NHL Rumor Mill – September 8, 2021
Some suggested moves for the Sharks, the latest Senators speculation, and the latest on the Coyotes in today’s NHL rumor mill.
NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien believes the San Jose Sharks should consider some trades as one way to reverse their declining fortunes. He feels they should consider all options with the exception of potential impact prospects such as William Eklund.
San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl (NHL Images).
That includes considering offers for Tomas Hertl. An unrestricted free agent next summer, the 28-year-old center would be expensive to re-sign. O’Brien suggests selling high on Hertl. His three-team trade list would make that difficult but he might not want to linger in this bad situation for a full season.
O’Brien also suggests shopping Timo Meier. His inconsistent play over the past couple of years could affect his trade value but the 24-year-old winger is better than he looks, maybe a lot better.
Moving expensive veterans like Evander Kane, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Erik Karlsson would be harder to do. Nevertheless, O’Brien feels they should consider it if an opportunity arises to trade one of them.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hertl is the most likely Sharks trade candidate this season. Despite his limited trade clause, there would be considerable interest in him. He would likely widen his trade destinations for an opportunity to skate on a contender.
The only real concern is his injury history. The Sharks might prefer waiting until the March trade deadline when his value could be at its highest but that comes with the risk that he could be sidelined again by that point.
Meier’s struggles will affect his trade value but that would improve with a bounce-back performance this season. On the other hand, that could also make the Sharks keen to retain him.
Kane’s off-ice antics and his growing reputation as locker room poison make him untradeable. Vlasic’s decline and his $7 million annual average value through 2025-26 makes the 34-year-old defenseman a tough sell even if he were willing to waive his no-movement clause. Karlsson’s injury woes over the past several years, his no-movement clause and $11.5 million cap hit through 2026-27 ensures he’ll be a Shark for a long time.
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators remain focused on signing Brady Tkachuk to a long-term contract extension. There’s unconfirmed speculation they’ve tabled an eight-year deal worth $8 million annually to the 21-year-old winger.
There’s also a rumor the Tkachuk camp seeks a short-term extension but no one knows where that’s coming from. He’s not sharing his contract status with teammates or friends. Despite reports to the contrary, negotiations are still going well.
The Senators might deal with Logan Brown’s situation before training camp opens. The 23-year-old center didn’t sign his qualifying offer and there’s talk he could head to Europe if he’s not traded. He’s eligible for waivers this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Plenty of time remains for the Senators to sign Tkachuk and sort out Brown’s situation before training camp opens.
AZ COYOTES INSIDER: Craig Morgan denied a recent rumor floated on Twitter claiming Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun was on the trade block. “This should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the Coyotes,” writes Morgan. “They want to build around (Chychrun).”
The Coyotes have to find a replacement at center for Christian Dvorak following his trade to Montreal last weekend. They also need to add a goaltender and a defenseman.
Morgan believes general manager Bill Armstrong could look to the waiver wire. Several teams in tough situations might end up exposing players they would otherwise prefer to keep.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armstrong spent this summer shipping out veterans for draft picks and prospects as he commenced his rebuild of the Coyotes’ roster. It’ll be interesting to see how he plugs those gaps in his lineup for the coming season. Waivers are one option but he could also go the trade route, perhaps by using some of those picks or prospects as bait. Perhaps he gives the Senators a call about Logan Brown.
Meier is a one year rental since his qualifying offer starts @ 10 million.
Like several posters said yesterday the Senators should allow Brown to go to Sweden , his trade value is low.
Chychrun would be a prize for any GM trading for his rights. Very good young player on a great contract.
The worst thing to happen in Arizona is the Covid restrictions being lifted and allowing fans in the building.
Surprisingly the average age of the forwards is 29
Next season the have 5 forwards under contract tow of them are RFA’s
4 dman under contract and 1 goalie.
3 1st round draft picks 5 second round draft picks
12 ufa’s on the roster needless to say they’ll be adding more draft picks or prospects.
2022 will be an extremely important year for Arizona.
Perhaps Arizona would be interested in Korpisalo.
Oil fans looking to unload Korpi, Pens fans want Zucker gone!
Arizona is including Ladd and Ericksson at a combined 11.5m in their lineup. They are going to have a hard time reaching the floor. Literally and figuratively . One line -Schmaltz Keller and Kessel and Schmaltz likely to go on LTI at some point. Going to be a long , long, very long season. Gunther and Sodderstrom will help in a couple of years. They need to build around those two with Keller and Chychrun
Ya, not much to hang your hat on if you are a Yotes fan.
They are due for some lottery luck, Shane Wright would change the fortunes of that team. They have never had a guy of his caliber.
The race is on for last.
Who’s tending is worse, BUF or ARI?
Arizona is well over the cap floor and positioned to look at the RFA and UFA market next year after the their draft where Armstrong is banking on a windfall with 3 1st round and 5 2nd round picks so far.
