NHL Rumor Mill – May 16, 2020
Check out recent speculation on the Red Wings, Coyotes, and Canucks in today’s NHL rumor mill.
SUGGESTED FREE-AGENT TARGETS FOR THE RED WINGS
MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan recently listed some possible goaltending and blueline free-agent targets for the Detroit Red Wings. He doesn’t expect they’ll have a shot at top-tier options like St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo, Washington’s Braden Holtby, Boston’s Torey Krug, or Vegas’ Robin Lehner.
Could the Detroit Red Wings target Calgary Flames goalie Cam Talbot as a free-agent option? (Photo via NHL Images)
The goalie targets could include Calgary’s Cam Talbot, the New York Islanders’ Thomas Greiss, or San Jose’s Aaron Dell. Defense choices could include someone like Calgary’s TJ Brodie, Travis Hamonic, or Erik Gustafsson.
DETROIT FREE PRESS: Helene St. James suggested several affordable short-term free-agent forward options. They include Colorado’s Vladislav Namestnikov, Florida’s Evgenii Dadonov, and the New York Rangers’ Jesper Fast.
SPECTOR’S HOCKEY. According to Cap Friendly, the Wings have over $46.2 million invested in 11 players. They have the cap room to pursue a big-name free agent.
These reports suggest, however, general manager Steve Yzerman could prefer cost-effective secondary talent to augment his roster as it transitions toward younger players. Nevertheless, the Wings will have to overpay a bit to entice second-tier players to join their rebuilding club.
LATEST ON THE COYOTES AND CANUCKS
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan addressed a recent rumor suggesting former Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli might be hired by the Arizona Coyotes for a senior management role. “I don’t think Chiarelli will be joining the organization,” he said.
Morgan shed no light on the status of free agent Taylor Hall, saying he had no gut feeling or best guess about the winger’s status. Regarding the conditional draft picks involved in the trade that brought Hall to the Coyotes, Morgan reported GM John Chayka indicated they don’t have anything to discuss yet because the season remains paused. Chayka also indicated he has multiple plans for dealing with his club’s limited salary-cap space for 2020-21.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have almost $80 million invested in 16 players next season. They must shed salary to re-sign or replace Hall and fellow UFAs Brad Richardson and Carl Soderberg, as well as restricted free agents like Christian Fischer and Vinnie Hinostroza.
TSN: Sven Baertschi faces an uncertain future with the Vancouver Canucks. The 27-year-old winger spent most of this season with their AHL affiliate in Utica while GM Jim Benning attempted to trade him. Baertschi is hopeful he’ll be shipped to another NHL club in the off-season. “I don’t want to be back in the minors,” he said.
Bartschi is a year away from UFA status and carries an annual average value of $3.36 million. He missed most of last season to concussion and felt he wasn’t considered part of the Canucks’ future plans. “I don’t think Vancouver expected me to come back and play,” Baertschi explained. “That’s my personal opinion.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Baertschi showed 20-goal potential but injuries hampered his performance. The Canucks might not be able to move him unless they pick up part of his annual cap hit, or package him with another asset, or take back a contract of equal value.
This is not a hat message towards the Yotes, but does anyone know what their GM Chayka is doing? To an outsider like me, he has no idea on how to manage a salary cap, illegal scouting, questionable trades and drafting. And he seems to be in denial about the Hall trade. Maybe I am being too harsh, am I way off base?
hate, not hat
Inability to manage a salary cap is one of the indicators of a sub-par manager. But then again, we do not know how hard it is to attract and keep talent in the desert.
I’d hate to a be a top free agent this year – big money will be hard to come by, maybe the big guys will be able to get term.
i don’t hat anything lol—just the red wings and bruins lol
Maybe the top players should bet on themselves for a change sign a one or two year deal and than when cap goes up be an UFA. To many sign the big long term deal and their performance falls off a cliff you would think teams would learn.
Yeah, that worked out great for SJs Kevin Lebanc.
Well obviously that’s exactly what I said team never signed him to long term and bigger cash and they won – so it seems.
It’s still early, he can redeem himself production wise, and he’s no doubt in Wilson’s good books, but point well taken on Lebanc.
I often question why these top players use an agent? You should know your comparables in the league. There are plenty of stats online that you can use to compare one player to another.
Agent fees are typically 2-4% of the salary. On a contract like Pietrangelo is expecting 8 years/$72M that’s $1.4-2.8M in lost salary.
And players know which players are better than others .
Yzerman is going to build through the draft. That will be a little accelerated with Lafreniere
SilverSeven, what do you think about this, Yzerman knows he needs a lot to build this team back. If Ottawa offers 2nd and 3rd for the #1 overall, what do you think he says?
If I’m yzerman I take that in a heartbeat but ottawa is in the same boat so dumb on their part! I don’t know how much better the number 1 pick will be over the #2 and 3 anyway
The Sens are in a great position to restock more elite talent.
Wings are so far off it’s a joke.
The Atlantic will get better for it & about time it’s not such an easy route to the PO’s. TB is still a deep talented team. The Bruins are getting old fast. The Leafs cannot figure out how to balance their cap. The Habs simply cannot draw top UFA’s with their high taxes. The Panthers are a mess that cannot put it together.
Bruins definitely have Chara who is old but still best trained player on the team Bergeron is aging but arguably may be best two way centre in league. Rask is aging but may win the vezina trophy. Marchand is not old Pasta and Jake still kids. Defense has Charlie and Carlo who are both young and Bruins have many young d man in the system. Coyle not old Bjork 23 Kase 24 somehow I don’t see this team as getting old fast. If you don’t like average just take Chara out and yet he can still play.
The Yotes have a mess. I don’t think there is any way that Soderberg or Richardson (and most likely Hall) will be resigned. The $$$s will have to be spent on their RFA younger players.
I would not be shocked to see Jake Allen and Vince Dunn as Red Wings next year.
Unless Blues really want to sign El Capitan, why would they even consider trading Dunn.
IMO no way is St. Louis trading Dunn.
IF you could only have ONE, which do you choose—Petro or Dunn??
I think Dunn is great, but I’m hoping one of the young prospects can take over in time—Mikkola, Perunovich, Walman??
IF I can keep Dunn and free up dollars elsewhere (Bozak, Steen, Gunnarson, Allen) that is great BUT if it’s Dunn or Petro, I choose the captain.
I think a potential trade partner with Vancouver would be Buffalo. They have several RD’s (Ristolanian, Montour and C. Miller) and one of them could be traded to obtain a 2nd line center. I would target Gaudette, and take back Sven Baertschi to balance the cap hit. Sven Baertschi might find a place under fellow countryman Ralph Krueger’s roster