NHL Rumors: Oilers, Canadiens, Gibson, Ducks

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Kent Hughes discussed how the team managed its trade deadline and felt good about not selling as the team continued to win games. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers are dealing with a run of injuries, but it’s not clear how serious they are. Finally, is John Gibson upset that the Anaheim Ducks didn’t trade him at the trade deadline?

Canadiens Deadline and Summer Plans

The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun spoke to Hughes about the Canadiens rebuild and deadline decisions. Hughes confirmed that the team did put pending UFA Joel Armia on the market, but they set a price for him and wouldn’t come down. They wanted teams to make an overpay, and they didn’t lower their ask because the organization had decided they were OK keeping everyone.

Hughes added:

“The other (pending UFAs), David Savard and Christian Dvorak, were less likely for me just because I didn’t think the return was worthwhile and we would have had to grab players out of (AHL) Laval and weaken Laval — and to get mid-round picks, it wasn’t worthwhile.”

source – ‘Canadiens GM Kent Hughes on why he didn’t sell at the NHL trade deadline — and what comes next’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 03-21-2025

The Canadiens feel like their season has been a success because they are playing meaningful games in March. As for their approach to the summer, Adding another top-six option up front is their priority. Hughes did try to clarify comments from earlier this week that he believed were taken out of context. The Canadiens are willing to overpay in trades this offseason, but only in a certain aspect. They won’t be giving up several assets for players who are older and don’t fit their perceived window of success. He explained:

“And it was in the context of signing a 32-year-old free agent to a seven-year deal at X amount of money that you knew wasn’t going to age well, because we’re not that team that feels we’re at the end — (that) we’ve got a three-year window to win and we’re OK living with a bad contract on the backside.”

Oilers Dealing with Several Injuries

The Oilers didn’t have Leon Draisaitl in the lineup when they started the game against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. The team also lost Connor McDavid to a lower-body injury in the second period, and then goaltender Stuart Skinner was pulled for concussion protocol in the third. This after Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm were questionable before the game but ultimately did play.