NHL Weekend Rumors: Maple Leafs Blue Line, Preds Problems, Oilers Return

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs are once again front and center in the defense market, the Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres are wrestling with bigger-picture questions about direction, the Nashville Predators are under the microscope. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues – are sizing up signigicant moves.

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Maple Leafs Aggressively Chasing Blue Line And Cap Flexibility

The Maple Leafs continue to be linked to Rasmus Andersson, but multiple insiders suggest this is easier said than done. Darren Dreger notes Calgary nearly moved Andersson to Toronto at last year’s deadline and wonders how the Leafs get it done now if they couldn’t then, especially with the Flames asking for a premium piece like Matthew Knies and an extension likely needing to be in place.

Toronto is expected to stay aggressive, with Chris Johnston saying the organization will push hard to maximize this fleeting window to win. Names like Brandon Carlo have been floated as possible cap casualties that other teams could monitor. Meanwhile, the David Kampf situation is evolving: his contract is being terminated, and now that he’s free to sign anywhere, teams such as Vancouver, Montreal, and others are believed to have varying degrees of interest.

Related: No Way Maple Leafs Pay Flames’ Steep Price for Rasmus Andersson

Flames And Sabres Wrestling With Identity And Core Decisions

In Calgary, internal tension revolves more around “retool” versus “rebuild” than a full teardown. Pierre LeBrun reports that Flames ownership has little appetite for a plunge into the abyss, even names like Nazem Kadri, Nlake Coleman, and Rasmus Andersson generate league-wide interest.

In Buffalo, Darren Dreger has openly asked what “change” looks like, even raising the possibility of ownership-level questions. On the ice, contract talks with Alex Tuch remain quiet, and there’s a sense he’s comfortable either signing long-term or heading to free agency if the Sabres want to play things out. Combined with earlier comments from Tage Thompson and the heavy atmosphere at Sabres games, pressure is building for meaningful decisions.

Predators Facing Pivotal Stretch And Eyeing Forward Help

The Nashville Predators are one of the teams most “under review” right now. Elliotte Friedman describes their games in Sweden as feeling especially heavy, suggesting that poor results could lead to significant decisions, potentially even involving the coaching staff.

GM Barry Trotz is believed to be eyeing forward help, with Friedman and others mentioning players like Michael Bunting, Erik Haula and Jonathan Marchessault as possible targets to be traded – the latter needing to approve any move.

The Fourth Period notes several Predators-linked players as plausible trade candidates. If things don’t stabilize, Nashville could pivot from trying to add depth scoring to more aggressively reshaping the roster, with Trotz holding multiple options depending on whether he leans toward a quick reset or something more dramatic.

Oilers, Devils, Blues And Others Lurking For Big Swings

Goaltending remains a hot topic in Edmonton, but insiders are skeptical a blockbuster is imminent. Elliotte Friedman has poured cold water on the Juuse Saros chatter, questioning how the Oilers could realistically make it work. Discussions involving John Gibson also hit a snag when it became clear he didn’t want to merely split duties with Stuart Skinner. David Pagnotta adds that Edmonton’s cap situation makes an “impact” goalie hard to fit, even if Skinner were outgoing.

Meanwhile, the Oilers made a couple of roster moves to fit Zach Hyman back onto their books. Hyman returns from LTIR, while Troy Stecher goes on waivers and Ike Howard is assigned to the AHL.

Elsewhere, New Jersey is doing its homework on major additions, potentially willing to explore moving Dougie Hamilton’s $9 million cap hit if it brings in a true stud forward, with names like Jordan Kyrou and Blake Coleman loosely connected as targets.

The Blues, meanwhile, are open for business on a wide range of players, including big names with protection like Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and Brayden Schenn, though GM Doug Armstrong still wants premium value with multiple contenders – Carolina, Utah, Ottawa, Montreal, Anaheim and New Jersey among them.

Next: If Not Saros, Then Who?: Oilers’ Best Goalie Targets in a Non-Existent Market