Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – February 27, 2022
Check out the latest on the Bruins, Hurricanes and Leafs in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.
BRUINS
THE BOSTON GLOBE: Kevin Paul Dupont believes the Bruins still look vulnerable on defense, especially on the left side. Jakob Chychrun could address that problem but the cost of acquiring the 23-year-old Arizona Coyotes defenseman will be expensive.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).
Dupont wondered if Bruins general manager Don Sweeney could convince Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong to take a flier on winger Jake DeBrusk but it will take much more to pry Chychrun away from the Coyotes. They could ask for top defense prospect Mason Lohrei or Brandon Carlo with his attractive contract with a $4.1 million annual average value.
John Klingberg is a proven offensive blueliner but the 29-year-old Dallas Stars rearguard is older than Chychrun and a right-hand shot. He’s also slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss suggests DeBrusk’s recent improvement could boost his trade value. It’s unlikely he’ll fetch a quality defenseman or middle-six forward on his own but he could be bundled with other assets to make a move for an upgrade.
Goss also wondered if the Bruins should consider bringing back Phil Kessel. The 34-year-old winger began his NHL career in Boston. He’s now a pending UFA and is expected to be shopped by the Coyotes before the March 21 trade deadline. Goss cites an anonymous NHL executive recently telling The Athletic the Coyotes are seeking a third-rounder and are willing to retain half of Kessel’s $6.8 million cap hit. If that’s the case, Goss suggests the Bruins seriously consider that move.
THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa considers rental players such as Kessel, Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux and Seattle’s Mark Giordano to be “unlikely pickups” for the Bruins. He points out many of Sweeney’s previous trade deadline acquisitions, such as Taylor Hall and Charlie Coyle, were either players with terms remaining on their contracts or those willing to sign contract extensions with the Bruins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have just over $5 million in trade deadline cap space so I anticipate Sweeney will be in the market for that top-four left-side defenseman or middle-six forward. Pursuing someone like Chychrun would fit into his habit of adding players with term remaining on their contracts but, as Dupont observed, the asking price will be steep. It’s believed the Coyotes seek a first-round, a top prospect and a good young NHL player.
DeBrusk could be packaged into a deal for Chychrun but I don’t see the Bruins being able to outbid other clubs with more tradeable assets. Bear in mind the Coyotes aren’t under any pressure to trade Chychurn, who’s signed through 2024-25. They can wait until the offseason if they don’t get any suitable offers by March 21.
HURRICANES
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock suggests the time has come for the Carolina Hurricanes to decide if they’ll bolster their lineup for the playoffs or stand pat at the trade deadline.
DeCock believes the Hurricanes need a top-four defenseman who can skate alongside Jaccob Slavin. While Tony DeAngelo has filled that role and played well this season, that pairing cannot be protected in playoff games on the road against the likes of Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov or Florida’s Aleksander Barkov.
Hurricanes GM Don Waddell acknowledged adding another defenseman would be nice but he also pointed out his club has limited salary-cap space. They’re already above the salary cap by over $1 million but that doesn’t prorate like regular cap space. There’s also the question of return. They don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft and Waddell said the Hurricanes will almost certainly not part with their 2023 first-rounder. He could also be hesitant to part with his top prospects.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t rule out the possibility of Waddell making a move to bolster his blueline. Based on DeCock’s report, however, it’s not going to be easy. He could end up making a depth addition if he’s unwilling to move his 2023 first-rounder, top prospects or anyone from his roster to land an impact player.
LEAFS
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t in any position to rush sidelined defenseman Jake Muzzin back into the lineup. They’re telling teams if he’s healthy enough to return before the end of the season, they’re not going to hold him out of the lineup before the playoffs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs placed Muzzin (concussion) on long-term injury reserve. That would enable them to exceed the salary cap by the equivalent of his $5.625 million cap hit to bring in a replacement. However, the Leafs would have to become cap compliant if Muzzin returns before the end of the regular season.
By the sound of things, the Leafs don’t intend to approach the trade deadline with the assumption Muzzin won’t return before the playoffs. They’ll have to find another way to create sufficient salary cap space if they intend to make a significant addition by the trade deadline.
