NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2022
Could the Stars trade Jason Robertson or lose him to an offer sheet? What’s the latest on Jakob Chychrun and Jesse Puljujarvi? Are the Canucks and Penguins considering moves? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON ROBERTSON
THE ATHLETIC: While the contract standoff continues between the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson, Saad Yousef doesn’t believe the 23-year-old winger will receive an offer sheet or be traded.
The Stars can afford to sign him to an average annual value of between $7 million and $8 million. Robertson’s camp could be seeking something comparable to the $9 million AAV being earned by Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.
Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson (NHL Images)
Yousef points out that only three teams (Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres) have sufficient salary-cap space to sign Robertson to a lucrative offer sheet. The compensation of two first-round picks, a second and a third would be sacrificing a lot for those rebuilding teams.
The Sabres would have to offer up over $10.5 million AAV because they lack the required compensation as the Vegas Golden Knights own their 2023 third-round pick. The Stars would also have the opportunity to match any offer sheet.
Yousef acknowledged the Stars could trade Robertson but there are few NHL clubs right now that can afford to pay him a better contract. There’s also no indication that contract talks between the two sides have gone that sour.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The longer this drags on and the more playing time Robertson misses, the worse it’ll be for his performance this season. In turn, it could hamper the Stars’ playoff hopes. Yousef also points out that the two sides have until Dec. 1 to hammer out a new contract or he’ll become ineligible to play the remainder of this season.
UPDATE ON CHYCHRUN AND PULJUJARVI
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi remain in the trade market. However, he doesn’t see anything on the front burner for either player right now.
The Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators stand out for Seravalli in the Chychrun saga. While the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to the Coyotes blueliner, it doesn’t appear either club has their sights set on acquiring him.
As for Puljujarvi, Seravalli doesn’t know if teams are going to get a lot of value out of a player earning $3 million on a one-year contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, no real change for either player. Chychrun will stay in Arizona until a rival club like the Kings or Senators step up to meet the Coyotes’ asking price. Puljujarvi will have to improve this season to bolster his trade value but that could also make him more valuable to the Oilers.
CANUCKS AND PENGUINS COULD BE PLANNING SOME MOVES
DAILY FACEOFF: Seravalli also reported the Vancouver Canucks have been attempting to trade the contract of Micheal Ferland to a team that has already had injuries or is already using long-term injury reserve and could use a boost.
Ferland has a $3.5 million AAV but is earning $2.75 million in actual cash. A potential problem, however, is his contract isn’t insured, meaning whoever picks it up would have to pay the full $2.75 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ferland, 30, is permanently sidelined due to concussion issues. His contract will expire at the end of this season.
Seravalli also reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have informed the other 31 NHL teams that Pierre-Olivier Joseph is available via trade. They have nine defensemen under NHL contracts and risk losing one of them to waivers. Seravalli wonders if they’ll keep Joseph or risk losing Chad Ruhwedel or Mark Friedman to waivers.
Losing those two D is not much of a risk if you ask me. PO Joseph has to be worth more than Friedman although improved and Ruhwedel who has been a perennial 7-8 .
This is the year for Puljularvi as in make or break. Can’t see much of a return on the trade front unless he steps way up. Oilers are stuck with him and it feels a little like the Yak situation all over again
Hi SS
Freidman has done a good job in pre-season; he needs to be 3RD
Pens for sure will lose P-O J if waived
Smith is waiver exempt…. Send him down and call him up when needed
P-O J has a bright future with the Pens
The move is simple
Send Smith down, call up when needed. Waive Ruhweedel…. No team will pick him up
Pens don’t lose another player (like they did Zoho yesterday to Flames) for nothing
In this market, they’d get pennies on the dollar for P-O J’s worth
It boggles the mind that they’d even talk about trading P-O J just to have Ruhweedel sit in the press box for 75 games
Peggy, I have watched both Detroit / Pittsburgh pre-season games in their entirety, and have noticed that Pittsburgh’s D can be overwhelmed at times – Desmit was the difference in the game last night. What are your thoughts on Petry ? I thought he was underwhelming in both games. Is there any thought that the Pens may regret acquiring him ? Is he going to be better than POJ ?
Please excuse my inferior keyboard skills Pengy.
Any insights on this Zohorna guy the Flames just lifted from the Pens?
Big guy. Decent hands. Won’t use his size. Ceiling is a 4th liner. Probably a ahl nhl tweener that may end up in Europe before to long. Despite that I liked the fella. When he did score the goals always felt huge.
