NHL Rumour Roundup: Penguins, Flyers not done dealing

Just over a month remains before the NHL’s 2025 trade deadline, and the deals have already started dropping.

The Vancouver Canucks have authored the biggest roster shakeup to this point, shipping J.T. Miller to New York, while bringing in a couple of former Pittsburgh Penguins to bolster their depth. But elsewhere around the league, pieces have begun moving, too. And it seems one of the Western Conference’s best might not be done dealing.

Fresh off a swap that brought in defender Cody Ceci and veteran forward Mikael Granlund from San Jose, the Dallas Stars may be looking to continue adding to their blue line, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“I don’t think they’re finished with the make-up of their defence,” Friedman told Kyle Bukauskas on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “I think they could change it further — I think it’s possible that maybe somebody else goes out, and someone else comes in. Monday, today, they’re supposed to find out about (Miro) Heiskanen, get a better idea about what his situation is. They seem to believe he won’t be out until the playoffs, that he could be back before then.

“But I don’t think it’s impossible that they continue to remake their blue line, at least once more.”

After a pair of trips to the Conference Finals in each of the past two post-seasons — the latest ending in a loss to the Edmonton Oilers in six games — the Stars began tinkering with their blue line in the off-season, bringing in Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin to supplement a group headlined by Heiskanen, Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell. The Stars currently sit second in the West with 69 points and a 34-17-1 record with a third of the season still to go.

Panthers looking to add right-shot D, teams expecting a big swing

Out east, another bona fide contender could be looking to bolster their own blue line, according to Friedman.

“Everyone is wary of Florida,” Friedman said on Monday’s episode. “They don’t have a lot of room, they don’t have a lot of things to trade, but [other teams] somehow think they’re going to surprise us all.

“I think they’re looking at a right-handed-shot D for sure. But teams are wary of them, that Bill Zito’s going to pull something out of his hat.”

The Panthers are, of course, no strangers to big swings on the trade front, with Zito having pulled off one of the biggest deals in recent NHL history a couple of years ago when he shipped out leading scorer Jonathan Huberdeau to land Matthew Tkachuk — a move that proved pivotal in helping Florida lift the Stanley Cup last June.

The Panthers notably lost a key piece of their championship blue line in the off-season, as veteran Brandon Montour moved on to sign a long-term deal with Seattle as a free agent. Currently sitting atop the Atlantic Division, and third in the East overall, the Cats have fared just fine to this point. But it seems a move to shore up their blue line further — or perhaps spur a more significant shake-up — could come before the deadline arrives.

Penguins remain open for business after trading Pettersson, O’Connor

Kyle Dubas has made his feelings clear on the trajectory of his Pittsburgh Penguins. After years of previous regimes loading up for continued kicks at the post-season can, the priorities have shifted for Sidney Crosby’s club. The focus now sits squarely on the future and Dubas has dealt away key roster pieces dating back to last season, including Crosby’s longtime linemate Jake Guentzel.

The trades have continued this season, as the Pens moved blue-line stalwart Marcus Pettersson and depth forward Drew O’Connor to Vancouver last week. While Dubas has downplayed the potential of Pittsburgh leaning towards a full-on fire sale, there are surely still pieces that could be shipped out in pursuit of futures.

Longtime Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe highlighted a bevy of current Pens who he believes the organization would be open to moving, namely depth forwards like Anthony Beauvillier (who has 11 goals and 15 points on the year), Kevin Hayes (eight goals, 12 points), Blake Lizotte (eight goals, 12 points), and Noel Acciari (four goals, eight points).

Yohe also suggested netminder Alex Nedeljkovic could be had for the right price — the 29-year-old has taken over as the top option for Pittsburgh this season, with $26 million man Tristan Jarry demoted to the AHL. But with the Penguins prioritizing collecting as many picks and prospects as possible at this point, could the right offer pry even Nedeljkovic away?

The biggest question for opposing clubs may be what Pittsburgh plans to do with Rickard Rakell. The 31-year-old is enjoying his best season since his early days in Anaheim, currently sitting with 23 goals and 45 points through 53 games. 

“The Penguins aren’t eager to trade Rakell. They don’t want to and they’ll likely retain him,” Yohe wrote. “Kyle Dubas doesn’t want to trade a high-scoring winger off Sidney Crosby’s line for a second straight season. Even if you’re rebuilding, you still have to have some players, you know? Plus, Rakell is a bargain at his current contract and, when the salary cap goes up next season, teams will likely covet Rakell even more. So, his value may be higher in June than now.

“That said, he’s a quality player enjoying a career season. A great facet of Rakell’s game is that he can play equally as effectively on the right or left side. If a fellow general manager made an outrageous offer for Rakell, well, Dubas would have to consider it. Could you get a first-round pick for Rakell? It’s possible, and, if I were the Penguins, I’d take that deal.”

Flyers may not be done dealing either

Pennsylvania’s other resident club has similarly been busy on the trade market — the Philadelphia Flyers made a splash already last week, sending Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier.

While the Flyers see potential in the two players they acquired, GM Danny Briere made clear the moves were also set in motion with an eye to the future. And according to Friedman, that future could include a more significant move for the Flyers.

“Danny Briere was on the Philly broadcast and he basically confirmed what everybody had said — that they’re clearing cap room and they’re going big-game hunting,” Friedman noted on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “They’re really going to try something.” 

Friedman suggested that the Flyers may be angling for an offer-sheet attempt, as some believe the recent news on the rising salary cap could open the door for more teams to look to acquire talent via that route, as the St. Louis Blues did this past off-season.

“The Flyers have a lot of room. Now, everybody has a bit more cap room, so I’m not sure if teams are going to be in a better [place] to protect themselves against them,” Friedman said. “But Briere basically came out and said the Flyers are going to be a team to watch.”

Senators eyeing Donato, Tanev to bolster forward depth

While the Flyers and Penguins, both currently out of the playoffs, work to get their clubs back on track in the future, one club currently in the East’s playoff mix is looking to add what they can to remain there in the here and now.

Seven seasons have passed since the Ottawa Senators last made it to the dance, their Conference Final run back in 2017 being their last appearance. But heading into the final third of the 2024-25 campaign, the Sens sit third in the Atlantic, just four points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a very real shot to finally make their return. With four straight wins in the bag, and nine wins in their last 12, Ottawa seems on track to do just that.

To aid in that effort, it appears GM Steve Staios is looking to add some veteran depth to bolster his group heading into the home stretch.

According to the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch, Seattle’s Brandon Tanev and Chicago’s Ryan Donato are two names on the team’s radar, while Staios remains on the hunt for some improved blue-line depth, too.

“Donato is the kind of player the Senators would be interested in,” a league executive told Garrioch, he reported. “He could help them.”

Donato is enjoying a solid campaign in Chicago so far, the 28-year-old having collected 15 goals and 30 points through 50 games to this point, putting him on track for a career year. The veteran Tanev has nine goals and 16 points through 52 games for Seattle.

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