NHL Rumor Mill – July 8, 2021
Vladimir Tarasenko requests a trade, looking ahead to the offseason for the Lightning and Canadiens, plus updates on Duncan Keith and Taylor Hall in today’s NHL rumor mill.
TARASENKO WANTS OUT OF ST. LOUIS
THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford reports Vladimir Tarasenko has requested a trade from the St. Louis Blues and the club is working on moving him. The 29-year-old winger made the request earlier in the offseason.
St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).
Sources said Tarasenko was unhappy over how the Blues’ medical staff handled two of his three shoulder surgeries and he no longer trusts the club. His third surgery was performed by doctors outside the organization, who discovered the ligament damage wasn’t sufficiently addressed during the previous two operations. He also felt the club waiting too long to conduct further testing when he complained about discomfort in his shoulder prior to joining the club for last summer’s playoffs in Edmonton.
Rutherford cites several unnamed NHL general managers saying Blues GM Doug Armstrong has been quietly shopping Tarasenko. The winger has a no-trade clause but sources say he provided Blues management with a list of 10 trade destinations.
Tarasenko has two seasons remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $7.5 million but an actual salary for 2021-22 of $9.5 million. It drops to $5.5 million for 2022-23.
It’s believed Tarasenko wants to be traded to a contender. Rutherford said the New York Islanders and New York Rangers have been mentioned as possible fits.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There were rumors in recent weeks suggesting Tarasenko was unhappy with the Blues. One linked him to the Calgary Flames for St. Louis native Matthew Tkachuk but that was firmly denied by the Flames.
Tarasenko’s contract and his shoulder surgeries could make it tough for Armstrong to find suitable trade partners. As per Cap Friendly, the Islanders have just $5.76 million in cap space with restricted free agents Anthony Beauvillier, Adam Pelech and Ilya Sorokin to re-sign, as well as unrestricted free agents Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas and Travis Zajac to replace or re-sign.
The Rangers have over $23 million with Pavel Buchnevich, Igor Shesterkin and Filip Chytil as their notable free agents. They can afford Tarasenko but must leave sufficient cap room available to re-sign or replace Mika Zibanejad before his UFA eligibility next summer. They could also have their sights elsewhere as rumors link them to Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE LIGHTNING AND CANADIENS?
ESPN.COM: Emily Kaplan reports the Tampa Bay Lightning’s salary-cap constraints will force management into cost-cutting offseason trades. They’re currently sitting above the $81.5 million salary cap by over $5 million.
The expansion draft could provide an opportunity if general manager Julien BriseBois is willing to make side deals with the Seattle Kraken. He could try again to trade Tyler Johnson ($5 million annual average value through 2023-24) but might have to buy out the winger if he can’t find any takers.
BriseBois will have to move some players under contract if he hopes to re-sign pending unrestricted free agents Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Trade candidates could include Johnson, winger Alex Killorn ($4.45 million AAV through 2022-23), Ondrej Palat ($5.3 million through next season) or Yanni Gourde ($5.16 million through 2024-25).
Greg Wyshynski pointed out the Montreal Canadiens have over $10 million in cap space with Joel Armia, Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar, Eric Staal, Michael Frolik, Corey Perry, Erik Gustafsson and Jon Merrill slated to become unrestricted free agents. He wonders how many could be brought back.
Wyshynski also noted the Canadiens could lose a good player via the expansion draft. Jake Evans, Paul Byron, Artturi Lehkonen, Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Jake Allen and perhaps Jonathan Drouin could be left unprotected. He wondered if they’ll cut a side deal with the Kraken to ensure they don’t take someone the Habs want to retain.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are at greater risk of losing a couple of good players than the Canadiens. They must shed at least $10 million to have enough to fill out the rest of their roster and still be cap compliant when next season begins.
BriseBois has a well-earned reputation for cap management. He caught a break this season when Nikita Kucherov underwent hip surgery sidelining him throughout the regular season. That allowed the Bolts GM to place the high-priced ($9.5 million AAV) winger on long-term injury reserve, providing some welcome cap relief enabling him to keep his roster almost intact.
