NHL Rumor Mill – October 24, 2022
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: an update on John Klingberg plus a couple of suggested blueline targets for the Canadiens.
UPDATE ON KLINGBERG
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun recently interviewed Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek regarding the state of the club’s rebuild. Among the topics was Verbeek’s plan for defenseman John Klingberg, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Ducks as a free agent in July.
Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg (NHL Images).
Verbeek doesn’t rule out re-signing the 30-year-old Klingberg if both sides are willing to agree to an extension. However, LeBrun suggested the blueliner could become a valuable trade deadline asset if the Ducks are out of playoff contentions by then.
Whatever happens, Verbeek said he’ll let Klingberg know where he stands before the trade deadline. That’s what he did last March with Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Klingberg has two points in six games thus far with the Ducks, who are off to a sputtering start this season. Maybe he’ll be interested in sticking around and being part of their rebuild. That will depend upon his role and what type of contract the Ducks are willing to offer.
I think Klingberg gets shopped at the deadline just like Lindholm, Manson and Rakell. While it’s worthwhile for a rebuilding club to have some veterans in the lineup to take some of the burdens off their promising young players, Klingberg’s UFA status next summer likely means he’ll be moving on next summer. Best to get something for him by the trade deadline.
LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently cited an NHL source claiming the Los Angeles Kings are looking to resolve the logjam on the right side of their defense corps. That could draw the interest of the Montreal Canadiens given their need for some veteran help on their blueline. D’Amico suggested Sean Walker as a possible trade target, noting the Canadiens could draw upon their excess of forwards to help the Kings boost their bottom-six forward lines.
D’Amico also noted the potential availability of Carolina Hurricanes rearguard Ethan Bear as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated he could be traded or waived. The Canadiens still have priority on waivers for another week, giving them first crack at Bear if he becomes available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear is on a one-year contract earning $2.2 million. Friedman said the Hurricanes came close to moving him a couple of times but interested parties wanted them to retain part of his salary. That could be a sticking point for the Canadiens.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has said he’d like to add a veteran right-side defenseman and could draw upon his forward depth for trade bait. So far, he’s yet to swing that deal, perhaps because his club is playing better than expected through their first six games of this season. We’ll find out soon enough if Hughes is interested in Bear or one of the Kings’ surplus blueliners.
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No Jakob Chychrun today.
Reading the comments over the last few posting on Chychrun, not sure why some wouldn’t want him on their favorite team.
First off for those who say he never played a few season, that isn’t correct.
The 20-21 season was a 56 games schedule in which Chychrun played all 56 games.
This will be Chychrun 7th season in the NHL and he is only 24yrs old. He is Young. Ie he be the third youngest dman on Ottawa only Jake Sanderson and Erik Brannstrom are younger. Only 3 on LA are younger and Sean Durzi is 24 (just turned) and Michael Anderson is 23yrs old.
He is 6’2″ 210lbs got size and can play either size.
His contract is like buying at Value Village
3yrs @ $4.6m per and he has already scored 18 goals in a single season.
The asking price is high, partially because of his contract.
The price is to high and i say this because no one is willing to pay it.
I would have no issue having a 6’2″ 210lbs dman who at 24yrs old has not reached his prime and score 18 goals in a single season and the kicker you got him for $4.6m for the next 3 seasons.
The issue becomes potential teams need to see him play, wrist surgery is nothing to laugh at. Arizona is in no rush to put him in the lineup, the potential prize is Conard Bedard, losses matter.
Their no mistaken this is a very good young dman at a great value.
If you have been reading the comments then you should very easily know why no one is in a rush to acquire Chychrun. His injury history is worrisome but more than that the asking price is just too damn high. No one is foolish enough to pay wha Arizona is demanding.
I think much the same was said about Eichel, and it seems that Buffalo did pretty well with that trade.
Eichel is a #1 centre. Chychrun isn’t a #1 d-man. It’s harder to trade for an actual #1 centre than a second-pairing d-man. Usually, you have to draft #1 centres.
Nor did Eichel suffer multiple different injuries. He had one – which he felt would be remedied by the surgery HE preferred. Turns out he was right.
Both Vegas and Buffalo did all right with that one. And as KevJam points out, a # 1 C is gold whereas a frequently-injured but big, smooth-skating 3/4 D (on a top team) is more in the silver/bronze range.
His injury history is a problem, however it should also be taken into account that he has played on bad teams. Playing D on bad teams leads to injuries. Tanev for instance were often injured with Vancouver but hasnt missed a game since moving to calgary
Kent, this short video sums up Tanev’s injury history quite well … and also differentiates between “injury prone” (multiple different injuries) and “chronic” (the same malady repeated).
Check out the board behind the commentator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt7bC0G2wLI
Kent, Tanev hasn’t missed a regular-season game with the Flames, but in last year’s playoffs, he missed the last couple of games against the Stars and all but the last two against the Oilers. Against the Oilers, you can tell he showed up just to try and give the Flames a boost, as you could definitely see he was hurting.
Tanev’s first season with the Flames was also a shortened 56-game season.
I mean sure, it is easier to play a full season when there is no full season to play. Of the 82 games seasons, he more often than not cannot manage to stay healthy the whole time. That is why the asking price is so high. Requesting that a team give up assets and picks for a possibly broken player makes it tough.
Re; Jakob Chychrun again….
