Have the Toronto Maple Leafs made up their mind for the No. 1 pick?
Shawn Hutcheon: A source that’s near the situation and who was on the NHL mix, said that the Toronto Maple Leafs have told Gavin McKenna during their interview that they plan on making him the first-overall pick within the 2026 NHL draft.
The Ottawa Senators have some interest in Jake DeBrusk
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen: Two sources have said that they consider the Ottawa Senators are among the many teams which have had some interest in Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk.
The 29-year-old DeBrusk carries a $5.5 million cap hit for the subsequent five years. He’s scored 20 or more goals in 4 of the past five seasons.
DeBrusk told the Vancouver Province after the trade deadline that he wasn’t okay with the thought of being a part of a rebuild. He has a full no-movement clause, so he determines where he finally ends up, which might also affect the worth.
He does need to remember that if he wants to maneuver, next offseason (July 1st, 2027), his no-move becomes a 15-team no-trade list. The Canunks may not ask for much back in return in the event that they’re mainly wanting to eliminate his contract.
Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson could use a change of scenery. He’s not a no-movement clause, but a spot like Los Angeles could be welcomed.
Dylan Larkin is now available, so which will hold or change things a bit, depending on where he gets moved to, and what variety of package they get back.
Would the Red Wings have interest in Pettersson in the event that they’re searching for a middle after Larkin is traded? Larkin’s cap hit is $8.7 million, and Pettersson is available in at $11.6 million. Pettersson has yet another 12 months on his deal than Larkin does.
Could the Canucks propose to retain some salary to get a greater return – a Nate Danielson or Marco Kasper?
If the Canucks are coping with the Los Angeles Kings for Pettersson, they’d be taking a look at lesser prospects and multiple draft picks.
We needed to restart our X account. Please follow @MyNHLRumorsX
Have you ever subscribed to our YouTube channel? Rumor roundups and hot topics from across the league. We’re also posting some stuff on Instagram.
In case you love our reporting, select NHLrumors.com as a preferred source on Google.