Coleman coveted, Brady Tkachuk negotiations and more NHL Rumors – Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL Rumor Digest, we start with the Calgary Flames and how Blake Coleman has surprisingly become the most coveted player for other teams. Next, we look at the Ottawa Senators as they slowly prepare for Brady Tkachuk’s contract. We wrap up with the New Jersey Devils and Simon Nemec, who the New York Islanders are reportedly targeting this offseason.

Coleman drools over Calgary

With the Flames’ 5-12-3 start to the season dampening any potential excitement, all eyes are on Nazeem Kadri and Rasmus Andersen when it comes to the trade market. Coleman is a player that many people overlook.

Since signing a six-year contract with the Flames, Coleman has continued to do much of what he signed up to do and more. He scored a career-high 54 points in 2023-24 and had 39 points last season, his second-best season.

Offensively, Coleman’s point total was very similar to his career average, although seven of his eight points were goals. On top of that, his production is almost entirely even-strength, which is a huge plus for interested teams.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic summed up everything he was hearing from around the league, saying:

Interestingly, for all the speculation surrounding Anderson and Kadri, my understanding is that the player that is getting the most attention from other teams is Blake Coleman. The team is planting the seeds to let Flames general manager Craig Conroy know to contact him if he’s willing to move Coleman.

Pierre Le Brun, “Sport”
(Excerpted from “NHL Rumors: Karlsson gives Sweden reason to believe, plus latest on Kempe, Stamkos, Coleman and more,” The Athletic, Nov. 14, 2025)

The demand for middle six wingers is likely to be high. The offense is a big plus, but he’s received Selke Trophy votes in the past and has a favorable deal as he has one year left and is making $4.9 million annually. There’s a lot to like about Coleman, and his dominance as a third-line winger in the postseason has earned him a valuable reputation.

Any team looking to make a playoff push will be looking to bring in Coleman, and if the Flames choose to trade him, they could get good value for him.

Senators prepare contract pitch for Tkachuk

While Brady Tkachuk is now ineligible to sign a contract, the Senators are doing everything they can to put themselves in the best position possible to get a deal done.

While Tkachuk rumors abound, many have pointed to how close the Flames are to his brother Matthew. There’s nothing to suggest Brady isn’t happy about his future with the Senators.

He has missed 16 games this season, and the Senators have a record of 8 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses. That’s impressive enough on its own, but considering they were able to do it without their captain and one of their top players shows that they do have a good team and are eyeing the playoffs.

In the latest episode of Barn Burner, Darren Dreger noted that “[Steve] Staios did a great job of making sure all the core pieces around Brady Tkachuk were taken care of so that when you do the heavy lifting with Brady, things might get a little easier. “

The Senators have nearly their entire core group locked in for at least a few more seasons. No offseason is easy, but the Senators don’t have many big contracts to sign in 2026, with Derek Batherson and Artem Zub needing new deals in 2027, followed by Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot in 2028. It won’t be easy, but locking down Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle, Sean Pinto and Dylan Cozens, along with at least four more players, for this season will be a huge selling factor. The Senators’ contract situation looks very favorable, and Staos could use that to convince Brady to stay.

Islanders call on Nemec in offseason

Like many other teams, the Islanders don’t have the deepest right-shooting guard option in the organization. And, like other teams, they know the Devils have been productive in the NHL, with more to come. Nemec’s development is far from linear, and it makes sense to inquire about his availability this offseason.

Arthur Staple of the Daily Faceoff talked about Nemec on the Tri-State Hockey Podcast (approximately 18:00) and said the Islanders are paying him a visit.

General managers Mathieu Dach and Tom Fitzgerald may have had multiple conversations, but Staples considers the Colorado Avalanche’s first-round pick, which they received from Brock Nelson , to be their likely top pending asset. Rookies like Carl Rich, Kashawn Aitchison, Cole Eiserman and Victor Eklund are more likely to be assets of interest to the Devils, but the Islanders would understandably be hesitant.

Nemec is off to a stunning start to the season and hopes to stay in the NHL full-time and take over the role many expected after being drafted second overall in 2022.