No way bruins are trading Carlo to create a huge hole on the right side. To fill a hole on the left side
Agreed, makes no sense. Create a new problem while addressing an old one.
Why not?Carlo is at best a no. 4 defensemen who kills penalties.If you get a no. 2 to play with Mcavoy that will take minutes away from their other defensemen which is good.All the other they have can fill Carlo s void.6,28,48,75,27.58, and they can trade or sign a veteran defensemen to add to the mix at the deadline for a 4,5,6,7 round pick.Those guys are always available on deadline day.
Carlo is a solid 3. And not going anywhere of all those d men you mentioned only 75 is RD. And he is a 7th d man
The Toronto Maple Leafs can score, what they cannot do is stop a puck. One metric Leafs management is not too happy about is their goaltending is dead last in the league since the start of December in 5 vs 5 save percentage.
What can the Leafs do to solve this problem? They have a few options:
The Toronto Maple Leafs can let Petr Mrazek play the next few weeks and see if he can provide some stable goaltending by playing on a consistent basis.
The popular opinion among Maple Leaf fans is to make a Marc-Andre Fleury trade. Fleury does have a no-move clause and would he want to come to Toronto? Can the Leafs afford his contract? They can if Jake Muzzin stays on LTIR for rest of the season. If not, they need another option.
That option is to look at another goalie, which could be New York Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov.
Leafs need 1 or 2 defenseman even more than an upgrade in the net.
for the past 5 years this has been the issue. But their stubborn Romper Room GM thinks he knows all. “I shall outscore them!!”….ya…until the playoffs bozo. The goalie you HAD is going to win the vezina this year. Why? because he has competent defense. F.Anderson was never the issue. The GM was and IS.
@Ken
Agreed that the Leafs goaltending hasn’t been great since the new year. However, MAF 2.80GAA numbers are worse than Campbell’s 2.49 GAA so is there any point?
They could use a defenceman that moves guys away from the front of the net so the goalies get a better look at pucks.
Their goaltending is their biggest question mark at the moment
Ken, you may disagree with me but the Leafs had a #1 goalie and let him walk due to cap restraints. They thought they would be able to turn Campbell into a #1 even though his history didn’t dictate that.
I know we beat this to death but the construction of this team will just never allow the weakness to be addressed.
I can actually see it getting worse as Taveras gets older and his skills erode not to mention you can now add Reilly to the list next year when he starts making 7.5 million.
I am not a leaf fan but can see the total incompetence in roster construction that has not been addressed by ownership.
How did the Habs pull “2” unknown brands out of the wood work and make it click
Hamburger , previous Senator , 1 now , I never heard of !
Leafs need a genie in a bottle , find a solution like that !
Easier said than done ..
Yes, I think the Leafs were prepared to offer Campbell an absurd amount of money , what a disaster that would of been ..
Maybe it’s life in a fishbowl , playing in Toronto …
Anderson felt the pressure , Campbell has “caved”
I don’t know the answer
Flames have Markstrom , “How Sweet It Is “ to be a Flames fan right now !
Rutherford has Demko in Vancouver , he can build from the goal – Out , as Vliff Fletcher would say !
Shame on Waddell if he doesn’t add, the Canes are built to win it all right now .. if you don’t go for it now then when will you?
sure sounds like that Kotnakiemi contract may prevent Waddell from having the cap space to acquire a needed player at the deadline.
How is that signing working out so far ?
mikeP. Are you a Habs fan? How is losing your 21 year old, 3rd overall pick working out in Montreal? Dead last in the league. I’d say Carolina doesn’t need to do much. They’re 2nd best team in league so I’d guess it’s working out pretty good. Kotkaniemi has 22 points, which would be good for 2nd in Montreal.
Slick62
Kotkaniemi hasn’t improved the Hurricanes nor has he weakened the Habs this season.
Are you disagreeing that having $6.1 tied up in KK might stand in the way of signing a D-man?
Now now, Slick. Your comment is thus no accurate retort to Mike’s point about KK, whose presence or absence in Montreal is meaningless, such is the mess in Montreal this year.
It is meaningful for the Canes, as 6 million for 22 points ties up a significant amount of cap space that could otherwise be available for a more productive forward, a better d, or possibly both.
