NHL Rumor Mill – November 30, 2022
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: Roope Hintz’s new contract could affect Bo Horvat’s and Dylan Larkin’s contract negotiations, the Stars are in the market for a forward, and the Ducks’ five most tradeable assets.
HINTZ’S NEW CONTRACT COULD AFFECT HORVAT AND LARKIN
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz’s new eight-year contract ($8.45 million average annual value) and New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal’s eight-year contract extension ($9.15 million AAV) are affecting Bo Horvat’s contract talks with the Vancouver Canucks and Dylan Larkin’s with the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).
Horvat and Larkin are both eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July. LeBrun believes Horvat would’ve signed a deal comparable to Hintz’s during the offseason but he’s not so sure he’d do so now given the shifting marketplace. The expectation of a rising salary cap after three years of a flattened cap could affect next summer’s free-agent market.
VANCOUVER HOCKEY INSIDER: Rob Simpson believes Hintz’s new contract will affect Horvat’s contract negotiations with the Canucks. If they make a similar investment in their captain it could require shedding some salary to fit that new deal under their salary cap.
Simpson pointed out that Brock Boeser lacks no-trade protection in his current deal. Meanwhile, J.T. Miller’s no-movement clause doesn’t go into effect until his contract extension kicks in next July.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no question that Hintz’s and Barzal’s contract extensions will affect the market value of Horvat and Larkin. Both players could seek between $8.5 million and $9.5 million on their subsequent contracts as Hintz and Barzal have set the market value.
With nearly $40 million in projected cap space for 2023-24 (based on the cap rising by the projected $1 million to $83.5 million), the Red Wings are in a good position to re-sign Larkin to a lucrative long-term deal. The only question is how much general manager Steve Yzerman is willing to invest in his captain, who wants to remain part of the Wings’ rebuilding process.
The Canucks, however, will only have $13.5 million, making it difficult to squeeze Horvat within their limited cap space unless they make a cost-cutting move or two. That could happen if they fail to qualify for the 2023 playoffs. Then again, they could part ways with Horvat and use the savings to invest in stocking up their porous blueline.
STARS SEEK A SCORING FORWARD
TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Stars would like to add another scoring forward to their ranks. They want to find someone to play alongside Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment on their second line.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dreger referred to that as a “top-six luxury item”. In other words, it’s something they’d like to add but it’s not a season-breaker. They have a projected $2.7 million in trade deadline cap space. Perhaps they’ll make a move as the trade deadline draws near and more rental options become available.
TOP DUCKS TRADE ASSETS
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Veteran defensemen John Klingberg and Kevin Shattenkirk top Adam Proteau’s list of the Anaheim Ducks’ top-five tradeable assets.
Klingberg is on a one-year deal with a 10-team no-trade list as of Jan. 1. He’s the biggest proven blueline commodity next to the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun and Shayne Gostisbehere in the trade market.
Teams could turn to Shattenkirk if they lose out on Klingberg and Chychrun given his Stanley Cup pedigree. Blueliner Dmitry Kulikov, winger Frank Vatrano and center/winger Adam Henrique round out Proteau’s list.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are currently at the bottom of the overall standings and could likely still be there by the March 3 trade deadline. General manager Pat Verbeek was a seller leading up to last season’s deadline and will be again in 2023. Any one of those players on Proteau’s list could be playing elsewhere by the end of March 3.
Stars 2nd line is definitely a bust. Dennis Gurianov just isn’t the answer. He’s faster than the wind, but after being a 1st round pick, he just hasn’t worked out at the NHL level. Maybe a change of scenery would do him well, like Nichuschkin’s did for him. And after a hot start, Marchment hasn’t contributed a whole lot either. Maybe the answer is young Wyatt Johnson, but I’m sure if that was the answer, it would have been done already. What second line winners are even available?
Dadonov, Hoffman, Drouin? I doubt any would cost a hell of a lot and the Habs would probably retain salary to make it work.
Josh Anderson if they are willing to pay more for him I suppose.
Starsfan
The Penguins are seeing the same issues in Gurianov with Kapanen. Maybe when they both came into the league they got by and excelled with speed alone. Now the whole league is built on speed and they both just do not have the hockey sense and other intangibles to be effective.
Gur (25 % retained) for Kappy (33% ) retained
Change if scenery both players; basically nil Cap change for either team this year
Next year Stars have Kappy at $2.1 M
Worth a call by HexBurkie
Good day
I have no skin in the game as per the Canucks but I did a deep dive into a few things UFA status and a few trade scenarios…and there is NO WAY that the Canucks can replace Bo Horvat …with what would be available ANYWHERE.
.the UFA list of Centers for age size weight and quality drops off quite considerably after Horvat…. Larkin and Orielly….
Who in the world are you going to get to replace a 6 foot 220 pound power forward center who is having a career year on a horrible team
..there is no one that the Nucks will find at this weight class with this experience and talent..
