NHL Rumor Mill – December 12, 2022
Examining potential trade destinations for Brock Boeser, Jakob Chychrun and Timo Meier in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE SCORE: John Matisz recently looked at some possible trade destinations for Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).
Matisz suggested the Minnesota Wild for Boeser, with the Wild flipping Matt Dumba or a draft pick for the Minnesota native. Dumba’s on an expiring contract with a $6 million cap hit that is comparable to Boeser’s $6.65 million. He believes the Canucks would choose the draft pick over Dumba because they need the cap space.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: How about the draft pick and Dumba? The Canucks are said to be willing to take on a player with a contract that expires at the end of this season. They need the cap space beyond this season.
Reports out of Minnesota suggest the Wild could move Dumba before the March 3 trade deadline. However, that comes with the risk of lacking a suitable replacement for him on their blueline down the stretch.
The New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings are two other clubs that have the cap space and assets plus a need for a shoot-first winger. If they’re okay with Boeser’s cap hit, Matisz speculated they could get him for a second or third-round pick.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders could be the more interested of the two. General manager Lou Lamoriello attempted to acquire Boeser’s teammate J.T. Miller during the opening round of this year’s draft. He’s also believed to have made failed bids to sign Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri in the free-agent market.
Turning to Chychrun, Matisz cites reports listing the Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and Edmonton Oilers as potential suitors for the Coyotes defenseman.
Matisz considers the Sabres and Kings as two clubs with depth in promising assets to outbid the others. He also noted Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t afraid to chase the big fish and his club needs blueline depth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Matisz’s take on the front-runners for Chychrun. I’d also include the Senators as they’ve spoken with the Coyotes but reports out of Ottawa claim they couldn’t reach an agreement on a deal. Maybe that changes if the Senators become more desperate as the season rolls along.
GOPHNX.com’s Craig Morgan recently reported GM Bill Armstong isn’t budging off his high asking price. Morgan believes it could include two first-round draft picks and either a second-rounder or a top prospect. Given Chychrun’s strong start since returning from offseason wrist surgery, somebody is likely to pay what Armstrong wants.
Matisz noted that Meier’s agent Claude Lemieux claims his client is willing to re-sign with the Sharks. However, it’ll cost the Sharks $10 million just to qualify his rights plus he has arbitration right next summer.
Meier could be the Sharks’ best trade chip at the deadline. They desperately need to restock their prospect cupboard and add some early-round draft picks. Matisz suggested the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken and the Blue Jackets as clubs that could meet those needs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m not sure how keen Sharks GM Mike Grier would be to trade Meier to another California-based club. The Kraken are building rapidly and having someone like Meier alongside young centers like Matty Beniers or Shane Wright could give them a significant offensive boost.
The Jackets, however, already have two star wingers in Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. If they were to pursue a forward, I think they’d be more interested in a center.
Lyle,
You’re right that the Jackets would prefer a center. And not just because of Laine and Gaudraeu. They’re overloaded with wingers trying to stick as it is.
Nor are the Jackets interested in Chychrun, if you ask me. Yes, they have several defensemen injured right now. The key words being “right now”. Add in that they have as many as six defenseman prospects projected to have high ceilings and the question becomes, why would they trade away a group of high picks and/or prospects for a guy who spends nearly as much time injured as he does playing.
rumors out for awhile now that the Devils want to reunite Meier with his Swiss National linemate Nico Hischier. Devils have the prospects to make it happen. Devils could use a sniper like him
@mikeP
Devils adding another forward like Meier seems like the fit…and they have plenty of assets to move
If I am the Devils though I am not giving up a lot for a $10 QO and potential rental. Meier is a really good player, but not $10 million good. Yes you have to give to get, but just not too much in this case.
Linking Chychrun to Toronto got me to wondering if the Leafs might eventually be looking to move a notable D themselves in the not too distant future.
With young guys like Sandin and Liljegren not only gaining experience but, even more importantly, self-confidence, and prospects like Hollowell and Timmins more than holding their own when put into action (8 – 0 -1 since Rielly went down, including 2 shut-ours and 3 games giving up just one goal in each), could they possibly look into moving Rielly and his $7.5 mil cap hit?
I know, he has a NMC but that’s been overcome before.
Heresy to some, maybe, but man, that is a different-looking team out there the past month, and showing no signs of breaking down.
@ George O
As a Leafs fan I’ve often wondered exactly what you just posted about Reilly.
Sandin has a very similar skill set. Same with Mete. The Leafs also have Niemela and Villeneuve coming along. That’s quite a few of the same type of player.
Could the Leafs parlay Reilly into a useful 3-4 defenceman and a top 6 LW that they so desperately need? Reilly at $7.5M is a decent contract…but sometime addition by subtraction is necessary…
It’s highly unlikely they trade a guy they see as a leader on the team, longest tenure and a guy they just re-upped.
