NHL Rumor Mill – August 24, 2022
Would it make sense for the Oilers to pursue a Patrick Kane trade? What would it cost the Senators to acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Coyotes? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WOULD A PATRICK KANE TRADE MAKE SENSE FOR THE OILERS?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited NHL insider John Shannon’s belief that the Oilers have bigger priorities than trying to acquire Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
Shannon told Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now that goal scoring won’t be an issue for the Oilers. He felt adding a defenseman could help put them over the top this season.
Stauffer felt it could cost the Oilers a winger like Jesse Puljujarvi or Warren Foegele (to make the cap dollars work) along with their 2023 first-round pick and several prospects to land Kane. Shannon is against trading a first-rounder, even if it’s a low one as the expectation is the Oilers’ pick will be between 25 and 32.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The notion of the Oilers pursuing a trade for Kane has become a hot topic of late in the rumor mill. That’s because there hasn’t been much else to talk about since Nazem Kadri signed with the Flames last week.
The Oilers are currently over the $82.5 million salary cap but have Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith expected to go on long-term injury reserve for the coming season. However, they’ll be pressed for space and cannot accrue cap room over the course of the season while sitting above the ceiling with two players on LTIR.
They lack sufficient cap space to take on Kane’s contract even if the Blackhawks agree to retain half of his $10.5 million cap hit for this season. Oilers general manager Ken Holland would have to get a third team involved to spread the cap hit around.
Reports out of Chicago suggest Kane and long-time teammate Jonathan Toews haven’t requested trades nor have they been approached by Blackhawks management to waive their no-movement clause. They’re expected to be given the time and opportunity to decide their fates for the coming season.
Assuming Kane would agree to waive his NMC, it probably won’t happen until close to the 2023 trade deadline. He might not agree to do so to come to Edmonton. Even if he did, the asking price could be far more than the Oilers can afford.
WHAT WOULD IT COST THE SENATORS TO ACQUIRE CHYCHRUN?
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Ian Mendes was asked whether the Ottawa Senators are still interested in Jakob Chychrun and what it might cost to acquire the Arizona Coyotes defenseman.
Mendes believes the Senators are still interested in the 24-year-old Chychrun. He carries an affordable $4.6 million cap hit with three years remaining on his contract. Mendes cited Brent Wallace recently reporting the Coyotes are seeking two first-round picks plus a prospect in return. They might also seek a goalie and could be willing to take defenseman Nikita Zaitsev off the Senators’ hands.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mendes felt the asking price of two first-round picks was pretty steep for Chychrun. “If I were Ottawa, I would be willing to part with a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick and one other asset for Chychrun,” writes Mendes.
Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong has been patient in gauging Chychrun’s value in the trade market. With the blueliner under contract through 2024-25, he can bide his time and wait for the right offer. If the Senators won’t meet it, he’ll wait for another club to pony up.
Chychrun could be moved before the start of the coming season. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still with the Coyotes when their schedule opens in October.
Kane to Oilers? absurd. They would have to unload multiple players even if Hawks agreed to 50%. Who creates these ideas? I know it’s dog days of summer but………………also, would Kane (NMC) agree to go to Edmonton?
It could be doable if they got a 3rd team involved to help broker the deal.
Kane could potentially be on a roster for less than a million dollars, if say AZ would be kind enough to take money for draft pics.
But, I agree with you. Most likely won’t see him in the 780 this season.
My guess is he ends up on Broadway, in the same sort of fashion.
“Assuming Kane would agree to waive his NMC, it probably won’t happen until close to the 2023 trade deadline.”
Why not? Why would a competitive guy like that want to rot on a team like the ‘Hawks for three quarters of a season instead of playing a full season on a contender?
I’ve never, ever heard a player express a desire to play on a tanking team and then becoming a rental.
If he has a family it might be better to wait so he wont be away so long. However, If I were him I would try and pick a team I could sign with for 23/24. And given he has a NMC he can do that
Garth: According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Kane and Toews haven’t asked to waive their NMCs. It’s believed they’ll be given the time and opportunity to decide their fates this season. Power reported neither player really wants to leave Chicago and they want to see how this season plays out. He believes the next window of opportunity if they wish to waive their NMCs is the trade deadline. https://theathletic.com/3480847/2022/08/09/blackhawks-mailbag-kane-toews-trade/
Thanks so much for the clarification and the link, Lyle. I hadn’t read that.
