NHL Rumor Mill – June 13, 2020
Check out the latest Oilers and Devils speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.
UPDATE ON THE OILERS
SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Mark Spector was asked if the Edmonton Oilers will talk contract extension anytime soon with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins‘ representatives. The 26-year-old center is due to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Photo via NHL Images).
Spector doesn’t expect Oilers general manager Ken Holland will make a contract offer until well into the 2020-21 season. He doesn’t see a great deal of pressure on either side right now but expects Nugent-Hopkins will re-sign. He thinks RNH could seek a salary comparable to teammate Leon Draisaitl‘s $8.5 million annual average value.
(NOT MARK) SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was some recent speculation about Nugent-Hopkins’ future in Edmonton. Considering his development into a solid two-way, top-six forward who can play center or wing, I expect they’ll re-sign him. $8.5 million annually is expensive, especially if the salary cap remains flat for 2021-22. Still, he’s an invaluable part of their core. I expect the two sides will work something out next year.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cites a report out of Finland indicating Jesse Puljujarvi isn’t ruling out returning to the Oilers after this season. The 22-year-old winger opted to play in Finland this season while waiting for the Oilers to honor his trade request.
“Never say never,” Puljujarvi reportedly said, adding that everything is possible and he hasn’t set any timeline for his decision. Staples feels the best way for the Oilers to get full value out of the winger is for him to return to the club in a meaningful role. He thinks he still has a chance to become a second-line winger.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi had by most accounts a decent season in Finland. Maybe it’s the reset he needs to get his NHL career back on track.
Holland was reportedly seeking at least a first-round pick as part of any deal involving Puljujarvi, who was selected fourth overall in the 2016 draft. The Oilers GM obviously didn’t get anything proposals he liked, and I doubt that’ll change after this season. If Puljujarvi wants to resume his NHL career, it looks like it’ll be in Edmonton.
SUGGESTED GOALIE TARGETS FOR THE DEVILS
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required) Corey Masisak recently examined several possible UFA goaltending options for the New Jersey Devils. They’ll need a suitable backup for Mackenzie Blackwood if they buy out Cory Schneider. If they keep Schneider, Masisak thinks they could look for someone to compete with him for the No. 2 spot.
Those that would require a significant investment include Anton Khudobin, Robin Lehner, Cam Talbot, Corey Crawford, and Thomas Greiss. Cheaper short-term options include Aaron Dell, Ryan Miller, Craig Anderson, Mike Smith, Brian Elliott, and Jimmy Howard, while Laurent Brossoit, Michael Hutchinson, and Louis Domingue would be among the low-risk candidates.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Khudobin or Greiss might be their best choices. Lehner will be looking for a long-term contract as a starter so that rules him out if the Devils see Blackwood as their No.1 goalie. Crawford is likely to re-sign with the Blackhawks while Talbot could stay in Calgary.
Miller, Anderson, Smith, Elliott, and Howard are all past their primes. Apart from their contracts, they probably wouldn’t be an improvement over Schneider. Neither would Brossoit, Hutchinson, or Domingue.
Devils need to decide if Blackwood is a legitimate #1 before they add another goalie.
I heard they feel he is, but my thoughts exactly that maybe they were gonna take a chance with Askarov b/c there is chatter Buffalo, or LA might go in that dtriection, no matter what we think…
FOURTEEN goalie names listed for the Devils, and not ONE of them is named Jake Allen—Darn
Iowa boy I think some how Allan ends up in San Jose . I don’t have the trade that does it but a gut feeling.
I will trust your “gut”!
Thanks because they’re free-agent options, iowa boy. Not trade options…;)
You got me on a technicality, but I’m desperate!
ps So is Armstrong!!
Armstrong seems pretty chill for a guy who’s supposedly desperate…;)
Looks can be deceiving—I look “chill” on the OUTSIDE too:)
Iowa Boy,
I could see Allen traded to NJD. The article only mentioned possible goalies who are UFAs.
If STL, is really interested in keeping AP27, then NJD are a good trade partner.
Now, looking at the possibility of trades, there are a few players, who NJD could take as part of a package, to give STL room to re-sign both AP27 and Dunn.
They may have to sweeten it with a young player, or a pick, but I could see both teams having interest in a trade.
!00% agree—I just hope the young player isn’t named Kostin or Kyrou.
