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

In today’s NHL rumors, the Vegas Golden Knights are set to sign defenseman Brayden McNabb to a contract extension. Meanwhile, will Evgeni Malkin refuse a trade regardless of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ win/loss record? 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.

Golden Knights sign McNabb

Brayden McNabb, 33, was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. His current contract has a cap hit of $2.85 million per season. TSN’s Chris Johnston tweeted: “There is still some paperwork to complete, but it appears 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 not clear what the contract will look like, but a three-year deal somewhere close to the one he has now could be realistic. 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 has no interest in being traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins even if they completely tear down the roster and start over. Amid a rough start to the season, rumors are all over the Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas reportedly said everyone is available except Sidney Crosby.

“It’s my second home here,” Malkin told reporters. “I’m happy to be here. It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, I always want to be here with (teammates) Sid (Crosby), with Tangier (Kris Letang). We understand that these are difficult times at the moment. Yesterday we traded Lars (Eller). I want to stay together… We’ll fight every game, you know?’

Rangers could look for 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, especially in puck control and transitioning from defensive to offensive.

Rosen points out that turnovers have plagued the team, especially in their recent 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, where several goals came off turnovers. The Rangers’ struggles with zone exits are clearly visible, with the team relying too heavily on Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick to make big saves. This kind of success is unsustainable.

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

I think the Rangers need more of a shot-blocking, bruising back end; a reliable, predictable defenseman who can eat a few minutes and some pucks, is smart when he gets them and has a pass-first pass solid enough to help get out of the defensive zone. That may be on general manager Chris Drury’s shopping list as we get closer to the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, but for now the Rangers need to be better at everything I mentioned above.

Matthews still not in Toronto, but good news

According to a report from Chris Johnston on TSN Insider Trading, there is optimism when it comes to Auston Matthews’ injury situation. It appears he won’t be in the lineup when the Leafs take on the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but when he returns, the belief is that whatever ails him will be behind him.

Johnston notes that not only is his recovery believed to be going in the right direction, but there is also a sense that when he returns, he will have this matter completely behind him. This rest period would be all he needed to get back to 100 percent.