BS Meter on the Latest NHL Offseason Trade and Free-Agency Rumors

The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have reached the conference finals stage with just four teams remaining from the original field of 16.

Among the casualties are the Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes, sparking speculation over their offseason plans after falling short in the postseason.

Some pundits wonder if the Bruins might trade goaltender Linus Ullmark, while others question whether the Hurricanes will re-sign or trade winger Martin Necas.

It can be difficult to determine if these rumors are based on fact or fiction. We'll use our trusty B/R BS Meter to sort that out as we look at the most noteworthy trade and free-agent conjecture.

Do you agree or disagree with our findings? Let us know in the app comments below.

The Vegas Golden Knights possess limited salary-cap space for 2024-25, carrying just $897,516 with 20 active roster players under contract. They'll get an additional $5 million if goaltender Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve for next season.

That still doesn't leave much room to retain Jonathan Marchessault. One of the few remaining original Golden Knights, the 33-year-old winger has been consistently among their best players during his seven seasons in Vegas. He's completing a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million.

Marchessault wants to stay in Vegas and the Golden Knights want to keep him. However, doing so could involve a cost-cutting deal to free up the necessary cap room. The Athletic's Jesse Granger suggested a defenseman such as Zach Whitecloud or Shea Theodore could become a trade candidate.

Whitecloud has four years left on his contract with an annual cap hit of $2.8 million. Theodore, meanwhile, is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility and carries an AAV of $5.2 million.

Granger noted that recently acquired blueliner Noah Hanifin signed a seven-year contract extension with the Golden Knights. He plays a similar style to Theodore.

BS Meter: Not BS

It's no certainty that the Golden Knights can afford to keep Marchessault. They could also find other players to move than Whitecloud or Theodore such as goaltender Adin Hill and his $4.9 million cap hit for next season. Nevertheless, the addition of Hanifin could make one of those blueliners expendable.

Changes could be coming to the Carolina Hurricanes roster this summer.

Eight players, including Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teräväinen, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Six others, including Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis and Jack Drury will become restricted free agents.

Much of the focus is on which of their UFAs will be re-signed. However, there is speculation swirling about Necas' future with the Hurricanes. The forward is completing a two-year contract with an annual cap hit of $3 million and has arbitration rights this summer.

During the May 17 episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman speculated that the 25-year-old could be traded this summer. He believes the Hurricanes will give priority to re-signing Guentzel. He also noted that Necas has been surpassed by Jarvis on their depth chart, making him more of a priority signing.

Necas has reached or exceeded 40 points in each of the last four seasons, including a career-high 71 points in 2022-23. Teams seeking scoring depth could come calling, though there could be concern about the cost of signing him. He could seek over $6 million annually on his next contract.

BS Meter: Not BS

The Hurricanes have a projected cap space of $27.4 million with 17 active roster players under contract for 2024-25. Re-signing Guentzel and Jarvis could take up over half of it plus they'll need to re-sign or replace Skeji and Pesce. That could leave Necas as the odd man out.

Jakob Chychrun's uncertainty over his future with the Ottawa Senators resulted in him sitting at No. 2 on our May 2024 Offseason Trade Block Big Board. Recent reports out of Ottawa suggest he could be shopped this summer.

On May 17, the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reported Senators management took calls on the defenseman before the March trade deadline. He expects that talk "could turn to action."

Chychrun has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million plus a 10-team no-trade clause. He will become eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Garrioch believes the Senators should get a good return for the 26-year-old, suggesting he could be moved before the NHL draft on June 28-29 in Las Vegas.

The skillful puck-moving blueliner has a long injury history over his eight-year NHL career but played all 82 games this season for the first time, tying his career-high points total of 41.

The Senators need skilled depth on the right side of their blue line. They could also use an experienced scorer and leader among their top-six forwards.

BS Meter: Not BS

Trade rumblings about Chychrun stretch back to midseason. He's indicated he wants to stay, but with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot in the lineup, the Senators are deep in left-side defensemen. That likely makes Chychrun expendable.

The Winnipeg Jets made a major trade last summer involving a top-six forward, shipping Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. They could have another deal in the works this summer involving Nikolaj Ehlers.

The forward has spent his nine-season NHL career with the Jets, tallying 20-plus goals seven times and 50 or more points five times. But he has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6 million and will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

On May 15, The Athletic's Murat Ates suggested Ehlers could be traded this summer if he and Jets management fail to agree to a contract extension. Meanwhile, Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun shared that view, proposing he could be used as trade bait to add a top-four defenseman.

Ates listed the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah as potential destinations for the 28-year-old.

Billeck suggested pursuing a defenseman on an expiring deal such as Jakob Chychrun, Jaccob Slavin, Vladislav Gavrikov or Shea Theodore.

BS Meter: Not BS

It's not a certainty the Jets will trade Ehlers even if they fail to agree to a new contract. Nevertheless, improving their blue-line depth is an offseason priority, especially with Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon eligible for UFA status this summer. He could be flipped for a blueliner before the draft on June 28-29.

Linus Ullmark was ranked No. 3 on our May NHL Offseason Trade Block Big Board.

The Boston Bruins goaltender was the subject of rumors leading up to the March trade deadline. With fellow Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman a restricted free agent, we felt the Bruins could move him to make room for Swayman as their full-time starter.

That possibility seems more likely after Swayman started in all but one game for Boston this postseason. The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa reported Ullmark had reservations about accepting a trade in March because he didn't want to uproot his family during that time. He's unsure if the Swede feels the same way now.

The 30-year-old has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million. He also carries a 16-team no-trade list until July 1, when it drops to 15 teams. NHL.com's Amelie Benjamin indicated Ullmark would prefer to play in Boston next season, but Bruins management could go in a different direction.

Shinzawa believes it could work for both parties if Ullmark is willing to cooperate with Bruins management on suitable trade destinations. It would make it easier to promote Swayman as their full-time starter.

Meanwhile, teams seeking a starting goalie this summer would consider Ullmark a better option than the netminders in this summer's free-agent market.

BS Meter: Not BS

Swayman can be backed up by the promising Brandon Bussi. The Bruins could work out a deal shipping Ullmark to a team that isn't on his no-trade list, but they'll likely try to work with him to find an acceptable deal.

Moving Ullmark would clear his $5 million from their books, which could be put toward re-signing Swayman or addressing another roster need.

Stats via NHL.com. Salary info via Cap Friendly.