NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canucks, Oilers & Devils Conspiracy?

In today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap (October 28, 2026), trade season is already getting spicy. Here are some of the rumours going on around the league. The Canucks just ended a 10-game skid and look ready to sell off a bunch of vets. Over in Edmonton, Mike Babcock sat Jake Walman and made it clear a big contract won’t protect anybody. And in New Jersey, there’s a wild theory that Team USA’s stars planned this whole thing, with Hellebuyck as step one. 

Canucks Are Open for Business

Vancouver is stuck in a 10-game losing streak, and reports say GM Ryan Johnson is ready to sell. Jake DeBrusk, Drew O’Connor, Filip Chytil and Luke Schenn are all possible trade pieces. And Elias Pettersson might even be in the mix. After the latest loss, Brock Boeser said he doesn’t know where the disconnect is and called it embarrassing.

The plan is to get younger while still bringing in guys who can play right now. DeBrusk is the most obvious name since he doesn’t fit the rebuild and this is his last year with a full no-movement clause. O’Connor is a pending UFA who’d be a nice depth piece for a team like Edmonton. The Canucks’ phones will probably stay busy.

Canucks Close to Selling Several Pieces: 4 Names That Could Be Traded

Babcock Benches Walman and Sends a Message

Mike Babcock isn’t messing around in Edmonton. Jake Walman, the Oilers’ $7 million defenceman, is a healthy scratch against the Flames after Babcock kept seeing the same mistakes on video. Walman keeps getting caught in the wrong spot. He’s got one assist and a minus-7 through nine games. Even if you take away a few unlucky goals against, the numbers still aren’t pretty. Walman said sitting isn’t fun, but he believes in himself and knows he was brought in to be a big piece.

It’s also not the first time Babcock has done this. Trent Frederic got scratched a few games back. He barely played when he returned, so the message is pretty clear: a big contract won’t save you. When asked about the money, Babcock basically said that’s not his problem; he just wants to win. Walman’s been warned, and now he’s got to show he can play the defence-first game Babcock wants.

Is Time Up? Walman Sits Out as Oilers Coach’s Patience Wears Thin

Is Team USA Secretly Building a Super Team in New Jersey?

A wild theory is going around that the Team USA Olympic guys planned this and are all trying to end up on the same team. The Jets traded Connor Hellebuyck to the Devils. Days earlier, Dylan Larkin added New Jersey to his list of OK destinations. Throw in the chatter that Quinn Hughes might be holding off on an extension in Minnesota so he can join his brothers Jack and Luke, and it starts to look suspicious. Even Elliotte Friedman said it sure looks coordinated and that the Hellebuyck deal could be step one.

Whether it’s a master plan or just a pile of coincidences, we’ll find out soon enough. The cap math is tricky but not impossible. Moving Dougie Hamilton’s $9 million could make room for Larkin, and Hughes is a pending UFA, so the Devils wouldn’t have to trade for him. They’d just need to clear space and hope he takes a friendly deal to play with his brothers.

Is Team USA Quietly Building a Superteam in New Jersey?

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