NHL Rumors: McAvoy, Bruins, Hughes, Canucks, Oilers – The Hockey Writers NHL Rumors Latest News, Analysis & More

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Boston Bruins announced that Charlie McAvoy was injured for Team USA and will not play in the final versus Team Canada. Meanwhile, Team USA has gotten permission to bring in Quinn Hughes, although it’s not known if he’ll ultimately ever be permitted to play and practice with the team. Finally, the Edmonton Oilers might push to sign a pending UFA that just joined the club.

Charlie McAvoy Out for Team USA

Just a couple of days before the 4 Nations Faceoff Final against Team Canada, the Boston Bruins announced on Tuesday that defenseman Charlie McAvoy will be out of the rest of the tournament. McAvoy was admitted to the hospital on Monday night with an infection that stemmed from a minor injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan refused to give details on the timing of the injury.

It’s unclear how severe the injury is and if it will bleed over into the return of NHL action. If McAvoy is out for any real length of time, it’s a huge loss for the Bruins. He was one of the more impactful defensemen, particularly in a physical sense.

Quinn Hughes Joining Team USA

Quinn Hughes has been called in to replace Charlie McAvoy on Team USA. Despite having pulled out of the tournament before it began, Hughes is apparently well enough to play one game, if he’s permitted to do so. As it stands, according to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Hughes is not permitted to practice or play if only McAvoy is out.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Tavares, Knies, Reaves, Kerfoot & Bjugstad

Just like what happened with Thomas Harley and Team Canada, there would need to be fewer than six defensemen available for Quinn Hughes to be activated. Until that happens, if it ever does, Hughes can’t practice with the team or play. At the very least, he’ll be with the team during its last game, which is an opportunity Hughes likely didn’t want to pass up.

The good news is that both Tkachuk brothers (Matthew and Brady) intend on playing Thursday vs Canada. Matthew missed Saturday’s game versus Sweden) and Brady was pulled after crashing into the goalpost. Auston Matthews is also expected to be in the lineup. All three either missed the last game or were pulled from the game versus Sweden for precautionary reasons.

Will the Oilers Try to Sign John Klingberg?

Allan Mitchell of The Athletic examined some of the Edmonton Oilers’ internal free agency options (both RFAs and UFAs) and compared their market values to how the team might prioritize its needs. When talking about new defenseman John Klingberg, Mitchell wondered if the Oilers might try to get him signed to an extension sooner rather than later.

He writes:

“Klingberg is in the “too soon to know” category. If he can successfully fill the hole on the second pairing alongside Darnell Nurse over the next four months, Bowman will move quickly to get an extension done. Five games into Klingberg’s Edmonton career, no one knows how this is going to turn out.”

source – ‘Making the early call on Oilers’ 2025 free agents: Who will sign? Who’s too expensive?’ – Allan Mitchell – The Athletic – 02/17/2025

There is some thought that it might be wise to extend Klingberg before he breaks out and ups his value around the league. It might also be wise to have him on a new contract in the event the team has any trouble getting Evan Bouchard signed to an extension with a rising salary cap.