BS Meter on Brady Tkachuk and the Latest NHL Trade and Free-Agency Rumors
Most NHL fans and pundits are focused on the opening round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the rumor mill has been churning involving players on teams that failed to qualify for the postseason.
Non-playoff clubs can trade among themselves during the postseason. However, they're likely to wait until the offseason, when they will have a larger market of potential trade partners to deal with.
The St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs are among the teams worth watching during the offseason. The Blues are reshaping their roster with younger talent and could continue to peddle some of their veterans, while the Leafs hope to bolster their roster to rebound from this season's disappointing effort.
Meanwhile, the NHL's free-agent market doesn't open until July 1, but there's already speculation about the status of notable pending unrestricted free agents such as Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers.
Follow along as we employ our trusty BS Meter to determine whether the latest notable trade and free-agency rumors are based on fact or fiction.
Could the Chicago Blackhawks Pursue a First-Line Winger?
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For the past three years, Chicago has been rebuilding its roster under general manager Kyle Davidson. Signed to a multi-year contract extension on Apr. 15, Davidson will continue to build up his roster around young superstar center Connor Bedard.
Davidson's priority this summer will be signing the 20-year-old Bedard to a contract extension. Meanwhile, some observers believe the Chicago GM should make a big move by adding a talented young winger to Bedard's line.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested Davidson pursue Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs or Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. He claimed that Chicago was interested in Knies before the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Robertson could be available this summer if he and the Stars fail to agree to a new contract.
Knies, 23, surfaced in the rumor mill before last month's trade deadline amid rumors the Maple Leafs were gauging his value. Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Robertson is a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights, who is also a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.
BS Meter: Not BS
Adding an established young scoring winger for Bedard's line could accelerate Chicago's rebuilding process. It could also provide additional encouragement for Bedard to re-sign. Whether Knies or Robertson is available remains to be seen, but Davidson could keep his ear to the ground for any suitable trade targets.
Could the St. Louis Blues Peddle Pavel Buchnevich?
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After struggling through the opening weeks of this season, the St. Louis Blues went into sell mode. They shipped out Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk at the trade deadline, while forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, defenseman Colton Parayko, and goalie Jordan Binnington appeared in trade rumors.
Most of the trade speculation continues to focus on Thomas, Kyrou, Parayko, and Binnington. However, Pavel Buchnevich has recently been mentioned as a trade candidate. On Apr. 17, Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic suggested the Blues explore moving the 31-year-old forward.
Buchenvich is signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $8 million. He also has a full no-trade clause. His production has declined since his career-high performance of 30 goals and 76 points in 2021-22, which helped him earn his current contract.
Rutherford believes Buchnevich's slumping production could have Blues management regretting signing him to that contract. He thinks it could be impossible to move the winger without including a sweetener in the deal.
BS Meter: Not BS
Incoming Blues general manager Alexander Steen could explore Buchnevich's value in the trade market. However, it could take more than bundling him with a draft pick or prospect, as interested parties could insist the Blues retain part of his salary.
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs Become Buyers In This Summer's UFA Market?
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently searching for a new general manager after firing Brad Treliving on March 31. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley told the media that the club intends to retool its roster instead of rebuilding.
Whoever becomes the next Maple Leafs GM could look toward this summer's free-agent market to bolster the roster. On Apr. 20, Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun looked at several possible targets among this summer's thin market for unrestricted free agents.
Koshan suggested right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh of the Tampa Bay Lightning would be a good fit on the Maple Leafs blueline. He also felt that Buffalo Sabres power forward Alex Tuch would be a solid addition to their first line.
Other possibilities included defenseman Rasmus Andersson of the Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers forward Jack Roslovic, and Oilers blueliner Connor Murphy. Koshan indicated the Maple Leafs have a projected $22.2 million in salary-cap space for 2026-27 to add a player or two.
BS Meter: Not BS
After nine consecutive seasons in the playoffs, the Maple Leafs failed to qualify this year. Ownership hopes to stage a bounce-back performance by bolstering the roster. Whether they can land Raddysh, Tuch, or any of the others on Koshan's list remains to be seen, but they could certainly try to get at least one of them.
