NHL Rumor Round Up: Avs Depth Options, The Goalie Market, Vegas Moves, & More

The trade dam has broken this week with Trevor Zegras, Evander Kane, JJ Peterka, and several others already on the move. But with the NHL Draft slated to begin on Friday — just four days ahead of July 1 — the expectation is that we’re going to see a lot more trades before free agency takes center stage.

I do want to shout out the @NHLRumourReport X/Twitter account. They do an excellent job of collecting NHL Insider soundbites from all avenues and share it throughout the day. It makes all of our jobs a lot easier. All the rumors and reports below were taken from their social media page. Please give them a follow if you haven’t already.

The NHL Insiders share their reports, and I share my thoughts on each one. Enjoy!

Darren Dreger: Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs: “It makes a lot of sense he could be in play” – TSN 1050

My Thoughts: Dreger also reported that Thatcher Demko might be re-signed, and the Canucks would go all-in on goaltending depth, with Kevin Lankinen already making $4.5 million. If that’s the case, then yes, Silovs is the one to move since he likely won’t clear waivers in October. I do wonder if they decide to deal Demko instead. We saw the 2021-22 Avs overpay to get Darcy Kuemper and it worked. Should Demko be available, can the Oilers do something like that?

Frank Seravalli: “I think there’s a real chance, it’s a tossup” whether Noah Dobson gets traded – Morning Cuppa Hockey

My Thoughts: I love reading about a potential Noah Dobson trade because the scenario of a hockey trade would make a lot of sense. For example, what if the Blues ship Jordan Kyrou to Long Island for Dobson? Something like that would be a lot of fun.

Frank Seravalli: Pending UFA Senators goalie Anton Forsberg has “probably got eyes for a bigger opportunity elsewhere” – Daily Faceoff

My Thoughts: The goaltending carousel is going to be interesting to watch. The Red Wings have two goalies, but they need help. The Canucks might trade Demko, the Oilers need a goalie, and the Flyers, Mammoth, and Sharks are also in the mix. All I have to say here is, kudos to Chris MacFarland for the goalie trades last season. I’m glad the Avs aren’t digging into this market in desperation like some of these other clubs might. The biggest UFA goalie on the market is Jake Allen.

Chris Johnston: Patrick Kane is “of a mind to stay” in Detroit – Chris Johnston Show

My Thoughts: The Red Wings need to take a step this year but, honestly, I don’t think Patrick Kane does enough for them as a veteran. He’s not a needle mover anymore, but he could help a good team. I’d love to see him lining up with Auston Matthews in Toronto, as unlikely as that scenario is.

Nick Kypreos: The Red Wings could be open to retaining a hefty amount of Andrew Copp’s cap hit for the next two years in a trade – Sportsnet

My Thoughts: There are a lot of moving parts on that Avalanche third line. Even Charlie Coyle might get traded, albeit the team wants to keep him. Could Copp be a target for the Avs? If you recall, Colorado was interested in him in 2022 before trading for Artturi Lehkonen. I wouldn’t mind Copp at less than $3 million on the third line. I just wonder if he would play center or wing.

Pierre LeBrun: Regarding pending UFA Nate Schmidt: I think it’s more likely than not that he’s gone (from Florida) – The Athletic

My Thoughts: I’m not saying the Avs should sign Schmidt himself, but the Panthers knocked this one out of the park when they added him last summer. Colorado went 0-for-3 on Calvin de Haan, Erik Brannstrom, and Oliver Kylington last year. They have to hit on these types of moves. It’s what led to the Stanley Cup in 2022, and it could save you a ton of assets at the trade deadline if you have to desperately fill those holes because you gambled on the wrong veteran in July.

Nick Kypreos: Vegas “have a few choices to unload” cap space, Nicolas Roy would be one of them – SN 590

My Thoughts: The Golden Knights already re-signed Reilly Smith and are reportedly going to sign Brandon Saad, too. Alex Pietrangelo is expected to spend the year on LTIR, but even then, they don’t quite have enough space for Mitch Marner. Is Nicolas Roy enough? Could they move Tomas Hertl instead? How do you replace Pietrangelo and Nic Hague, who they’re also shopping? That roster is going to look a lot different in a week than it does now.