Buffalo reaches the cap floor easily by not putting Eichel on LTIR which is their prerogative, they just can’t trade him for draft picks or prospects on ELCs.
Sharks are in no mans land … couldn’t give Erik Karlsson away … he was never the same after Matt Cooke stepped on his achilles …
I doubt an 8×8 was offered to BT because you snap sign that offer all day long. That is well above his current value. It could be a great deal for Ottawa on the back few years, but it places you in your prime and UFA so you can still cash in again.
While I think Ottawa should let Brown go to Sweden if he wants to be like that. Brown would be foolish to not sign that PTO and report to camp. He is waiver eligible and . Good camp could improve his stock almost right away. As things stand right now, their is also an open C spot to chase.
Plus you have Teirney, who if like last year is phoning it in, you have a good camp, stay healthy, and you can make the roster and move past it all.
Final thought… Arizona & Buffao. Like, they have plans on icing a full team that reaches the cap floor right? Curious what they are intending to do?
Seattle has been so quiet compared to the Golden Knights, I almost forget they have an NHL team already!
8 per 8 is more than fair for Brady. It’s either the term length or how the contract is structured holding it up. Perhaps he is squeezing signing bonus’s out of melnyk. That is like trying to squeeze the juice out of a coconut but have at er Brady.
That Arizona pitch to Auston Matthews in 2024 keeps growing stronger with the amount of young talent they will have at that time.
I think that the Sharks may be a bad team for the next 5 or so years. There are just too many fires to put out for the GM to truly start the rebuild in a way that is meaningful. A little lotto luck might change their fortunes but I just don’t see the current iteration being able to garner enough trade value to jumpstart the rebuild. Karlsson, Vlasic, Meier, and especially Kane, have seen their trade value plummet in the past couple years. Overpriced ages players with eroding skills, injury-prone players who can’t seem to play a full season, or headcases that no other GM will touch at the moment. That all adds up to a long ugly rebuild. I think they might actually be last this year if/when the locker room implodes. Just my 2 cents.
Meier could be on my team all day long. Only 24 and excellent in his age group. I am thinking needs a change of scenery. Also thinking unless a Sharks complete tear down including management not going anywhere.
Not even sure how you tear it down S7.
There are too many guys you can’t trade even with sweeteners thrown in, and if you are adding picks to move guys, the rebuild just takes longer.
What would it cost to move Vlasic? I have no idea.
Have to let them expire I guess, and as they age perhaps more get moved to LTIR.
Yes SilverSeven, Meier is still a decent player perhaps but I guess my point is that the whole team’s trade value has eroded rather quickly. Many of these guys went from untouchable in the Sharks eyes to untradeable because no one wants their contracts, in just a couple of seasons. I think Meier will be one of those guys that does get traded, along with Hertl, because they won’t fit in the structure of the next cohort of Sharks players. I think the same thing about some of the Wings players (like Bertuzzi and Larkin). They will be better served as trade assets as the youngest guys blossom into full fledged NHL stars.
Question?
If Minny can buy out Zach and Suter, why can’t the Sharks bite the bullet and buy Vlassic, Kane and Karlesson out. Maybe they can escape Kane by voiding his contract if it is found that he bet on hockey games.
Is it better to just get it over with quickly or to die a long, slow, painful death?
They could nevinsrip, but won’t the buyouts just spread it out over a longer period?
Some of these deal have a plenty of years left on them.
If it was me I get it over with as soon as possible, so that if/when you need the cap space in 5 years you have it.
Still surprised the Wild bought out Suter.
I think Bill Guerin and the rest of the Wild management/ownership saw that they couldn’t sign Kaprizov if they didn’t make some room and after only one year in the lineup, he ignited the imaginations of the Wild fans. If they don’t get him signed, they lose the trust of the fan base. The twin buyouts were an attempt to show that they were willing to do whatever it took to get a long term deal done with Kaprizov and build a team around him. The Parise contract, and to a lesser extent the Suter contract, were anchors from the day they were signed and everyone who understood the cap world of the NHL knew that they were going to be a problem down the road. Guerin convinced the owner that ‘ripping off the band-aid’ was the lesser of two evils.
Just my 2 cents, but it was the right move.
Why not then hold a sale? Announce that you’ll keep half of Karlesson’s cap hit and then sell him to the highest bidder?
It beats a buyout, where you get nothing in return.
A half price sale always moves stale merchandise!
Getting back younger prospects would keep the Cap manageable and allow the new players time to fit in. By the time the Sharks are finished paying off those contracts the prospects should be players.
E.Karlsson is more attractive at 5.5 .
It must be getting close to closing time and I have had a few. But he looks way better at that number. In the morning maybe not.
I bet a Burns moves first and Kane suspended at some point.
What quality ideas by James O’Brien. Does he also say that ice is frozen water and that smoking is bad for your health? Everything in that article is what everyone else has been saying for over a year.