NHL Rumor Mill – February 2, 2022
Check out the latest on the Canadiens, Stars, Canucks, Ducks, Panthers, Predators, Wild, Kings and Coyotes in today’s NHL rumor mill.
LATEST PETRY SPECULATION
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports a league source suggested a scenario that the Dallas Stars could become a team with interest in Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry if they move John Klingberg, a pending free agent who has requested a trade. The idea would see them replace Klingberg with the 34-year Petry.
LeBrun added the Canadiens are telling teams they don’t have to move Petry, who’s signed through 2024-25. They’re also not moving him at a discount simply because he’s struggling this season.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports a few teams have indicated they see a Petry move being more likely to occur in the offseason than at the March 21 trade deadline. Despite his difficulties and those of the Canadiens this season, he put up good stats last season and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Petry’s stats could improve playing on a better team. However, he’s a 34-year-old defenseman carrying a $6.25 million annual cap hit through 2024-25 and a 15-team no-trade clause. Meanwhile, the salary cap is flattened for the foreseeable future. If the Canadiens don’t intend on retaining part of his cap hit or agree to take back a toxic contract, they’ll have to include a sweetener to convince an opponent to pick up the full remainder of his contract.
The Stars acquiring Petry as a replacement for Klingberg would make sense if they were a Stanley Cup contender. They’re not. They’re a struggling club with $19.45 million invested in past-their-prime forwards Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin through 2024-25. They’ve already got nearly $18 million invested in blueliners Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter. Restricted free agents Jason Robertson, Denis Gurianov and Jake Oettinger must be resigned while UFAs Joe Pavelski and Alexander Radulov must be re-signed or replaced.
Finding a deal that works for the acquiring club, the Canadiens, and Petry is easier said than done. It will be quite an accomplishment for Habs rookie GM Kent Hughes if he can pull it off.
RUMORS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Vancouver Canucks could be considering re-signing J.T. Miller instead of trading him. That’s one reason why other names like Conor Garland have surfaced in the rumor mill. Canucks president Jim Rutherford wants to create room and that’s why he’s exploring all possibilities.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman is referring to cap flexibility, something the Canucks haven’t had for a while. It doesn’t mean Rutherford’s going to engage in a fire sale of his best players or make cost-cutting deals before the trade deadline. However, that could change if his club fails to gain ground in the playoff chase by the March 21 deadline.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (NHL Images).
Whoever becomes the new Anaheim Ducks general manager faces a big decision regarding the future of pending UFA defenseman Hampus Lindholm. Friedman doesn’t believe the Ducks can afford to keep him post-deadline even if they’re in playoff contention unless they know he’s staying. He also mentioned the Ducks have many options with UFA blueliner Josh Manson, including keeping him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can also see them retaining Lindholm, Manson and fellow UFA Rickard Rakell as “own rentals” if they’re still holding a playoff spot by deadline day.
The Ducks haven’t been in the postseason since 2018. Like every team, they’ve endured revenue losses during this pandemic. Ownership could be unwilling to jeopardize potential playoff money this season by trading away a key player or two even at the risk of losing them to free agency this summer.
Friedman cited colleague Jeff Marek recently mentioning Florida Panthers forward Owen Tippett as a possible trade candidate. He also suggested Frank Vatrano as another.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ focus is reportedly on bolstering their blueline depth. It wouldn’t be surprising if they draw on their forward depth to address that need.
Nashville Predators GM David Poile said he likes his team and doesn’t want to make many changes. “We’re content where we are,” he said.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s understandable given the Predators’ improvement this season. It’s probably safe to say Poile won’t be shopping pending UFA winger Filip Forsberg, who’s played a key role in the Preds’ performance. Poile could be a buyer by deadline day but it will probably be a minor move or two.
There have been no current contract discussions between the Minnesota Wild and winger Kevin Fiala, who is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.
Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake will meet with winger Dustin Brown during the all-star break to discuss his future. The Kings have no desire to move goaltender Jonathan Quick. They are in the market for a big left-shot defenseman. Blake declined to comment about Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brown is a UFA this summer while Quick has a year remaining on his deal. I can see Blake signing Brown to an affordable one-year deal. Chychrun would be a terrific fit with the Kings but the Coyotes seek a good young NHL player, a first-round pick and a top prospect in return.
COYOTES ARE ONCE AGAIN WILLING TO TAKE ON CONTRACTS
TSN: Chris Johnston reports teams in need of salary-cap relief could be in touch with the Arizona Coyotes before the trade deadline. The Coyotes have let it be known they’re willing to take on contracts or money in exchange for future assets like they did last summer. It will depend upon the length of the contract and the type of player being brought in.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: They could also become a third-party broker between two clubs, retaining part of a player’s cap hit in exchange for a draft pick or prospect.