The Habs are lousy without Kotkaniemi this year. I somehow believe they wouldn’t be any better with him. The Canes are solid with him. They’d be solid without him too.
Habs fan. I’m disagreeing that Carolina needs to do anything. Try to be objective. You can’t point to 1 player and say he tilts his teams chances good or bad. There was no reason for mikeP to bring Kotkaniemi into conversation. He’s not keeping them from adding a rental anymore than any other player on that roster. Adding him in off season with his upside is probably better than any move they could make at deadline.
You can point to any number of moves Montreal made to be in cap hell. I’m sure they didn’t draft Kotkaniemi just to lose him because they couldn’t fit him. At end of day I’m betting Canes are happier where they’re at more so than Habs.
Slick, this isn’t a big deal for me, and I don’t feel defensive about KK. He’s gone and he’s not coming back.
You say:
“He’s not keeping them from adding a rental anymore than any other player on that roster.”
How can the 6 million committed to him not be an impediment to adding to their roster, particularly when his performance is mediocre? Their current projected cap space is 0. Not a typo: zero.
The Canes are a good team. Of course they would be better if they upgraded. Why do you think so many teams add players around the trade deadline?
Howard… Lousy without Kotkaniemi or without Price, Weber, Edmunsdon etc etc ?
As for Slick62, Kotkaniemi would never have been a no 3 overall if it wasn’t of the Habs urge to find a center. As far as I can remember Galchenyuk was also a number 3
A bit of bad will here
BTW I am not Mike P. 😉 Yet I am a Habs fan
Chara would be a cheap add and solid 3rd pair for Canes
Ed I agree that the Hurricanes are built to win but is it right now? Maybe management thinks there still a year or 2 away from the big prize. I think you have to take the market into consideration also. Do they want a very good team for the next 10 years or a great team for 3? I don’t know the market or the fan base. It is a business after all and making money by selling tickets for the next 10 years is a nice business plan. I just don’t think you can compare there market to Toronto or another huge fan based city.
Me yesterday:
Ron Jull on February 26, 2022 at 12:42 pm
I would think the Leafs focus would be on adding a minute eating physical #3 or 4 defenceman or an upgrade in goal before trying to add Miller.
Torontos issues are from the blueline back and if Dubas fails to improve the roster there it will likely cost him his and Keefes jobs should the Leafs fail to advance come playoff time.
After last nights performance how could anyone disagree?
BINGO !
But , The 5 Million Dollar Question ?
Who do you bring in ,tweak the lineup and take the Leafs to the Final Dance
@Ron Jull and Ken
It does seem that Toronto’s Jack Campbell has lost some of his confidence.
My question would be who is available that would be an upgrade in net? MAF and Varlamov have been mentioned but their numbers aren’t any better than Campbell’s.
I do think another physical defence ban would be ideal in Toronto to help clear tte congestion in front of their net. Far too many times this season there is an opposing player between the Leafs D and goalie.
A big guy like Soucy from SEA might be available? He’s also signed for another year at $2.75M so not strictly a rental. Would a combination of a 2022 1st and Holl get this done?
Mayfield from NYI is another big defenseman that may be available? Mayfield is also signed for next season at $1.45M. Would a 2nd and Dermott get this player?
Those two would definitely be un upgrade in the size and physicality department in TOR.
TOR pairings would look like this…
Rielly – Brodie
Soucy – Lyubushkin
Sandin- Mayfield
When Muzzin comes back they may be able to squeeze him back into the lineup without too much cap gymnastics.
If Carolina wants to free cap space, they should consider trading Kotkaniemi and his 6milli.
To who Ron Francis? I know there have been dumb GMs doing weird stuff in the past – but this guy – who is averaging 0.38 pts per game over his 219 games played – is an RFA this summer coming off a $6,100,035 cap hit! Is he going to seek a raise? And if a team won’t give him one, how much lower would he be willing to play for next season? And for how long a term? He certainly hasn’t shown himself to have any kind of longer-term investment promise.
In this age of the flat cap, anyone seeking a C for depth would, as a pure example, be far better off trading for pending UFA C Chris Tierney who has averaged 0.41 pts per game over his 542 games played and costs just over half of Kotkaniemi ‘s hit.
