Hellebuyck Devils Trade Offer 2026: The Waiver Stack
Connor Hellebuyck's full NMC runs through 2027. New Devils GM Sunny Mehta named him top goalie target. The Waiver Stack framework explains w...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
Mike Johnson
Senior NHL Insider & Trade Analyst
Mike Johnson is a Senior NHL Insider with over 15 years covering the league, focusing on salary cap analysis, trade rumors, and offer-sheet markets. He has broken stories on the 2025 Hughes-to-Wild trade narrative, the Kaprizov $17M extension cycle, and the 2026 RFA market reset. Mike fact-checks every article against PuckPedia, CapWages, NHL.com, and named insiders such as Elliotte Friedman, Frank Seravalli, Pierre LeBrun, and Daily Faceoff Rundown. Originally from Toronto, Mike played junior hockey before transitioning to NHL coverage. Follow him on X at @NHLTradeRumors. Editorial inquiries: editorial@nhltraderumorstalk.com.
Articles by Mike Johnson
Nils Hoglander Trade: The Analytics Orphan Vancouver Should Have Kept
Nils Hoglander scored 24 goals in 2023-24, then two in 2025-26. His 5.7% shooting hides a 52.80% expected goals percentage that says he stil...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
⚡ Breaking
Trade Rumors
Mats Sundin Maple Leafs Meeting 2026: The Captain Clause
Elliotte Friedman reports the Maple Leafs are meeting with Mats Sundin for a hockey operations role just 24 hours after losing Sunny Mehta t...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
⚡ Breaking
Injury Report
Leon Draisaitl Injury Update 2026: The 97-Point Gamble
Draisaitl returned to practice but told reporters I'm not there yet before Game 1 Monday. Full breakdown of the 97-Point Gamble - why rushin...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
⚡ Breaking
Playoff Preview
Flyers vs Penguins 2026 Playoff Preview: The Drought Breakers
Philadelphia ended a 5-year drought, Pittsburgh a 3-year drought - now they meet in Round 1 for the first time since 2018. Full preview of t...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
⚡ Breaking
Playoff Preview
Sabres vs Bruins 2026 Playoff Preview: The 5,458-Day Payoff
Buffalo ended the longest active playoff drought in North American pro sports (5,458 days). Now the Atlantic Division champion Sabres face a...
By Mike Johnson · 8 min read
Flyers Center Trade 2026: The Pivot Asymmetry
Philadelphia has 5 top-6 wingers and zero proven top-6 centers - The Pivot Asymmetry defines the Flyers' entire 2026 offseason. Robert Thoma...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read
Maple Leafs Most Disappointing Team: 30-Point Collapse
The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped from 108 points and an Atlantic Division title to 78 points and last place. A 30-point implosion triggered b...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
Winnipeg Jets Free Agent Targets: The Ehlers-Shaped Hole
Winnipeg dropped from 116 points to 82 after losing Nikolaj Ehlers. Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Bobby McMann are the three winger targets w...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
Auston Matthews Maple Leafs Future: The Quiet Ultimatum
Matthews posted 27 goals in 60 games before a Grade 3 MCL tear ended his season. Now, with a full NMC and two years left on his $13.25M deal...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
How Does NHL Salary Cap Work? Complete 2026 Guide
The 2025-26 NHL salary cap is $95.5 million, rising to $104 million in 2026-27. This complete guide explains the 50-50 Engine formula, LTIR...
By Mike Johnson · 14 min read
Elias Pettersson Trade: The $11.6M Exit Ramp
Elliotte Friedman reports the Canucks will sit down with Pettersson this offseason for a real conversation about his future. With 51 points...
By Mike Johnson · 9 min read
2026 NHL Playoff Bracket: The 16-Win Map — Every
Colorado scores 23/40 on the path difficulty index — the lightest map in the 2026 NHL playoffs. Dallas and Minnesota score 29/40, trapped in...
By Mike Johnson · 12 min read
Buffalo Sabres Playoff Drought Over: The 14-Year Exile Ends
Buffalo clinched on April 4 after a 35-8-4 run, ending the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 14 seasons and 5,458 days. Seven coache...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read
Colorado Avalanche Playoffs 2026: The 82-Game Mirage
Colorado Avalanche playoffs 2026 begin with +260 Cup odds and the NHL's best record. But no Presidents' Trophy winner has lifted the Cup sin...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read
Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild: The Death Bracket — 2026
Stars vs Wild 2026 playoffs: Dallas's 29.8% power play meets Minnesota's collapsing PK inside The Death Bracket — three Central contenders t...
By Mike Johnson · 13 min read
Bruce Cassidy Maple Leafs: Why He Said No to Toronto
Bruce Cassidy won't coach the Maple Leafs, per TSN's Darren Dreger. His career pattern — championships in Year 1-3, locker room fractures by...
By Mike Johnson · 10 min read
Dougie Hamilton Trade: 3 Best Devils Destinations Ranked
Dougie Hamilton's $9 million cap hit makes him the hardest defenseman to trade this offseason. Our Retention Ladder framework shows how Devi...
By Mike Johnson · 14 min read
Golden Knights Goalie Crisis: 3 Offseason Targets Ranked
The Golden Knights have cycled through six starting goalies in eight seasons and still don't have an answer. Adin Hill's .868 save percentag...
By Mike Johnson · 12 min read
Maple Leafs GM Search: Inside the Overcorrection Cycle
Toronto has hired five GMs since 2008. Each one represented the opposite philosophy of the last. Burke was toughness. Dubas was data. Treliv...
By Mike Johnson · 11 min read