Agree Iago
D has not been doing well so far in pre-season
Yes underwhelmed re Petry… but his body of work makes me think this is just a blip/small sample size talent skew
Hi Nomad
Chrisms take pretty accurate re Zoho; but I’d say he’s a solid 4th liner; that can chip in here and there on 3rd line if asked
Chad proved to be a solid bottom 6 d man last year but that’s about it. I’m sure several other solid bottom 6 d men will end up on waivers so it’s possible he slips through. I’d send smith down and wait to see what happens with injuries to both pens and rest of league. I hate seeing poj lose his chance here.
He was undrafted. Other than that I don’t know. Here is the link to his Hockey DB page.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=180892
Thanks for the insight on Zohorna.
Hi Chrisms
We agree re hating to see P-O J lose his chance as a Pen
We both know we’ll never agree re CR
Smith down is a no brainer… nothing lost… HexBurkie brought in Rutta and have not traded Dumo… so Smith at his natural LD..,. is at best, 4th on the LD depth chart
He can (and has) play/played RD… but as at now… not showing he is better than Freidman
P-O J is much better than CR; but is a Leftie who only rarely has been used at RD
He’d be snapped up in s flash on waivers
Waiving CR…. No one picks up; Pens don’t lose another player
Tanger/Dumo
Petry/Pettersson
Rutta/Freidman
P-O J
Smith can be called up with any injuries to one of those 7
If 2 go down to injury; another WBS player gets the call (maybe it’s cR)?
I still think that there is a fair possibility that HexBurkie are going to regret not buying out Zucker (in the Kappy signing 2nd buyout window)
Pens could have had Neidereiter … much better hands and far more we productive than Zucker; and 3” taller; 30 lbs heavier…. For just $4M
Pens could have had E-Rod instead of Zucker and still well ahead Cap wise even with the buyout
If they must keep him; play him on 3rd line…. his numbers/production drag on Gino is fairly big
The Canucks are in a world of hurt if they can’t improve the back end. They have two legit D in Hughes and OEL for top 4. In order to get something, you need to give something. 1st round picks are to valuable unless you could pull off Chychrun out of Arizona. That being said, the Canucks need to also create Cap space to sign Horvat. The give up something is moving on from Boeser. Signed for a descent contract. Same as Garland and Hoglander could be shipped as well. Moving Boeser to say The Wild for Dumba with an extension. He’s from Minny and could use a change of scenery to hopefully play more than 65 games in a season and would give the Wild another coveted top 6 forward. Then move Garland to NJ or Pitt for one of their bottom 3 D-men while clearing up the space required for that extension for Dumba and Horvat. It’s the sort of moves that Rutherford is famous for. All fantasy, it’s that time of year.
Is Seravalli missing something – or am I – when it comes to dealing Ferland’s LTIR (1 year to go) to a team needing LTIR relief?
At the moment, CapFriendly shows Vancouver with 23 signed, DeKyser on a PTO, and $2,751,667 over the cap.
They list
13 F: Pettersen, Boeser (initially out 3 to 4 weeks following minor hand surgery but already back skating), Horvat, Miller, Garland, Mikheyev, Pearson, Dickinson, Lazar, Kuzmenkov, Pofkolzin, Hoglander, Dowling
7D – Hughes, Ekman-Larsson, Myers, Poolman, Dermott, Schenn, Burroughs
2G – Demko, Martin
with ELC RD Brady Keeper on IR
Seems to me they need Ferland’s cap hit to cover their own “over” with the only other option being a couple of players sent to the AHL to cover the “over” – leaving them with a 20 or 21-man roster.
It might simply have to do with the contract is uninsured so the club simply can’t burn $2.75M to gain the $3.5m cap space when they could gain a useful asset for $0. Keep in mind what you said can’t be discounted…it’s valid too.
For whatever reason saravelli says the nucks are looking to trade him, you gotta think if anything this sounds like a potential Leaf’s trade…or built up to the next click bait rumor.
Not sure I follow Ron – if you’re talking about Ferland’s cap hit not being insured, thereby negating its use for cap relief, wouldn’t that also apply to any team to which he is dealt?
Florida is another over the cap with no LTIR for relief, while TB has Seabrook and his $6,875,000 cap which doesn’t quite cover their $7,195,833 over and Edmonton has Klefbom and Smith whose combined hit of $6,367,000 doesn’t cover their over of $7,579,333.
Some moves are necessary.
Hey George. Ferlands cap hit is $3.5m yearly however paid actually $2.75M US Dollars that’s guaranteed but usually when a player is injured insurance pays the player his actual salary but in his case the injury is uninsured which means the team has to pay him that money that’s owed. Ownership might want to or simply can’t see a benefit of paying this guy who can not play for them, but where a team like the Leafs see $2.75m is a fair price to pay for that $3.5m cap space – plus whatever assets it costs to acquire him…think back to the David Clarkson LITR time on the Leafs.
