In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: what’s next for the Wild, more speculation about Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies, and potential cost-cutting trade candidates for the Stars.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE WILD?
ESPN.COM: Ryan S. Clark looks at what’s ahead for the Minnesota Wild following their second-round elimination by the Colorado Avalanche.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin has eight players slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. They include Vladimir Tarasenko, Mats Zuccarello, Nick Foligno, Marcus Johansson, Michael McCarron, Zach Bogosian, and Jeff Petry.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild have just over $13.5 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27, with 17 active roster players under contract.
Zuccarello should be back for sure, given his value to the Wild. Johansson and Tarasenko might also return on affordable short-term deals if they remain interested in playing for a contender. McCarron’s physical style could also earn him a new contract.
Clark believes the Wild must consider adding top-six help. He noted that they will have limited cap space for next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was rumored that Guerin was in the market for a first or second-line center before the March trade deadline. The Wild were linked to Vincent Trocheck, but there’s no certainty the 33-year-old New York Rangers center would agree to be traded to Minnesota when his preference is to remain in the Eastern Conference.
Guerin must balance his need to add a center for his top-two forward lines with signing some of those pending UFAs to affordable contracts.
THE LATEST MATTHEW KNIES SPECULATION
TSN: During an appearance on “Overdrive” with Jeff O’Neill and Jamie McLennan, Chris Johnston discussed the potential trade strategies this summer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Among them was what type of return Matthew Knies might fetch in the trade market.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthews Knies (NHL Images).
Knies surfaced in the rumor mill before the March trade deadline as former Leafs general manager Brad Treliving was reportedly listening to offers for the 24-year-old power forward.
Johnston wondered if new Maple Leafs GM John Chayka would reopen those Knies discussions. He believes a key part of that deal would be what the Leafs would get back for a defenseman if they’re going to take a forward with the first-overall pick in this year’s draft.
Asked why Knies’ name came up in the trade market before the March deadline, Johnston said his lack of no-trade protection was the biggest factor. Trying to move someone like William Nylander would be difficult because his no-movement clause limits where he might prefer to go.
Johnston said he spoke with someone who works for an NHL team who claimed they would be willing to give up more for Knies than for Leafs superstar Auston Matthews. That’s because Matthews has only two years left on his deal, while they would have five years of Knies in his prime. Johnston claimed one team offered six pieces for Knies before the trade deadline, but it wasn’t good enough for Treliving.
There’s a new front office in Toronto now, and they might not be as willing to move Knies. However, Johnston isn’t ruling it out.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those six pieces were probably mostly draft picks and prospects, whereas Treliving was seeking a return that would provide more immediate help for his struggling roster.
Recent reports suggest Chayka thinks highly of Knies and doesn’t seem keen to move him. We’ll see if that’s the case as the offseason unfolds.
WHICH MEMBERS OF THE DALLAS STARS COULD BECOME COST-CUTTING CANDIDATES?
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Lia Assimakopoulos listed four players the Stars could trade to create enough cap space to sign winger Jason Robertson to a new contract.
Robertson, 26, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights who is also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. He’s completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $7.75 million. Robertson could seek a deal comparable to the eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV) signed by teammate Mikko Rantanen last year.
Assimakopoulos listed forwards Radek Faksa ($2 million annually through 2027-28), Sam Steel (one year at $2.1 million), and defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin (one year, $3.25 million) and Tyler Myers (one year, $1.5 million) as potential trade candidates.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars have a projected $11 million in cap space for next season with 19 active roster players signed. How much Robertson gets will determine which (or how many) of those four will be moved.
Myers seems the most likely, as he wasn’t a good fit after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks before the trade deadline. However, his struggles with the Stars could also hurt his trade value.