Quick Rumor Hits From Around the NHL: Knies offer, Hellebuyck trade hurdles, Nikishin’s price, Red Wings decisions

Opening-day rosters have been filed and the season has started, but many teams are still working the market. This roundup pulls together the concrete rumor items circulating around the NHL so you can see which situations are most likely to produce movement.

• Sharks in exchange for first-round picks, including the #2 overall selection. The report comes through Frank Seravalli via Frankly Hockey. No confirmation of acceptance or counteroffers is reported.

Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck, and goalie complications

• Hellebuyck remains a central trade topic, but the path out of Winnipeg is complicated. Waiver-eligible goalies such as Buffalo's Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can block certain trades, and there is believed to be at least one more goalie who could do the same. That reduces Winnipeg's options and increases the likelihood they'll have to accept deals involving future assets.
• Rodrigues, another roster player (possibly Eetu Luostarinen was referenced), and a draft package similar to what Ottawa gave for Brady Tkachuk.
• Ducks and a team called the Utah Mammoth checking in. Edmonton reportedly considered Stevenson before making the Devin Levi trade.

Alexander Nikishin's contract demands and trade ripple effects

• If Nikishin were to sign with Winnipeg, a Hellebuyck trade to Carolina would reportedly have been completed already. Sources say Nikishin is seeking about $9 million on a five-year deal, though some suggest he could take a bit less for the right situation.
• St. Louis has been linked to Nikishin, Nashville made an effort but wasn't close to the Hurricanes' asking price, and a potential deal with the Rangers fell through.

• Detroit pursued a bridge deal for Simon Edvinsson but remained firm on that approach. The team should be looking to resolve Edvinsson's contract plus those of Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat sooner rather than later. Those decisions will influence whether Detroit leans toward a short rebuild or tries to compete around its current core.

• Seattle's Vince Dunn is a pending unrestricted free agent with some talks underway.
• Nashville forward Ryan O'Reilly is entering the final year of his contract and reportedly does not have formal protection, though a verbal promise exists.

Several teams have clear constraints: waiver rules that can block goalie trades, pending UFAs whose salaries or demands alter deal feasibility, and clubs weighing bridge deals versus long-term extensions. Expect more movement before the trade deadline if teams decide short-term pushes are viable or if contracts (like Nikishin's) get finalized and unlock other transactions.