Not sure why Rutherford would be making any deals for the Canucks? Didnt they hire an asst GM and a GM recently?
If Rutherfords going to be making the decisions why hire a GM at all?
Great job, Canucks GM. A puppet with no authority to do anything.
Only in Vancouver.
Could be a new age where GM/AGM do the leg work of who they wanna target, create a shopping list then simply get Jimmy to work the phones.
Remember back in the day when President/GM/Coach were all the same guy?
Now ya got AGMs simply in charge of a facet such as pro scouting and another to run farm teams, and another to work the calculator.
Picking up the phone to silver tongue the person on the other end is also a skill.
Ron, might be because he has been with the team for close to 2 months vs a week for the other 2, and has watched the players and discussed with coaches and player personnel.
It will be collaborative decision making like every other team or business that understands what they are doing.
Would the TML be better off trading Make Muzzin back to LA Kings for an UFA; OLLI MÄÄTTÄ!? The money saved can be spent on a place holder like: Justin Braun and wheel and deal in the off season.
Good morning folks
With the Trade deadline coming up I (because I love reading what other arm chair GM’s would do) am curious if you were the GM of your team (assuming your team is making playoffs), what are the realistic players you would pursue to try to make for a deep run.
AS a Bruins guy, I think they are a couple of players away from getting tougher and having a deeper lineup.
The first player I would target is picking up Chara from the Islanders. I think he would come cheap, familiar with the team, great leader, adds much needed size and toughness on the back end and would love for him to finish with the bruins. This may not be a popular one, but he is a plus player on a bad islanders team, can still penalty kill and really is better then Clifton on the back end IMO.
The second player I would go for is Joe Pavalski (assuming the stars stay out of the playoff run). I don’t know what it would take to get him, but that is who the number 1 guy I would be going for as my second line centre.
Looking forward to catching up with your guys posts later this morning. Of course this can all change prior to the trade deadline but there are tons of rumour out there so looking forward to the comments.
Like the Pavelski idea Mr Gonzo.
What would he cost? Not sure but he has a 3 team trade list, which would lower it as fewer teams in on it. At least a 1st, maybe even a little more thrown in.
Chara? Still does what he does, great from the blue line in and PK.
Don’t hate it.
I’d target, Hampshire Lindholm, and Nick Deslouries from Anaheim, and Claude Giroux from the Flyers.
Go all in, for one last hurrah.
Salary cap be damned.
Hampshire? Interesting auto correct.
Prefer those of course SOP, although Pavelski has more playoff experience so him or Claude would be great.
If I am ANA I try to keep Lindholm whether they qualify for playoffs or not. Still think the Ducks will fall behind the AB teams by the time the TDL approaches and the games in hand get played.
Lindholm is exactly the type of big D-Man the B’s need. Really good player IMO.
Gonna cost some assets, big time to load up like that, but hey why not. If you’re gonna go for then go for it.
I would have to think about it carefully, but if I were the Avalanche, I would try to move Sam Girard to the Canadiens for Ben Chiarot or Tyler Toffoli? Either of those two could provide much needed depth maybe on defense or someone that can put the puck in the back of the net during playoff time. There’s others out there too: DeBrusk, Crouse. Love to have Klingburg but that probably won’t happen ever! LOL . GO AVS!!!!!!
Klinberg is unhappy.disrespected might be the right word, can be a candidate for a one for one trade with Montreal for Petry.
Klinberg’s agent, Peter Wallen appears to sign his clients to reasonable contracts, so how much of an increase from $4.2 million does he really want or would settle for?
Might be pie in the sky or win/win.
I haven’t seen much of Klinberg so no eye test on him.
Klingburg could fetch a 1st plus. Petry won’t fetch anything of value unless significant salary is held. I’m starting to think your actually trolling. Dang. And I fell for it.
Subban (sign and trade) for Petry, Montreal gets younger on D 🙂
GP, I could not stop laughing at that suggestion!!!!!
Chrisms….I agree Petry is having an awful year and too much salary on that remaining deal.
If Hextall is going to go bigger Klinberg is worth a shot 4 years younger and he would be insurance if they cant get a deal done in the off season with Letang..
A 1st round pick + Kapanen and whatever else we need to add… good player
P. K. Subban @ $50 % $ 4.5 retained for Jason Zucker.
Subban at that price could anchor our 3rd pair defense at third pair minutes.
both teams shedding a player they don’t seem to want anymore??
