NHL Trade Talk Recap

NHL Trade Talk Recap: Yakemchuk’s Debut, Jarry, and Dman Trade Rumours

by
Ethan Braund
March 26, 2026

Great debuts, more goalie questions and potential landing spots for big-name defenseman were just a few of the top stories from Tuesday. Ottawa saw great things from its star prospect; Edmonton has another in what seems like an unending series of goalie decisions; and the insider looks at a Pacific trade destination for the Leafs or Oilers defenceman.

First, in Ottawa, Carter Yakemchuk, a former Senators first-round pick, posted a multi-point debut yesterday. In Edmonton, Tristan Jarry’s big win against Utah raises another question: Should the club start him or return to Connor Ingram for a must-win game against Vegas? In trade rumours, the San Jose Sharks have been identified as a potential partner for the Maple Leafs or Oilers for their aging defenceman.

A Great Debut in Ottawa

Most rookies have quiet debuts where they are just trying to get their feet wet and don’t try to do too much. But for 2024, 7th-over pick for the Ottawa Senators, Carter Yakemchuk, he blew expectations out of the water.

The future star for the Senators finished the first game of his young career with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win. That is definitely a great start for a position that usually takes a lot longer to get used to the NHL’s pace. That was the biggest positive of his game: he did not look overwhelmed once, ever. He got his points, but he also looked like a seasoned vet doing so. His head coach, Travis Green, also had a lot of positive things to say about his young defencemen, calling one a “special player,” and it was easy to see why. This great debut came about after Ottwaaw suffered some pretty significant injuries; with Thomas Chabot or Jake Sanderson being out, it gave him his shot. Not only did he take it and succeed, but in his very short time with the team, he might have earned a long-term look. Now, the debut was good, but I guess we will see if he can keep this up for as long as he has the chance.

Yakemchuk’s Debut Raises a Big Question for Ottawa

Oilers Win Creates a Big Decision about Their Goalies

Tristan Jarry has had a less-than-stellar stint with the Edmonton Oilers, but his most recent win, however it came, has raised some questions for the organization. Jarry, who recently won a game against the Utah Mammouth, faced only 18 shots in an overall great team win for the Oilers.

This type of win begs the question: Was it enough to go to Jarry for their must-win game against Vegas on Thursday or go back to Connor Ingram? This was a great playoff-like win the Oilers needed, especially given how they have been playing. Something that the Oilers need if they are going to go with Jarry long-term is certainty that he will perform. In his last game, he was only good, not great, stopping 16 of 18 shots he faced. That was good enough for the win, but it certainly would not steal you a game if you slip up for a second on defence. With a massive game against the Golden Knights coming up, who tends the crease is a very important decision for the Oilers brass. The Oilers goalie has tended to follow up a good performance with a bad one, and that is a habit he needs to shake if the team wants him to start long-term. Maybe the Oilers can play better hockey in front of their goalie if they have less faith in him, but that might not be a sustainable strategy in the coming playoffs.

Oilers Forced Into Another Big Decision with Jarry After Utah Win

San Jose, a landing Spot for Nurse or Reilly?

The Oilers and Maple Leafs are in very similar situations with long-time defencemen who have struggled in recent years, and it’s time to move on. If you said Morgan Reilly or Darnell Nurse, you’d both be right on both accounts. Insider David Pagnotta has a potential landing spot for one of the big-time defencemen in the San Jose Sharks.

One of the main reasons that these two players are so tough to move is that they both have full no-movement clauses, and combine that with Rielly’s $7.5 million and Nurse’s $9.25 million average annual salary. It creates a small list of suitors, so the situation has to be right, and Pagnotta believes the Sharks could be a great offseason spot for one of these two defensemen. The Sharks are in the market for a veteran piece for the backend and have $44 million in cap space this summer to make that happen. The biggest and first obstacle they would have to address is whether either Nurse or Reilly would be willing to waive their no-move clause. Playing with rising star Macklin Celebrini and the rest of the exciting San Jose core certainly could make winning that case more likely. With it becoming increasingly likely that one or both of these players will be sporting new jerseys, the Sharks might soon be asking for their sizes.

Insider Sees Pacific Team as Landing Spot for Morgan Rielly or Darnell Nurse