In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we look at Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov, who appear to be heading toward a path of being the next two highest-paid players in the league. Elsewhere, we look at the Florida Panthers and that they could be missing Matthew Tkachuk for some time. Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to get younger, and Nicholas Robertson could make sense for them to bring in.
McDavid & Kaprizov Expected to Be 2 Highest-Paid Players
There has been a lot of talk about contract extensions for both McDavid and Kaprizov. There have been reports about the deals being fairly easy ones to get done, but the fact that they are still yet to be extended has people asking questions.
Elliotte Friedman returned to the microphone for a mid-summer check-in on 32 Thoughts and referred to the salary cap increase and the fact that the market is taking a “reset” with the new cap. Players are being paid more and more each season, and are looking for shorter term as they are able to maximize their earnings this way. Of course, the risk to a short deal is injury or performance drop-off, but for players like McDavid and Kaprizov, securing another significant payday is not a concern.
Jun 6, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) reacts against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
Friedman noted that the expectation around the league is that these two are going to lead the way in terms of being the highest-paid players for the next wave of signings. He also mentioned that teams are aware of the top-10 and bottom-10 contract lists from The Athletic, and don’t like being on either list as it impacts their negotiating.
Related: NHL Rumours: Robertson, Kadri, Canadian Olympic Roster, Canucks
There was no true update on what is going on in the negotiations for either player.
Matthew Tkachuk Injury to Eat Into 2025-26 Season
Later in the podcast, Friedman mentioned Tkachuk and his health. Looking back at last season, Tkachuk was injured coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and missed the remaining games in the regular season. He wasn’t 100 percent healthy in the playoffs when he did play, and according to Friedman, he is not going to start the season for the Panthers.
It is unclear how long Tkachuk is going to be sitting out, but Friedman noted that he is more than likely going to be good to go before the Olympics in Milan, taking place in February 2026.
Tkachuk played through a torn adductor muscle, a sports hernia, and other injuries throughout the playoffs.
When looking at the salary cap situation in Florida, they are currently just shy of $4 million over the salary cap, which indicates that Tkachuk will start the season on long-term injured reserve. There has been a lot of speculation about Evan Rodrigues and whether or not he could be traded to clear some cap space, but as Friedman notes, he is a valuable player and on a good contract, and the Panthers don’t want to move him.
The injury to Tkachuk leaking into the season, buys the Panthers a bit of time to figure out their game plan with the salary cap, but once he is ready to return, there could be a difficult decision to be made.
Penguins Still Aiming to Get Younger
Josh Yohe of The Athletic, in an article speaking on ownership, took the time to mention the forward group for the Penguins as it sits today. While Yohe points to the group as not being a contending forward group, it is also not one that is bad enough to have a great chance at Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. (from What I’m hearing about Mario Lemieux’s Penguins ownership comeback attempt, The Athletic, July 28, 2025)
With all of the talk around Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, the Penguins would be in a better position in the rebuild if they move them, but as Yohe wirtes, “Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas isn’t selling Rakell and Rust for peanuts, nor is he married to the idea of keeping them for the long term.”.
Moving them for good value is the perfect scenario for Dubas and the Penguins. Friedman reported in the 32 Thoughts episode that it could make sense for the Penguins to look at Nicholas Robertson as a kind of player that they should acquire. He mentions that the Maple Leafs need to move some bodies and that everybody is expecting them to make a few moves before opening night, and after the acquisition of all of the depth players, trading some younger assets, like Robertson, could make sense if Rust is the return.
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