NHL Rumor Mill – October 18, 2022
Why the time is now for the Coyotes to trade Jakob Chychrun, how a rising salary cap could make it easier for the Blackhawks to move Seth Jones and a look at which coaches are on the hot seat to start this season in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE TIME IS NOW TO MOVE CHYCHRUN
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the Arizona Coyotes must move Jakob Chychrun now while his trade value remains high. He suggests the Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild as three potential destinations for the 24-year-old blueliner given their early-season defensive struggles.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).
The Senators can draw upon their young players and/or their stockpile of prospects and draft picks as trade bait. They also have almost enough cap space ($4.1 million) to take on Chychrun’s $4.6 million annual salary-cap hit. The Sens are holding firm to what they’re willing to part with but Proteau suggests that might change if the losses start piling up.
Chychrun’s size and hockey smarts could improve the Oilers’ blueline depth and lessen the pressure on their other defensemen. Proteau also wondered if Wild general manager Bill Guerin might step up to meet the Coyotes’ asking price though they’re in the middle of a salary-cap crunch. He’s got Matt Dumba eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer.
Proteau cautions that teams interested in Chychrun could turn to more affordable options later in the season if the Coyotes don’t lower their asking price. One of them could be the Anaheim Ducks’ John Klingberg as a playoff rental player.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have been linked to Chychrun since July. Proteau cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting over the weekend that there currently isn’t a path for a deal but that could change once Chychrun returns from his wrist injury.
The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman also suggested the Oilers could use a defenseman like Chychrun after watching their defense get picked apart by the Calgary Flames over the weekend. He believes adding a top blueliner needs to be GM Ken Holland’s priority before the trade deadline.
As for the Wild, their defense hasn’t been good but the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson has been brutal. Guerin might consider that to be a more pressing issue if things don’t improve soon.
As always, the two big stumbling blocks in a Chychrun trade are the Coyotes’ asking price and the rearguard’s injury history. Salary cap space is also an issue for some of the teams (like the Oilers and Wild) linked to him. Until one of those hurdles is overcome I don’t see Chychrun getting traded anytime soon.
COULD A RISING SALARY CAP MAKE SETH JONES’ CONTRACT EASIER TO MOVE?
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: With the NHL salary cap projected to rise to $92 million by 2025-26, Ben Pope suggests it could make Seth Jones’ contract easier for the rebuilding Blackhawks to build around or trade by 2025. The 28-year-old defenseman is in the first season of an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $9.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will depend on whether Jones is still playing at a level of performance that would entice other teams enough to take on his full cap hit. He would also have to be willing to waive his full no-movement clause. In the meantime, Jones isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT
THE ATHLETIC: Sean Gentille believes the New Jersey Devils’ Lindy Ruff and the Anaheim Ducks’ Dallas Eakins could find themselves on the hot seat if their clubs haven’t improved in the coming weeks.
The Ducks picked up Eakins’ option year for this season but nothing beyond that. They’ve added some decent veterans (Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, John Klingberg) and have some promising young talent in Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Mason McTavish. However, this is a rebuilding club expected to be bad again this season and that could make it tough for Eakins to maintain his job.
Ruff was booed when he was introduced during the Devils’ home opener on Saturday, which they lost 5-2. Gentille cites bad goaltending and some questionable lineup decisions behind the Devils’ woes. He also noted former Florida Panthers bench boss Andrew Brunette was hired this summer as Ruff’s assistant.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No rumors yet suggesting Eakins or Ruff (or any other NHL head coach) could soon lose their jobs. Nevertheless, this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. Those two could certainly feel the heat if things don’t improve.
The coach’s seat in Toronto warmed up a bit last night. When your best players are playing poorly, trouble ahead for the coach.
It’s never a good sign when the coach feels he has to call out players publicly – it always sounds to me like they are throwing players under the bus to cover their own behinds. If a coach can’t get the best out of his team by addressing things behind closed doors, then maybe he isn’t NHL head coaching material.
Like Darryl Sutter?
Keege ain’t no Darryl Sutter Augustus.
Answer me this; your team needs to improve their defensive play, there is an injured dman available and you need wins.
R u going to trade away roster players while waiting for the injured player to return and see how long it takes him to get up to speed.
The answer is yes if the asking price has dropped to where I’m willing to gamble. Otherwise, no i need to see him healthy and playing before i engage.
I think Ruff, Keefe and Boudreau will be fired, probably in that order. I think Eakins makes it through the season, but is let go in the summer (they are rebuilding this season)
why would teams be in a rush to trade for Chychrun unless he can prove he is healthy and stay in the lineup?
exactly, mikep re Chychrun.
Not to sure about Boudreau, first the owner is cheap and I can’t see him paying Green & Boudreau & a new coach unless Mike Yeo agrees to do it on his current salary, I don’t think he’ll do any better until they get some help on defence, Schenn, Juulsen, Stillman or Burroughs should really be playing top 4 minutes, Burroughs played 24 minutes last night
Aqulini is a moron but you cant refer to him as cheap. The Canucks are close to cap ceiling.
The blame lies in the GMs office. Failed to address obvious defense issues. Failed to add any sort of grit or physicality to his generally soft roster and to top it off he grossly overpaid for flash in the pan fluke never to be repeated season JT Miller.
Aquilini isnt cheap, he just made very very poor choices in assembling his front office.
