Draft Day Deals, Matheson Expendable & More NHL Rumours

Not long after the Senators and Kings pulled off that deal, it was announced that the Anaheim Ducks had traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. One of the longest-anticipated trades hockey fans have been waiting for finally came. Gibson was listed at No. 9 on THW’s Offseason Trade Board, and has now been scratched off. Pat Verbeek was able to bring in a quality veteran goaltender to help continue mentoring Lukas Dostal, and a pair of picks as well.

While the deal wasn’t as big, the Buffalo Sabres also brought in Conor Timmons and Isaac Belliveau for some defensive depth, and moved out Connor Clifton and a second-round pick.

There are a few other names that have been floated who could still get moved, but as the draft moves into the later rounds, bigger trades are less likely.

Dobson Acquisition May Make Matheson Expendable

Since the blockbuster acquisition of Dobson, the Canadiens have a ton of defensive talent all of a sudden, and Matheson could be a way for them to recoup some assets and clear some cap space.

With Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Dobson, and either Alexandre Carrier or Jayden Struble rounding out the top four, Matheson is likely going to be a regular on the third pair moving forward. While that is a great problem to have, the $4.875 million could potentially be used better elsewhere for the Canadiens.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes: “Matheson is only 31 years old. The main reason he went from 62 points in 2023-24 to 31 in 2024-25 is because Hutson’s arrival pushed him completely out of an offensive role and into a defensive one. He can still produce big numbers if positioned to…”

Considering how effective Matheson is, his cap hit is very reasonable and could fetch a grand return on the trade market. With the Canadiens not being pressured into making a deal, they could work this from a point of leverage and get a bigger return.

Andersson Could Stick with Flames Into Training Camp

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has the latest report on the Calgary Flames defenseman, and general manager Craig Conroy isn’t in a rush to move on from him just yet. Andersson is heading into the final year of his deal, making a very attractive $4.55 million.

Like Matheson, there is a very strong market for a defenseman like Andersson. Not only is Andersson a productive defenseman, but he has good defensive abilities and is a right-shot player.

The Flames looked like they were heading into a full rebuild, but instead have been doing a complete retool on the fly. Trading Andersson for purely future assets is likely not what Conroy wants to do, which could be part of the reason a deal hasn’t been done yet.

Conroy spoke to the media and stated that he is in no rush to trade Andersson, and would be more than comfortable going into next season with him on the roster. The Flames have done well in their trades as of late, bringing in young, promising players who can help make an impact right away.