Buy or Sell Latest NHL Trade Rumors on Dylan Larkin, Matthew Knies and More

The 2026 Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights is drawing closer to its conclusion. As soon as one of these teams wins hockey's holy grail, the league's offseason business will begin in earnest.

That means the trade market will resume activity as all 32 NHL teams will be able to swap players again. Given the lack of quality talent available in this summer's unrestricted free-agent markets, there could be more offseason deals than usual involving noteworthy stars.

Since the calendar flipped to June, there's already been an increase in media trade speculation.

Some of it involves players who were fixtures in the rumor mill at the March trade deadline, such as Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues and Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers.

Several new names have surfaced in media chatter in recent days. Most of the latest buzz is focused on Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin following his recent trade request.

Follow along as we determine which rumors involving these players are worth buying or selling.

Will the Montreal Canadiens Revisit Their Interest in Matthew Knies?

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Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies (left) and Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki.

Following the March 2026 trade deadline, it was rumored that the Montreal Canadiens attempted to acquire Matthew Knies from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The speculation continued to percolate throughout the spring, ensuring the 23-year-old power forward remained a fixture in the NHL rumor mill.

Following the trade deadline, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes told reporters that his club had come close to making a major deal. Because of the NHL's anti-tampering rules, he never indicated which player he was pursuing. However, he didn't rule out the possibility of revisiting the trade in the offseason.

On June 5, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman confirmed a report by Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period that the Canadiens nearly acquired Knies. However, the deal fell through because the paperwork was filed one minute past the 3 PM ET deadline on March 6.

Friedman and Pagnotta reported the Canadiens offered up prospect winger Alexander Zharovsky, another prospect, and two first-round draft picks for Knies. Pagnotta claimed the other prospect was not center Michael Hage or defenseman David Reinbacher.

Buy or Sell: Buy, but it's unlikely to happen

The Canadiens would undoubtedly love to take another shot at acquiring Knies. However, the Maple Leafs are under new management, with John Chayka replacing former GM Brad Treliving. Friedman believes the Knies deal is no longer on the table.

Could the Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Vincent Trocheck?

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After missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2015-16, the Toronto Maple Leafs named John Chayka as their new general manager. The denizens of Leafs Nation anxiously await whatever moves he has in store to return the club to playoff contention next season.

Among the roster issues is their need for a reliable second-line center. John Tavares will turn 36 in September and would be more effective on the wing. Meanwhile, center Max Domi is sidelined indefinitely by complications from recent back surgery, and it's uncertain if he'll be ready for training camp this fall.

On June 2, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported that Domi's condition prompted Leafs management to reach out to the New York Rangers about Vincent Trocheck. The 32-year-old Rangers center has been a fixture in the rumor mill since the trade deadline.

Trocheck is signed through 2028-29 with an average annual value of $5.63 million. Walker believes he could be a good fit with the Maple Leafs. However, that depends on whether he'd be willing to go to Toronto. He has a 12-team no-trade list that becomes a 10-team no-trade on July 1.

Buy or Sell: Buy

Trocheck wants to remain close to the East Coast, but Toronto isn't that far from New York City if there are no other options. There's still no certainty that the Maple Leafs could afford him if he were willing to join them, but it's not surprising that the Leafs would at least have some interest in him.

Are The New York Islanders Shopping Mathew Barzal?

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It's been a little over a year since Mathieu Darche became general manager of the New York Islanders, but he's shown a willingness to make significant moves. He traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens last summer, and acquired Brayden Schenn, Ondrej Palat, and Carson Soucy before the trade deadline.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, Darche might be willing to make another bold deal. On June 1, he reported that a league executive claimed the Islanders were exploring the trade market for Mathew Barzal to free up some salary-cap space.

Barzal, 29, is a versatile forward who plays center or right wing. He's signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $9.2 million and a 22-team no-trade list.

Garrioch claimed the Utah Mammoth expressed interest in Barzal last year, but opted not to acquire him. He suggested the play-making Isles forward as a potential trade target for the Senators, but he doubted they could afford his salary with winger Drake Batherson due for an expensive contract extension.

Buy or Sell: Sell

Islanders beat writer Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News pointed out that Garrioch's report didn't suggest the Isles were actively shopping Barzal. He doesn't doubt that teams could be making inquiries, and Darche would be at least willing to listen, but it doesn't mean Barzal's on the trade block.

Is St. Louis Blues Center Robert Thomas Off the Trade Market?

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Since the March trade deadline, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas has frequently come up in the rumor mill. Despite saying he was never asked to waive his no-trade clause and his insistence on remaining with the Blues, Thomas has continued to appear in media trade chatter.

In April, we had Thomas sitting at No. 2 among our top offseason trade candidates. However, we dropped him to No. 8 on our May Trade Block Big Board and to No. 10 on our June board.

One reason was Thomas' previous insistence on remaining with the Blues. Another was the Blues' high asking price. General manager Doug Armstrong's April remarks about the Thomas trade speculation being "a bit of a fabrication" suggested they grew out of proportion to what was really happening.

On June 5, Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network tweeted that the Thomas trade rumors could be "put to rest." He claimed the Blues weren't looking to move their No. 1 center and expected Thomas to be on their roster when training camp opened in September.

Buy or Sell: Buy

We were growing skeptical about Thomas' availability in the trade market since the deadline. Strickland, who covers the Blues and is well-connected, confirmed our suspicions. Teams may have inquired about Thomas, but it appears he won't be going anywhere.

Could Detroit Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin Expand His Trade List?

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On June 4, Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin surprised the hockey world by submitting a trade request to general manager Steve Yzerman. The 29-year-old center is signed through 2030-31 with an annual cap hit of $8.7 million and has a full no-trade clause.

The Larkin camp and Red Wings management have been silent about the matter. Nevertheless, his request is likely driven by his frustration at having only made the playoffs once in his 11 seasons in Detroit. His no-trade clause gives him full control over where he can be dealt.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic speculated that Larkin could draw interest from between 12 and 15 teams. However, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Florida Panthers were the only clubs on his list of preferred trade destinations.

LeBrun and St. James suggested that Larkin could be asked to expand his list if Yzerman can't get a favorable trade from those three teams. LeBrun also believes it would be a mistake to underestimate Yzerman's ability to get a solid return, adding that he won't be forced into making a bad deal.

Buy or Sell: Buy

The Wild, Golden Knights, or Panthers could meet Yzerman's asking price for Larkin. If they don't, the Wings GM could insist on Larkin expanding his list. With his captain still under a long-term contract, Yzerman can afford to wait for the best return, even if this drama stretches into next season.

Salary cap info and line combination via PuckPedia.