NHL Weekend Rumors: Hughes Watch, Jarry to Oilers, Sellers Getting Ready

In our NHL Weekend Rumors report, this week brought some fairly significant storylines to the surface across the league. Things seem to have escalated in Vancouver, where Quinn Hughes chatter is everywhere on the heels of his being checked out. Meanwhile, a rumor surfaced that the Edmonton Oilers were acquiring Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins… where did that come from? Finally, front offices are probing the market, contenders are searching for upgrades, and bubble teams are feeling the urgency to act.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest storylines shaping the NHL rumor mill.

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Hughes Watch Intensifies: Detroit, New Jersey, and the Big Picture

Quinn Hughes dominated the rumor mill again, and the league is buzzing over where this could eventually lead. Elliotte Friedman suggested that if he ranked clubs capable of making a Hughes deal, New Jersey is still the favorite, but Detroit would sit very high, thanks to its strong prospect pool and upward trajectory. Frank Seravalli also pointed to Philadelphia as a team to watch, given Rick Tocchet’s familiarity with their roster.

Darren Dreger isn’t sure the Devils and GM Tom Fitzgerald want to pay the cost to acquire Hughes via trade if they ultimately believe they’ll be on his radar in free agency.

Vancouver, meanwhile, should be preparing for life without Hughes. Recent footage of his play and media interviews, in which he seems completely uninterested, are changing the narrative in Vancouver, with many believing he’s leaving.

All the while, the Canucks are still seeing teams call about the availability of Conor Garland and Kiefer Sherwood. The latter has gotten interest from multiple teams — including the Canadiens and Wild.

Jarry to the Oilers: A Non-Story… For Now

On Friday night, a rumor that the Edmonton Oilers had traded for Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins gained steam. The report was coming from a questionable source, buy they wrote:

“We are hearing that Tristan Jarry is being traded to the Edmonton Oilers & the Penguins will retain 50% of his salary. Working on more information on the full trade. “

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported on Saturday morning, “No goaltending deals done for the Oilers despite some wild speculation otherwise. Things can always change, but that’s the state of it as of Friday night/Saturday morning.”

Friedman reinforced that the Oilers won’t make a panic move—they’d rather do nothing than a bad something. Seravalli believes the next three to four weeks before the holiday freeze are the key window if Edmonton is going to strike.

Teams Positioning for Moves: Rangers, Stars, Flyers, Devils, and Predators

Several teams are gearing up early for roster upgrades.

The New York Rangers are trying to work around the loss of defenseman Adam Fox and are exploring options for a temporary power-play quarterback. Friedman floated Erik Gustafsson as one potential match.

In Dallas, the Stars lost Tyler Seguin for the season, and reports are that they could get aggressive on the trade front. Pierre LeBrun says they will look for forward help ahead of March 6 and if it is deemed that Seguin is out for the playoffs, the team has around $9.8 million to spend on the cap.

The Flyers are at the center of ongoing speculation. Darren Dreger notes they’d like to add a significant piece soon. Talk is that the Canucks have shown interest in Owen Tippett, but Friedman believes Philly is doing everything it can to calm the noise on that speculation.

The Devils were also linked to Steven Stamkos this week. Reports out of Nashville continue to be that the Predators are close to selling. Names like Ryan O’Reilly, Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, and Michael McCarron have attracted attention.

Next: Canadiens Acquire Kyrou, Binnington in Curious Multi-Player Trade Pitch