🍁Not Boudreau Fault…., its the Canucks d…. its TERRIBLE❗️
Canucks have one of the Worst defence set ups in the NHL
Thats the GM problem, 100% The D needs a Complet Overhaul and maybe be its Bo horvat thats the Big Trade chip that starts the whole thing moving along
Hughes at $$7.8M
OEL at $7.25M
These two they will keep i dont think they can move OEL at that price
The Rest of the Canuck’s D…😭🤧
Tyler Myers at $ $6.M …is Brutal..
The other’s are Ratted Poor to Bad…..The other 6 d/men are
Tucker poolman, Luke shenn, Rilley Stillman, Burroughs, Junnlsen, Rathbone & Dermont RD-LD He could be there bottom six guy
I would say this is 100% a Re-build Defence and its the GM’s job 100%✔️✔️
thoughts❓
Mike, I expect Boudreau to turn things around in Vancouver. Very good regular season record wherever he has coached – his teams have played team defence, which is the current problem area with the Canucks. Give Bruce a couple of weeks.
Why would Dubas fire Keefe? Sheldon is his coach. That would be an admission of a bad hiring decision and would likely guarantee that Kyle is not renewed at the end of the season. Dubas will live or die with Keefe, unless Shanny forces his hand. And who is available that could salvage the year? Let’s see where the Leafs are mid November. Maybe Samsonov plays like a true #1 and bails out the coach & GM.
Barry Trotz and his Stanley Cup ring would be a massive upgrade over Keefe.
Of course Trotz would expect the Snore Four to take defensive responsibility and may even require them to wear suits and ties to the rink.
Lil Mitchy, Mr 60, Melander and Pajama Boy wouldnt like that so expect the usual one and done playoff drive.
Ron, Barry Trotz did come to mind but he decided to take a sabbatical and may not be available. Barry would probably be a great replacement for the old Coach’s Corner. Except, if he were to be completely honest, he would never be offered another coaching position.
Leafs will be in a real pickle if they decide to change coaches before the start of next season. Auston & Willie need to be extended next summer or traded – can’t let them walk as UFAs. If the playoffs are another one & done, bye, bye Dubas and Keefe. Then, do Matthews & Melander sign extensions, or say, “Let’s just see how the next season goes with the new coach & GM”? Don’t think Auston and Willie would be as eager to sign as were Huberdeau & Weegar in Calgary.
Still way too early to speculate, but there are realistic scenarios that could lead to Leafs blowing it up next summer.
Dj Smith is gone if Ottawa can’t get some points on this home stand. He’s a buffoon coaching with JR A type strategies.
Mr. Proteau, yes, the Senators are 0-2 to start but it’s not like they were blown out in both road games where the home teams were opening their seasons.
Both were 1-goal games (2 in Buffalo came in the last 30 seconds into an open net) – 2-1 there and 3-2 in Toronto with the winning goal coming from a wild scramble in front of Forsberg in the last 90 seconds.
Defense was not the cause of either loss, so it’s not as if they have to start making major changes back there and do so by giving up assets for a guy who hasn’t yet recovered from yet another off-season surgery and won’t be back in full game shape for a while yet.
Defense has been better, yes. But still mismanaged. Chabbot should be playing 20 minutes. Not 27. Zaitsev should not be playing AT ALL. Holden should be playing. JBD and or Lassi should be the extra and Zaitsev should be in Bellville looking for a home for his family.
Or in Arizona as part of a package for Chychrun to offset his cap loss there where they need it – that would include ONE 1st round pick (lottery protected), someone like Dylan Gambrell or Parker Kelly, and one of their prospect D.
I would only up the ante if another D – preferable a solid, established RD – were to become available from a team needing to clear cap space.
Boudreau could be on a hot seat soon, not because of the losses but how they came to be. I would say though that management is as much, if not more, to blame for failing to add a decent RD this off season. They basically have 1 first pair D, 1 second pair D and 6 D that are 6-8th D on most clubs
I have been saying for the last few years, this Canucks team reminds me of the Oilers from the early 2000s after they lost Pronger. They are easy to play against. They don’t have anyone that can intimidate their opponents or make life tough in front of their net or in the d-zone.
IMO the Canucks GM needs to find a way to move OEL and his cap hit and get a top 4 stay-at-home d-man and add a top 6 two-way forward. Just to start.
Boudreau was hired less than a year ago, so I don’t see how he could be on the hot seat.
I like to see Chychrun on the b’s if they can get him for a good price, but I’m more inclined to say he’ll end up with Ottawa. Either that or any of their 31 other teams in the nhl. One thing for certain and this comes from the guy who’s almost never wrong he’s almost never ever right either. Mr you know who. Here’s a secret shhhhhhhhhh ( real quiet) he likes to drink bud lite.
Rick,
i think its Ottawa or Edmonton that are the favorites as the Oilers need to round out there top 4 d, as its a bit soft
or
Vancouver as there d is Brutal !!
They need a complet rebuild, but that may take them a couple of years depending on how this New GM operates?
Boston also looking to move d/men and Salary out…🤔 ASAP….
I don’t see how an injury-prone Chychrun will toughen up a top 4 that includes Nurse.
The oilers should be in on mayfield from the islanders and severson from jersey. My guess is both together cost less than chychrun
The Bruins have very little in the way of prospects to trade for Chyc
I think the “big stay at home” D man is the issue with the Leafs too. And has been for some time. They keep adding these brittle finesse guys. Giordano has some grit but is too old now.
L.A is another possible landing spot for Chychrun. The Kings are loaded with prospects and 5 of their current roster d-man are right shot , they can use a healthy left shot top 4 d-man.
Fergy 22 – I’m not sure about using “healthy” and “Chychrun” in the same sentence – lol