I can’t think of one team that would take Kotkaniemi in any sort of deal and then expose themselves to some significant acrimonious contract negotiations. Carolina will likely not even qualify him – then he and his agent are on their own to seek some face-saving deal elsewhere.
Ouch, George but yes. And isn’t Carolina obligated to offer a minimum amount on next year’s contract based on his 6 million this year?
LJ, the killer is, he doesn’t yet have arbitration rights so Carolina doesn’t have the option of just walking away from whatever an arbitrator deems appropriate. Not sure about Carolina being obligated to offer a minimum amount. Does that mean something just north of his current $6.1 mil? Or something significantly lower? Maybe someone can elaborate.
What is Vegas going to do with Martinez? Is he coming back? Stone? Pacioretty is hurt and missed yesterdays game. Vegas has lost 5 of last 6 and are about to drop below the cutoff line for playoffs. I don’t think they can keep up this sham of juggling guys on ltir. If they don’t make some moves at deadline they risk missing playoffs.
Just think if. MB. Drafted best player vs position of need. Habs would have Brady Tkachuk
Not the best take,Mrbruin4. Especially with the 2015 draft and Sweeney’s great track record. I’m not a Sweeney hater but that was tough, even if he was listening to the scouts.
One has nothing to do with the other
Ok Habs fans, something to consider. A Habs supporting website is pushing for the team to make a run at getting Chychrun. I would imagine that this would obviously assume that Petry will be traded. And such trades likely won’t happen till just before the draft.
Word is the Yotes want a first round pick, a top prospect and a young NHL ready player.
Would you go for a package of the lower of their 2 first rounders, Kaiden Guhle and Jesse Ylonen/Ryan Poehling? I wouldn’t, am not keen on giving up Guhle. I think he’s that good. But what do you all think?
If we can substitute Harris or Norlinder for Guhle I might go for it, but I don’t think it’ll be enough. The Yotes would want a teams top D prospect. And no way I’d give up the top 5 pick. Notwithstanding the recent win streak, if the Habs play at a .700 pace the rest of the way, they end up with 74 points. In 2018-19, the latest 82 game season, that would have left them tied for4thworst. So it will be a top 5.
Adding Chychrun by himself will not move the needle in Montreal. Guhle is, IMO, untouchable.
Instead of a trade for Chychrun, I would see if Chiarot can be signed for less than the 4.6 million Chychrun gets, and save the picks and prospects. If Chiarot doesn’t want to re-sign, take what he can bring in a trade.
Why do the Habs need Chychrun?
He’s a LD which happens to be the strong prospect side of the team.
The weaker Right side would be even more depleted by losing Petry.
Nils Lundkvist is the type o guy the Habs should be looking or imho.
@Howard
Ryan Poehling has very little trade value. He’s neither a top prospect or young NHL ready player.
Now, how does MTL offer this 1st round pick? They’re in 31st place so this years pick is going to be a top 5 pick….possibly 1st overall. It would carry much more weight than a 1st round pick that goes in the teens or low 20’s.
Where MTL could get creative is offering ARZ a 1st pick (top2 protected) a very good prospect, and a UFA that ARZ could turn into another 1st pick like Chiarot. That way ATZ gets two 1st round picks for Chychrun just one from Montreal and one from another team.
To ARZ: 2022 1st pick MTL top two protected, Kaiden Guhle, Ben Chiarot
To MTL: Jacob Chychrun
To BOS: Chiarot, Crouse
To ARZ : 2022 1st round pick. DeBrusk
Whatcha think?
So you are saying Chychrun is effectively worth three first round picks?
Do you realize that three first round picks fall somewhere in between the compensation for an 8 and 10 milion dollar player, were this an offer sheet deal?
Why do you think Chychrun is worth two first rounders to Montreal, including Guhle?