Centers like this are a unicorn…in todays game…
In my honest opinion you have to trade Petterson and knock that deal out of the park …and gather up depth players a 1st round pick and a 1A prospect …in that deal to build around what you have …now
…Petterson will be asking the world and will not be worth it long term…for how soft and inconsistent he is as a streaky player …Petterson is not going to lead you to either a playoff birth or a cup on his own ..he s just not
…cash in on Petterson with 3 to 4 pieces save yourself 12 million on him and build out a DEEPER 3rd and 4th line with that 12 million…..and upgrade the D core …build it out with Horvat at center JT Miller and rebuild the back end …around Hughes
…GOOD LUCK
That all makes sense Kal El. Agree on your take on both guys. But if I was VCR I would try and move Boeser first, easier said than done.
That is why teams re up their best C’s and D’s to big $ and often too much term. Can’t let them walk if you are trying to win now.
Horvat would make a good Bruin!
Hard disagree here. Horvat is playing out of his mind, and is a great player and person, but Pettersson is the Canucks’ best player. Miller, Boeser, Garland are tradeable for the right return but Pettersson is the one player they need to re-sign and should only trade if he refuses to re-sign.
Pettersson has 11G, 16A, 27P in 23GP. He’s the team’s best defensive forward. As of Nov. 24 (per The Athletic) Vancouver had outscored opponents 20-10 with Pettersson on the ice at 5-on-5.
Ducks are going all-in on their rebuild. A lot of teams can’t or won’t stomach that much losing.
I suspect Yzerman won’t sign Larkin until after the trade deadline in case the Wings have a chance to add a high level player. Larkin will get signed but there isn’t urgency to get it done before then.
While both Yzerman and Larkin had said that they would’ve loved to have gotten a deal done sooner, Both have said on record that it’s not imperative to do so. Yzerman has said numerous times that he has up to June 30th to get a deal done. And they will get a deal done.
Nucks need to trade Boeser or Miller…..but can make do with trading Garland to sign Horvat. Horvat iw the best player and whould be kept. However, trading BB or JT would allow a Horvat signing and more towards defense help. It is a conundrum and this should Be interesting!
Maybe trade Horvat, Myers and a 1st and 3rd for Seth Jones??? Will Seth bolt from Chicago if he has a chance???😉🤣
@Johnny Z
I hope you’re kidding on the Horvat, Myers and a 1st and 3rd round pick for Seth Jones? First off Seth Jones isn’t worth anywhere close to that offer. And besides there’s noway Seth Jones will waive for any canadian team he’s already said as much. And the last thing vancouver needs is another Dman making over $9,000,000 per long term. Unless Chicago flips both Horvat and Myers for more assets. They likely turn it down.
yeah, I am kidding
Horvat should be their #1 choice to retain.
Petterson is interesting, but you do not trade the future franchise #1C……
Boeser and Miller will be hard to trade, due to BB underperforming, and JT’s future contract.
I wonder if JT can be moved at the TDL to either the Bruins or NYR??? Especially if Kane is not to be traded????
Anyone that thinks that the Roope Hintz signing will have any affect on the Dylan Larkin signing, Yeah totally not happening. Larkin isn’t taking anything less than the Mathew Barzal deal. If Larkin was interested in the Hintz offer he’d already be resigned by now. Larkin is looking at a hugh payday and rightfully so.
Not sure its Barzal money but Larkin is definetely better than Hintz
Is Larkin better than Hintz? Can’t say I watch either of them much, just if they play BOS or EDM, but the #’s don’t support that assumption.
Both are sound defensively and that is how Hitnz gained his rep initially isn’t it?
Hintz is taller, heavier, younger and has put up as many points/game as Larkin the last 3 years.
Larkin is a UFA this summer which will help him earn more, plus Hintz is in a low tax state which likely saved the Stars some $, so sure he gets a bit more. Not sure he will be the better player for the contract duration though. Both are very good players IMO.
I think RH is better than Horvat and the numbers support it. However the notion that Horvat would sign a deal in the 6-7m range this past summer is gone and now a fair deal is 7,7-8 range which is more than Vancouver can pay unless they trade someone
Hs! Tanger another stroke. Best wishes!
Sorry Chrisms
When I posted (see below) ; yours was not there…. Always a few minutes delayed from post-refresh to being there
Certainly was not trying to double up your story
Really hope he’s OK
Tanger… stroke…. Yikes…. Says he hopes to be back soon
He wanted to skate on his own today and the team said “NO”.
Letang took 2 months last time he had a stroke will be back prior to playoffs
Is Pettersen a center ? In my books a lightweight winger. You start up the middle and goaltending . Canucks have done that and I hope don’t blow that by trading Horvat . You need two stud Centres
Duclair could work in Dallas .
I would like Duclair in Big D…good call
I for one would really like to see the Bruins trade for Nicolas Deslauriers….just to take care of business when it needs to be taken care of …not many do it better right now
Wasn’t Kapanen a first round pick? Let’s start there and see what else it’ll take for the Penguins to get Chychrun from Arizona. It’ll never happen, but one can only dream…