NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Jack Roslovic, Carolina Hurricanes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

NHL Rumors: Connor’s Ask, Roslovic Pivots, and UFA News

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Parsons | Last updated Oct 9, 2025 3:02 PM ET

In today’s NHL news and rumors rundown, what went into the negotiations between the Winnipeg Jets and Kyle Connor? Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers revealed they’d been talking to Jack Roslovic for weeks before he signed with the team on Wednesday. What made Roslovic pivot? Finally, what’s the status on other big-ticket pending UFAs?

Behind the Kyle Connor Deal

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic posted a column talking about some of the deals that have been signed by some big-name stars this week. When he got to Kyle Connor and the Winnipeg Jets, the NHL insider detailed what it was that Connor specifically wanted during negotiations.

LeBrun wrote:

“From the outset of the negotiations, we stressed to Winnipeg management that we were looking for a ‘free agent deal.’ To us, that meant having a large component of the contract in signing bonus, and the contract also had to include a full no-move clause for the entire eight years… It was extremely important to KC that he would have full control over where he played for the rest of his career, with the goal of finishing his career in Winnipeg.
source – ‘NHL rumblings: Wild-Kaprizov regrets? And what the Connor, Eichel deals mean for Kempe, Tuch, Necas’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 10/09/2025

Connor’s agent revealed that there was some hesitation on the part of the Jets. “He understood that the Jets had never agreed to these provisions before, and “…there was a lot of back and forth on these issues, and to the Jets’ credit, they eventually agreed to the $12 AAV, the signing-bonus structure, and the no-move clause.’”

Oilers Were in Constant Communication with Roslovic

The Edmonton Oilers signed UFA forward Jack Roslovic to a one-year deal on Wednesday. The sign was announced in the middle of their home opener against the Calgary Flames.

When I (and several other curious media members) spoke with Stan Bowman during the intermission of the hockey game last night between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, he admitted that the talks between Edmonton and Jack Roslovic were not a new development.

Bowman explained:

“Well, we’ve been talking to Jack going back to the summer. And I know he changed agents and I talked to his new agent about a month ago, maybe five weeks ago. We’ve been in touch the whole time and I said the same thing to him then that I did the other day when this picked back up, which was we love the player, but we don’t have a lot of money to spend right now, so if he wants to come here and kind of bet on himself and get a chance to play. We’d love to have him.”

Saying this is the type of player the Oilers would have been looking at near the trade deadline, the GM added, “He’s available now, he’s a free agent, and we can get him signed at a low amount. Instead of waiting to see what’s available later, we think he could be a nice piece to our group right now.”

The Oilers acknowledged they’ll have to make corresponding moves when they officially register the contract, and again when Zach Hyman is ready to come off LTIR. “Yeah, well, we’re going to have to figure that out. We have a few ideas in mind, but we haven’t totally figured that out yet.”

The Contract Fallout for Kempe, Necas, and Tuch

Contract talks continue for three players: Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch, and Martin Necas. Negotiations for Adrian Kempe with the Los Angeles Kings are ongoing, but the ask has climbed. Alex Tuch’s discussions remain positive, but there is no immediate progress in Buffalo. Finally, Martin Necas is taking a slower approach, likely becoming the last of the three to finalize an extension this season.

About Kempe and his higher ask, LeBrun notes that his contract might be influenced by recent extensions like Connor’s $12 million AAV and William Nylander’s $11.5 million.