In today’s NHL news and rumors rundown, the Dallas Stars are out of the playoffs, and head coach Pete DeBoer seemingly threw goaltender Jake Oettinger under the bus. Meanwhile, are the New York Rangers and Chris Kreider looking for a fresh start? Finally, are the Montreal Canadiens ready to move a first-round pick in this season’s NHL Draft?
Rough Road Ahead for Stars and Oettinger?
Pete DeBoer pulled goaltender Jake Oettinger early in Game 5 and, after the Stars lost, suggested his netminder was a big part of the problem. DeBoer noted, “I didn’t blame it all on Jake, but the reality is if you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton. And we give up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. … That’s a pretty big sample size.”
Some analysts are now wondering if this is the kind of thing from which these two can’t recover. SDPN’s Steve Glynn noted, “I dunno how they work together again after this.” What Chaos host Pete Blackburn wrote, “Feel for Jake Oettinger. Wasn’t great by any means, but also wasn’t terrible & got no run support. Barely gets to play in the last game of the season & then tossed under the bus by his coach postgame. What a way to support your franchise goalie.”
Oettinger is signed for $8.25 million until 2023, and he has a no-move clause that kicks in ahead of the 2026-27 season. If the Stars are going to move on, this would be the summer to do so. There will be no shortage of interested teams.
Kreider and Rangers Looking for Fresh Start?
Chris Johnston of The Athletic went through his trade board targets. When discussing the New York Rangers, he had Chris Kreider at the top of his list.
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He wrote:
“A fresh start seems in order here. The Rangers started shuttling veterans this season, including former captain Jacob Trouba, and general manager Chris Drury mentioned Kreider’s availability in a memo circulated to his peers in November. While Kreider is coming off his lowest goal-scoring season in eight years, with 0.32 goals per game, his cap hit is moderate on a contract that runs through 2026-27. Kreider remains a strong skater who sits in the 90th percentile in speed bursts over 22 miles per hour, according to NHL Edge data. He maintains some say in the process courtesy of a 15-team no-trade clause.”
source – ‘NHL offseason trade board: An early look at the summer’s top targets, from Kreider to Rossi to Ehlers’ – Chris Johnston – The Athletic – 05-29-2025
The Rangers could be in for a shakeup this summer, especially with a new head coach and some players who have been previously linked to rumors.
Canadiens First-Round Pick in Play?
Johnston also noted that the Montreal Canadiens might be open to moving a first-round pick at this year’s NHL Entry Draft. The Canadiens currently own a pair of picks in the middle of the first round, and Johnston reports it won’t be surprising to see them keep only one of the Nos. 16 and 17 selections.
“Montreal has an array of prospects already in the pipeline and is open to moving a pick if it can be used to acquire a more immediate need for the current roster.” Johnston notes that the Canadiens could use another center and the team is certainly ready to take another step toward contending.
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