NHL Rumor Mill – July 30, 2022
Check out the latest on Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin plus a look at some potential Canadiens’ salary-cap casualties in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
NO TRADE DISCUSSIONS FOR PATRICK KANE
THE ATHLETIC’s Mark Lazerus took to Twitter citing a source saying the Chicago Blackhawks have had “NO discussions with any teams involving Patrick Kane.” He believes there are probably “plenty of teams” interested in the 33-year-old winger, “but nothing is happening”.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks beat writer Jay Zawaski quickly swatted down a rumor floating around yesterday claiming they were engaged in trade talks with several teams and the Dallas Stars were among them. Earlier this month, speculation linked Kane to the Edmonton Oilers before that one died away.
Like Lazerus, I don’t doubt that there are contenders with an interest in Kane. He’s in the final year of his contract, the Blackhawks are rebuilding, and he might not be keen to be part of that process.
Kane’s contract, however, will be difficult to move. He’s carrying a $10.5 million cap hit plus a full no-movement clause.
In actual salary, Kane’s earning $6.9 million, of which the Blackhawks have already paid out $4 million as a signing bonus. Nevertheless, they’ll probably have to retain perhaps up to half of Kane’s cap hit to facilitate a trade. That’s why some observers expect he’ll be moved closer to next season’s trade deadline. His movement clause and the Blackhawks’ asking price will also limit the potential destinations.
COULD PANARIN WAIVE HIS NO-MOVEMENT CLAUSE?
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Arthur Staple was asked if New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury would trade Artemi Panarin if the winger agreed to waive his no-movement clause.
Staple believes Drury would be interested in moving Panarin under that scenario but doesn’t expect it will happen. He anticipates the winger’s hefty contract would make him difficult to move. “It would either be a swap of bad contracts or just a massive salary dump by the Rangers,” he writes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In June, Staple cited sources claiming Drury was unhappy over Panarin’s postseason performance. He speculated the winger could seek a trade if the rift persisted.
Then as now, there’s no indication that Panarin wants out or that Drury wants to move him. I’m not doubting the veracity of Staple’s sources. Perhaps there is tension between the two behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, Staple makes a good point about Panarin’s contract making him tough to move. I wouldn’t hold my breath anticipating a big trade involving him.
CANADIENS’ COST-CUTTING CANDIDATES
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently examined some potential cost-cutting candidates for the Canadiens. Despite shipping out Shea Weber’s contract and sending Jeff Petry to Pittsburgh for Mike Matheson, the Habs are still pressed against the $82.5 million cap for the coming season.
Christian Dvorak was D’Amico’s top candidate, citing the frequency in which the 26-year-old center has surfaced in trade speculation this summer. Joel Armia and Mike Hoffman are his other trade possibilities.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has had a busy summer making moves to free up salary-cap space. Dvorak could draw the most interest given his age and reasonable $4.45 million cap hit through 2023-24. If Hughes is going to move him, the coming season is his best opportunity. Dvorak’s eight-team no-trade list kicks in next summer.
Anything can happen and pundits like Marco D’Amico keep beating the drum on Dvorak without any real rhyme or reason.
After a slow start he reached his career level,
He’s young.
He has a team friendly contract.
He has by far the best faceoff % on the team.
He’s exactly the centre the Habs need. to grow with.
Dvorak seems better suited to a 3C than a 2C, and his contract is about right for that role.
Not sure team friendly, more like fair or reasonable as Lyle said above.
Maybe his name comes up because he would be a guy you could trade easier than some of the other guys like Dadonov that make some $. You would get a decent return because his contract is fair and he has value as a player.
If Price isn’t coming back, no need to move anybody. Kinda need to get that answer before making a big decision on a guy like Dvorak.
Ray, I am not sure you watched Dvorak or the Habs much last year (who could blame you).
Dvorak is a legit 2C. He had an injury filled season on a disastrously bad team last year, and he played in a new to him conference. It sometimes takes players a season to adjust to a new style of play. Witness PLD in the Peg.
Remember that the Habs are taking a flyer on Dach this year so they need a reliable centre behind Suzuki.
4.5 million for a 2C is a deal these days.
Habs fan, and I am in the middle of you two, LJ & Ray.
I think Dvorak is a 3C on a contender, a decent 2C on a bad team (which the Habs currently are)
He’s a great fit to hold the 2C duties until an even better 2C/1C shows up and plays for a season or two, allowing Dvorak to slide down the lineup
As habfan30 adds, his f/o% is excellent, which Habs have needed for years
I can see why he’s a trade candidate: Because people actually want him at his cap hit – as opposed to Hoffman, Gallagher, etc – but I think it would be a mistake to let him go. He fits the Habs’ plan perfectly right now
The Dach unknown is fair LJ, but count me in the believer camp with him.
I think is a couple years we will be talking about how the Habs stole him.
Unless his injury still hampers him of course.
Watched some habs, not a lot, so will go with you guys on Dvorak. Paddy’s explanation seems good iMO.
Habs still need to move cap space … Price on LTIR leaves Habs able to sign Dach and pick up a defenceman but restricts flexibility in-season and whatever amount of the potential $5+M in ELC bonuses get earned is deferred to next season when the team may actually want to add useful players.
