NHL Rumors: Golden Knights, Penguins, Rangers, Maple Leafs – Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumor mill, the Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of signing defenseman Brayden McNabb to a contract extension. Meanwhile, will Evgeni Malkin refuse to be traded regardless of the win/loss record of the Pittsburgh Penguins? Will the New York Rangers look for help on defense? Finally, there is good news and bad news when it comes to Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Golden Knights will sign McNabb

Brayden McNabb, 33, was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. His current contract is worth $2.85 million per season. TSN’s Chris Johnston tweeted, “There’s still paperwork to be done, but it sounds like the Vegas Golden Knights are closing in on a multi-year extension with Brayden McNabb. The OG Golden Misfit was eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.”

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It’s unclear what the contract will look like, but a three-year contract somewhere between his current contract might make sense. The defenseman is in the final season of a deal that pays him $2.85 million per season.

Malkin Says He Doesn’t Want to Be Traded Despite TearDown Rumors

Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin said he is not interested in being traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins, even if they completely dismantle the system and start over. In the midst of a rough start to the season, rumors are rife about the Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas has reportedly said everyone is available except for Sidney Crosby.

“This is my second home,” Malkin told reporters. “I’m happy to be here. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, I want to always be here (with my teammates) and Sid (Crosby), and Tanger (Kris Letang). We understand that it is a difficult time right now. We traded for Lars (Eller) yesterday. I want to stay together… We’ll fight every game, you know?”

Rangers Might Buy Blue Line Help?

The New York Rangers are off to a good start with a 9-4-1 record, but according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, significant issues remain, particularly in puck control and defensive-to-offensive transitions.

Rosen points out that turnovers have plagued the team, especially in their recent 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, where several goals came. The Rangers’ struggles in and out of the zone are evident and the team relies heavily on Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick to make big saves. This type of success is not sustainable.

General manager Chris Drury may need to consider adding a physical, shot-blocking defenseman with strong puck-handling skills. Rosen writes:

I think the Rangers need a shot-blocking, offensive presence in the backfield; reliable, predictable defenseman who can eat up some minutes with pucks, is smart when he gets it and has a solid first pass to help break out of the defense. That may be on general manager Chris Drury’s shopping list as we approach the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, but for now the Rangers should be better than everything I mentioned above.

Matthews Still Out of Toronto, But Good News

As Chris Johnston of TSN Insider Trading reports, there is hope when it comes to Auston Matthews’ injury situation. It sounds like he will be out of the lineup when the Leafs take on the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but when he does return, the belief is that whatever ails him will be behind him.

Johnston notes that not only is his recovery believed to be going well, but there is a feeling that when he returns, he will be completely done with the matter. This time off is said to be all he needed to get back to 100 percent.