Canadian Daily Rumours: Maple Leafs, Canadiens & Jets

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Canadian Daily Rumours: Maple Leafs, Canadiens & Jets

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated May 7, 2026 11:34 PM ET

In today’s Canadian Rumours roundup, I’ll do a quick roundup of three Canadian rumours: Toronto’s surprise lottery win could make Auston Matthews think twice about leaving if the Maple Leafs actually build around a new No. 1 pick; former Canadiens’ coach Michel Bergeron is predicting that Kirby Dach will have a long-term stay after a late-season bounce; and the Jets, who are drafting at No. 8, look set to take a forward, given the strong crop of defensemen already in the system.

Maple Leafs Rumour: Lottery Win Might Make Matthews Think Twice About Leaving

Okay, quick take: Matthews isn’t a sure thing to stick around, and the new GM John Chayka chatter hasn’t helped. But the Maple Leafs nabbing the No. 1 pick changes the whole vibe. Landing Gavin McKenna gives Toronto an instant, high-upside piece to point to. The organization should leverage this stroke of luck to suggest that the team will actually try to build around Auston, not just tinker at the edges.

That doesn’t lock Matthews in overnight, but it does flip the script from “we’re missing pieces” to “we just added a potential star.” If Chayka follows that up with real moves, expect the rumours about Matthews testing the market to quiet down — at least a little. If he doesn’t, well, the drama keeps coming.

Canadiens Rumour: Bergeron Says Dach Will Be Ten Years in Montreal

Kirby Dach’s career has been injury-marred and hit-or-miss, and this season started that way. Since Game 3 against Tampa, though, he’s turned a corner and suddenly matters in a way he hadn’t all year.

Michel Bergeron predicts that Dach will be a Hab for the next decade. The team values his size and recent play more than it does contract math. Dach (6-foot-4) is exactly the type of forward you want around in the playoffs against teams like Buffalo. Yet he isn’t a terror on the forecheck; he uses his frame well but isn’t a crushing checker.

Ten years is a long commitment. First step: extend him beyond this season. He’s due for restricted free agency next July. The real question is whether Kent Hughes and the front office are ready to lock him in before he becomes an RFA, or whether they’ll let Dach’s price and durability questions complicate the decision.

Jets Rumour: Jets at No. 8; Cheveldayoff Will Likely Grab a Forward

Winnipeg picking eighth smells like a forward pick. The blue line’s already got depth in the system in Elias Salomonsson, Garrett Brown, Alfons Freij, and Sascha Boumedienne, who give the Jets a steady pipeline of defensemen, so it makes sense to look elsewhere.

Names likely to be on the board at No. 8: Ethan Belchetz, Viggo Bjorck, Wyatt Cullen, Oscar Hemming, Nikita Klepov and Adam Novotny. Caleb Malhotra feels like a long shot to drop that far, but drafts are chaotic — someone always surprises on draft day.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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