NHL Rumor Mill – June 22, 2022

by | Jun 22, 2022 | Rumors | 45 comments

Are the Canucks listening to offers for J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser? What’s the latest on Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Campbell, Marc-Andre Fleury and Martin Necas? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON MILLER AND BOESER

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Vancouver Canucks are interested in listening to offers for J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. Miller, 29, is coming off a career-best 99-point season and is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Boeser is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (NHL Images).

Dreger said there isn’t a Stanley Cup playoff team (including the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning) who wouldn’t consider Miller a good addition. The Canucks aren’t interested in draft picks as they need good young NHL players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin and president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford appear intent on putting their stamp on this team right away, perhaps by retooling with an eye on the shortest possible turnaround. They won’t want offers of castoffs or struggling young players for Miller or Boeser.

Miller will have the best value but Boeser will also draw interest despite his struggles last season as he dealt with injuries, COVID-19 and his father’s declining health. Rutherford has indicated they intend to qualify Boeser’s rights (at a cost of $7.5 million) rather than let him walk away as a UFA.

Those two aren’t the only Canucks who could be shopped this summer. The Province’s Ben Kuzma wondered if they’ll find trade partners for wingers Tanner Pearson and Conor Garland in cost-cutting moves. He pointed out that the Boston Bruins were interested last summer in Garland before the Arizona Coyotes shipped him to the Canucks.

UPDATES ON GAUDREAU, CAMPBELL, FLEURY AND MANSON

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported the Calgary Flames already sent a contract offer to Johnny Gaudreau and there’s been ongoing dialogue between the two sides. He felt it won’t be about money if the 28-year-old left winger departs via free agency on July 13 as the Flames can offer up an extra year.

Chris Johnston reports the Toronto Maple Leafs seemingly haven’t reached out to Jack Campbell and Ilya Mikheyev. There have been ongoing discussions but no numbers offered up yet and no real negotiation. Mikheyev seeks between $4 million to $5 million annually while Campbell could go higher than that depending on the goalie market on July 13.

Darren Dreger said Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin would love to bring back goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to tandem with Cam Talbot for another season. Those talks haven’t started yet as the 37-year-old Fleury just returned from vacation with his family.

LeBrun also reported Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson is expected to hit the UFA market as they’ve got other key free agents such as Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin and Darcy Kuemper to deal with. Manson’s former club, the Anaheim Ducks, would like to speak to him when he hit the open market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everything’s still in the talking stage for most of this summer’s notable unrestricted free agents. With three weeks until the market opens on July 13, there’s still plenty of time for those negotiations to intensify and work out a deal. Nevertheless, the closer we get to that date with those players still unsigned, the more speculation will grow over their respective futures.

COULD THE HURRICANES MOVE NECAS?

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports teams are calling the Carolina Hurricanes about Martin Necas. The promising 23-year-old forward is coming off his entry-level contract and had an inconsistent 40-point performance. LeBrun doesn’t know if the Hurricanes really want to move him but didn’t rule it out if they can get an offer of a good defenseman.







45 Comments

  1. Necas + Bear for Petry (1/2 salary)

      • Thanks Lyle

      • Maybe in Mort’s Pub fantasy league.

      • Lyle, I forgot the sarcasm font.

    • LOL on that one!

    • Johnny Z

      Jeff Petry isn’t waiving for Carolina.

      And Kent Hughes definitely is’t retaining 1/2 on Petry either.

      • Necas for Sandin. Both teams get a promising player that has to be signed. However, Sandin is probably the cheaper brisgw contract of the two.

  2. Not even Necas straight up

    Maybe toss in Gardiner instead of Bear

    • Gardener and necas for petry is an intriguing deal.

  3. Is Mikhayev really worth $4-5M a season?

    He shows flashes being a top forward but hasn’t been able to stick at 2LW on a Leafs team that’s thin at that position.

    At $1.65M he’s a good value…at $4M he’s likely to be a disappointment.

    • Stone hands Daryl, the guy can skate but he can’t finish.

      I am not a Leafs fan but i watched enough game to see him in on the goalie alot and doesnt seem to finish barely at all.

      To me that spells a 2.5mil yr player if he wants more trade his rights if anyone wants them.

      • Who’d be dumb enough to give up anything for his rights? Everyone knows he’s history in Toronto. And what does he have to lose by going through the UFA process and, if he receives offers – he most certainly will since 21 goal scorers don’t grow on trees – he can then choose the best option for himself. I think everyone realizes that as well, so obtaining his rights amounts to zilch.

    • If he wants 4-5M, good luck to him. No surprise that there has been no calls made by the Leafs management to his representatives.

    • Daryl

      If he is Debrusk at 4 million is a steal.

    • Daryl

      If he is Debrusk at 4 million is a steal.

    • mikey is junk—gets easy goals and points–and looks dumb doing it

      • Only because they can no longer have him on the cheap. Once they join the Leafs they’re the best thing since sliced bread … when they leave they’re junk. ‘Twas ever thus in LeafLand and will never change.

        Some said the same sort of thing about Nick Paul. Here he is a vital cog in the TB reaching the finals.

