NHL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible John Klingberg Extension, Senators, More

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

While the NHL offseason has slowed, the rumors will never stop swirling. There's going to be buzz about potential trades, the remaining free agents, contract discussions and more moving forward.

The 2021-22 season doesn't begin until October, so the league's 32 teams still have plenty of time to make changes to their rosters. Nothing is set in stone, and there could still be moves or talks that occur that have a big impact on the future.

Here's some of the latest buzz from around the NHL with a little less than two months to go until the start of the regular season.

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John Klingberg has spent his entire seven-year NHL career with the Dallas Stars, and he remains under contract for one more season. But if it was up to him and the team, his time in Dallas won't end at that point.

The Stars and the 29-year-old defenseman have had discussions regarding an extension, according to DallasStars.com's Mike Heika, who reported that while these talks are happening, "the current level of contracts for NHL defensemen could make this tricky."

"It could happen any day now or they could ride it out for the entire season," he wrote. "The Stars would love to get this done, obviously, but trying to make everything fit with [Miro] Heiskanen's new deal is, like I said, tricky."

Last month, Heiskanen signed an eight-year, $67.6 million extension with Dallas, which impacted the team's financial flexibility. The Stars have also been active in free agency this offseason, adding a few new contracts to their payroll.

It's clear why Dallas would also want to keep Klingberg, who has tallied at least 32 points in each of his seven seasons while also providing solid defensive play. But the Stars will need to figure out how to get it done.

Larry MacDougal/Associated Press

It appears the Ottawa Senators aren't done trying to make moves this offseason. And if they're successful in their pursuit, they may have a new offensive player on one of their top lines for the 2021-22 season.

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Senators are looking to acquire either a top-six winger or a center who would allow them to bump somebody else to the outside, and they're open to doing so via free agency or trade. If they opt to swing a deal, Garrioch reported that defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be on the way out.

"He's a year away from unrestricted free agency and you'd have to give up big pieces to get him," Garrioch wrote.

Brannstrom was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft, but he was traded to Ottawa and has played 63 games for the Senators over the past three seasons. He's only turning 22 next month, so it makes sense why he could bring in a substantial return.

Garrioch added that Ottawa talked about a potential trade for Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel, but "the asking price is high and the contract would make it restrictive to make other moves." So, the Senators will likely have to look to add offense elsewhere.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Although Evgeny Svechnikov has experienced NHL action each of the past four seasons, he hasn't gotten a lot of time on the ice. He played in 41 games during that span for the Detroit Red Wings, spending much more of his time playing in the AHL.

Now, the forward is an unrestricted free agent. And he may be soon getting a fresh start with a new organization, which could perhaps lead to more NHL playing time.

According to Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, there is "mutual interest" between Svechnikov and the Winnipeg Jets. While the 24-year-old may not make an immediate impact on the Jets' offense, he has a lot of potential and could still develop into a solid player.

Svechnikov was selected by the Red Wings with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, before he went on to tally five goals and seven assists, most of which came during the 2020-21 campaign. This past season, the Russian had three goals and five assists in 21 games.