NHL Rumor Mill – November 26, 2021
Does Vladimir Tarasenko still want to be traded? Could the Wild trade Kevin Fiala? What is the latest on Evander Kane? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.
LATEST ON THE BLUES
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Jeremy Rutherford was asked if Vladimir Tarasenko still wants a trade from the St. Louis Blues. The 29-year-old winger made the request this summer.
St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).
Despite rumors suggesting Tarasenko’s had a change of heart, Rutherford cited a source close to the situation saying the winger is standing by his trade request. Regarding Tarasenko’s return to form (16 points in 19 games) improving his trade value, Rutherford said it’s not enough to convince Blues general manager Doug Armstrong to move him before the March trade deadline “or even next summer”.
Rutherford also observed Tarasenko continues to blend well with his teammates. His situation hasn’t become a distraction.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps that changes if the Blues fall out of playoff contention before the trade deadline. For now, there’s little reason for Armstrong to trade him until he gets a worthwhile offer.
Tarasenko’s contract is also a sticking point. He’s signed through 2022-23 with an annual average value of $7.5 million but earns $9.5 million in actual salary this season and $5.5 million next season. That’s why I think a Tarasenko trade is more likely to take place next summer, as interested clubs would prefer taking on that lesser actual salary.
Rutherford was also asked about what the Blues might do with Marco Scandella. He knows they’re “pretty disappointed” the defenseman hasn’t become the player they thought they were signing. He believes they’ll try to trade Scandella but the remaining two years on his contract ($3.75 million annual cap hit) won’t be easy to move.
EXCERPTS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman commented on the latest trade speculation swirling around the Minnesota Wild’s Kevin Fiala. He doesn’t believe GM Bill Guerin will trade the 25-year-old winger just because he’s in a slump. With the Wild on top of the Central Division, Friedman feels Guerin would trade Fiala only for a return that improves his club.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fiala was mentioned as a possible trade chip for the Wild to pry versatile forward J.T. Miller away from the free-falling Vancouver Canucks. Time will tell if anything comes of that. Fiala could get peddled elsewhere or Guerin would remain patient with the winger in the hope he’ll regain his scoring form.
Friedman indicated Evander Kane has been skating in San Jose for the past two weeks. The Sharks are keeping mum on the 30-year-old winger’s status as the end of his 21-game suspension approaches. Friedman theorizes they could send him to the AHL for a few games. He also said the club is willing to retain some of Kane’s salary in a trade but doesn’t see much of a market for him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I doubt there’s any market for Kane given his personal baggage and reputation as a dressing room cancer.
Friedman believes the Buffalo Sabres have to be looking for a goaltender with Aaron Dell and Dustin Tokarski struggling and sidelined Craig Anderson’s return date still uncertain. With so many teams still in the playoff picture, he wonders how many of them would make any goalies available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres could be keeping an eye on the Dallas Stars. They could be forced to shop a goaltender whenever Ben Bishop is finally ready to return to action. That, however, remains up in the air.
With Jake Oettinger playing well, they could also try to move Anton Khudobin or Braden Holtby. Khudobin, however, has a four-team no-trade list and the Sabres could be on it. Holtby lacks no-trade protection but he’s also played better than Khudobin.
Stars should sell high on Holtby while it lasts, considering how up and down he’s been for the last few years
Holtby couldn’t stop medicine ball. Jt Miller to Boston for Debrusk and 2nd nuff said
“Nuff” was said with your OEL and Richel predictions. But here we are again.
No thanks, not near enough
Why would Vancouver trade away JT Miller, he is their leading goal scorer and point producer and plays a solid game?
There not going to replace him with a better player; unless they just want to fall down the standings.
Trading for OEL was a mistake, the 3 players would’ve been ufa’s at season end and you still would’ve had the 9th overall pick.
Instead the Canucks will have 5 more years of OEL at $7.26 at least they have Connor Garland
Bump that 2nd to a 1st pls and thx
That’s not a trade worth doing, for Vancouver.
Miller has value and his age and contract are such that Vancouver might consider trading him. It would only make sense to do so for a top-four RHD who is strong defensively. Preferably one younger than Miller, or the same age.
Unfortunately, even if Vancouver managed to pull off that trade I don’t think it would be enough to right the ship. They need new management, new coaching AND two top-four RHD.
Again, not even close to even trade.
Yep Captain, that ain’t gonna get you JT for this season and next.
Some $ does need to go back, so sure on DeBrusk, but needs to be a 1st not a 2nd, and even then VAN likely says no.
