain momentum as his potential $12 million salary ask is too rich for the Stars. The club set an internal cap on a player’s salary with Rantanen, which the Colorado Avalanche were unwilling to do for him, leading to the trade. Nick Kypreos on Real Kyper and Bourne stated that if his ask exceeds the $12 million mark, the Stars may look to trade him.
Robertson is 25 years old, and upon expiry of his deal, he will remain a restricted free agent, but could accept a qualifying offer and walk to free agency for nothing. Robertson currently sits third in the league in scoring with 27 goals, and he is 10th across the league with 56 points in 48 games.
No Extension for Panarin, Rangers Start Retool
The Rangers fast-tracked their rebuild by signing Panarin, who was one of the top free agency signings of the past decade. Now, at the end of their window, Panarin may be the first to go as they enter the retool.
In 2018, the Rangers released “The Letter”, which indicated the team was heading into a rebuild. Just shy of eight years later, they are sending another.
A Message from Chris Drury to Our Fans pic.twitter.com/JVimBJ59B7
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 16, 2026
The team is going into a retool this time. While language doesn’t exactly matter as much as the actions, that term usually means some pieces are staying tied down. For the Rangers, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin are the only true locks for sticking around…for now at least.
Panarin isn’t getting a new contract and will likely be traded. The Minnesota Wild are among the top teams in the running for him, but now that it has been made public, most teams contending for a championship will be calling the Rangers.
Outside of Panarin, the futures of Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle, and some other key forwards will be interesting to watch.
Predators Show Winning Changes Everything
For most of the 2024-25 season, the 2025 offseason, and to kick off the 2025-26 season, all eyes were on the Predators for all the wrong reasons. At one point, Stamkos, O’Reilly, Jonathan Marchessault, and probably some others, were taking a long look at the suitcase, wondering if they would need it soon.
Trade talks with the Predators dominated the rumour mill for long stretches, but now, having won 17 of their past 25, things have been very quiet.
There haven’t been many updates on any of the players who were linked to other teams, but with O’Reilly, Chris Johnston reported that as long as the winning sticks around, it becomes less and less likely that he is traded.
Rasmus Andersson Sweepstakes Down to 4 Teams
Another long-lasting storyline is what will come of Andersson’s future. It has been pretty clear that he is going to be traded, and on the morning of Jan. 17, Darren Dreger reported that the bidding is down to four teams, and named the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights as two of them.
For the Bruins, they seemed to be heading in a seller’s direction, but they have played much better than anticipated, and with big players stepping up, they may look to add to the team, and Andersson could be a great fit.
The Golden Knights have been trying to get Andersson for quite a while now, but there were reports that he wasn’t interested in an extension with them.
The Stars are following in Vegas’ footsteps. Every big player who seems to be available, and the Stars are linked. They are likely one of the other two teams.
The fourth team, reportedly in the Eastern Conference, would come down to the Ottawa Senators or Detroit Red Wings, who have both been heavily connected, too. The Red Wings reportedly won’t do a deal without an extension, and Andersson doesn’t seem too keen on that based on reports, and the Senators are on his no-trade list. One of those teams could be trying to fight against the issues and convince the Flames and Andersson that this is the deal for them.
There have been a ton of moving pieces, but Andersson is almost certainly going to be moved within the next little bit.