Unless another expensive player ends up on LTIR before next season, BriseBois will have to get creative to address his cap issues. Johnson, Killorn, Palat and Gourde have no-trade protection clauses in their contracts.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, could attempt to re-sign Danault, Armia and perhaps Perry. The rest will be cut loose. Danault reportedly turned down a six-year, $30 million offer earlier this season. It’ll be interesting to see if that offer remains on the table.
LATEST ON KEITH AND HALL
TSN: Darren Dreger reports trade discussions are ongoing between the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks regarding Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith. He said there’s mutual interest in getting a deal done.
Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wants to do right by Keith but he’s seeking a quality return. Dreger wonders which young defenseman from the Oilers needs to be included to make this happen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caleb Jones has frequently come up in trade speculation. There’s also talk the Blackhawks could absorb part of Keith’s $5.538 million cap hit for the next two seasons.
Dreger also reports the Boston Bruins are engaged in contract extension talks with Taylor Hall’s camp. There’s outside interest in the 29-year-old left winger from other clubs, including the Toronto Maple Leafs if they’re unable to re-sign Zach Hyman. However, Hall’s preference is to stay in Boston.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers feel Hyman could get up to $6 million annually on the open market. If the Leafs can’t afford Hyman they probably can’t afford Hall. Then again, the latter is a more naturally talented winger than the hardworking Hyman. Perhaps they’d feel the Bruins winger would be worth it. We’ll see.
Tarasenko has had a rough couple three years . Many a career ended with shoulders . Just as much of a health risk as Eichel
Flames Oilers could definitely use a right winger…not sure they have the right pieces to land Tarasenko
Buyout starts Friday . There might be some good buys in the bargain bin
Eichels injury is worse, however he has proved the last 2 years that he could be worth the price, Tarasenko not so much. With the cap hit he has I dont see who would pay to get him at 7.5
If I were Bergy I’d cut that earlier offer I made to Danault in half … checking centre’s aren’t worth 5 million a year in today’s landscape …
let’s see, three recent shoulder surgeries and a 9.5 million cap hit … yeah. good luck with that Armstrong.
Actually cap hit is 7.5 for next 2 years and am sure the Blues will need to retain a bit or take back a contract to make it work. As far as shoulder, seems the first two surgeries never fixed the original problem and that is key to why he wants out. Boston maybe better off trying to get Tarasenko than Hall if Blues hold 2mil of cap, may cost less and won’t have term that Hall will want. What do Boston fans think?
AzWingsFan, Hall only cost $$ and term, whereas Tarasenko cost assets.
Hall has the upper hand, Sweeney had a chance to see how he blended in.
I believe Boston will resign Krecji on a 1 or 2 year deal at $5m and bring Hall in 3yr $7 and if that happens Debrusk will be traded for a LD
Sounds about right, get it done Caper.
I would take Hall over Tarasenko all day long.
If the Bruins can get rid of Debrusk and save an additional 3.7 mill and get a Dman that would be fantastic.
Non-Bruins fan here – so I admit total ignorance here but what happened to DeBrusk in Beantown? Again – I haven’t seen him play in a couple years probably – just remember him playing hard against the Leafs a couple years ago – is he hurt or has an ego become too inflated? Poor locker room team guy? Just curious and i’m sure there’s some Beantowners that could fill me in…
Ed, as I mention in the headlines thread, it could be that Danault’s low offensive production stems from the fact the Montreal brain trust decided his main role would be to shut down the other team’s top C – and when you look at the overall results, he did that extremely well.
Maybe some team with lots of cap space sees that that same quality, coupled with a pair of wingers who can put the puck in the net on a more regular basis, will result in an increase in his offense without sacrificing any of his defensive qualities.
He could be one of the more interesting UFAs to watch. As I say elsewhere, however, it’s not only what he and his agent are seeking in cap hit, but for how long.
George, your scenario sounds like Danault transforming into a Bergeron-type player. Could be, the guy does his job well, that’s for sure.
Good analogy. I’d take that type of player any day
As much as I like Danault, he will never have Bergeron’s offensive upside.
We saw how he can shutdown top flight offensive players but so far the price tag for that is nowhere near the price tag for an offensive gamebreaker.
$5M per would be more than fair.
Danault is worth WAY more than 2.5, you<re just spouting nonsense, as usual
It is difficult to see how a deal for Duncan Keith get’s done. Chicago will want something of value in return without eating any of Keith’s cap hit, and it is hard to see anyone accepting those terms for a 38 year old player in his declining years.