Add a B prospect like Studnicka? Might turn into an NHL player with some skill, but at 22 clock is ticking.
Friedman also writes that while the NHL did talk to Quebec City, it’s not seriously on the radar. He calls it a publicity stunt and is not happy that true hockey fans are being jerked around.
As to Bettman, I don’t believe it was a publicity stunt. Rather, it was a courtesy paid to the Premier of a province which hosts an NHL team. Bettman doesn’t want to be seen as snubbing the Premier, so he gave him the courtesy of a call. The Premier, on the other hand, may have done it for publicity. He’s facing an election in less than a year.
I do agree with Friedman that an NHL team in Quebec City is not happening anytime soon.
Vancouver needs grit and protection for its young guns and they need scoring, enter Evander Kane with 50% retention, born in Vancouver.
A smaller Canadian city with a passion for hockey that revels in “bad boys” like Bertuzzi.
He’s a perfect fit
Just what that situation needs. A team that not everybody is on the same page, some guys aren’t even doing drills properly in practice causing Miller to snap in same practice.
I am sure Kane will bring them together and pulling in the same direction. He’s known for that, big team guy.
Ray Bark,
Meh,
He continues to perform on the ice in the ways the Canucks need.
The off ice issues clearly haven’t impacted his on ice game and it isn’t as if there’s a culture to damage over there.
At $3.5 he’s a bargain. 🙂
I know you don’t like him but he wouldn’t be the first “bad boy” to be signed and continue their career.
I have no idea if I “like” him HF30, never met him. Neither do you.
I have friends I would never hire, and I like them.
Would you hire someone that came with references like his from previous employers even if you “liked” them?
The problem with having people that think the rules don’t apply to them working for you, and you don’t address it, is that is pisses everybody else off and you lose the good ones because they get fed up.
Same thing in this situation IMO. There is a reason this keeps happening and teams keep trading him. Based on his play, he seems like a guy you would want to keep. But yet, here we are again.
We can disagree on this, you would trade for him, I wouldn’t. All good. We have beaten this horse to death on here.
@ Habs Fan 30…… & Pengy….
It seems like the Habs are willing and looking to unload players what are your thoughts on this proposed penguin’s Canadiens trade?
To Pittsburgh
Winger Brendan Gallagher 29, $ 6.4 million ufa 2025
Defensemen Ben Chiatot 30, $3.5 million
pending UFA
W/C Matthew Perreault 33,
$975,000 pending UFA
$10.8 M to Pens
To Montreal
LW Jason Zucker 29, $ 5.5M Ufa 2023
LHD Marcus Petersson 24. $4.1 M UFA 2024
Winger Danton Heinen 26 $ 1.8 M UFA Pending
plus # 2 draft pick
$ 11.4 M to Habs
Penguins get the gritty, net front presence, playoff goal type forward with character in Brendan Gallagher…we get a top 4 physical, good skating defenseman in Chiarot..and we get a skilled versatile forward in Perreault who will fit in Pittsburgh.
Canadiens get younger, they get out from under Gallagher’s contract, and can focus on a rebuild. Petersson can be that young second pair defender
Zucker 4 goals / Gallagher 4 goals salaries close
Chiarot more physical more skilled older Petersson having a good year younger and on affordable deal.
Heinen 6 goals for Pittsburgh younger/Perreault if healthy adds talent and depth to Pens
thoughts????
Awful. Just one sided for Pittsburgh. Awful.
You aren’t very good at trolling hf30 and besides, it’s you that holds up the virtue of the problem players so he’s all yours pal.
Ray Bark,
EK was drafted in 2009 and he has been traded twice.
I think its safe to say the vast majority of us do not have a personal relationship with players we talk about, and reference to liking one or not has nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with what we think of them as players.
EK was brought up by Lyle so commenting on potential trade partners isn’t beating a horse to death.
I have suggested two possibilities, you prefer suggesting there shouldn’t be any interest by any team.
save the pedantry
You brought up the “like” HF30, you said I don’t like him. Have to admit, partying with the guy in Vegas, seems like it would be a really good time.
So I might. Who knows.
So not correcting an error, simply addressing what you said that was directed at me.
3rd team is trying to move him and willing to eat salary to do it, and he is a very productive player.
Good reasons for that IMO, and well reported.
What I suggested, multiple times on this topic, is you only take this guy on is if there is no risk, you pay him no more than you can bury in case it goes the same way it has on all 3 teams he has played for.