Hi BnG
I suggested it before and I am with you again… Zucker for PK (50% retained) is a win win
Pens clear $1 M in Cap this year; $5.5 M next year; and PK in replacing Ruhweedel is a massive improvement to Pens
Devils get a Vet top 6 for next year to mentor their younger line-up. I’ve said all along that Zucker would benefit from a change of scenery… I truly believe his numbers go up elsewhere
At TDL (after accounting for escrow)…. PK still due ~ $340 K…. NJ retaining 50%…. $170 K left….. use a middle team (e.g. Yotes) to take 1/2 again…. Costing Yotes $170 K cash
Last year middle teams were getting 4th rounders for “keeping”/“holding” $225-$250 K
So Zucker and 4th…. Gets PK at $2.25 M clearing $3.25 M in Cap this year… worth it IMHO
Re Klinger… would be a great add… but UFA…. And Burke seems adamant on not giving up 1sts or 2nds unless it helps team this year and beyond
Meant…. $340 K owed
NJ retains 50% …. $170 K
Yotes 50% of that ….. $85 K…. So a 5th rounder more likely
Zucker + 5th, for PK at Cap hit of $2.25…. Net Cap savings of $3.25 M (space for a back-up and depth fwd)
Chrisms,
Pierre LeBrun reports a league source suggested a scenario that the Dallas Stars could become a team with interest in Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry if they move John Klingberg,
LeBrun added the Canadiens are telling teams they don’t have to move Petry, who’s signed through 2024-25. They’re also not moving him at a discount simply because he’s struggling this season.
Elliotte Friedman reports a few teams have indicated they see a Petry move being more likely to occur in the offseason than at the March 21 trade deadline. Despite his difficulties and those of the Canadiens this season, he put up good stats last season and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
You’re entitled to think Petry’s value has fallen and I can disagree
I’ve given you a plethora of examples of Petry’s value and you just keep pointing to this years lack of production.
If anybody is trolling here its you, take it up with LeBrun and Friedman
I missed the part where LeBrun or Friedman use the phrase “one for one”. Could you copy/paste that for us too?
Petry, Caufield, and Romanov, with substantial money held on the former, for Klingberg would get it done. 1 for 1 wouldn’t happen in this lifetime.
lol, talk about trolling
His proposal is closer to reality than yours bub.
What’s with you, Chrisms? Usually you try to be fair with your comments. These past two days you are making yourself look silly with your off base comments.
Case in point re SOP’s suggestion (SOP, man what are you thinking?). If you really think that’s a reasonable trade then maybe pickleball is your sport.
LJ, it’s probably that time of the month
Full moon?
How have I been unfair lj?
Marek and Friedman said that the two most sought after D are Chychrun and Petry.
Capfriendly gives cap/salary on players and looking at RHD, there are 8 players with a cap of $8 million and Klingberg isn’t up there in ppg.
Statistically he’s a good player but slots in at around 6-6.5 in my opinion.
His agent, Peter Wallen got $7 million for Landeskog, $6 million for Brodin, $7.8 million for Hedman.
Klingberg’s ppg has been declining and his +/- has been getting worse.
He’ll get a raise but there is nothing trending in his performance in the last few years to think he’ll be doubling his salary.
We’ll see how it plays out.
That’s beyond laughable … crawl back into your pipe ..
You, Chrisms, should try and actually watch NHL hockey and then make suggestions … then you wouldn’t look so foolish …
Just for you Ed. He’s staring dreamily into your eyes
https://www.google.com/search?q=kasperi+kapanen+and+paige+lorenze&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwie5uTXieL1AhWpGFkFHWCBDj0Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=kasperi+kapanen+&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQARgBMgIIKTIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEOgUIIRCrAjoCCAA6BggAEAgQHjoECAAQGFDCB1jpGmDXOWgAcAB4AIABswGIAboJkgEEMTUuMZgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=swb7Yd7AAamx5NoP4IK66AM&bih=552&biw=375&client=safari&prmd=nisxv#imgrc=baPm6nyBK0rdgM
LOL talking about a fantasy world, Why would Petry even have interest in Dallas? And fat chance of Klingberg signing with Montreal.
who’s trolling now… lol… Petry is more likely to move this offseason and he will fetch a very decent return.
This was in a Sportsnet article on 1/8.
“Back on Oct. 16, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported that Klingberg was looking for a deal worth between $62 to $66 million on an eight-year term.”
