NHL Rumors: DuPont, Rudolph, Ovechkin, Tuch, and Hughes

Top 2027 draft prospect Landon DuPont and 2026 first-round prospect Daxon Rudolph are looking at US Colleges

Cam Robinson: Top 2027 prospect Landon DuPont will start visiting US college campuses before determining where he’ll play next season.

The Everett Silvertips (WHL) defenseman put up 73 points in 63 regular-season games, 23 points in 18 playoff games, and six points in four Memorial Cup games.

Schools that are expected to be after him include Michigan, Denver, Michigan State and Minnesota.

Daxon Rudolph is expected to make his decision this week, and that could impact DuPont. If Rudolph decides on Denver or Michigan State, it might take them out of the running for LuPont.

Quick hits on Alex Ovechkin, Alex Tuch, and Quinn Hughes

Emily Kaplan of ESPN: Communication between the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin remains open while he’s back in Russia. The Caps will give him his time and space to decide whether to retire or sign a one-year contract. heard around the draft as a possible timeline, but if he needs more time, the Capitals are okay with that.

With Alex Tuch being the top free agent forward on the market, it’s helping raise his price. Tuch and the Buffalo Sabres hadn’t been close on money before they shelved talks towards the end of the season to focus on the playoffs. If the Sabres are to offer a competitive number, there is a path to getting it done. Even though Tuch didn’t register a point against the Canadiens in their series, it’s not expected to be a major factor.

When spoke with Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin a week or two ago, he seemed confident that they could get defenseman Quinn Hughes signed to a contract extension. There are many around the league who believe Hughes will sign a three-year extension, which would put him at free agency at the same time as his brother Jack. Things didn’t end well for the Wild, but injuries to Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek for their series with the Avs really hurt their chances. The Wild will continue their search for a center.

NHL Rumour Report: Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet last week: “There is no question that Quinn Hughes is saying all the right things publicly, that he’s open to staying and is happy in Minnesota. But, as one source told me, we can’t forget why he left Vancouver…desire to one day play with his brothers.”

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