NHL Rumor Mill – September 17, 2021
The latest on Brady Tkachuk, Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Morgan Rielly in today’s NHL rumor mill.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Brady Tkachuk has yet to join his Senators teammates in Ottawa in preparation for the start of training camp on Sep. 22. He’s still back home in St. Louis as his agent and Senators management continues to work on a new contract for the 22-year-old left wing.
Ottawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).
Garrioch cited TSN’s Gord Miller recently saying he felt a deal between the two sides could come quickly. It’s believed the Senators offered up an eight-year deal worth an annual average value of $8 million. The two sides could fall back to a three-year deal if a long-term agreement cannot be hammered out in time.
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma took note of the apparent lack of progress in contract talks between the Vancouver Canucks and young stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. He feels the negotiation pressure point of missing the start of training camp next Thursday could adversely affect their regular-season performance.
Kuzma also speculates the Canucks could be forced to shed some salary if Pettersson and Hughes each pocked $8 million annually on their new deals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the start of training camp fast approaching, most of the focus in the rumor mill will be on the contract talks of notable restricted free agents such as Tkachuk, Pettersson, Hughes and the Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov.
Plenty of time remains for those players to be signed before their respective training camps open but the clock is ticking. It may be more pressing for the Wild and Kaprizov, as the latter reportedly requires a work visa and would have to spend a week self-isolating from his teammates once he arrives in Minnesota.
Cap Friendly shows the Canucks with a projected $10.6 million in cap space. Signing Pettersson and Hughes would push them over the cap. If necessary, they can get an additional $3.5 million in cap relief by placing sidelined winger Micheal Ferland (post-concussion symptoms) on long-term injury reserve. As Kuzma points out, however, they would have to free up more room depending on what their combined cap hit turns out to be.
TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the Maple Leafs shouldn’t trade Morgan Rielly this season. He acknowledged the 27-year-old defenseman is due for a big raise next summer. However, he feels they shouldn’t move their annual leader in ice time unless they’re certain of getting equal or greater value in return. “And that’s not going to happen,” he said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Koshan was responding to recent reports speculating over Rielly’s future with the Leafs because of his unrestricted free agent status next summer and the club’s limited cap space.
I daresay management has no intention of moving him this season unless they’re well out of playoff contention by the March trade deadline. That’s assuming, of course, they have no desire to re-sign him or he plans to test the market in July.
But George said Tkachuk is signed for 8yrs @ $8.5 and is to be team Captain.
What’s going on here!
We’ve been assured many times that the Sens are waiting for training camp to get the fanfare of announcing Tkachuk’s 8 x $8million co-captaincy.
Elliotte Friedman keeps talking about Eichel despite assurances we’ve gotten that he’s a Bruin soon.
As for Morgan Rielly, I think the TML would be best off making a trade with Minnesota, sending them Nylander for either Dumba or Brodin.
GMBG gets a goal scorer and can be firm on Kaprizov, GMKD gets a D-man that’s badly needed and some leverage to resign Rielly.
I’m sure you have telling pictures you can show us to prove how awesome you are…
TheFlyingV
What’s your problem?
Your attitude…
TheFlyingV,
I disagree with a lot of what you say and your personal attitudes BUT I keep my comments on point, usually on the topics that are mentioned in Lyle’s compilations.
I don’t recall ever poking at you personally and I won’t no matter how many times you try to draw it from me.
Have a great day 🙂
I don’t try to draw you in but go ahead and try to put that spin on it, just like you do when you defend bad decisions, bad attitudes and bad behavior.
As recent as today Shanahan is quoted as saying the Leafs still believe in their big 4, so suggest all you want. The Leafs are still dug in.
LJ,
GM’s aren’t coming in here to get their ideas, all of us here are just spit-balling our thoughts and suggestions.
If we’re lucky we guess right some times.
As for Shanahan’s comment, their job is to make the team better and if there’s an offer or an opening TML can exploit, they will.
Yes, Habfan30, I have said myself no one here works in the NHL and no one in the NHL comes here for ideas.
My referencing Shanahan’s comment was pointing out how dug in they are about committing to their “Big 4.” He and Dubas are publicly adamant about that, so clearly their commitment is to the status quo.
I didn’t see what set Flying V off about your first comment, but I am starting to see a pattern with your responses. Sometimes your posts are thought provoking and persuasive and make a nice contribution here.
Other times there is a snide, indignant side that comes out if anyone has or shares a contrary opinion. Twice in a row I’ve provided you with information to think about, only to receive a hissy (spelled with a p) response. I think Flying V is onto something. And this site is supposed to be for fun.
LJ,
TheFlyingV is bothered that I disagree with him about Mailloux so he frequently semi-cusses or just chooses to be ornery and confrontational over nothing posted that particular day, a reminder that he doesn’t like my position and by extension me.
If I reply to people in away that is snide or indignant it’s unintentional.
Unfortunately there are many people who are too enamoured of their opinions and treat disagreement as a personal attack.
I like hearing different opinions or I may as well be in an echo chamber.
“If I reply to people in away that is snide or indignant it’s unintentional.”
This says it all.
I used to think that. I did. But i cam to a conclusion along time ago people hiding behind aliases on social media are buttholes. That pretty much includes the entire worlds online population.
HF30, next year the Minnesota Wild will be entering a 3 year period of “cap Hell” where they will have an average of $14 million of dead cap space per year due to the Parise and Suter buyouts. Looking at $67-68 million in available cap space each year, they already have about $31 million committed to 5 players (Zuccarello, Ek, Spurgeon, Borodin and Dumba). If they sign Kaprizov for $9 million they would have only $27-28 million to sign 17 players. Trading Dumba for Nylander would decrease the cap available to sign 17 players to $26-27 million so it’s my opinion if they trade any of their higher contracts it will be for picks and prospects, not a $7 million contract like Nylander’s. Kaprizov May be hesitant to sign with the Wild because they won’t be icing a playoff contender for a few years.
Gored1970
I had looked quickly at the cap but you’re right, it isn’t a wash.
With that being said TML could retain the difference, the advantages to both teams would still be there.
TML shifts the salary to D from O and may have some influence on Rielly.
Wild get a scorer for the same present cost and have a back door to hold out against unreasonable demands by Kaprizov.
I see it as win/win
Heh. Just in case any of YOU are claiming to be perfect, making mistakes is better than claiming perfection. Especially you two.
Now that was funny …
Besides, I have consistently said that his signing announcement will coincide with the opening of training camp … and that isn’t until Monday. So, technically, I haven’t made a mistake there yet. 🙂
He’ll be signed by Monday or Tuesday, for sure.
I like watching the kid play, but I like to visualize him after he’s all grown up and is “man big”.
I wouldn’t hesitate inking him for 8 years. He’s gonna be an absolute wrecking machine.
Easy decision for the best GM in hockey.
This!
Lol George, all good
And it’s not a mistake it’s a prediction.
Just a little fun.
Personally I’ll be cheering for Drake and his Cape Breton roots.
I sincerely hope that something from the guys he works out with in the off-season rubs off on him – and not just any guys – Crosby, McKinnon and Marchand!
Of course Tkachuk is going to be signed at some point, it isn’t as if he has threatened to sit out the year.
George O, guess about term and amount may even turn out to be right, and guessing wrong is fine too.
Guessing, hopes, opinions are all we have as fans.
Wild won’t be moving any D.
That ship sailed losing both Suter and Soucy from last year’s roster .
Season starts October 12. Signings have been known to happen mere hours before opening night puck drop. Lots of time