        Similar things were said about many of these ex-Leafs who nevertheless all went on to a Cup elsewhere – and were instrumental in the wins: Kaberle, Andreychuk, Damphousse, Kessel, McDonald, Bozak, Verhaeghe, McElhinney, Schenn, Gunnarsson, Steen

  4. Over the years Lyle you must have seen some out there proposals…..some might have been mine….hockey fans love their teams first….the game second….unless they are Leaf fans who manage on the whole not to be biased.

    • Leafs fans not bias? Did I miss something or is my sarcasm radar way off?

      • Hi Starsfan

        Reasonably sure OBD was blasting out the sarcasm re us Leafs fans

  5. I don’t know much about Martin Necas. Could he be a decent replacement for Kane on the Oilers? Necas has some decent size, does he have good speed, hands, and physical play?
    Would the Canes be tempted with Barrie and one of Samorukov or Niemelainen?

  6. Necas would be a risk to aquire depending on what they want in return.

    Most likely they would want to attach gard or bears contract to the deal.

    Maybe arizona for any dman not named chychrun(sp)

    • Necas for Zadina, both could use a change of scenery.

  7. Seem like any player from the New England area gets associated to Boston, more specifically to Don Sweeney.

    NO Boston should have zero interest in Conor Garland.

    With just over $2m they shouldn’t have interest in anyone

    They don’t have money as of now to resign Bergy.

    • Caper

      Sweeney going to have to do some moving and shaking this off season either if 37 comes back or doesn’t. Real tough off season to navigate for Bruins.

  8. What is Carolina going to pay Necas and what does he want considering Kotkaniemi is signed for $$4.82 milion.

    His disappointing season was statistically better and Carolina doesn’t/can’t pay him.

    • Necas wants KK money and is a RFA and offer was around 3.5m so he’s out with bigger fish to sign.

  9. So DeBoer for the next 4 years? Should i be concerned? Is this the guy that can get Benn and Seguin back to their old form, or is Jamie Benn a really expensive checking line center? Is DeBoer locker room cancer and very devisive? Is he the type to bring up Logan Stankonov, Wyatt Johnson and Maverick Borque or let them sit in the kids league, even though all 3 were MVP’s of their respective leagues ? What does everyone think?

    • I personally think you are going to regret having him as coach and I am hoping he proves me wrong. If you look at his history he was brought in with stronger teams in SJ and NJ but after successful first seasons it would go downhill and he never really elevated Vegas when he got there. I do thank the Stars for hiring him so that he didn’t become the Wings coach, I would have screaming to have Blashill back.

      • I wouldn’t blame DeBoer for the Golden Knights issues. That team is on the decline because of the poor cap management. He was just made the scapegoat.
        As per Cap Friendly, the Knights have 16 players signed and are over the cap by $2 million. Once they put Weber on LTIR they will have about $5 million to sign 6 players.

      • HAHA, I wasn’t too much of a Bowness fan, (a bit too player friendly), but I hear ya about not wanting DeBoer for the Wings…I kinda feel the same way…I was hoping that there might be an outside shot that they bring back Montgomery or Steve Ott, since he’s done a great job with the Blues. Or both as a head coach and asst coach.

    • Well, he has brought two teams to Stankey Cup finals in his fist year, so there is that. I actually have met him a few times in NJ at his son’s games back when he was coaching here. Real nice guy, really down to earth and family oriented. He seems to get his team going the first few years, but eventually start grating with players. So there is a shelf life. So if you think Dallas is close it’s a good hire. If you are thinking it’s close to rebuilding then not so much.

      • Lol. Better shelf-life than Tortorella!

    • I think DeBoer as a more defensive coach could work in Dallas, thats why Vegas never made any sense in the first place

      No one can make Benn or Seguin good again

  10. When is the talk of the Flyers adjusting roster to fit their new coach? Kevin Hayes might not have any career years with Torts there-but who would trade for his contract @7+mil?
    JT Miller seems like a Flyer….

    • Hayes would be all right if he could stay healthy.
      Maybe you could package JVR and Provorov to the Wings for Erne and Walman. That is $11M of cap clearing.

      • I would not trade Provorov and he could shine with Torts.
        Hayes the concern is how he would play for Torts?
        Canes would use JVR in front of the net on the PP.

  11. With Paul Maurice being hired in Florida, I think Brunette would be a good fit with the young players in Detroit, at least give him a shot. Either Brunette is a great coach or the Panthers didn’t need a coach all year.

    • Apparently they need one when it counted most.

      • Could be their thinking, and maybe they wanted to get Maurice before someone else did, one of those “get our guy” kind of things. I just feel it was a short leash given that Brunette kept them rolling after what happened with Quenneville.

      • Furthermore, I attribute being swept by the defending champs not to the coaches alone, but to growing pains for a club primed to contend for several years yet.

      • Being beaten 4-2 or 4-3 maybe I could agree that it was due to “growing pains.” Swept 4 straight while being outscored 14-3 indicates a complete lack of preparation by the coaching staff.

    • I thiught Brunette was outcoached badly by Cooper in the playoffs.

  12. Brunette was not terrible overall but out coached against TBay. Wasn’t even close really . I said it before it started
    ‘ beware of the presidents trophy winner”
    Boeser needs a change of scenery and J.T. should stay. Boeser may be the type of player the Sens should look at. If they don’t make Dman a priority