I thought before the re-upped him, they would move him since there is some redundancy at the position, redundancy is similar to depth, something most teams struggle with.
The Sens are full of young, potentially good players but that doesn’t mean much and their record proves that…to trade an established player who you know exactly what to expect and no long has potential, it’s a safer and better choice.
I would rather trade Sandin over Riley right now. In as little as two years, I might change my mind but right now, no way the Leafs can trade Riley unless they have someone that can step in an replace him.
The season is long and tough and the playoffs are even harder. I doubt from what we’ve seen of both players, sadin cannot be seen as an adequate replacement for Riely
I dunno know Ron. Those kids are not wilting at a time when everyone – including the most die-hard fans – thought they’d go on a long losing slide after 3 regular D went down for varying lengths.
I can see Daryl’s speculation. Stranger things have happened. Time will tell.
Re that Calgary goal the other night, at least it wasn’t like this
https://www.facebook.com/HockeyUnplugged/photos/a.788728204539838/5886951181384156/
When making a trade the most coveted pick is a second round pick.
Guessing team wants 1st, other offer 3rd settle on 2nd. Simplest of form.
According to capfriendly over the next 3 drafts, the 2nd round pick is traded most often.
Arizona 8
Anaheim 6
Seattle, Chicago and Buffalo 5
Carolina, Detroit and Ottawa 4
The second most traded pick is the 3rd
The Bruins with no 2nd round pick this or next season and no cap space. Anyone want Smith and Reilly for a second round pick. Hello anyone.
Caper, only way I see Reilly traded for a 2nd is if a serious contender loses somebody on their blue line with a long term injury and is out for the playoffs.
If they want an experienced guy, swiss army knife type of D. Not great but can hold his own in the right situation.
But he has that value as depth for BOS as well.
It is the 2nd year left on his deal that hurts his value to a contender, as most are up against the cap, and likely will be next year.
My guess is there will be guys on expiring deals that can fill the 6/7 D man role available at the deadline. So B’s competing with that.
I don’t mind keeping Smith for rest of the year, he has proven to be able to produce some offence when given the chance, so again a good depth piece. The young guys like Frederic are simply playing better than him now. Good problem.
Ray that’s a solid point, having Reilly in the minors is a nice insurance policy to have for a long regular season and/or playoffs.
If he didn’t have the second season on his contract he would’ve been moved already.
Also agree Mrbruin4 Sweeney will take what he gets, but has no issue leaving Reilly for a rainy day.
Unless he needs that 1.875 cap space.
Caper. I bet Sweeney would take a 3rd or even a 4th for either one with out sweetner
Boeser to Detroit is dubious. Bert and Vrana are in limbo and at least one of them would need to be traded for another scoring winger. A 2C is much more needed than another winger in an already overcrowded position. Yes, a 2C, because the Copp signing has not panned out.
@Johnny Z
Curious how the Andrew Copp signing isn’t panning out? He has 17 points in 27 games. he’s on pace for 52 point this season. Only 1 point shy of his career year last season.
If the Jackets need a #1 centre so badly, I think that their best course of action would be to stay pat and try and get that 1st pick to get Bedard.
With how the Jackets are playing, getting a lottery pick is realistic. I doubt that they’ll get the first overall, they’ve never been that lucky.
I still say don’t count out Rangers having interest in Chychrun. They’re overloaded with young wingers and are thin at LD. I don’t think they’d overpay to rent Kane, who a lot of folks seem to think ends up in NY. I could see Devils or aisles going for Boeser
Re; Vancouver Canucks
Not sure where they are going in a rebuild direction with picks and prospects
Or
Re-tool direction with players….Now, depending on the Answer
lots of Trade chops in the air in Vancouver⁉️
-RW Brock Boeser,
-C Bo Horvat the big prize as a UFA….$8.-$9M
-3 d/men they want to move….
-Thatcher Demko… not sure he wants to be stuck in a Re build at 26
lots going on in vancouver the first trade return should give us an idea where they are going..🤔
willie w., last week you posted “Sorry George, The Sens are going no where with this goaltending tandem. They pick top 10 if they don’t trade for a goaltender this year 100% …”
While not actually disagreeing with what you say, I will point out that Talbot has posted a 5-7 record with a 2.76 ga average and a .909 save %. Not great, perhaps, but nowhere as bad as some.
Also, if they can win tonight against the Ducks they will be 6-3-1 over their past 10 and just 4 pts back of Florida. Baby steps, for sure, but a helluva lot more promising than their previous 10-game stretch. And now there’s a chance that Norris could be back in early January.