Hi Iago
Some reports have bandied around the idea of Bowman taking back a bad contract then buying him out….
So …. Perhaps Neal & Jones for DK
Bowmen then buys out Neal
The net effect to Chi is $2.8 M in Savings; replacing DK with Jones (rumour has Bowman interested in his brother)
Oil replace Jones with DK; lose the underperforming Neil; net $1.1 M in space; enough for an equally producing and younger (to Neal) winger
That sounds plausible Pengy.
If I were Bowman I would insist on Koskinen back as that buyout has way less cap implications than Neal. Neal would cap for 4 years Koski for 2 more. Also, Hawks need a goalie anyways, they may decide to keep him his last year if the goalie market doesnt go well. Hawks have an RFA with Arb rights so they will also have a chance to buyout Koski in August during that 2nd buyout period with teams going to arbitration with players.
Can’t see Neal being included in anything. Keith only has 3.6 Million in real dollars left to be paid out where Neal has 11.75 million, or 7.7 million if he’s bought out. Cap hit aside, that 4+ million has some value.
Not sure EDM would move Koskinen until they have a replacement locked up Kevin. Otherwise who plays net?
Smith (39) will likely be back again, and they tried for tending last year going hard at Markstrom. Didn’t work out.
Keith asked for a trade and has a NMC so in control.
Rumored he wants Seattle or EDM. If Seattle, leave him unprotected if he agrees. CHI gets nothing. But Seattle might get better.
EDM is under no pressure to make a deal or give up much. Keith can still play by most accounts so worth something, just not at that cap hit.
If he goes to EDM and CHI wants an asset back they eat $ or takes salary back.
If not he stays where he is IMO.
Hey Ray! There will be a lot of goalies available for Oilers to sift through that would probably be comparable to upgrades to Koskinen. Reimer, Mrazek, Duby, Andersen, Bernier, Driedger, Raanta, Halak to name a few. If Smith doesnt out price or term himself will be a decent backup/1B.
I thought that last year too Kevin, and the music stopped an only Smith was standing looking for a chair.
Right now they have nobody signed. Pretty risky for my taste.
But ya, you’re right there are better options than Koskinen out there for less $.
Re Bolts and Cap
I posted the other day that it will be difficult to pull off; but if there is a guy to do it it is BrisBoise
Negotiations with Francis will be tough; but BrisBoise could ask for Krakken to take McD in draft ; but part of that deal is also taking TJ in trade
The Penalty (sweetner) …. Would be a first in ‘22 and a young up and commer … say Colton
Hard hit , but
Bolts could then call up Foote; Raddysh; and the result is….
Going from being $3.5 OVER and still 6 to sign; to…,
Being $7 M UNDER and 6 to sign
That’s enough to bring back Goodrow and Savard; and fill out roster with the rest
The Bolts team would be weaker (biggest loss is McD) but still a very good team…. still a contender
With the above
Out
McD
TJ
Coleman
Colton
In
Foote
Raddysh
?
?
Still a strong team
I think Coleman and Goodreau playing together are worth more than either separately, and and Selke quality as a tandem. I’d talk tot heir agents to see if a package deal and a three-peat chance is appealing and work from there out. There is some scoring in the core, and coming up, so keeping the first and third lines, Vasy and 5 D probably does the trick. This does mean players waiving NTC’s, and its hard to know if good feelings turn sour if that request is made..it is made in the context of giving the player a chance to cash in as some teams overpay for guys who just won two cups. Savard is rejuvenaated and would be a good keep, McD might want to stay. So Palat, Johnson, and Killer would all have to cooperate, and you go with the minimum as a goalie backup. The way Colton, Joseph, and Barrie-Boulet played you have limited your risk with three affordable contracts that can step in seamlessly, and have buy in, Foote on the back end, is a probable keeper as well. And there will be plenty of “intangibles” in the room and a Russian Wall at the back end. The fan base will still have a lot to cheer for.
Agree RI
McD might want to stay and has an NTC ; but can (and I’m thinking likely) be exposed (lacks NMC)
Bolts MUST protect Headman and I would guess for sure they protect Serg
Leaving the final protection choice between
Cernak (24, RFA at end of contract, 2 more years at <$3M) ;
Or 32 year old McD …, 5 more at near $7M
Bolts have a Cap crunch; no doubt that McD far better than Cernak; but I think the Cap math fiasco wins out for Brisboise’s D protection decision
If he’s going to lose McD anyway…. Why not parlay it….