Will the Florida Panthers Part Ways With Sergei Bobrovsky?
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The Florida Panthers won their back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 with starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes. However, there's speculation that the two sides could part ways if they're unable to agree to a new contract.
Bobrovsky, 37, is completing a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $10 million. At this stage of his career, he won't get another lucrative long-term deal. On Apr. 17, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reported that Panthers GM Bill Zito said they want to re-sign Bobrovsky, and he wants to stay.
On Apr. 20, ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski appeared on "The Sheet with Jeff Marek" podcast (stick tap to Julian Gaudio of The Hockey News). During that episode, Wyshynski reported that negotiations between the two sides were "pretty bad", adding that the Panthers might go in a different direction.
Finding a suitable replacement could be difficult. Bobrovsky is the best goalie in a thin free-agent market. Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues could be available in the trade market, but he struggled this season. Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild could be another option, but the Wild could set a high asking price.
BS Meter: Not BS
On March 19, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported hearing Bobrovsky's camp sought a deal comparable to Panthers winger Brad Marchand, which was six years with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million. However, the Panthers were reportedly reluctant to agree to that.
Bobrovsky's age and the decline in his performance this season explain why the Panthers would prefer he accept a lesser deal. If he remains firm on his asking price, however, it could spell the end of his tenure in Florida.
Will the Ottawa Senators Trade Brady Tkachuk?
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The Ottawa Senators' early exit from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs prompted some observers to wonder about team captain Brady Tkachuk's future. The 27-year-old winger has two years left on his contract with a full no-movement clause, but that didn't stop the trade speculation following the Senators' postseason elimination.
On Apr. 26, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported New York Rangers fans were pining over Tkachuk, noting that he maintains an offseason residence in New Jersey. Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin claimed there was circumstantial evidence that suggested Tkachuk's relationship with Ottawa as a market was fraying.
The following day, David Dwork of The Hockey News stated he wouldn't be surprised if the Florida Panthers pursued Tkachuk if the trade rumors were true. He felt they would be interested in uniting him with his brother, Matthew, and staging a run for the Stanley Cup with the two brothers.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press believes Tkachuk would be a perfect fit for the Red Wings if he became available. She felt his physical style of play would provide a significant boost to their offense.
BS Meter: It's BS
Senators general manager Steve Staios dismissed the trade rumors on Monday as "nonsense". Two days later, Tkachuk told the press that he's never asked to be traded. He said he's always believed in the Senators, and remains fully committed to the team and the city.
Will the Winnipeg Jets Trade Connor Hellebuyck This Summer?
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A year after winning the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team, the Winnipeg Jets found themselves sitting out of the playoff picture when this regular season ended. It was a stunning reversal for a club with Stanley Cup aspirations entering the 2025-26 campaign.
Connor Hellebuyck didn't mince words about the Jets' performance during his end-of-season media availability. The three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie shouldered his share of the blame, but also called his club's performance "unacceptable", adding that things had to change if they hoped to contend for the Cup.
Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press felt that Hellebuyck sounded like someone who wouldn't be with the Jets for much longer. The 31-year-old goalie is under contract for five more seasons with a full no-movement clause, but McIntyre wondered about the possibility of the Jets moving him.
McIntyre acknowledged that Hellebuyck may have been blowing off steam. Nevertheless, he noted that questions about the all-star goalie's future in Winnipeg arose in February after he backstopped Team USA to Olympic gold. He felt that teams would line up to acquire Hellebuyck if he became available.
BS Meter: It's BS...for now.
Hellebuyck made it clear that he enjoyed living and playing in Winnipeg and believes the Jets are still a very good team. However, winning the Stanley Cup is important to him, and he wants management to do whatever it takes to put the Jets in a position to do so.
The Jets won't move Hellebuyck unless he requests a trade. That's unlikely to happen this year, but it could become an issue in a year or two if the Jets fail to improve.
Salary and contract info via PuckPedia.
