Evgeni Malkin's final Penguins season could trigger a bold deadline move. The Florida Panthers are eyed as a fit, aided by salary retention that might let Barkov stay for the playoffs if the deal comes together, with proximity to Malkin’s Miami-area home adding appeal. The chatter hinges on cap math and Pittsburgh’s willingness to move a core piece while chasing a playoff window.

Crosby and Letang anchor the era as Fleury’s preseason visit fuels intrigue. If Florida can keep Bobrovsky and still maneuver Barkov, a path to a Malkin swap exists—so long as the player is open to relocation and the dollars align.

Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz remains in mid-term contract talks with Toronto, as both sides chase a sweet spot on term versus dollars before the season. The broader rumor mill flags high-leverage decisions around Pavel Zacha, Sergei Bobrovsky and Nazem Kadri, with potential deadline moves and longer-term bets shaping fantasy value. Watch Seattle’s UFAs and depth pieces (Dunn, McCann, Oleksiak) and how Kadri’s no-move clause and Bobrovsky’s price tag influence market dynamics. Kaprizov and the Wild surface in late-season chatter, while the Kraken loom as a possible deadline magnet.

Fantasy implications center on workload, goaltending splits, and how contract structures affect reliability and upside. Depth moves and no-trade hurdles can shift second-line center roles and goalie wins projections, so players like Zacha, Kadri, and the Kraken trio could swing value depending on where they land and how cap flexibility plays out through the trade window.

Stuart Skinner’s extension debate is the marquee NHL storyline in Edmonton as the Oilers weigh a long-term marry-the-arc plan. Zach Laing’s five-year projection at a 6.817 million cap hit carries a mature edge: a high-ceiling bet on Skinner through his prime, tempered by a 22% chance the model assigns to hitting that exact outcome.

Skinner’s postseason numbers dipped to a 2.99 GAA and .889 SV% across 15 games in 2024-25, a contrast to the spring when he lifted Edmonton in back-to-back Cup Final runs. Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky outdueled the Oilers’ tandem in the Final, while GM Stan Bowman defended his goaltenders and Kris Knoblauch rode Skinner in must-win Game 6. For fantasy, a long-term Skinner in Edmonton could stabilize a once-volatile position, but the playoff skid injects risk into any price tag. The piece also frames rival stoppers—Kuemper, Hill, and Oettinger—as benchmarks to contextualize Skinner’s ceiling and downside as the Oilers navigate this contract crossroads.