Latest on Phil Kessel and Devan Dubnyk, plus speculation over the Sharks, Maple Leafs and more.
Collection of rumors from the Ottawa Sun.
Devan Dubnyk should get a healthy raise this summer.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports of ongoing uncertainty for the San Jose Sharks, especially regarding the relationship between GM Doug Wilson and former captain Joe Thornton. Garrioch speculates Wilson and head coach Todd McLellan could be fired at season’s end…With the value of the ruble plunging, Garrioch says we shouldn’t be surprised if KHL players start flocking back to the NHL…A league executive believes there’s a market for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel and his $8 million per season contract…Pending UFA goalie Devan Dubnyk could put himself in the $3.5 million range if he can carry the Minnesota Wild past the first round of the playoffs. Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond will also be line for a nice pay raise.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe Wilson and McLellan are done in San Jose…Wouldn’t be surprised to not only see some current KHL players try to return to the NHL, but we could also see fewer players heading to Russia this summer because of the collapsing ruble…Yes, there’s a market for Kessel, but his salary won’t be easy to move…The Wild will happily pay to keep Dubnyk in the fold. It’ll be interesting to see what the Senators do with Hammond since Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner are under contract for next season.
Rumors from the Toronto Sun.
TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons reports to expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to seek permission to speak with Arizona Coyotes goalie coach Sean Burke at season’s end…Simmons also speculates the Leafs’ coaching wish list could look like this: “1. Mike Babcock; 2. Todd McLellan; 3. Bruce Boudreau; 4. Dave Tippett; 5. Ken Hitchcock; 6. Peter DeBoer; 7. Paul MacLean.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lots of teams will have interest in Burke, who’s one of the best goalie coaches in the league. The deep-pocketed Leafs might be able to win a bidding war for his services…Babcock’s at the top of everyone’s list, but I still doubt he’ll depart Detroit after this season. If he does, the Leafs will have one helluva sell job on their hands.
NHL Draft rumors.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson envisions possible trade scenarios if the Edmonton Oilers should secure the second-overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft. He wonders if GM Craig MacTavish might consider flipping that pick “to another team for two or three pieces of ready-made help especially a veteran defenceman.” He notes the Oilers already have young centers in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and promising Leon Draisaitl so why would they need another one in Jack Eichel? He wonders if the Nashville Predators would call up offering defenseman Seth Jones in a package deal, or if the Maple Leafs would include Morgan Rielly in a package offer, or if the Columbus Blue Jackets are willing to part with Ryan Murray or instead three position players? Matheson also suggests the possibility the Oilers keep the pick, select Eichel and put Draisaitl in play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators aren’t parting with Jones, who is the eventual heir apparent to Shea Weber. The Leafs definitely aren’t giving up Rielly, as he’s the eventual replacement for Dion Phaneuf. The Blue Jackets might be willing to move the banged-up Murray but not “three position players.”
I predict Boudrea to the leafs an mclelland to philly. Both teams have deep pockets and need an experienced coach after the obvious leadership voids
If the Leafs are dealing away guys like Kessel Bozak Phaneuf and getting away from a run and gun style Boudreau wont be the guy. Not a 9great possession style coach judging by his teams in Washington and the Ducks. I think with some of the other hires in Toronto that will be a factor. You could be right but besides Boudreaus “ties” to the team I’m not sure he is really a fit for a young building team that the Leafs are likely to be.
With all these expected coaching changes in the offing, I wonder who’ll be left without a chair when the music stops? If McLellan gets the heave-ho in San Jose at season’s end, and he is in fact Toronto’s number two choice, do they risk losing him to another club, or hold out for a potential shot at Babcock? It reminds me of the old “bird-in-the-hand” scenario.
Rielly isnt going anywhere. If the Oilers were not interested in taking a center then you take Hanifin, its not like its that big a step down, or much of a difference, Hanifin will be 19 next the year 2 years difference from the others mentioned.
I would trade Reilly and the #4 for the # 2 (Eichal). Reilly has some upside , but his ceiling is way below Eichal
I wouldnt, Id rather have Reilley/Hanifin or Strome than just Eichle. Buildig from the blueline and down the middle the Leafs would have 2 nice pieces instead of one, no saying how prospects develop.