I wouldn’t trade for him, and hope my Bruins don’t.
Unfortunately you aren’t really being serious about your proposals hf30 as is clearly evident in your poorly hidden backhand comments. You are just trolling and not even very good at it I might add.
What real reason would Buffalo have to improve (goalie replacement) this year…. aren’t they gearing up for Mr. Wright?
Re Stars and Goalie glut…
What would the extra required to flip De Smith for Holtby?
Buffalo may indeed be “gearing Up” for Wright somewhere in the back of their minds – but they’ll have to totally collapse to pass Ottawa in the other direction.
With the combination of Covid effects, causing them to lose 12 players for various quarantine stretches – several of them key elements in a young team – they also see a couple in the throes of the dreaded “sophomore jinx” (e.g. Stutzle – 1 goal to date) and a goalie (Murray) who has lost ALL confidence in the net.
That game the other night against San Jose is a classic example – a 6-3 loss (2 in the empty net) where they dominated the play for the most part only to see 3 “soft” goals get by him.
They are snake-bit and there’s no climbing out of this hole.
Hi George
You may be “Wright” re Sens finishing lower (better odds) ; but my point was more the fact that Sabres don’t need a goalie upgrade to potentially then get them further away from the “Wright” pick
Who would of thought rebuilds would be full of let downs, whether by fault or by circumstance.
Its a long roller coaster with big highs and dirty and dark lows, enjoy the ride! Plus it’s a great year to suck, this draft will set up the team for the future continuing evolution and growth especially when considering their past draft record being as successful as they have.
Before Murray was traded to Ottawa, there was much banter here about what his value was and where he would go. Some argued that his value was high since he was still Young, and had two Cups to his credit. Others (including me) put forth that he may well turn out to be the troubled under performer that he was in his last two seasons wearing black and gold. It looks like Detroit is happier with Nedelkovich for a third rounder and $3M per season than Ottawa is with their second rounder for Murray and 4 years at 6.25 per season.
Iago, they need to bite the bullet and place Murray in Belleville If they can) in the hope he can get his act together there over the course of at least 10 games – and go with Gustavsson and Forsberg. But they won’t.
probably a draft pick which Hextall is loathe to part with …
I see you Lyle
You “see me”, caper?
You got a stalker on the Island? By the way, how did the Island fare in that violent rain storm the other day?
Cape Breton sure got nailed as did parts of Newfoundland & Labrador.
George, we dodged the bullet here on PEI. Lots of rain and windy but nothing like what they got in Eastern NS, Cape Breton and southwest Newfoundland.
Devastating. And now it looks like BC is about to get dinged again with 3 major storms over the next couple of days. Here in Ottawa they’re talking about wind-chills tonight of -10 and upwards of 5cm of the white stuff. Just got my snow-tires on in time!
Huh ??
🧐🤨
I’m going to guess that Caper hit send before he completed his thought.
Then saw it, thought it was funny so left it and watch us try and guess wtf he is talking about.
I think the implication is clear, Lyle is Ed and HabFan 30 is Evander Kane.
I thought Chrisms was nearly everyone!?
Doing this Bruins thing since 1970 and seen some soft Bruins teams but this one might is probably the softest ….You still have to play with a edge and have players that are willing to get dirty in this game to get to that one goal the SC
I like Carlo but he might be one of their softest at 6 6 225 ilbs.Would really entertain the thought of trading him and Debrusk for another top d man.
Captain Obvious…..one sided how?
-Montreal has stated it wants to move some salary, get younger, and star a rebuild.
– You unload Gallagher’s contract
-Chariot is a pending UFA (could always resign him)
– Perreault isn’t used that much also a pending UFA
– You get a second-round pick.
-The money is the same.
– You get younger with Petersson 25, Heinen 26 (He has 6 goals that better than half your line up-)
– Zucker is the same age as Gallagher, has the same number of goals 4 and missed a break away tonight versus the Islanders should have 5 shorter contract..?????
We get older and take on Gallagher’s contract…Look it isn’t working out with them, is it?
THIS IS OBVIOUS CAPTAIN…EVEN FOR YOU
B&G I cant see why The Habs would ever do this . Rumor has they can get a first for Ben on his own Yes younger but 26 is not young in the new NHL .
Gally is the heart and sole plus fan fav you just don’t send him for mediocore players better off keeping him
If they are as good / younger why are you and EVERY pens fan here so desperate to put them in EVERY trade? Hmmmmn?
That seems VERY obvious!