NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Brady Tkachuk, Possible Ben Hutton Trade and More

We're still in the doldrums of one of the hottest summers in recorded history, but the unofficial start of hockey season is just around the corner. With rookies set to report to camp in a few weeks, the NHL rumor mill continues to churn out noteworthy tidbits that could have impacts for years to come.

For instance, the Detroit Red Wings and Dylan Larkin just agreed to terms on a five-year pact worth $30.5 million. Craig Custance of The Athletic broke that news around noon Friday. 

Larkin's actual salary of $4.75 million in 2020-21 seems to indicate that players and organizations know there's another lockout on the horizon. Custance mentioned that himself while answering questions about the deal on Twitter.

For the Red Wings, there are also some looming implications about Henrik Zetterberg and his health. If he can play, Detroit will be in bad shape in terms of cap space. In fact, if Z plays, the Red Wings would be a touch over the limit.

If Zetterberg goes on LTIR because of his bad back, though, Larkin's deal magically slides in just under the cap.

That's a ton of information to unpack. There is, undeniably, more coming down the pike. Here's what you need to know in the coming days.

Brady Tkachuk Poised to Make Ottawa Senators Out of Camp

It's been a tough summer for fans of the Ottawa Senators. Usually, the offseason is a time of hope—even if it is of the blind variety—but that hasn't been the case for the downtrodden Sens. From persisting trade rumors surrounding captain Erik Karlsson to the Mike Hoffman saga, there isn't a lot to be starry-eyed about as 2018-19 approaches.

That changed at least a little bit recently, as Brady Tkachuk, the forward Ottawa selected fourth overall at the draft in June, reportedly informed Boston University that he intends to sign a professional contract with the Senators.

This more or less clears the way for Tkachuk to start playing this year. Ottawa doesn't have a lot of depth at left wing, so the way to making the opening-night roster seems clear for the forward.

On the off chance the 6'2", nearly 200-pound son of Keith Tkachuk can't crack a thin Senators lineup, he'll either be able to ply his trade in the AHL or with the London Knights of the OHL.

Jonathan Drouin Injury Rumors Appear to Be False

It doesn't take long for bad news to go from a whisper to nuclear in the hockey-mad city of Montreal. Over the weekend, sportswriter Tom Lapointe took to Facebook to write that Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin had injured his knee while playing in Kris Letang's summer tournament (h/t Hockey Feed).

Drouin apparently pulled out another tourney (the Pro-Am-Bergeron-Gagne) and Bootcamp of Quebec, which fanned the flames.

With Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron all dealing with or recovering from various injuries, adding Drouin's name to the list could have been devastating for a Habs team that is looking to bounce back from their worst season since 2000.

It sounds like those fears were unfounded, however. The player's agent, Allan Walsh, squashed the rampant rumor via Twitter on Sunday.

Vancouver Canucks May Look to Trade Ben Hutton

For whatever reason, Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green has seemingly decided that he doesn't like Ben Hutton's game. The defenseman averaged fewer minutes per night last season than he did as a rookie, and his mid-range offensive game suffered as a result.

After a promising freshman campaign that saw Hutton notch 25 points and a sophomore showing that saw him produce 19, the bottom fell out entirely in 2018-19. The former fifth-round pick didn't score a goal and assisted just six times.

A change of scenery would do the 25-year-old a world of good, and his $2.8 million cap hit isn't particularly brutal—especially if another organization views him as a top-six everyday blueliner.

According to JD Burke of The Athletic, the Canucks have had a tough time finding a taker for Hutton: "You'd think that the Canucks would not only want Hutton on their team but want to have him in a prominent place in their lineup. Instead, they've been trying to trade him for a while now, and they can't find any takers."

Year in and year out we hear about the importance of defensive depth, so perhaps once injuries start to pile up around the league, a general manager with an eye toward strong underlying stats will roll the dice on Hutton.