There is a huge drop off between Eichal and #3.
ya you want 1 or 2 the risk gets a lot higher after that
ehh we will see I still think its side ways to move a good young D and a top 4 pick for another pick.
object for the Leafs is to restock, dont do that by dealing away 2 guys who will be under 23. that were or will be both top 5 picks for a number 2 pick….its too much, if it wasnt why wouldnt the Preds (who also need a center like that) be all in with giving up Jones? Its only 1 piece and they have tonnes of blueline depth with Weber Josi Ellis Ekholm… To me it makes more sense to keep the 4 pick and the young D that was a top 5 pick 2 years ago than trade to move up 2 spots.
Realistically not sure its going to matter I think Arizona has a better chance of the 2 pick than Edmonton. Funny thing tho, 2 people who generally will laugh at the Leafs giving up 2 early first round picks for 1 player now think its a great idea and nothing could go wrong.
The risk of any 1st rounder making a pro career is around 60% overall. That 60% represents 1st liners-4th liners, #1 d-men 6 d-men. There is always a risk, but 60-40 odds aren’t exactly a cliff fall off after #1-#2.
Is it really a huge drop off after eichel? both strome and Marner scored 120 points in a sophomore year in the OHL with Strome getting the record for most points in an OHL season i believe for someone his age.
Sure McDavid would have been much better if he wasnt hurt but its not like Strome or Marner wouldnt be a great start for any teams rebuild including Toronto’s.
kessell and gardner or phaneuf and kadri for edmonton’s pick straight up. either gives the oilers an exceptional player and a good player. either deal is approximately two firsts and a second worth and this is not about over valuing leaf players. no one knows kadri and gardner’s upside but kessell is a 40 goal scorer and phaneuf is a #2 defenseman. if oilers want leaf”s pick then driasitl has to be part of the deal. if leafs can get strome they can make other trades. marner is an exceptional player but leafs need size in the middle.
Not over valuing leaf players? Kessel has never scored 40 goals in his career. Both him and Phaneuf are grossly overpaid. I can’t see any team trading 1-3 picks this year. Those players would require a huge package coming back, which teams just aren’t willing to give up.
if the Oilers drafted Eichel, why would they trade Draisitel? they are pretty weak in terms of depth at center, so they could go with a 1-2-3 of RNH/Eichel/Draisitl and Lander or Gordon as 4th center
Exaxtly Mike.
I thought one of Edmonton’s big problems is depth at centre. Not like Draistl (or however one spells his name) proved he we will be a bona-fide NHL second line centre this year. Unless they get a package like Reilly, 4th pick plus do they make that move if they have a shot at Eichel.
he is just that good.
If i were oilers i would go after eichel and throw a 7 million a year for seven year rfa contract at doug hamilton from boston . Bruins dont have cap space to match offersheet , then they play draistal or eichel at wing or trade eberle for a number two or three dman to play with hamilton .
Yeah, yeah, I know these hockey sports writers HAVE to fill space no matter if the content comes with little forethought.
Dear Jim Matheson:
If the Edmonton Oilers were undeservingly blessed with yet another low pick, and specifically THAT second overall generational pick, Jack Eichel plays wing for a while.
But let’s play out your “trade the pick scenario”… unless they got a young (under THIRTY) star defenseman who has a terriifc TWO way game in place, it is a huge undersell.
Generational player for Seth, Kevin, Ryan ? So then the Oil management sells their fans on THAT defenders upside? The fan base won’t have to look far to see Eichel’s
…and maybe those three teams GMs would need more than 20 minutes to think about it, but all three would be shooting them selves in the foot if they don’t acquire that pick. I just don’t see their is a great rush to unload, that Eichel isn’t an excelllent pro, where we all still haven’t seen the three become even very good all around pros.
Am I in correct to think the OIl takes the second best player (and the ONLY choice at that slot) and sorts out if they can afford all three and after a couple seasons chooses if it is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Leon Draisaitl who gets launched?