McD, but Krakken must also take TJ; penalty…. 1st in ‘22 and likely Colton…
Worth it for Krakken
Lightning go from $3.5 M over to $7M under
They will lose players anyway….
that route (instead of negotiating with Pallat and/or Killer and/or Gourde to alter their protection lists AND then negotiate a trade with another team (or two) ) of “one-stop” negotiation (Krakken) is the easier and more plausible; route IMHO
I don’t know if they will be able to three-peat, not because I am a Habs fan, the Lightning was simply too strong and they deserved to win the cup. But because of another scary western team that only needs a few tweeks and a Goaltender to take it all… Colorado.
While the Lightning might struggle with cap room and lose a few players, the Avalanche might make the necessary adjustments to give them some grit, leadership and a good goalie and we will see new champions rise.
As for the Habs, considering the roster, considering Weber’s, Gallagher’s and Petry’s injuries, considering Drouin and Tatar are not really playoff players wich still left them with less offence… I am really proud of them and plus they added one of the only trophies they never got, the Campbell one ! I do not feel an ounce of deception, they went way further than I tought they could go.
And once again sorry for my english 😉
Hey Mike – your English is just fine so no need to apologize … hell, c’est bien mieux que ne le serait notre français!!
And as a fan you have every reason to be proud of what les Canadiens accomplished … against all odds.
Tampa will go 7-3 and will protect
Vasi
Hedman
Sergy
Cernak
Stamkos
Point
Kuch
Cirelli
Gourde
Killorn
Player? Colton/Maroon?
Leaving McD, TJ, and Palat exposed
Then they will make a deal with Seattle to not take McD
So who will Seattle take? Palat? Great says Tampa, then we can trade for him at trade deadline. Trading TJ to Seattle or someplace saves total 10m which is what Tampa needs
Hopefully, Bergevin will understand that the Habs still need some improvement to take that final step to Stanley Cup champions.
I think back to Punch Imlach’s autobiography in which he discussed the Sabres magical run to the 1975 finals. He wrote about winning an award. “The close but no cigar award, held by many a general manager before me. Plus the right to explain why, when we had come so close, we couldn’t keep improving until we did win the Cup”. Bergevin must ensure that he doesn’t have to write that in his book.
I think Danault will re-sign, likely 5 or 6 years at about $5m. per year. I think Perry will stay with a deal similar to what Simmonds got in Toronto. And they could probably retain Armia as well. The other UFAs will not be back.
As I’ve said before, their biggest need is a puck-moving LD. Such a player would have helped drive more offense against Tampa. Chiarot and Edmundson were solid in the playoffs, but one of them, likely Chiarot, will have to be replaced by a more mobile and offensively gifted D-man. I don’t see Drouin coming back either. That should open up cap space for an LD. The Habs should also consider trading their first round pick for immediate help. At No. 30, it’s unlikely to turn into an impact player.
I’m not sure why Bergevin would not protect Petry, Edmundson & Chariot as his three D-men.
I don’t think anyone from Bergevin to Weber truly believes that if Weber is exposed at the age of 35 with five more years at a cap hit of $7.85 mill per season, that Ronnie Francis is going to swoop in & take him.
Hockey is a business & in business you have to take calculated risks to be successful. Thus by making this move you keep those four Clydesdales on the blueline for another couple of seasons.
Hard to disagree with that thinking Uwey. I’ve been fooling around with how Ottawa will approach the Seattle draft and, to sum up, I think their best and most logic approach is to expose some of the big $ tickets, none of which they’d really miss if Seattle took one of them.
Some have speculated that Ottawa could lose one of Gustavsson or Daccord, but every mock draft I’ve seen from various sources has Seattle taking 3 goalies before they even get to Ottawa: Aden Hill from Arizona, Malcolm Subban from Chicago and Anton Khudobin from Dallas.
So, while I would protect Gustavsson, I doubt Seattle takes Daccord, coming off a season-ending high ankle sprain.
