{"id":454619,"date":"2026-02-11T17:53:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T17:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/454619\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T17:53:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T17:53:22","slug":"nhl-rumors-oilers-maple-leafs-still-linked-binnington-olympic-signings-the-hockey-writers-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/454619\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumors: Oilers & Maple Leafs Still Linked, Binnington, Olympic Signings – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are once again connected in trade chatter, Toronto faces mounting pressure to consider selling at the deadline, Olympic break signings could shake up the market, and Team Canada\u2019s crease remains a hot topic as Jordan Binnington<\/a> emerges as a likely starter.<\/p>\n

Oilers and Maple Leafs Remain Linked in Trade Talks<\/p>\n

The Oilers and Maple Leafs have been linked<\/a> in trade speculation over the last few weeks. If it\u2019s not one player, it\u2019s another. First, it was pending UFA Bobby McMann<\/a>, but now reports are out there that discussions between Edmonton and Toronto center on Nicolas Roy and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. <\/p>\n

It was David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period who first raised the idea, and then another source floated a swap involving Andrew Mangiapane ($3.6 million AAV) for Roy ($3 million AAV). With both teams navigating cap constraints, any deal would likely require creativity\u2014and compromise.<\/p>\n

\"WilliamToronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews celebrates with forward William Nylander and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson after scoring the winning goal against the New York Rangers in overtime (Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

When it comes to Ekman-Larsson, the ask reportedly starts with top prospect\u00a0Isaac Howard. Pagnotta said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Leafs aren\u2019t trading him for Mangiapane and a pick. So, sorry, that\u2019s not going to happen. You\u2019re probably looking at something like an Isaac Howard in a deal to get OEL out of Toronto. It\u2019s going to be a high price. Because it\u2019s a combination of his cap hit, the term remaining, and the fact that he\u2019s really good\u2014or at least has been really good this season. If it gets to that point, expect it to be a larger type of deal. You\u2019re not just pawning off Mangiapane to Toronto because the kids are from there. I don\u2019t see that aligning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ekman-Larsson, 34, is in year two of a four-year, $14 million deal signed in 2024. He\u2019s enjoying a strong 2025-26 campaign, posting 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) in 57 games\u2014tracking toward one of the most productive seasons of his career. <\/p>\n

Olympic Break Signings Could Shift the Market<\/p>\n

While Olympic hockey grabs headlines, NHL business hasn\u2019t paused. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed on\u00a0Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer<\/a> that teams are actively working behind the scenes on extensions and roster decisions ahead of the trade deadline. One GM even cautioned him not to \u201ctake his eye off the ball,\u201d hinting that deals could materialize during the roster freeze.<\/p>\n

Related: 3 Potential Trade Partners for the Canadiens at the 2026 Trade Deadline<\/a><\/p>\n

Friedman didn\u2019t name names, but one has to assume that he\u2019s referring to players like Alex Tuch in Buffalo, Bobby McMann in Toronto, and Boone Jenner in Columbus, among others. <\/p>\n

Oilers Will \u201cLook Different\u201d, Says Friedman<\/p>\n

As for Edmonton\u2019s deadline plans and rumored moves coming out of the break, Friedman believes the Oilers will \u201clook different\u201d before the trade deadline, though perhaps not immediately. <\/p>\n

Rumors that Paul Coffey will rejoin the coaching staff persist, though nothing has been confirmed. Some believe such a move would signal deeper organizational change. Jason Gregor noted on Sports 1440, \u201cPaul Coffey probably isn\u2019t coming back, but if he does, you probably have to change the head coach. I think he\u2019s more of a GM than a coach\u201d.<\/p>\n

Is Jordan Binnington Starting in Goal for Team Canada?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Team Canada\u2019s goaltending situation has fans intrigued. Jordan Binnington appears poised to start<\/a>, but head coach Jon Cooper would not confirm. There is debate about whether he\u2019s the guy to go with, given his uneven NHL numbers this season. <\/p>\n

Still, his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 in high-pressure tournaments, including a strong showing at the 4 Nations Face-Off, gives him credibility in short-form competition. Cooper has stopped short of officially naming a starter, confirming only that two different goalies will play the first two games. <\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In today\u2019s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are once again connected in trade…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423881,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[3189,5,1268,20,5172,4,1337,782,3037,66,31,5171],"class_list":{"0":"post-454619","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-2026-winter-olympics","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-jordan-binnington","11":"tag-maple-leafs","12":"tag-mapleleafs","13":"tag-nhl","14":"tag-nicolas-roy","15":"tag-oliver-ekman-larsson","16":"tag-team-canada","17":"tag-toronto","18":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","19":"tag-torontomapleleafs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116053283088906594","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}