Daryl, what I think is that you don’t like the Canadiens lol
Daryl
Your earlier remark on Campbell’s Avg is better than MAF
Not true
Campbell’s recent avg is over 4.38 … He’s totally lost it
MAF is a steady 2,68 , something like that
Campbell’s earlier avg prior to December last year was less than 2.00
Playing in the fishbowl in t.o. Can take its toll on Toronto players…
I wouldn’t go for Chychrun, he is young yes but expensive both ways, monetarily and assets wise. We have a good pool of young defensemen waiting to come up like Guhle, Mailloux, Norlinder and Harris that will join Romanov. He’s having a very good season but that doesn’t make a career. I’d leave him for the Bruins or Leafs
Btw, please don’t start with Mailloux, he did everything he had to do. He made an awful mistake, teenager mistake.
@Mike Pilon
No denying that I do not like the Canadiens.
I don’t really think that they’re in on Chychrun. The question is are they rebuilding or are they going to re-tool?
Chychrun is a known commodity in the NHL. He’s cost controlled for the next 3 seasons.
Kaiden Guhle was drafted 16th overall…may be, may not be a good player in the NHL? He’s likely a year or two away from full time NHL duty. Again…are they rebuilding or retooling? Chychrun was also drafted 16th overall.
Until MTL figures out what happens with Price they’re going to be in trouble.
Weber is all but retired. Petry wants out. Chiarot is a UFA. That’s 3 of their top D men…they need guys that can play now.
Howard. I think Habs fans love their team more than any other team in the league. And I would add for natural historic reasons. But I also think it clouds their judgement.
Beyond a very high draft pick, the statistics say these players won’t dominate.. Both Chychun and Guhle were 17 th picks. One proved to buck the statistics and is now a valuable asset due to his contract. The other is a maybe. Maybe like Caufield he will not win the rookie of the year contract.
OBD, nice to hear from you.
Re fan loyalty, are the Leaf fans not equally committed? Perhaps more so? There have been (non-covid) times when the Bell center attendance has been at less than capacity due to poor play. I might be wrong as I don’t watch Leaf games, but I cannot recall their games starting with empty seats.
Re Guhle: agreed, a prospect is just that until we see how he does against NHL talent. But let’s not take away a sliver of optimism from us Habs fans, given the epic dumpster fire in Montreal. It has been our winter of discontent.
OBD,
Hab fans should/are pretty realistic in the judgement of the team and players.
Historically the Habs have moved/traded star players off when they are past the best before date.
Lafleur, Shutt, Robinson,Savard, Lapointe didn’t finish their careers in Montreal.
In fact I believe the Habs need/should keep Petry and re-sign Chiarot to mentor the next crop of young D who may or not make it.
I’ve seen too many sure things not make it.
Old Blue Dog, actually I didn’t see a Habs fan write that let’s say Chiarot was worth a 1st rounder, that Lehkonen was worth a 1st rounder, we said they might fetch 1st rounders. You know because of the trade deaddline where some DGs go crazy and pay a lot to try to go as far as they can.
Also there are these guys that probably don’t have the hockey knowledge you have that kind of make us optimistic, What are their names ? Oh yes ! A LeBrun, a Dreger and a Friedman… Guess they’re all fools we shouldn’t get excited ! 😉
By DGs I meant GMs… Sorry, confusing my french and english lol
I would think all real hockey fans Have pink lenses when they look at their team making the team better and their players worth more then what they actually are in others eyes. Then some fans hate their team gm is no good players are no good trade and fire everyone. Then if they do. They complain the team stinks. Gm job is very hard and you have to be somewhat short sighted because your job is never really secure unless you are winning
mr. mcbruin has spoken! You’ll have to excuse mr b the twinkle in his eyes is actually the sun shining between his ears. The bruins need to add and add quickly they need a no 2 centre and a GOOD left shot d without em they’re swimming in quick sand.
Bruins need nothing they are built to win now what did they give up last night on the road like 6 shots? Like I’ve said before in a 7 game series against anyone I bet on Marchand and Bergeron all day every day.
That’s your opinion not mine. You and mr Bruin must have been Siamese twins separated at birth. You two seem to agree on everything.
RWM
Mr 1/2 empty. If Sweeney pulls a massive trade you be the 1st to crap over him and the team if they do not hoist the cup blaming him for going all in… So do all us real Bruin fans a favor and cheer for someone else
Debrusk has been playing with Marchand and Bergeron of late. Because of improved play or show casing ? It will take a lot to get Chychrun at this trade deadline.
Stone will be out until the playoffs begin. They just might not start for the Knights.