Habfan, I agree 100%. Dvorak is going nowhere right now unless Hughes gets blown away with a ridiculous offer. If he is traded, the Habs NHL center depth would consist of the young veteran Nick Suzuki, Jake Evans, who is a 4th liner and Kirby Dach, who will be trying to reach the next level after a slow start to his career. Trading away Dvorak would increase the pressure somewhat on Suzuki and a whole lot on Dach. Hughes will not let this happen. This is just D’Amico trying to make himself heard.
Am I the only one who wishes it was mid-September and camps were starting up?
Hoo ya … this is the time of year when “reaching” described the content of most – if not all – media articles covering hockey.
Dvorak back to ARZ for picks? ARZ is still under the cap floor
MikeP, Arizona has 2 rfa including Lawson Crouse to resign.
According to capfriendly.com they don’t have a backup goaltender sign.
Once everyone is signed they’ll meet the capfloor. At the point they’ll be doing their basement bargain shopping. Looking for contracts that come with a good prospect or draft picks.
mikeP, the Coyotes currently sit just $1,556,734 under next season’s cap floor of $61 mil.
Their two RFAs yet to be finalized are Lawson Crouse (20g 14a 34 pts in 65gp), coming off a cap hit of $1,533,333 and with arbitration rights, and Barrett Hayton (10g 14a 24 pts in 60gp), coming off an ELC of $894,167.
Even at their expired hits they’d be over the floor comfortably, so when both get new deals – and they will – they will be well above the floor.
So, any trades they might make will not be with reaching the floor in mind.
Crouse alone will get around 5mil per, wish he was on the flyers hes the type of player you need to win cups. Hard working player with goal scoring talent.
Whoa $5m for Crouse? Why do you think a 35pt player (last year was his best otherwise he looks to be a 20-30pt player) warrants that much cap space dollars? Anyone else think $5m is right? I’m just curious and know he was a high pick drafted 11th but what has he done lately?
Flyers need :
#1 center
#1 winger
power foward
#1 defenceman
physical defenceman
competent GM
other than that Philly is all set.
Because, from what I’ve seen of him – and read about him from different sources – if they can get his signature on a long-term deal at $5 mil per, that is going to be one of the bargains talked about for a long time.
At 6′ 4″ 220 lbs he’s projected to be a classic power F once he develops some consistency in driving to the net. In that regard he reminds me a lot of Nick Paul in that he has to realize what he has going for him in terms of size – and skating ability/speed. That will come with experience and as the team gets better through their upcoming youth – he is the real deal.
I, because I’m dumb, picked Calgary and New York Rangers to meet in the finals. Yet when I did up my fantasy pool I avoided taken Panarin as I never liked his past playoff performances. This season however I regretted it. He did fine. There was 130ish people (friends and friends of friends) in this pool which basically was just goals and assist. I came in 5th and thought that If I did select panarin instead of, I think it was strome, because I always like second liners in playoff pools, it may of bumped me to first. I was leading the thing until I lost the Rangers.
All this to say, I’m surprised their is tension regarding Panarin’s playoff performance the last go around. To me he did fine.
If the habs move someone it will be anderson he has the value to get back picks.
Drouin would be the best to move but no one wants any part of that trainwreck.
Why would they move CD when they dont have anyone to replace him?
I wonder if Yzerman would take Dvorak and Dadonov for Pius Suter?
I doubt it Johnny. Detroit has a surplus of forwards, and will likely need to send two rookies who may well be NHL ready (Berggren and Andreasson) to Grand Rapids to start the season. They probably need to subtract forwards, not add.
MP at this point I hope the Habs feel like they have enough draft picks. If we can get a top 3 pick in next year’s draft (by tanking) then we should have enough young potential talent going forward: IMO any trades at this point should be salary dumps to help with the tank and clear future cap space which will be needed if the young talent develops. It would be better to get another team’s top (already developed) prospect then more picks.
MP, I agree with you that they cannot trade Dvorak without a replacement. But I think that either Drouin, Byron or Dadonov can be moved simply because they have only one year left on their contracts. A team needing to get to the floor would pick up one of them even if a slight sweetener has to be added. Of course, as Ray said, if Price (or Byron for that matter) is to go on LTIR, no one will need to be moved just yet.
Anderson will not be traded right now. Hughes would have to be blown away and that hasn’t happened yet, and won’t just now.
Why would Panarin waive ? He wanted the Rangers and New York
Kane will at the TD to a contender
Panarin, “swap of bad contracts”? Huh?
Over the last 5 years, 5 players have out scored Panarin.
Mcdavid, Draisaitl, Kane, Marchand and Mackinnon.
Five players.
Granted, any contract over 8-9 per is difficult to move. But “swap of bad contracts”?
Like NY is taking a pile of trash to move one of the most prolific scorers in the NHL?
Maybe NY takes a downgrade , but swap of bad contracts isn’t happening.
Cap, isn’t it a pretty ridiculous system where an elite player plays at an elite level and gets paid at an elite level and somehow that’s bad?
Why cite Kane’s no-movement clause? Sure, he has one, but it seems like both he and Toews have chafed at the team’s rebuilding over the last few years.
The teams with most interest in him will be the ones that think they’re just a scoring winger away from being a contender. He’d be a fool not to waive it in a contract year.
Panarin not going anywhere. Just like Kakko was never signing an offer sheet cause he was mad about being scratched. The Rangers roster is pretty much set. Plan is to hope youngsters keep progressing and accumulate cap space over the season. Kane most definately will be a target if available.
Now if they have a disappointing season , I could see Panarin possibly getting moved to a team like Ducks. With Strome there he might waive.