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NHL Trade Talk Roundup: Oilers, Canucks, Canadiens, Jets

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 1:49 PM ET

In our NHL Trade Talk morning roundup, the Edmonton Oilers confirmed the signing of Quinn Hutson, who will debut Monday night versus the Los Angeles Kings. Meanwhile, there is some concern out of Vancouver that the Canucks have not yet signed Tom Willander. The Winnipeg Jets are already talking about retaining players in the off-season, despite winning the President’s Trophy and being focused on the playoffs. Who is staying? Finally, Ivan Demidov makes his debut for the Montreal Canadiens. What are the expectations?

Oilers Confirm Quinn Hutson Signing, Will Make Debut

After releasing a statement that the Oilers officially signed Quinn Hutson to an entry-level two-year contract, it was announced on Monday that Hutson will play tonight versus the Kings. Hutson spoke with the media after his skate this morning and said the plan is for him to play.

It was also revealed that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be back in the lineup after missing a few games due to an illness. Leon Draisaitl will remain out. The Oilers have won three-straight games and if they can beat the Kings on Monday, it’s a huge game, with an opportunity to get that much closer to overtaking them in the standings and earning home ice during their first-round playoff matchup.

It was also learned that Mattias Ekholm will not be available for Round 1 of the playoffs for the Oilers and Trent Frederic might not be ready by Game 1. Connor McDavid is also out tonight for maintenance and precautionary reasons.

Jets to Re-Sign Schenn and Pionk

The Athletic’s Murat Ates reports that the Winnipeg Jets intend to keep both Luke Schenn and Neal Pionk next season. Schenn, a 35-year-old defenseman,, was acquired at the trade deadline. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $2.75 million.

Pionk, a 29-year-old blueliner, is a pending UFA. He’s completing a four-year deal with an AAV of $5.875 million.

Why Haven’t Canucks Locked Up Wallander?

Rick Dhaliwal writes, “With all these highly drafted NCAA players signed immediately after their seasons, it is not a good look that the Canucks have not locked up Tom Willander yet, their most important 1st round pick since Quinn Hughes.” He added that he will have an update on the status of their talks later today. Willander’s season is over at Boston University and it was expected that contract discussions would take place right away.

Ivan Demidov Will Debut for the Canadiens

Highly anticipated prospect Ivan Demidov will debut for the Montreal Canadiens versus the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. The team is trying to temper expectations for the forward among fans.

Montreal Canadiens’ head coach, Martin St. Louis, said that Demidov is not a saviour but a good player joining a good team. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes says he doesn’t have any expectations for how Ivan Demidov will play but instead just wants the team to finish the job by making the playoffs.

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

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