The Oilers presently have 21,000,000 tied up in McDavid and Draisatl, and 6 million on N-H. Current total, 27,000,000 for three players. They have 500,000 in cap space.
N-H is a good player but any more $ to him and the Oilers become the Western Conference’s answer to the Leafs.
Yes, but, the Oilers big 3 are superior to the Leafs big 3.
If I had to pay the money, and had to choose between both, I’d take the kids in Edmonton.
They are better in every way than the other 3.
Shoreorrpark
That’s a pretty bold statement. I’m not a fan of either team. Maybe you can argue McD and Draisitl as a better pair, but RNH up until last year had never reached 60 points. Marner has never had less. IMO, RNH will be lucky to get over 7 mil in next deal. Will depend on how he and team does next season. As a threesome, Oilers will have the better value if RNH resigns in a team friendly deal.
Slick, there is way, wayyyyy more to being a good hockey player than just points.
RNH may not put up the points that Marner does, but I can wager a pretty good bet that he is superior in every other aspect of the game.
Slick62: I stand by it.
McDavid is better than Matthews.
Leon is better than JT. The Nuge and Mitch could be a toss up, but it depends on what you value. I’ll take the Bergeron clone as opposed to a less rounded player like MM, but that’s just me.
No slight against MM, it’s just a matter of opinion.
@shoepark I take Mathews over draisaitl, JT over RHN and McDavid wins against everyone in the league so he beats MM. See just change the players around and it changes the outcome.
McDavid over Mathews
Draistle over taveras
Marner has bee RNH
Guess Edmonton wins 2to 1
I take mcdavid and draisatl over everyone and marner over rnh
Canada. Agree points aren’t the only way to judge a player. Marner is just a more dynamic player. He does better job of making players around him better. RNH won’t come close to Marners deal. He’s closer to what Kreider got.
At Jeff why not captain against captain so its McDavid against jt, mathews against Draisitil and rnh against mm. Leafs win.
Roger mcdavid and draisatl are the 2 best Players between the leafs and oilers roster, mcdavid 213 points 1.50 ppg draisatl 215 1.41 matthews 153 1.11 Tavares 148 1.02 over the last 2 years overall stats or ppg they are superior, I like marner over rnh but the other oilers 2 are better than the leafs other 2 pretty clear
Mathews is better than Draisaitl. That is an opinion but here’s what it’s based on. Buy the same age of 22 where Mathews is at now. Mathews has way more points. Draisaitl 207 and -19. Mathews 287 and is a plus 37. It’s a well known fact that Draisaitl gets those points because he has McDavid. McDavid is in on over 70% of Draisaitl points that’s why Draisaitl gets a big chunk of his points on the Power play and why he’s a perennial minis player. When he’s on his own the line playing against him is better. So at the same age Mathews is by far the better player points wise. Mathews is a better all around player than Draisaitl even now who knows where he’ll be in 2 years from now where he matches Drasaitls age. McDavid is the best player in the world period but Mathews is better than Draisaitl but that’s opinion and can be easily debated for either side.
Mcdavid missed 6 games this year and draisatl put up 12 points so throw who they play with out the window, draisatl is all around better player than Matthews
Yep on his entire career so far Draisaitl has one good run without McDavid. It’s actually a fact that McDavid has been in on over 70% of Drasaitls points over the last 2 years look it up
There is no way RNH makes as much as the guy who just won the scoring title 110pts after scoring 50 goals – 105 pts the year prior.
His best season is 69 pts and he never scored 30 goals.
Not that I don’t like him, but he’s not worth that much.
Also, the Puljujarvi story will be interesting this summer. I honestly can’t see him back in Edm. Wonder what players thoughts on him coming back would be? NY in same boat with Lias Anderson. There’s talk that he could be added to expanded playoff roster. Will be interesting.
Puljujarvi is ineligible to play in the tournament because he wasn’t re-signed before Dec. 1.
Pronoun confusion alert!
I know. That’s why I brought up Anderson
I’ll say this, McD/Drai/RnH vs Matt/JT/MM on 3 on 3 would be pretty dope to watch.
In that scenario I’d say the offensive potential is about equal … the question then becomes, which trio has a better reputation for back-checking
The order is mcdavid,Matthew’s,draisaitl,JT, nylander, mm, rnh. Goal scorers are more important than passers. JT however is not good 3 v 3 as he is too slow.