I’m certainly glad Ian Mendes isn’t the GM of the Senators.
Why George? The two firsts? Draft picks are lottery tickets or mystery boxes. You’ll never know what you’ll get and the odds are greater that those two mid 1st round picks would probably not net you a player of his caliber.
I get the injury history as a precautionary sign but he’s not damaged or have glass bones. He fits the age group plus fills a need. When his contract is up for renewal, you can trade him if you’re young players develop enough to make him expendable.
The real trick is getting rid of zaitsev. That will unfortunately cost ya.
Chychrun – so far in his career – is the D version of Matt Murray – you never know if he’ll be available to play, so I would NOT give up two 1st for that uncertainty.
I’ve said it before, if they’d take Zaitzev in the deal, I’d give them Formenton, a good F prospect like Jarventie, and their choice of Brannstrom, Bernard-Docker or Thompson.
If they say no – let someone else cough up the two 1st rounders.
Let me put it this way, Ron. I think you’ll agree that goaltending is just as – if not more – important to a team’s success as a D-man.
What would you be saying if Dubas had forked over two 1st rounders + for Matt Murray? After all, unlike Chychrun, he has at least won something – two Stanley Cups.
Chychrun has yet to play a full season. Armstrong is waaaay overvaluing his worth. Until Armstrong gets real in his demands, Chychrun will play his home games in a 5,000 seat shoebox.
The thought that the Oilers would have the 32nd overall pick! Ha!
I don’t see the Yotes trading Chychrun for that asking price. Not because of ability but because of injuries. He’s missed significant time with injury over the last few years.
Chychrun does intrigue me as a Habs fan. He’s a good young D-man who can play both the left and right sides. The Habs have additional first rounders in 2023 and in 2024 or 2025. From the looks of things, the picks will likely be in the mid 20s at best. I would normally think about trading 2 lottery protected picks and a prospect for Chychrun. But not given his injury history.
Az is greedy, asking price is 2 high….
Isn’t John Shannon the guy who said he had a reliable source with the Isles claiming Kadri signing with them was imminent about 4 hours before he signed with the Flames?
How have the Coyotes lasted this long as franchise? Can’t keep players, coaches, GMs or even an arena! What is the reason for this joke of a franchise to still exist?
Armstrong rightfully so set a high asking price last season and he did not get an offer he wanted.
Again this season another high asking price, Chychrun has 3 seasons left including this one. If Armstrong can’t move him for the price he wants at what point does he adjust his ask?
Next season he’ll have 2yrs remaining that will be 2 less then when he 1st put the asking price.
Ottawa is deep up front, they don’t want to follow the leafs where they are unwilling to move a core player to help another area.
Dorion on the NHL radio nextwork said he believes Jake Sanderson is the best defenseman who didn’t play in the NHL last season.
No one would say Chychrun wouldn’t be a huge upgrade to Ottawa defense, he be an upgrade to every team defense.
Chychrun to the Oil makes a lot more sense than Kane to the Oil.
Still have no idea why the Yotes were “gauging the market” on Chychrun.
Maybe he has asked for a trade, and did it the right way by keeping it internal.
I am not sure why people think the Oilers want to go the way of the Leafs and Knights and start adding and adding and adding and then going nowhere with it.
Chychrun’s trade asking price is ridiculous. In 6 years in the NHL he had one full season – a shortened 2020-21.
Leafs trade Nylander at the TDL for Kane very simple, rather have Kane than him any day, good for both teams.
A 33 yo Kane for a couple months for a 26 yo Nylander, who i under contract for another year????? They only had 12 pts difference last year and will Kane re-sign? He will go to the Avs at the deadline first.
Why would Kane&Toews waive their NMCs/ask for a trade now, cause they can see how things unfold during regular season? Near tdl they can pick a team with realistic run or plan long summer activities…
Why I would chicago agree to retain $$$$ to move him? xD pipe dream fantasy island stuff and the yotes not asking the “world” for top asset, nope gonna retain cap hit and accept toxic contracts back and a late 1st rnder and middling player to be named later!
Their two reasons Chicago would retain salary Mark.
First is it open up the market to more teams, which would improve the return. The only teams that will pay for this year are contenders, and those would be the only teams he would agree to go to anyway.
Second is once his signing bonus is paid, I think when the season starts, his actual salary is only $2.9M. So they are retaining way more cap$ than actual money owed, which in Chicago’s case means nothing as they have plenty of cap space already.