NHL rumblings: Massive trade attempts coming, top picks available, latest on Matthews, McDavid, more
What happens when the NHL salary cap jumps in a major way — again — giving teams money to spend in a year with very few Grade A options to splurge on in the July 1 unrestricted free agent market?
Trades, trades, trades.
Based on conversations with multiple NHL front offices and agents over the past week, it sounds like teams are calling around to gauge the temperature on all kinds of names. Not just the obvious ones.
There’s a storm brewing with the potential for massive trades. At the very least, there will be massive attempts.
One player who fits that criteria is 23-year-old forward Mason McTavish, which is a little obvious after he was scratched for two playoff games. I have zero evidence to suggest the Anaheim Ducks are the ones picking up the phone and calling teams about him. But I know for a fact that several teams have inquired about him. He’s coming off a season in which he regressed after a contract stalemate delayed his start.
Still, the third pick from the 2021 draft is an appealing target, especially since he’s signed to a contract for another five years at a $7 million cap hit. Some teams view him as an ideal reset candidate. All the more reason Anaheim wouldn’t move him unless a team steps up in a major way.
What’s major, you ask? Well, if Auston Matthews watches the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason play out over the next five or six weeks and decides he’s not sure they are still a contender and says he’s open to a move, I would venture to guess Anaheim would be on his list of seven or eight potential desired landing spots. And the Ducks would have the pieces to make it work in a larger package.
All things being equal, I think it’s more likely No. 34 stays in Toronto for at least another season, but it’s just an example for the kind of scenario that the Ducks could potentially see come their way.
Also worth noting, with young stars Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier due for big raises this summer, one can see why the Ducks might at least listen on McTavish as they put all the pieces of the puzzle together in the bigger picture.
Top picks available?
Will any of the top five picks in the draft be on the move?
Not that the Maple Leafs are intent on moving the No. 1 pick, but new general manager John Chayka also isn’t hanging up the phone if and when teams call. Why would he? If a team steps up in a meaningful way with the kind of package that helps the Leafs get back in contention, Chayka will at least listen, according to league sources.
I do think it’s unlikely he moves it, though.
The San Jose Sharks, meanwhile, are far enough along in their rebuild that GM Mike Grier is absolutely open to moving the No. 2 pick, depending on the offers, per league sources.
Same goes with Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson and the No. 4 pick. Chicago views the pick as a heck of an asset, given the talent available in the top five, so it would be need to be a darn good NHL player to move it, but the Blackhawks are open to it, per league sources.
We’ll see if any team makes San Jose or Chicago blink.
Preds after MacFarland?
There’s no question in my mind that the Nashville Predators have been waiting for the Colorado Avalanche season to end to reach out and see if they can chat with GM Chris MacFarland.
It might be a long shot, but the Preds have cast a wide net in this drawn-out process and have said all along they’re in no rush, so why not take a shot at one of the game’s top GMs, even if the answer ends up being no? You don’t know until you ask.
Captains on the move?
It’s not exactly clear yet how things will play out for pending UFAs Anders Lee and Boone Jenner, who are both captains.
Let’s start with Lee, who turns 36 on July 3, coming off a contract paying him $7 million per year. After a 29-goal season in 2024-25, he scored 19 this past season. But there are obviously more elements to his game.
My understanding is that New York Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has indicated to Lee’s agent, Neil Sheehy, that the team does have interest in re-signing Lee but that it needs to make a few other moves before it can go down that road.
Lee is also interested in staying on Long Island, but the sides would need to find common ground on salary and term, and I don’t think that’s a slam dunk given his age.
As for Jenner, 32, he recently changed representation and is now with Pat Morris of Newport Sports, as our Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer, Aaron Portzline, reported last week. The second-longest-serving captain in franchise history, Jenner is interested in re-signing with Columbus, but the first go-around in terms of contract talks saw both sides pretty far apart when it came to term.
Having said that, GM Don Waddell is comfortable negotiating at the 11th hour, as he did with Ivan Provorov a year ago, so I still wouldn’t be ready to say Jenner is definitely going to market. Some things still need to play out there.
Carlson’s value
Ducks defenseman John Carlson, 36, will be an intriguing name to watch over the next month or so.
The Ducks have spoken with Carlson’s camp, led by veteran agent Rick Curran, and communicated a desire to start negotiations on a new contract. Carlson is open to having those talks but needs a bit more time to mull over what he wants to do as July 1 approaches.
Carlson had been in talks with the Washington Capitals before they moved him at the trade deadline in March about a two-year extension worth $9 million per season.
I doubt very much Carlson signs for less than two years and $9 million per year, regardless of whether that’s in Anaheim or on the open market. And my sense is there are four or five teams in the East hoping Carlson hits the July 1 market.
Nemec trade request?
For what it’s worth, I checked into reports that New Jersey Devils defenseman Šimon Nemec has asked for a trade, and everyone involved refuted it.
That’s not to say Nemec’s definitely staying put. He’s a restricted free agent and needs a new contract.
Market for Perry
Corey Perry turned 41 on May 16, but he told me last month during the Tampa Bay Lightning’s series against the Montreal Canadiens that he isn’t ready to quit yet.
“I still want to continue to play,” Perry said.
Just to make sure that wasn’t adrenaline talking and he hadn’t changed his mind with time to reflect, I checked with his agent, Pat Morris, this week, and he confirmed that Perry absolutely still intends to play if there’s a fit somewhere that makes sense for him. He had 17 goals this past season between the Los Angeles Kings and the Lightning, so it does appear there’s juice left there.
It doesn’t sound like a return to Tampa Bay is in the cards, though.
Matthews and McDavid
And finally, let’s circle back on Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid.
The reality as of now is that it’s a holding pattern on both fronts. Matthews and McDavid are most likely staying put for at least another season, but neither can yet commit 100 percent to that. For starters, both of their teams still need to hire a new head coach. That’s going to be a factor.
Matthews and his agent, Judd Moldaver, who also represents McDavid, had a Zoom call with Chayka and Leafs senior executive adviser of hockey operations Mats Sundin about 10 days ago, and it went well by all accounts. But Matthews and Moldaver still need to see how the Leafs’ offseason moves play out before they can say that they’re for sure committed for next season.
The same goes for McDavid. The Oilers’ moves over the next five or six weeks are important to monitor before McDavid and Moldaver sign off for next season.