@Habfan30
I think the concern with Petry isn’t what he did last year…it’s what he’s done this year and what’s coming for the next 3 years. He’s currently 34. He had a good year last season. This year he’s awful. He’s also sulking…not an attribute worthy of a leader hence they took the “A” from his jersey.
This year he isn’t playing behind Weber. Hes getting tougher match-ups and is being exposed.
Being a 29 year old RHD with a few years left on his deal would be a lot more attractive than a 34 year old with a few more years on his deal. Teams will be very leery about which Petry they’re going to get.
If MTL decides to keep him why would things be different for him next season?
Don’t forget, many contenders would already be tight to the cap and unable to afford to take on a $6.25M player.
Yeah well Marek is wrong, because reports out of Dallas are that John Klingberg is either looking at 8 years $64 million or 8 years $72 million your numbers are way too low.
Don Sweeney generally likes to trade for a player with term; here is some players i think Sweeney might be pursuing.
Brenden Dillon LD Wpg 2yrs 3.9
Carson Soucy LD Sea 1yr 2.75
Ryan Graves Njd LD 1yr 3.1
Scott Mayfield Nyi RD 1yr 1.45
Travis Sanheim Phil ld 1yr 4.675
Vladislav Gavrikov Ld 1yr 2.75
None are ufa’s, but they all have size and most have grit.
Caper, can you add Nemeth to that list?
Like the Dillon idea Caper.
Hi Caper
Best bang for the buck (Cap hit) on your list, IMHO , is Soucy; then Dillon
As a Leafs and Pens fan…. I would prefer that neither end up a Bruin
Sanheim could go in the corner with a carton of eggs and not break any.
I would say that after last night’s meltdown, the only players the Stars should keep are Hintz, Robertson, Heiskanen, (possibly Pavs if he will come back for less, but why would he)…Take Benn, Seguin, Garianov, Ottenger, Holtby, Suter, and get what we can for them.
toronto needs to trade for leadership and someone that doesn’t figure skate—giroux, pavelski but ultimately need a big tough stay at home defenseman
holl and kermit i mean dermott not going to do it
Good idea Lyle in scrubbing ALL the political talk.
I’ll add my earlier trade here.
Colin White and Josh Brown for Jake DeBrusk
Dark G, is White done for the year? Thought he was with the dreaded shoulder surgery.
B’s need someone for this year.
Interesting for the off season though.
He’s skating again, full contact to resume shortly. You’ll get a two week preview before the deadline. I love White, but most fans in Ottawa have written him off. Same draft year as DeBrusk, more or less same spot in the first round. White has more term, we throw in Josh Brown who’s a coaches fave but a trainwreck in his own end. He has the body style to excel in the playoffs though.
(also I think White is from the Boston area)
Ray, the indications are April 1 is a possible return date for White ($4,750,000 per for 3 more years after this) – and he’d likely need 3 or 4 AHL games before he’d even be remotely effective (he can skate now – but there’s been no contact nor will there be for another 1 1/2 months).
Josh Brown ($1.2 mil per) is a UFA at season’s end.
so let me get this straight:
-the owners of the Yotes plan on playing at a college hockey arena next year that sits, at most 5k seats (some of them wooden benches)
-the Yotes owners request additional revenue sharing from the rest of the owners while they play at this tiny arena
-yet the Yotes are telling teams they’ll take on other teams’ bad contract. Sure why not, if those same owners are flipping the bill, why wouldn’t the Yotes want to take on those contract
The Islanders got grief by the league for wanting to play at the Nassau Coliseum, which had a smaller seating capacity than the Brooklyn arena, and a lot less luxury boxes. There was no mention if there will even be luxury boxes at the college arena the Yotes will play
Where is the double standard from the league that they protested the Isles playing in the smaller/older arena but not at the Yotes’ plan?
such hypocracy from the league.
When are they going to realize the NHL can’t survive in Arizona and move to another deserving city ?
Yes mikeP, you have it straight.
Not sure it is hypocrisy by the league or more of an owner thinking he could continue to bully the city of Glendale into signing 1 year deals until they moved the team elsewhere in Arizona. With Bettman’s support to move.
All the while not paying his bills to the same city.
Thought he had all the leverage, the city did the math said enough, we think we can do better without you.
Not sure what Bettman or anyone else could have pulled off in 1 year, turns out not much.
I get the theory of sticking with a team there, but this is an embarrassment for the team, the owner and the league.
How much longer do you wait this out? What if they can’t get the deal done with Tempe?
Would you sign up to do business with this guy and invest big tax $ for the privilege to do it?
Safe to say the T&C’s will matter on this agreement.