Yes
Bill you are 100% right. Eichel will be better than any Oiler after 1 year in the NHL. So trading that pick away would be beyond stuppid. it is Mac T however and between him and a owner who seems fine with any decision Mac T makes as long as he can hang out with him on weekends would not shock me. History has also,shown when you trade down at the draft it rarely works out. I look at the Canucks after they traded up to get both Sedins. That was how many years ago and I see they are both still in the top 10 in scoring. If they pick third they take the young d man and be happy about it. He will end up being a stud d man for the next 15 years and considering what they have now, that’s a mayor,up-grade.
Terrific / Terriific
There / their
Ouch!
at least Matheson uses spellcheck!
Let’s say teh Chicago Blackhawks go into complete re-tool and were to offer Corey Crawford and Duncan Keith and Sharp to the Oilers for the Jack Eichel pick.
I have trouble even believing the Oilers TAKE that instant jump to respectability.
Let alone a 23 or 24 year old skilled defensive prospect….
…and that was my entire point – drafting Eichel doesn’t hurt them.
and in most trading the pick scenarios they pay the price.
I don’t see the Maple Leaf fans forgeting about Tyler Sequin, do you?
The Seguin scenario is a little different than the one you are using with the Oilers…there was no way of telling what that pick would be when the trade was made a year prior. Last I looked the accuracy of crystal balls was still 50/50 at best.
a lot of people saw the leafs being a bad team that year PC wouldn’t do the trade unless there was no top 5 insurance for the leafs so I would say the crystal ball was about 80-20 that year
Seabrooke might be a better option for both teams. Don’t see the Hawks Keith but you never know.
If the Oilers can somehow get that second overall I’d love to see them get Bickell and Seabrook back in a trade with the Hawks. I don’t think the Oilers need to get any younger, a guy like Eichel can command a lot in a deal for the Oilers. This team needs defence and a few good veterans back there.
Draft week is going to be very interesting. Teams wishing to get into the rebuild game may be willing to drop a couple veteran players into Edmonton for the #3 pick. I do not believe any of the young players listed are going anywhere either.
Edmonton has two issues – acquiring these players then trying to get them to sign long term with the Oilers. I have said for mos that the Oilers need a major culture change to make the team (not the city) more attractive to potential players.
Here’s another tidbit to think of – do not be surprised if buffalo makes their pick available – IF they somehow fell to the #3 position in the drafts. Sabres want Eichel or McDavid if they cannot get either, for some reason they might deal.
You never know.
What could be interesting is the days leading up to the lottery and some teams out of the bottom 3 maybe making deals with some of the bottom feeders to increase their odds, teams like the Avs Flyers and Sharks, could potentially double their odds to get a guy like McDavid or another very good player atleast…It would take a hell of a deal but not as much as probably trying to deal up on draft day and some of those teams have some nice pieces to deal. It also could go along way to helping the Oilers Sabers Leafs or Coyotes speed the rebuild along.
All this talk about trading up and down at the draft. Remember last year, there was so much talk about big trades and teams moving up and down. What happened, pretty much everyone stayed where they were,just like most years. There is so much hype on these young players that giving away a generational player for anything would be suicide for any GM. Wasn’t that long ago that the Oilers traded down to get more draft picks. They took 2 Russians. 1 played all year in the AHL and is now hurt the other is still in the KHL. Next year will be year 3 from that draft. Trading down gives you quantity not quality.
If the oilers trade anyone, I can see them trading Drasaitl and Pitts #1 for a top D-man. Maybe throwing in simpson and/or musil. The top 3 players have an incredible upside.
The Buffalo Sabres are guaranteed to pick no worse than second.
Drew – it’s a what-if situation. My point is, what if they fell to 3rd won’t buffalo be a prime target to offer up their pick for the right package? Murray has always said he wants to be better sooner than most people think.
IF Babcock hits the market I would not be surprised if Montreal makes a quiet pitch for him (like every other team in the league). He is the only Anglo coach who would not be wrecked by the French media and the only one the media would not toast Bergevin for firing Therien and replacing him with. I still think Therien was MB’s third choice for coach behind Hartley and Crawford. Crawford lost out based on his French and Hartley went to Calgary. I agree though, Babcock stays in Detroit and all this is moot.
lets make this clear once and for all the red wings want to bring up their farm team coach
I think the Red Wings will bring up their AHL coach if, and ONLY IF they can’t get Babcock to stick around.