Hi George,
yes your right they have played very well over the past 10 games… Chabot coming back has helped a lot, im sure when Zub comes back that will help to but i still dont think they make the playoffs
The thing with Talbot… he will go on a little run then go in the tank, then an month or so later He will go on another run…
over the past 4 years Cam Talbot plays about 35 games a season, playing for 4 team’s.
This year ottawa being his 5th team in 5 yrs.
im just not a big fan of Talbot or back up Anton Forsberg.. i think Ottawa can get better goaltending for $6.M Ottawa is paying these two
if the Leafs 25yr old goaltender they got for free from the Caps Ilya Samsonov at $1.8M continues to play well for the leafs, he is 8-2 with GAA of under 2…👌 He would be a great Sen’s pick up if… the leafs can’t Sign him as im sure he will want to be a starter and be getting paid in the $4+M a year❓🤔
And yet, over 410gp in the NHL, many with teams notoriously weak at the D position, Talbot has career averages of 2.63ga and a 0.915 save %.
So decided to research this topic a little bit as Willie keeps bringing it up.
While OTT’s tending isn’t outstanding, it doesn’t suck either. Remarkably average, seems about right.
SV %, HDSV% both average.
IMO OTT should just keep working to improve every game, and they will. Methinks they finish in a better position than last year unless injuries keep biting them.
Trading for a “proven” starter doesn’t really exist anymore IMO. “Proven” guys have struggled a lot this year and last. Including Demko, who is going through a really tough stretch.
Hi Ray,
Please see above coments about Sens goaltending Cam Talbot.
Today the Sen’s are sitting in 27th spot out of 32 teams closing in on 30 game mark
I dont know if you can trade for a starter? But you can trade for a potential starter❓ Or if a team like Vancouver says we are going into a quick 3 -4 year rebuild…
We just dont have the Right mix on our team hear and they Dont.❗️
Then i think a Thatcher Demko becomes avalable after xmas once they move Bo Horvat and they have told Brock Boeser’s agent he can look for a trade/New team…
along with OEL who they have asked to wave his NTC and big d/man Tyler Myers, they may well be eating salary hear on there d/men
I think with goaltenders they are still in a development stage between 23, & 26 yrs old
developing there potential… like a Thatcher Demko, Ilya Samsonov, Jake Oettinger, Dan Vladar, Cater Hart, Pyotr Kochetkov
you look at young guys who have moved team’s this season aged 25 to 26 yr old, like, Both the Washington Goaltenders…🤔
NJD Vitek Vanecek & Leafs Ilya Samsonov have been Lights out Great for there New Teams⁉️
I think the Sen’s still pick top 10 if they don’t trade for a younger more capable goaltender this year and thats ok as they are a rebiulding team on the up&up
Merzlikens for Talbot, straight up.
Forsberg seems to be playing pretty well with OTT too. Was very good last year as the starter, and solid this year.
Sogaard is still only 20, but he was really good in junior out here in AB, so he looks like a promising prospect, but who knows with tenders for sure . The guy is huge, 6’8″
I’m not a Leafs fan, but it does not matter if they are winning now. They will never win a playoff round.
I’m not a Leafs fan either … but I can’t help wondering on what concrete basis you say that?
Elliotte Friedman
@FriedgeHNIC
·
1m
SEA claims Tolvanen
Great for Seattle
Yeah surprised teams below Seattle did not take a crack at him.
Heh, yeah. Yesterday when I pondered the move by Poile might be related to enticing someone to take that cap hit for a guy who’d been a healthy scratch for 7 straight games and had trouble scoring so far in his career, despite being a 1st round pick, I was assured that he’d go quick. Johnny Z figured it would be the last-place Ducks – automatic – Shoreorrpark also felt he wouldn’t last long – but here he went past 22 teams all the way to the current 10th spot Seattle, while Mike Pilon asked if I was “that surprised” saying he’d be “a Duck, Hawk or Coyote.”
I admitted I knew nothing about the guy except for the recent blurbs about his being a frequent healthy scratch and his trouble finding the net. And while some of the teams that passed on him might have done so out of cap constraints, that certainly wasn’t the case in most – and it’s not like his $1,450,000 hit for this year and next was huge.
Clearly, a few teams that need offensive help and had the space didn’t see any promise in him.
Or all these teams are saving their cap space for a big move that will benefit them much more than a slumping Toivanen. That and they wanna be assured of how much the cap is projected to increase for next season.
All of them – all the way up to Seattle in 10th spot overall? Hell, Arizona could have absorbed that cap hit without even denting what they have in reserve, and it’s not as if they have anything to worry about with respect to upcoming contract negotiations. You’d think that, if Tolvanen had so much promise that some saw him as going to one of the first 3 teams that had a shot – each of whom has plenty of space – Seattle could forget about his reaching them. And when they got a shot, they clearly weren’t concerned about projected cap increases. Were the others smart while Seattle was dumb?