With none of their upcoming core eligible to be drafted (Norris, Pinto, Stutzle, Formenton, Bernard-Docker, Brannstrom and Zub), the way I’d like to see them go is to protect Chabot, Josh Brown and Mete on D, and Tkachuk, Batherson, Connor Brown, Nick Paul, Logan Brown, Austin Watson and Dadonov,
That leaves, for Seattle, one of Colin White ($4,750,000), Matt Murray ($6,750,000), Nikita Zaitsev ($4,500,000), Anton Forsberg ($900,000). Chris Tierney ($3,500,000) and Vitaly Abramov (recently signed for 2 years in the KHL).
Given those choices, I think Seattle takes Tierney.
I see your point Uwey, but I believe that the Habs need an upgrade at LD, a player who can better drive the offense, to get through the regular season grind and take that final step to win the Cup. I like Chiarot and Edmundson very much and they both played well, but, ultimately, having both of them as your top 2 LD is a problem. And there’s no way the Habs will expose their captain and team leader. Don’t assume he won’t be taken by Seattle. They will obviously have lots of cap space and will need solid veterans. And as to the 5 years left on his contract, seeing as how the last 3 come in at $1m. per, I done see him hanging around for all 5. His contract was designed to spread out the cap over a couple of years in which he won’t play.
Hi George O. I didn’t go into the level of detail on other team’s goalies being available, but agree that Tierney is the most likely player to be selected from Ottawa. I don’t know why everyone locally is so worried about losing Daccord. If Zaitsev is left exposed (I wouldn’t do that and would exchange Brown on your list), I think Seattle would take him. Zaitsev is slightly overpaid, but is a solid option as a 4-5 defenseman. Ottawa’s defense is still very young and Zaitsev’s contract expires at about the perfect time (maybe one year too long).
Can’t disagree with your thinking Van. As I say, I’ve been fooling around with that list for a while, and every time I adjust it, that usually involves putting Zaitsev on and taking Josh Brown off.
I’ve always liked what Zaitzev brings to the table, but when push comes to shove I looked at a fee key things: Brown, who is 2 years younger, got off to a rough start (along with the rest of the team) when the kept trotting him out there paired with pylons like Cobourn and Gudbranson, but over the 2nd half began to play very well. In addition, he only has the 1 year left at $1.2 mil, whereas Zaitsev has 3 at $4.5 per.
And, as you point out, that could turn out to be 1 year too much since, in that span, with Chabot, Zub and Mete holding down 3 of the spots, they are going to have to make room for kids like Bernard-Docker, Sanderson and Thompson, while somewhere in the background are other candidates such as Alsing, Aspirot, Kleven and Tychonick who will certainly have shown whether they are NHL candidates for Mann’s analysis at Belleville.
Having said all that, even if exposed I don’t see Seattle taking Zaitsev anyway – if it’s those choices I mention, then Tierney, a useful 3rd/4th line C, is who they’ll choose.
Your logic on protecting Brown over Zaitsev makes sense, George O. I would still protect Zaitsev. I think Ottawa’s current protection list is pretty easy other than the last couple forward spots. Tkachuk, Batherson, C. Brown and Paul are no brainers. I can’t see them leaving Logan Brown unprotected despite his injury and development issues. That leaves two spots for Dadonov, White and Tierney. I think they keep Dadonov since he is a great candidate for a bounce back year (happens a lot with second season on new team) and White fits in long term if he becomes a 2C/3C. In addition, if White has a bad year, he can be bought out very cheaply from the remainder of the contract next summer (US$5.25M total spread over 6 years).
I agree with a lot of people on the thread about McDonagh. Ironic how Montreal gave him away in the infamous Gomez trade many years ago. Fabulous defenseman who would look great on any team.
If McDonagh would be willing to waive his NTC for Ottawa, they should be all over that since he would be scooped up by Seattle for sure if left unprotected (means TB goes 7F/3D). I’d be willing to trade any of the prospects/first year players not named Stutzle, Norris or Sanderson. TB would still have Hedman and Sergachev manning the left side with Rutta and Cernak rounding out their top 4. This also assumes that the trade would be less than usual for a defenseman of McDonagh’s calibre given the flat cap, expansion draft and TB’s need to shed contracts. There is a recent trade history with Ottawa and TB, but this is likely a pipe dream with Melnyk as the owner.