If Babcock hits the market it is only for one or both of the following reasons:
He wants the highest salary possible and or the ultimate challenge to test his coaching abilities. In both cases the answer is Toronto.
If Babcock stays in Detroit, I think the top two candidates for the Leaf Head Coach position are a toss up between McClellan (due to previous ties with Shanahan and the Detroit way) and DeBoer (with his ties to Steve Spott and his experience with Defence first hockey in NJ).
“A league executive believes there’s a market for Toronto Maple Leafs winger Phil Kessel and his $8 million per season contract…”
Wonder who that could be? Shanahan?
Well since Garrioch is an Ottawa guy maybe it was Murray? Maybe it was an executive who watched him put up 3 points against the Sens last night Or maybe an executive who remembers what Phils playoff stats look like?…but you keep banging that drum George.
or maybe it was that the leafs were eating the most salary allowed and makes phil a 30 goal scorer with a decent salary?
What drum? He’s an overpaid blubberbutt who won’t see the sunny side of 20 goals by the time he’s 31 and no one knows that better now than Shanahan. And I’m far from the only one who has come to that conclusion. As for the 3 points last night – I liken that to the infinite number of monkeys sitting at an infinite number of keyboards writing one of the classics.
Hardly sounds at all like something would see posted on the Star or Sun or whatever thread you complain about weekly…way to be a hypocrite George.
In what way am I being a hypocrite? I have been consistent in my OPINION that Kessel is a bloated caricature of the guy they got from Boston who is in NO way worth an $8 mil a year cap hit for the next 7 years.
I wouldn’t doubt GMTM would deal for Kessel if the price is right…Buffalo has plenty of cap space going into next year and now we will see what kind of GM he is…anyone of us can tear down a team but building a team is where a GM makes his bones. Buffalo has the assets to make that trade if it wants to. There’s STL’s 1st this year and their own next year plus some young D-men that will be ready for the NHL either next year or the year after.
I love when people make mistakes of someone spelling errors then makes one of their own, by the way I make a lot of them. If the Oilers land the second pick and Arizona the third pick, flip the picks for Oliver Ekland Larsson, then draft Hanifin. Now the Oilers would have OEL, Nurse and Hanifin to build defense. The only problem with my suggestion is getting Arizona to agree with the trade maybe throw in Yakupov.
Absolutely no way in hell Arizona trades OEL for anything, let alone Yakupov and the second overall pick.
With the way they wasted so much young talent over the last several years the Oilers don’t deserve another top pick. Management and ownership should be ashamed of the way that run that franchise into the ground and done very little to correct it.
If I was McDavid or Eichel I would seriously consider refusing to go there while that management was in place.
Arizona might consider adding OEL in a package deal to get the 1st pick overall (McDavid).
might save that hockey market too . could even see Bettman orchestrating that deal.haha
In a scenario where maybe the leafs or a team higher up wins the lottery and Arizona has the 3 rd pick overall . would OEL and the 3rd be enough to get McDavid ? I think it would be next years 1st as well . stiff price but one Arizona should be offering . can’t make that same offer for Eichel however .
So tired of talking about McDavid and Eichel. How much pressure will these guys have to endure when they get to their new clubs as the team’s designated saviors? This process is broken.
Yup…lottery the top 5 picks and dont heavily weight it, see how many teams accept losing then.
Championships are won rounds 2-6, in free agency,and through player development. Put a star rookie in a bad organization and you have (as but one example) Harry Sindon’s Bruins. So you get the generational guy. Is there a chance that you can put a team around him that can get to 100 points if he breaks his leg mid-season? Which teams seem committed to necessary change? Buffalo? Toronto? Edmonton? Florida? Carolina? San Jose? Where do free agents want to go? Frankly, based on the last few years, the two Canadian teams, possibly because they have an easier time selling tickets for a lesser product, seem least likely to benefit.