NHL Trade Rumors: Predators’ Skjei Contract, Canucks’ Veteran Options and Leafs’ Defense Search

Contract length and fit are shaping three teams’ trade discussions. Some clubs have hesitated to take on the full remainder of Brady Skjei’s deal in Nashville, Vancouver is open to moving several veterans as it looks for younger NHL proven players, and Toronto is weighing defense options that range from lower cost depth to expensive difference makers. None of the reported conversations amounts to a completed move, but each points to the same practical question: what can a team add or clear without taking on a cost it can’t justify?

Nashville’s contract question

David Pagnotta reported on DFO Insider, via NHL Rumour Report, that teams have discussed Skjei but are currently reluctant to assume his remaining contract in full. The defenseman has four years left at $7 million per year, according to the report.

That length gives potential buyers more to assess than Skjei’s fit on the ice. A club considering him would be taking on a significant commitment across multiple seasons, so interest in the player may not translate into willingness to accept the entire deal. The report doesn’t identify the teams involved or describe specific proposals. For now, the contract is the clear obstacle named in the available information.

For Nashville, that distinction matters: conversations can continue while a move remains difficult to structure. A team interested in adding Skjei would have to decide whether his role and contract fit its plans for the next four years. The reported hesitation suggests that any progress depends on whether a buyer becomes comfortable with the full commitment or the terms change. No such change is reported.

Vancouver is considering veteran moves

The Fourth Period reports that Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson is open to moving Jake DeBrusk, Drew O’Connor, Filip Chytil and Luke Schenn as Vancouver looks to get younger with NHL proven players. That approach leaves room for more than one kind of transaction: the club could move a veteran while seeking a younger player who has already shown he can play at the NHL level.

DeBrusk is reportedly still open to a trade. The 30-year-old has four years remaining on his contract, which carries a full no-move clause that becomes a 15-team no-trade clause in July. His willingness to consider a move is relevant, but the clause also means the terms governing a trade are set to change. The report doesn’t specify a preferred destination or say that a deal is close.

Schenn has a no-movement clause and may be amenable to joining a contender. O’Connor and Chytil have no trade protection, according to the source. Those differences affect how each player could be moved: some routes depend on the player’s approval, while the other two can be considered without those contractual restrictions. The report doesn’t detail Vancouver’s asking price for any of them.

The Canucks are also believed to have interest in Washington forward Ivan Miroshnichenko. He has one year remaining on his contract at $1.85 million. Calgary, Seattle, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are also reported to have interest. The possible appeal for Vancouver is clear from the stated target: a younger player with NHL experience. But interest alone doesn’t confirm talks, an offer or a deal, and no proposed return is given.

Toronto is sorting defense options by cost

David Alter of Ozoon reports that Toronto is watching the defense trade market and would spend premium assets only for a difference maker. The Leafs are also willing to consider moving an older player for someone younger. That points to a selective search: a major return would need to justify a steep asset cost, while age and roster fit remain part of the evaluation.

Calgary’s Zach Whitecloud has surfaced as one possibility. He has one year left at $2.75 million, and the reported potential cost is an A level prospect or a first round pick. That price would put him in the higher cost tier of the options listed. The report does not say Toronto has made an offer, or that Calgary is prepared to move him.

Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen is a different kind of candidate. He is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $5.1 million cap hit, and the source says he is dealing with injury issues again this season. Toronto would likely need the Flyers to retain money. That combination makes the cap hit and his availability central to the fit; the report does not provide a proposed retention amount or establish that a transaction is underway.

Carson Soucy, Brenden Dillon and Nick Perbix are described as lower cost possibilities. They would slot on the back half of Toronto’s depth chart and could cost a mid round pick. That’s a less expensive way to add depth, though it wouldn’t carry the same stated profile as a difference maker. The report gives no contract details for these three options.

Assets and cap space will shape Toronto’s reach

The bigger swing names identified are Simon Edvinsson and Alexander Nikishin. Toronto has cap issues for next season, according to the report, making longer term contracts harder to fit. Those constraints complicate the distinction between finding a player the Leafs like and finding one they can accommodate. No contract terms or trade prices for Edvinsson or Nikishin are supplied.

Toronto’s listed trade assets include Colorado’s 2027 first round pick and prospects Ben Danford and Tinus Luc Koblar. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Easton Cowan could also be roster assets. The list outlines possible currency, not a report that any of those pieces has been offered. The club’s stated willingness to spend premium assets only for a difference maker gives that distinction weight: if a top target requires a major return, Toronto has options to consider, but the cap picture and the value of each asset still matter.

Across these reports, the next developments to watch are specific: whether a team accepts the full cost of Skjei’s contract, whether Vancouver’s veteran discussions produce a younger NHL player, and whether Toronto finds a defenseman whose price and contract fit its plans. For now, the names identify the market taking shape; they don’t confirm where any player will land.