NHL Rumors: Skinner Leaves NHL, Matthews Injury Turn, Hellebuyck Talk, & Kings Trades – The Hockey Writers – NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, former Edmonton Oilers forward Jeff Skinner is leaving the NHL after signing with a Swiss club. Meanwhile, a comment from Auston Matthews’ chiropractor has raised new questions about the Toronto Maple Leafs captain’s health. Finally, the Los Angeles Kings could have two veteran players emerge as trade candidates during the 2026-27 season.

Jeff Skinner Leaves NHL for Switzerland

Former Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks forward Jeff Skinner is taking his talents overseas after signing with EHCB in Switzerland through the 2026-27 season.

The 34-year-old’s NHL career ended following a difficult 2025-26 campaign with the San Jose Sharks, where he scored six goals and 13 points in 32 games. He had 16 goals and 29 points the season prior in Edmonton, where he was used sparingly, but played his only playoff games in 16 NHL seasons.

A former Calder Trophy winner and two-time All-Star, Skinner reached the 30-goal mark three times with the Carolina Hurricanes and recorded a career-high 82 points with Buffalo in 2022-23. Whether this marks the end of his NHL run is unclear, but he won’t play in the league next season.

Matthews’ Chiropractor Raises Questions About Back Injury

Auston Matthews appears to be progressing well from offseason knee surgery, but comments from his chiropractor have created an unexpected storyline surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs captain.

Shawn Robek, who has been working with Matthews in Scottsdale, said the forward’s back is not a focus of their work this summer. While that sounds positive, media personality Sid Seixeiro interpreted the comment as a possible indication that Matthews had previously been dealing with a back issue. That could be significant given Matthews’ dramatic offensive decline over the past two seasons. After scoring 69 goals in 2023-24, Matthews dropped to 33 goals the following season and finished with just 53 points.

No one has confirmed that a back injury caused that decline, but the comments have certainly sparked speculation.

Kings Could Have Two Trade Candidates

According to one report, the Los Angeles Kings could have a couple of veterans emerge as trade candidates if they need a roster shakeup during the season.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper is entering the final year of his contract with a $5.25 million cap hit after struggling last season and losing the starting job to Anton Forsberg. With Peter Laviolette taking over in LA, things could get interesting. Ryan O’Hara writes, “The veteran coach has generally preferred having a clear No. 1 goaltender. If Forsberg earns that job, the Kings could be left with Kuemper and his $5.25 million cap hit as a backup, with the goaltender entering the final year of his contract.”

Winger Trevor Moore could also become available. The speedy forward has two years remaining at a $4.2 million annual average value and has struggled to secure a consistent top-six role in Los Angeles. Moore scored 31 goals in 2022-23 and could benefit from a larger offensive role elsewhere.

Neither Kuemper nor Moore needs to be traded immediately, but both could become interesting names as the season progresses.

Jets Hoping Hellebuyck Isn’t Traded

According to Murat Ates of The Athletic, there is still some uncertainty in Winnipeg when it comes to the status of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Players don’t seem to know if he’s staying or leaving.

Josh Morrissey hopes that the netminder is staying. He was asked what he knows about what’s going on and responded:

“You can’t believe everything you might see or hear out there,” Morrissey said via the article. “At the end of the day, I hope Helle is back playing for us. He’s the best goalie in the world. But what happens, doesn’t happen, whatever, that’s with him and his agent and the organization. It’s something that’s part of the game and part of the business.”

source – ‘Josh Morrissey on fatherhood, new perspective and a pivotal Winnipeg Jets season’ – Murat Ates – The Athletic – 08-13-2026

Morrissey also noted that he didn’t take Hellebuyck’s shot at the failures of the team last season as a personal shot. The defenseman believes the Jets can get back to where they need to be.