For the nucks, not have to pay cash to a non roster player that could net you some assets seems like a win. I’m sure they must have a plan to be compliant which had to include Ferland in some way.
Ahh … makes sense. Leafs should grab him. That LTIR will cover their current over without any other roster juggling.
I think the Canucks want to trade Ferland’s contract for cap flexibility, not to avoid payment of the actual salary. The part about it being uninsured just means the contract’s less attractive to other teams.
The cap flexibility comes from the farm team now being located in Abbotsford (just outside the metro Vancouver area). If the team isn’t relying on LTIR for cap compliance, it can “toll” cap by sending down waiver-exempt players on home off-days, then bringing them back up again (regardless of whether they actually play for the Abbotsford Canucks while they’re sent down). The cap hits are pro-rated so the team can accumulate cap room this way over the course of the year.
Toronto has been doing this with the Marlies for years. But it doesn’t work when the team uses LTIR to get under the cap.
Not sure what the plan would be if they traded Ferland’s contract at this point, though. Boeser and Dermott are injured (though I don’t think Keeper is) but might not get put on LTIR, depends on severity of their injuries when the season starts.
Nylander for Roberts
And who else for cap sake???
Marner for Roberts would work out
If the Stars clear Kuby in another trade…the cap is a monster! LOL
Jeff, I’m on board. lol
Robertson – Tavares – Robertson
Throw Holl in to sweeten the pot and open cap space for the signing.
Lou just completely overpaid for Barzal.
Lou is paying for “potential” instead of results.
Yep. I think Barzal is a real good player, but $9 million good- no. If Barzal returns to his rookie season form and the cap continues to increase dramatically over the next few years, then maybe this turns out OK. I am just not so sure….
Red monster. You’re a Devils fan. Do you think Jack Hughes is 8 million good?
Hey Slick, I do think Jack is worth $8, this year will prove it (or not). Back to Barzal. Trotz’s defensive system never held back Ovie, so while I understand that argument, it is not a strong argument (not that you made it but others here have). Lambert has worked under Trotz for a number of years – is his coaching philosophy polar opposite of Trotz? Seems unlikely, but we will see. As I said above, I think Barzal is a real good player, just not $9 million good.
Barzal was productive on the Isles 2 runs to the ECF and without in my opinion a real 1st line winger. Market price if he can get back to regular season stat totals now that the Trotz collar is gone
Oh boy, sounds a lot like Tavares entire career in NY. “If he just had a winger”.
Looking forward to part deux of that for the next 8 years!
@captain
i am no isles but i think the kid is ok
Solid guy, not ripping the player. Ripping the “if he just had a winger “ broken record we all had to read for years of Tavares.
As I mentioned below. Solid guy. 9+ per solid? Not exactly. But solid.
Careful what you wish for, Captain!
Lambert will unleash Barzal.
As it is now, Barzal is number one in the entire NHL is zone entries.
I’ve also seen where Patrick Kane calls Barzal his favorite player to watch.
And what did Crosby and Letang say about him after playing in the All Star game with him?
And finally, what’s the number if Barzal became a free agent?
I’m not one of these guys that dogs players just because they’re on a rival team. Truly I’m not. Talent is talent. And anyone who denies talent because of rivalry can’t really be taken too serious.
But to me I have a few issues here. Barzal is a solid guy, but far from elite level talent. (Mcdavid, Mathews Etc. ) Honestly, I’m not even sure he makes the next cut. (Stamkos, McKinnon). He had a great rookie year, but has been in a bit of a slide for 4 years consecutively. Hard to imagine he continuously slid because of Trotz.
Lambert has never been a head coach at this level. He’s been in the AHL or assist for 15 + years. Hard to impossible to say how that works out. I wouldn’t bet on him turning Barzal into a 100 point guy.
Hard to imagine they’ve found a diamond with this pick to replace Trotz. He’s pushing 60 and just now being offered a head coaching job in the NHL?
Barzal has averaged 62 points per season. Total points over the last 5 years he ranks 35th. Over the last 4 years drops to 43rd.
So where would that land him as a ufa? Definitely not in the 10-12 million range if he doesn’t absolutely break out. Not at 62 point per season.
So he is a bit of an overpay, I’d say by about 1-1.5 per year as of today which is understandable.
Ny has bigger problems than all this. They have Mr. Lou Magoo at the steering wheel who lost his way 20 years ago. Jack Adams award aside (he should thank Garth for that).
Lou will continue being Lou. Signing aging contracts and picking up remnants of Devils players long past their due date, much like Lou.
Barzal is a solid guy. But he wouldn’t be commanding much more if any more on the open market. Especially todays open market.