NHL Rumors Explode: Unexpected Moves Brewing for Lightning, Avalanche, and Canadiens!

As the NHL offseason unfolds, the Tampa Bay Lightning find themselves in an interesting position — sitting on newfound cap space that some teams can only dream of. GM Julien BriseBois isn’t rushing; rather, he’s embracing this rare luxury with a keen eye on the horizon. The idea of carrying a deeper roster, fostering internal competition for ice time, sets the stage for a healthy battle for spots — yet, don’t hold your breath for a blitz of activity from Tampa Bay anytime soon. Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche are in a patient mode, carefully weighing their options after some talks with impending UFAs. GM Chris MacFarland knows the free agent market ain’t exactly overflowing with game-changers at a wallet-friendly price, so the trade avenue remains intriguing — but still, the clock is ticking as training camp approaches. Over in Montreal, GM Kent Hughes wears realism like a badge, acknowledging the uphill climb to assembling the “perfect team,” one piece at a time. Kirby Dach might be a promising second-line center, but the hunt for a 2C continues, with the front office keeping its ears to the grindstone and phones busy despite a trade falling through. And, just when we thought the rumor mill was slowing, whispers of potential moves involving Brendan Gallagher and Mike Matheson keep us glued to the edge of our seats. It’s a reminder — building a contender is a marathon, not a sprint. Stick around, because this offseason saga is only getting juicier. LEARN MORE

The Tampa Bay Lightning remain on the lookout

Benjamin Pierce: Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois after day two of free agency.

“We will remain on the lookout between now and the start of the season, between now and the trade deadline. It’s a luxury (cap space) we haven’t had in the past. It might also mean we can carry more players and there’s more internal competition for ice time, which is also healthy, but I don’t expect us to be very active.”

The Colorado Avalanche are assessing ways to improve on the free agent and trade market

Evan Rawal: The Colorado Avalanche have spoken with their UFA defenseman Erik Johnson and a few others. GM Chris MacFarland said they’ll sit back and assess what is still out there.

The free agent market doesn’t bear much that would improve their team at a reasonable price. They’ll take a look at the trade market.

Although it’s possible, it would be a surprise if they did nothing before the start of training camp.

The Montreal Canadiens don’t expect to accomplish everything at once

The Fourth Period: Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes thinks they’re a better team on paper, but he’ll continue to call teams to see if there are ways to make them even better. Kirby Dach could be their opening day second-line center, but they are still in the market for a 2C.

“The reality is, we’re not going to put the perfect team together over the course of one summer,” Hughes said. “We recognize we have other things we’d like to accomplish… I don’t see us accomplishing everything all at once.”

The Canadiens and St. Louis Blues couldn’t work out a Jordan Kyrou trade, so they pivoted to a Zach Bolduc for Logan Mailloux deal.

There have been rumors that the Canadiens could look at trading Brendan Gallagher and Mike Matheson. Gallagher isn’t expected to be traded. Matheson carries a $4.875 million cap hit and is in the last year of his deal, with an eight-team no-trade list.

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