An other Slow Day in the NHL Media…ZZZ
He is a 2nd pairing d/man Not quite good enought to be a top pairing d/man
More suited in that 3 or 4th positon role, on the 2nd paring.
On the plus side… he is 24yrs old and has a good contract at $4.6M for 3 years
On the Minus side…..he is always Injured not good for a young guy… is he injury prone d ⁉️
The Hold up in the trade, first he has not played a game this year and the main reason is AZ Asking Price has been very high they are out to lunch…
What they will Likely Get at the End is
1–A first pick,
2–A Good young Defence Prospect that can play in the next year
3–Every NHL trade involves salary swap to cover the player or 2 around $4 to $5.M…
A Trade has to be Good for Both Teams….. Most GM’s are Gun Shy at Making Trades,❗️
Cappy you hit the nail right on the head I’ve noticed the last two games Lysell wasn’t in the
Lineup( providence) wondering if he’s a key player along with Carlo for chick?
Don’t think Carlo is going anywhere he’s probably one more concussion away from hanging them up
It’s easier for people to repeat the same observation daily, mixing in some CAPS and righteous indignation as if that gives it more weight
Disagreeing invites more righteous indignation and who wants to bother with that?
At this point we know that Arizona is putting a high value/ask on Chychrun and don’t feel a need to “unload” him.
He’s young, mobile, has size and an affordable contract….Arizona is in a win/win situation whether they trade him or not.
Does Arizona win if Chychrun gets injured again after returning for a couple of weeks? Or struggles this season after he returns? There is a reason why teams are in wait-and-see mode right now on Chychrun.
Kevjam,
Despite the gloom and doom that resurrects itself daily, the Coyotes have given no indication of wanting to move him as if he was damaged goods.
They clearly see him in a different light and I daresay they know his medical situation a wee bit better than folks like us.
Truth is we don’t know if there’s a wait and see based on cap situation or other reasons. His affordable contract becomes easier as time goes on in the season.
At some point we’ll see.
But we do know there is a wait-and-see. Chris Johnstone from TSN and other hockey insiders have said as much and have reported it.
“Remember that he had an ankle injury at the end of last season, he had wrist surgery over the off-season this summer and that’s what he’s returning from now and there’ve been interested teams, but those teams want to see him play before they pull the trigger on a deal.”
https://www.tsn.ca/insider-trading-growing-list-of-canadian-teams-interested-in-adding-a-defenceman-1.1864553
He missed the end of last season due to an ankle injury but is missing the beginning of this season after wrist surgery.
Arizona is in a very good position for 3 reasons.
1) they don’t have to trade him
2) he is on a very good team friendly contract
3) he is young big and good
Having said that, I remember when Sakic was getting roasted for taking so long to trade Duchene but he was rewarded for his patience.
Arizona, I have a feeling will be rewarded for their patience because as sure as the sun coming up in the morning there will be a GM that will come under heavy pressure to make a move.
Unfortunately the Canadian GM’s usually have much more pressure to make a move so I could see some Canadian team GM try and make a big splash which in my mind will probably weigh heavily in Arizona’s favour.
1) they don’t have to trade him. Yet it was Arizona who approached Chychrun about being traded. So, Arizona figures it’s better for their rebuild to trade a 24-year-old than keep him. Wonder why? At this time Chychrun wants a trade out of Arizona. When a player wants out, the current team has more pressure to trade the player. Not saying the Coyotes are under a lot of pressure to trade him, but there is some pressure there. Mainly from the player and his agent.
2) he is on a very good team-friendly contract. True, but how friendly is it when he’s not playing and is on IR or LTIR and the team has to bring up another player to replace him on the roster?
3) he is young big and good. Young – yes.
Big – more like a little more than average. The average height of an NHL d-man is 6′ 1 7/8″. Chychrun is reported to be 6’2″ The average weight of an NHL d-man is 209 lbs. Chychrun is reported to be 220 lbs.
Good – He may be a good second-pairing d-man on a good team.
You always have to be careful when trading with a bad team. There is a reason why bad teams are bad. They don’t have good players.
FYI – Colorado was a bad team when Duchene was with them.
It Hughes went for RHD from LA, Sean Walker wouldn’t be the guy, I’d like it to be a bigger guy like Helge Grans, 20y/o so not a vet but ready to graduate to the NHL if they weren’t stacked.
As it is LA has 2 RHD Sean Durzl (24y/o) and Brandt Clarke (19y/o) playing on the L side on account of injuries.
Anyone see this? Pretty funny.
https://twitter.com/hockeykot/status/1584277964082249728
Hilarious! Thanks for sharing.
Lol. Classic “oops – force of habit” – would love to have heard the conversation when he got back to his own bench!
Kinda like the time in 1960-61 when Bert Olmstead deftly avoided a check only to be flattened by Eddie “Clear The Track” Shack, who had joined the Leafs from the Rangers and whose style of play at that point early in his career was best described as hell-bent-for election.
An enraged Olmstead got back up, grabbed Shack and screamed “Eddie … what colour am I wearing?” to which Eddie replied “blue” – to which Olmstead screamed “that’s right – stay away from blue Eddie stay away from blue.”
Clarke’s face is priceless. Yep, he is going to have to live that one down with his teammates. Not familiar with Olmstead/Shack but that sounds hysterical as well.