Howard, it’s been reported that Danault already turned down the offer you mentioned, why do you think he’ll except it now? I agree with you that it’s the right target number. He earns his value in the playoffs.
Caper,
I assume, yes I am making an ass of myself by doing so, was that Danault’s camp was rolling the dice for a stronger offensive year to bump up his bargaining ability. But with Tatar having an off season compared the past couple & Gallagher being less than 100% most of the season, that didn’t go as planned.
I am assuming, HaHa again, that Danault will take that offer or slightly less to stay after this Cup final run.
Caper, there are things that have changed. Danault’s offensive numbers dropped this year. Admittedly, so did his ice time, as the team started relying more on Suzuki as their offensive center.
All in all, Danault is a solid No. 2 center who plays great defense and will chip in 40-55 points a year. $5m. Is reasonable for such a player. We obviously cannot lose sight of the fact that he is 28 years old, so a contract of more than 4 years is a tad risky. And obviously, the cap will not rise much, if at all, for at least a couple of years.
With all that, if the Habs do offer 6 years at $5m. per, he’d be wise to take it. I doubt he’ll do better on the market. Just ask Taylor Hall or Mike Hoffman.
Howard , I am with you on most of your statements, not thinking it will cost 5 per for Danault but we will see. Chiarot was a big piece of the Clydesdale group and likely to be moved but you are spot on when saying they need a puck moving LD….like Sergachev , ouch…sorry. It was painfully obvious that Weber and Petry played with damaged hands and it impacted their shooting and ability to effectively move the puck. In fact watching the hand shakes Petry did not remove his right glove and shook with his left hand.
I also agree on Drouin thinking it would be best for him to reboot his career somewhere else , although his trade value may be low right now.
Savor the past couple of months , it was a good run for les Canadiens.
A huge part of the Habs PK, which frustrated the heck out of the Bolts, was PD winning all the draws from all the Lightning. And when he did shoot, he scored. He’d be my third keeper after the two kids.
I will savor it, but it needs to be built on. I’d obviously like to see another run soon which ends in victory.
As for Sergachev, we can debate the merits of the trade at the time it was made all we want, but we cannot change the past. Bergevin must look to the future, which needs a more mobile LD
Interesting quote from Punch Imlach that I never knew before (and it applies well to the situation). Thank you for sharing that.
I agree with everything, though (and I know I am in the majority) I feel that Romanov will become that puck moving, top 4 defenseman. In fact, he played so well in the regular season (for a rookie playing on NHL ice for the first time), that he could do it as soon as next season. However, I assume Bergevin will want to bring him about slowly, and could add a left-side defenseman via trade. The UFA market for left-sided defensemen is pretty dry: Alec Martinez is probably the only puck-moving option available.
I assume that Bergevin has been calling about players like Dunn, Bean, etc.
I doubt Bergevin has made any calls yet, but I hope he will. Martinez would be a good short-term option. I’d give up a first for Dunn. Gostisbehere would be worth checking into.
Re Teresenko; even with his injury history; if retention were done to make it Cap neutral; this Pens fan would be very happy with a Teresenko/Zucker flip
I just gave Iowa Prince a heart attack
No worries IP…. Odds of happening….. about same odds as Raptors, Jays, Leafs, Argos being concurrent Champions
Gino, Vlad, Kappy would be nice to see though 👍😊
Hall to the Leafs? Just what they need. Another highly paid and talented but soft forward. Their first priority up front will be Hyman. And as Lyle writes, if they can’t afford him, they won’t be able to afford Hall either.
Bolts have the best third line in hockey and should do whatever it takes to keep it in tact.
What stood out to me about Tampa was their BIG, swift skating D with puck moving abilities.
Plus, if Yanni Gourde is available, all of the remaining thirty teams should be salivating at an opportunity to land this guy.
This talk of moving Johnson to ease their dilemma is nothing but road apples when the other teams have the upper hand on who they land given Tampa’s circumstances. A deal for any if the Tampa players may not happen until the night before the start of the 21/22 regular season.
I suspect McDonaugh will be exposed to the Kraken & wouldn’t he make the prefect fit a captain to start a franchise with??? Hedman, Sergachev & Cernak will probably be the protect three on the back end.
