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The Minnesota Wild could become a serious contender in the Nikita Kucherov situation.
According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, if Quinn Hughes decides not to extend his contract with the Wild, Bill Guerin could have significant wiggle room under the salary cap next summer.
Joe Smith – The Athletic – #mnwild & Kucherov | If Quinn Hughes decides not to re-sign with Minnesota, president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin will have plenty of cap space next summer. And Kucherov will be the kind of big fish the Wild would absolutely target — along with most of the other teams in the league. – 11/8 #NHL #GoBolts
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) November 8, 2026
And Kucherov would be exactly the kind of big catch the Wild would love to land.
Imagine for a moment Kucherov playing alongside Kirill Kaprizov. The two Russian stars could form an absolutely formidable duo.
Keep in mind that Kucherov does not want to extend his contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Julien BriseBois does not seem interested in trading him at the moment. He could therefore finish the season in Tampa Bay before testing the free-agent market on July 1.
One thing is certain: if Kucherov becomes a free agent, the Wild will certainly not be alone in the race.
The Blackhawks Are Planning a Big Move
Things are starting to heat up in Chicago.
According to The Fourth Period, the Blackhawks have been very active in the trade market for about two weeks.
Kyle Davidson is reportedly looking to improve his roster and has several interesting assets to do so.
As Elliotte Friedman pointed out on Saturday Headlines, Chicago holds the first-round picks from Florida and Edmonton, in addition to its own and several second-round picks.
Elliotte Friedman – Saturday Headlines – #Blackhawks | They have Florida's first-round pick. They have Edmonton's first-round pick. They have a couple of second-round picks in addition to their own first-rounder. Those picks appear to be on the table, and they've traded high first-round picks before. But the Blackhawks have a lot of assets to work with. I've heard they've been asked about some of their prospects. I've heard they've been asked about some of their players who can play center. And you know, another thing is that they've got Jordan Greenway on the market. They've got Teravainen, who struggled out there. The Blackhawks are definitely active in terms of trying to strengthen their team. – 11/7 #NHL
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) November 8, 2026
These picks could be used in a trade.
Teams have also reportedly inquired about the availability of Ryan Donato, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore. The Hawks are reportedly not interested in trading Nazar, but might be tempted by an attractive offer for some of the other players.
TheFourthPeriod – #Blackhawks | Teams have also inquired about forwards Ryan Donato, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore; however, sources have told TFP that the Hawks are not interested in trading Nazar, though they could be enticed by the right offer. The team appears more open to the possibility of trading Moore instead. – 11/8 #NHL
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) November 8, 2026
Jordan Greenway and Teuvo Teravainen are also players who could be available.
Davidson is scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday. Is a trade in the works?
According to the Blackhawks, GM Kyle Davidson will hold a media availability on Wednesday.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 8, 2026
Binnington or Saros in Edmonton?
The Edmonton Oilers continue to make headlines regarding their goaltending situation.
On “Saturday Headlines,” former defenseman Erik Johnson stated that Jordan Binnington could be a good fit for the Oilers. Binnington is in the final year of his contract, and it might make sense for him to leave St. Louis.
Erik Johnson – Saturday Headlines – Binnington: I think he still has some gas left in the tank. If I'm Edmonton, I'm doing absolutely everything I can to get this guy, or even Saros from Nashville. – 11/7 #LetsGoOilers #Preds #stlblues #NHL https://t.co/CUMuRp4Qap
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) November 8, 2026
He even went a step further.
According to him, if Edmonton wants to improve its goaltending situation, the organization should do everything it can to acquire Binnington—or even Juuse Saros—from the Nashville Predators.
Let's just say that would be quite an acquisition for the Oilers.
It remains to be seen whether Edmonton would be willing to pay the price required to land one of these two goalies. For now, however, this is just a suggestion from Johnson—not a trade that's about to happen.
in brief
– Brayden Yager scores his first NHL goal.✈️ Brayden Yager scores his 1st NHL goal #GoJetsGo https://t.co/b7nMMsjyyG
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) November 9, 2026
– Arber Xhekaj is playing some great hockey.
ARBER XHEKAJ: AN IMPRESSIVE PROGRESSION
Just a quick note to mention how solid I think Arber Xhekaj's play has been this season.
For one thing, he's become much more mobile and seems to be in excellent shape. His footwork has never been so fluid in the defensive zone.
In previous seasons, it wasn't uncommon for Arber to get his feet stuck in the mud in his own zone, which made him extremely vulnerable to the opponent's pressure. That was his main weakness.
This season, he gets out of tight spots by pivoting and/or creating enough space for himself to make a good first pass.
Xhekaj has also started to give his coach solid minutes on the penalty kill. In fact, he was the one who finished yesterday's game on the ice as Montreal looked to protect a lead. We wouldn't have seen that last year.
We know that No. 72 will always have that aura—that intimidating presence. And he demonstrated it this week by winning both of his battles and delivering solid shoulder checks.
Xhekaj will also have an elite slap shot throughout his career.
Slowly but surely, he's becoming a well-rounded defenseman.
Considering everything he's been through and the impeccable attitude he's maintained despite the ups and downs, I find his progress truly inspiring to watch.
Let's not forget that he was never drafted and has always relied… on himself.
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) November 8, 2026
– Things are looking bad for the Eagles.
Are changes on the horizon in Philly?
https://t.co/UKltdrCacx
— RDS (@RDSca) November 9, 2026
– Enjoy the read.
Don't hold your breath. https://t.co/By9C3AZEmR https://t.co/nwNIKWSOUY
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 9, 2026