Rumor mill: Anaheim a logical destination for Jason Robertson

That would be quite a catch for the Ducks, who would certainly take help on the wings.

Alongside a guy like Leo Carlsson, it could very well do some damage… big damage.

On the other hand, acquiring a guy like Robertson isn’t cheap.

A big piece could leave, and you’d think players like Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov would be targeted by the Stars.

Prospects like Tristan Luneau, Tyson Hinds or even Beckett Sennecke could also be included.

The Ducks certainly have what it takes to dance with the Stars.

The Canucks were interested in Christian Dvorak

Former Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak signed a one-year contract at a (very) high salary when the free agent market opened with the Philadelphia Flyers.

It’s fair to say that no one expected Dvorak to sign for $5.4 million a year, even if it was just for one year.

But Dvorak was undoubtedly attracting the attention of other teams.

The Vancouver Canucks were in the running for Dvorak, but didn’t offer as much as the Flyers, only on a longer-term basis.

Elliotte Friedman talked about this in his latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.

We know that Dvorak is useful in a defensive role and in the face-off circle.

In fact, I recently talked about his effectiveness in the defensive zone on face-offs, especially his usefulness on the left side in that zone.

As Friedman mentioned, Dvorak bet on him to get a better contract after his one-season deal in Philadelphia.

With a longer contract with the Canucks, as they would have offered Dvo, he could have left out a few million dollars.

Let’s see if he can prove he deserves more.

The Devils have talked to other teams about Dougie Hamilton

Dougie Hamilton isn’t a name that’s necessarily been circulating in recent weeks, but for the Devils, it would be interesting to see what they can receive in return for the 32-year-old veteran.

The Devils have a fairly young core, and while the presence of a veteran is necessary to mentor the youngsters, Hamilton could very well be shopped around to get even younger.

Still, there are veterans like Ondrej Palat, Stefan Noesen, Connor Brown, Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce on the roster.

By trading Hamilton, New Jersey could give Simon Nemec more playing time.

According to Elliotte Friedman in the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Hamilton has been shopped by the Devils to a few teams.

It’s worth mentioning that Hamilton had a full no-trade clause, but now has a modified no-trade clause, allowing him to submit a list to the Devils to trade him.

The 6’6″ right-handed defenseman still has three years left on his $9 million contract.

Carolina Hurricanes threaten Oilers with offer sheet for Evan Bouchard

Many wonder how Evan Bouchard extended his contract so quickly, given that he didn’t appear to be close to a new deal at the time.

Of course, if Bouchard and the Oilers hadn’t gone to arbitration, Bouchard could have gone elsewhere with a hostile offer sheet.

In fact, the Hurricanes threatened the Oilers with an offer sheet for his services.

That’s whatElliotte Friedman reported on the last episode of the year of the 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Seeing Bouchard join the Hurricanes would have been incredible.

Bouchard and Jaccob Slavin would have formed one of the best defensive pairs in the NHL.

Slavin is certainly one of, if not the, best defenseman in the NHL. And Bouchard, needless to say, can definitely rack up over 80 points in a season and has averaged over a point per game in the playoffs for the past three years.

And we know that the Hurricanes need to perform better in the playoffs.

But hey, when Bouchard extended his contract, the Canes ultimately opted for K’Andre Miller via trade, in return for Scott Morrow and a second-round pick in 2026.

Overtime

– Laine definitely knows how to make the red light shine.

– It’s… colorful.

– Congratulations to the Mexicans on winning the Gold Cup.