Hi Uwey
McD would look good on Krakken but I’d highly doubt they have any captain in the first year; perhaps 2 (Knights delayed their choice for Captain)
The Krakken line up will be filled with “castaways” and UFA acquisitions. The team will need to form an identity before naming a Captain
I totally agree with that statement S7, love watching them play. Kinda like the Isles 4th but with more offensive upside.
Vlad would be look great on Barzal’s wing and this from a Rangers fan…. hope does not happen but seems obvious fit if cap can work
Leddy, Beau & Bellows plus pick for Tarasenko & Dunn?
I thought there were limits in the NHL as to what teams can or cannot do with an injured player. If so, why would these limits not apply to Drouin. Maybe you can or can’t trade him, waive him, even not place him on the expansion eligible list as he is ill or injured.
If he is suffering an emotional illness, he is still ill. Certainly fodder for lawyers I would think
I get the feeling that someone is going to give Hyman 5-6 million for 5 years and end up regretting it.
Unless he has a Matthews or Marner on his new line to boost his stats I can see him being in the 10-15 goal range.
Buyer beware!!
I’m beginning to think you may be right re Hyman, Ron. Before the playoffs got under way, and really impressed with his play throughout the season, I mentioned him as the type of player who could come out of nowhere and rise to totally unexpected domination in the playoffs.
But when the dust had settled he had contributed exactly what he did in each of the previous 4 playoffs – 1 goal.
Now, I still like what he brings to seasonal play with his hard-nosed play — but not at the numbers being tossed around. In fact, given how tight so many contending teams are when it comes to the cap limit, and the unlikelihood of the few with lots of cap space to pay that kind of coin (and term) to a grinder, he may well find the market thin and so re-sign with Toronto at a much-reduced stipend. Not as reduced as Spezza, mind you, but something both he and the club can live with.
If Im the Avalanche, Knights or maybe the Capitals Id trade a draft pick and a prospect to the Blues for Tarasenko.
Keep him on the I.R. the entire season to “rehab” his injured shoulder then activate him for the playoffs.
Gotta keep things fair right? In the NHL parity is king.
Tampa should protect 4 D. Tampa’s D and goalie give them a good chance to win another cup. They have a lot of interchangeable good forwards.
Seattle will probably start out with a better defense than Vegas did in their first season. The success that Vegas has had will help Seattle attract quality free agents and make players more willing to be traded to an expansion team.
Francis will be frugal with his cap space so he can continue to use it as an asset for the next few years. He will be building an organization to be a consistent playoff team in 5 years.
Thinking Hall signs with Boston they bring 46 back on a two year let Rask walk bring in a cheaper vet goalie to help the rookie goalie out … use DeBrusk trade for a Dman ..sign a SAH Dman with size and toughness …move Coyle to wing bring in a center ..rebuild that 4th line around Frederic as the center…. that should take care of all their cap $$$$
I wonder if the reason that non of us are GM’s is the we worry about individuals we are going to (perhaps) gain or lose, and focus on top players, while successful GM’s focus on fitting 23 contracts under a cap to create a successful and coachable team with all roles filled.
Common words post facto about Cup teams are “depth” or “can win any kind of game you want”.
In at least some playoff games your stars, no matter how good will be neutralized….what were the odds on Savard to Colton being the winning goal last night or Joseph to Maroon being the tying goal in game 4. The lightning cap issue may not not reflect more than a need to reconfigure; at the cap will JB still have enough assets to be very competitive and fill all roles? In all probability,Yes.
Having a cap issue, and having the issue with “dead money” or too much invested in to few players are are two different things.
Very much agree on the “depth” based thinking, Richard. It’s something that many GMs, and many non-GMs overlook that should really be more of a focus.
We’ll know we’re there when these chats include, “Savard AND Colton…damn those Bolts have amazing depth!” 🙂
Hab fans…. Do you think Kotkaniemi would be open to an offer sheet? Can’t be too happy the way playoffs ended with him as a scratch. If they bring back Denault, I think he’d consider playing elsewhere.
No. The Habs will match any offer sheet. KK has always kept a good attitude even when benched. He wants to be a winner in Montreal.
Oh geez, that’d be super funny to see an Eichel for Tarasenko swap!
Two players requesting trades because of questionable medical staff decisions. The potential for the sh*t to be the same in the other pile is high 🙂