NHL Rumours: Oettinger, Stars, Peterka, Sabres, Rielly, Maple Leafs

As Steve “Dangle” Glynn points out on X, it is odd that DeBoer would use the sample size heading back into last playoffs as part of the decision as reasoning for pulling Oettinger after two goals, saying “Combine the two and you arrive at “He’s sick but he still stunk when he wasn’t.”

Once Oettinger took the stand, he was, of course, asked about the situation and said that he was surprised by the decision, but will use it to be better, followed by saying “It sucks. It’s embarrasing” as Lia Assimakopoulos posts on X.

Oettinger continued by saying that he wasn’t concerned about the relationship between himself and the head coach, and that his focus is on being the best goalie in the world, and letting his game speak for itself.

Peterka Heading Out Of Buffalo?

On an episode of DFO Rundown, Frank Seravalli reported that at least a quarter of the Buffalo Sabres’ roster is unhappy with the team direction, and there could be a lot of roster movement this summer. He indicated that Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, Alex Tuch, and others could be shopped.

Peterka is included in that group, and the rumours have begun swirling surrounding the star winger. At just 23 years old, Peterka has established himself as a great forward after scoring 68 points in 77 games in 2024-25. The Sabres’ general manager, Kevyn Adams, told the media that Peterka is one of the core players of the team, but his future in Buffalo is currently uncertain. He is a restricted free agent looking to sign his first big deal and has done everything in his power to deserve an impressive contract.

NHL insider Chris Johnston wrote about the biggest trade targets for the 2025 offseason, and included Peterka at number seven on the list, finishing his entry with “Peterka is a candidate for an offer sheet if he’s not traded before July 1.”.

Plenty of teams will be calling the Sabres and looking for the right deal to bring in Peterka. He’s a top-line winger with even more to give than he has shown already.

Clarity on Morgan Rielly’s Future with Maple Leafs

After being eliminated from the playoffs in one of the first two rounds yet again, followed by Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving’s comments about the need for a DNA change, many were wondering if Rielly would be included in that change.

On TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun, when speaking about Rielly, said, “People have wondered, could the Leafs go to him and ask him to waive his no-move to bring more DNA change? The answer is ‘no chance’ from what we understand. Morgan Rielly has a full no-move. He loves being a Leaf.”.

This pretty well shuts down any possibility of Rielly being on his way out. Of course, if a great trade offer comes in, there is always a chance Treliving asks Rielly to waive, but as of now, it doesn’t appear to be on the docket for the offseason. With Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies all needing new contracts and having big decisions surrounding them, Rielly isn’t at the top of the priority list anyway, but considering the $7.5 million cap hit, the no-move clause, and LeBrun reporting that it isn’t happening, it is very fair to expect Rielly to be in the starting lineup come the start of the 2025-26 season.