It will take the rest of the year to confirm but I believe Eichel isn’t the saviour in the desert . Or is that dessert
LJ…Just finished by Sun am walk with 2 Hab fans. One wearing his Hab sweater inherited from his bother the other drove up in his car with the liscence plate OT Habs….I have 5 grandsons 3 of whom have committed the penulimate sin and are Habs fan.
I think the Habs have more than a sliver of hope. But based on what is already there not 17 th pick. When Ryan Poeling got a hat trick in his first game which was a non touch last game of the season, some of these guys had in pencilled in for 25 goals the next year.
What I mean by what is already there. Gorton will be a great CEO ( whatever) based on track record. St Louis will have crediblity in the room. Don’t know enough about the GM. But I suspect the strength of that team and a renewed ownership attitude will be great. Too much hope on a 17 th pick could easily do more harm than good.
Ace in the hole for the Habs. If Price comes back well he has the potential to be MVP quality in the most important position.
Excpecting too much from Caulfield and Guhle could be harmful. Both could do with significant AHL time I suspect.
Committed the ultimate sin by being a Habs fan? LOL.
You think that’s bad, we have two Bruins fans at family gatherings. But our family had one bride convert to the Habs on her wedding day: she got lots of presents. She was also inducted into the Mensa society.
LJ
All. Hockey fans rule. Except fly by night band wagon fans
I hope the groom got a prenup if she is that loosy goosy. And without bandwagon fans the nhl collapses.
Carlo and DeBrusk for The Nurse …. Really not good at this but
Compared to mr mcbruin you’re an expert Joe, Mr B would fit in perfectly with Sweeney & the rest of his yes men.Do nothing say noting the world is fine
RWM. The more you type the less you say. Lol. Probably do not even know how to skate
Cheer for the yotes. You deserve each other
No way Joe! Bruins can’t afford two RD at 9mil+ ea.
Nurse would be one who’s the other ?
11m for JT is the Leafs real problem. Cap strung ever since.
Exactly Gordie
I didn’t like it when the deal went down…
41 million dollar cap hit for their core “4” and 41 million dollars left to sign the remainder of their roster !!
16 players
Dubas isn’t going to own up to this disaster !
A new GM will , and buy him out , do something … The core they have is not working
Matthews , YES
Bingo ! You hit the nail on the head Gordie. I was at the TML/DRW game last Saturday. In a game that Toronto put up 10 goals, JT managed to avoid putting up even one point. He was pretty much invisible for the entire game, except while skating to the sin bin after taking a needless and amateurish tripping penalty. What a waste of $11M !
As in Matthews , I mean , he is a keeper – Obviously
Taylor Hall and Jake Debrusk have a combined 57 points and make around 10 million combined. Benn and Tyler Seguin combined have 57 points and make around 20 million LoL. Sweeney is a genius Rick move along maybe watch curling your in over your head.
Boston needs one or two d/maen that can movbe the puck, one for each side, RD for Sure?
2 RD that are 99% avalable
Phillys Rasmus Ristolainen, UFA
Oilers Tyson Barrie, as young Bouchard has taken his spot
Dont think Boston can afford LD man Chychrun is effectively worth 1st & 2nd & very good young d/man prospect and ..?
Boston wont give up that much and DeBrusk is a bust at $4.3 +Million!!
if the Maple Leafs get Blowen out in the First Round again….!! This year Dubas is fired before the AM daily newspaper come out..
Lucky they dont play boston in the forst round
Leafs are in ral distress and Keefe and Dubas need to play Mrazek and Woll for at hleast the next two weeks. I don’t get Keefe’s coacing-they needed a time out after 7-4! As for adding a d-man..where do they get what they need? Chiarot is not the answer unless the questions is “who is slow and overcommits? Dubas, Keefe and Shanny all gone by August?
In hindsight, nobody expected Andersen to sign for less than what he was making prior to being a UFA. At 3.8 million he’d be an upgrade for the same price tag as Mrazek who has proven to be questionable.
In my view, Campbell is the real deal. They need a competent backup. Lyubushkin was a great pick up. They need a few more defensemen like him, team commitment to playing without the puck and two more Matt Martin type of players.