The NHL offseason may look quiet on the transaction wire, but underneath the surface, several situations are starting to reach the point where something eventually has to give.
Dylan Larkin remains a Detroit Red Wing despite requesting a trade more than two months ago, Drake Batherson and the Ottawa Senators have an important September 15 contract deadline approaching, and the Anaheim Ducks still have to figure out how to fit Cutter Gauthier into a salary structure radically altered by Leo Carlsson’s enormous contract. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens appear positioned to capitalize if another team decides it needs salary-cap relief.
What stands out to me about the latest NHL News isn’t that a blockbuster happened today. It’s that several teams are moving closer to pressure points that can create the next blockbuster.
Detroit can wait on Larkin, but probably not forever. Ottawa can negotiate patiently with Batherson, but September 15 changes the contract-term equation. Anaheim can talk about keeping its young core intact, but eventually its cap sheet has to balance.
Those are exactly the situations worth watching before training camps open.
Latest NHL News and Trade Rumors for August 18, 2026
Dylan Larkin Trade Request Appears Headed Toward Training Camp
Perhaps the biggest NHL trade rumor still hanging over the league involves Dylan Larkin.
Detroit Hockey Now reported Tuesday that Larkin is expected to attend training camp if he has not been traded. Detroit has been prioritizing its search for a permanent replacement for former GM Steve Yzerman, while interim decision-makers apparently aren’t being positioned to make a franchise-changing Larkin trade.
That changes the leverage significantly.
Larkin carries an $8.7 million cap hit and remains signed through 2030-31. The Red Wings therefore have no contractual reason to accept a discounted return just because the captain wants a change of scenery. Detroit Hockey Now has also reported that the pool of realistic destinations has become increasingly limited.
My read: Detroit’s strongest play is patience. Trading a legitimate top-line center when few teams have cap space or appropriate NHL-ready assets is how a franchise loses a trade before it is made.
If Larkin reports and plays well, his market could actually improve once teams discover weaknesses in October and November.
Drake Batherson’s September 15 Deadline Is Becoming Important
The Ottawa Senators have another situation worth watching closely.
Bruce Garrioch’s reporting indicates league sources don’t believe Ottawa and Drake Batherson are particularly close on a new contract. Batherson is entering the final season of his six-year contract carrying a $4.975 million AAV and reportedly wants an eight-year extension.
The date that matters is September 15.
Under the incoming contract rules cited in the reporting, the maximum term available for a player re-signing with his current club falls from eight years to seven after that date. Batherson could reportedly command roughly $10 million to $11 million annually on the market.
That represents an enormous jump from his current salary.
At $10 million, his AAV would increase approximately 101 percent. At $11 million, the increase is approximately 121 percent.
Yet after a 33-goal, 71-point season, Ottawa isn’t negotiating with the same player who signed his current bargain contract.
My observation: the danger for Ottawa isn’t necessarily paying Batherson $10 million. It’s allowing negotiations to drag long enough that the player begins wondering why he shouldn’t simply test his market value.
Cutter Gauthier Could Force an Anaheim Ducks Trade
Anaheim might have the NHL’s most fascinating cap situation.
Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned after leading the Ducks with 41 goals and 69 points last season. Sportsnet recently reported Anaheim has roughly $9 million in cap space after matching Philadelphia’s massive five-year, $18 million-AAV offer sheet for Leo Carlsson.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has already publicly stated: “The intention is to get Cutter signed.” But he acknowledged the club would have work to do once Gauthier’s number is established.
That’s the key.
Even without assuming the more aggressive contract numbers circulating in rumor discussions, a Gauthier deal above Anaheim’s current space means another transaction becomes necessary.
Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next summer, while Troy Terry’s injury could create temporary LTIR flexibility. Spector’s Hockey nevertheless notes that Anaheim could eventually require a cost-cutting trade once Terry returns.
That makes Anaheim one of the teams I would watch most closely over the next month.
| Situation | Key Number | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Drake Batherson | $4.975M AAV | A new deal worth $10M-$11M would represent roughly a 101%-121% increase over his current AAV. |
| Anaheim Ducks | ~$9M Cap Space | Cutter Gauthier remains unsigned after a 41-goal season, potentially creating the need for another cap-clearing move. |
| Dallas Stars | ~$1.36M Over | Dallas remains above the cap ceiling, leaving additional roster maneuvering on the table before the season begins. |
| Cale Makar / Colorado | $32M+ Projected | A hypothetical $20M Makar contract would consume roughly 62.5% of that projected 2027-28 room. |
| Dylan Larkin | $8.7M AAV | Signed through 2030-31, Detroit has little contractual pressure to accept a discounted return simply to complete a trade. |
The common thread is obvious: the NHL’s rapidly rising contract market is increasingly turning cap management into trade-market pressure.
Montreal Canadiens Could Be Waiting for the Market to Crack
That brings us to Montreal.
The Canadiens have constructed an unusually manageable long-term salary structure around Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson, while Ivan Demidov recently received an eight-year extension carrying a $9.15 million AAV.
Montreal continues to be linked with the search for another top-six forward, ideally someone capable of helping down the middle alongside Demidov. Kent Hughes has shown patience rather than forcing a deal.
I think that patience could become an advantage.
Teams such as Anaheim and Dallas have cap problems Montreal doesn’t. As September approaches, the price of obtaining a useful player from a cap-strapped team can sometimes become more attractive.
That’s why I wouldn’t confuse Montreal’s quiet August with inactivity. Hughes may simply be waiting for another GM’s problem to become his opportunity.
Sidney Crosby Extension Watch Is Heating Up
Another notable development involves Sidney Crosby.
Reporting attributed to Penguins insider Josh Yohe suggests Crosby could sign another Pittsburgh extension between now and the middle of September, potentially for only one or two seasons. Crosby remains signed at an $8.7 million cap hit for 2026-27 and is scheduled to become a UFA next summer.
After producing 74 points in 68 games last season and helping Pittsburgh return to the postseason, the idea of Crosby continuing beyond 2026-27 hardly looks far-fetched.
For years, every quiet Penguins stretch generated Crosby trade speculation. At the moment, the momentum appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
What Today’s NHL News Means Before Training Camp
One important reality check: none of the headline trade rumors above had turned into a blockbuster transaction as of this afternoon.
The NHL’s official trade tracker still lists Carolina’s August 17 acquisition of Stiven Sardarian from Buffalo for future considerations as the league’s latest completed trade.
That doesn’t make today’s NHL News insignificant.
Quite the opposite.
Larkin’s leverage is changing as camp approaches. Batherson has a meaningful contract date less than a month away. Anaheim knows Gauthier must be paid. Montreal has the flexibility to capitalize. And Pittsburgh could remove Crosby from another future rumor cycle altogether.
My prediction is that Anaheim is the situation most likely to trigger a secondary move. The Ducks can temporarily manage the cap, but once Gauthier is signed and Terry eventually returns, arithmetic will start dictating decisions.
That’s usually when NHL rumors stop being rumors.
Find the Latest NHL News, NHL Trade Rumors and Fantasy Hockey Predictions
For the latest NHL News, NHL trade rumors and Fantasy Hockey Predictions, add nhltraderumor.com to your bookmarks and check back throughout the season as trades, contract negotiations and breaking news develop. You can also sign up for the newsletter below to get the biggest NHL stories and rumors delivered directly to you.
