NHL Rumor Mill – December 22, 2022
Should the Oilers or Jets attempt to acquire Jakob Chychrun? Are the Senators interested in the Blackhawks’ Seth Jones? What’s the latest on James van Riemsdyk, Jordan Staal and Vladislav Gavrikov? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SHOULD THE OILERS OR JETS PURSUE CHYCHRUN?
THE ATHLETIC: Ryan Nugent-Bowman noted that the Edmonton Oilers have been linked to the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Vladislav Gavrikov, the Montreal Canadiens’ Joel Edmundson, the Nashville Predators’ Mattias Ekholm and the Anaheim Ducks’ John Klingberg in the rumor mill.
However, Nugent-Bowman thinks they should attempt to acquire Jakob Chychrun. He believes the Arizona Coyotes defenseman would bolster the Oilers’ blueline and alleviate pressure from Darnell Nurse.
Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).
Nugent-Bowman acknowledged the Coyotes’ high asking price for Chychrun as well as the blueliner’s injury history. However, he pointed to his solid performance when healthy as well as his affordable $4.6 million cap hit through 2024-25.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Bowman doesn’t believe Oilers management shares his opinion on Chychrun. General manager Ken Holland could surprise us but I think there’s a better chance of seeing Edmundson, Gavrikov or Klingberg suiting up for the Oilers by the March 3 trade deadline.
I don’t think the Predators intend to part with Ekholm. GM David Poile is stubbornly sticking with his veterans.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jacob Stoller suggests Chychrun could be the missing piece to put the Winnipeg Jets over the top.
Along with Josh Morrissey, Chychrun would give their blueline two top-pairing caliber players. He thinks this could be this version of the Jets’ best opportunity to make a run at the Stanley Cup with Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler slated to become unrestricted free agents in 2024.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun would certainly provide a big boost of talented skill to the Jets’ defense corps. However, I’ll be surprised if Kevin Cheveldayoff, their usually cautious general manager, pays the Coyotes’ asking price to get him.
RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Ottawa Senators’ re-signing of Artem Zub doesn’t mean they’re still not seeking a right-side defenseman. Friedman mentioned the Chicago Blackhawks’ Seth Jones but said it appears that was as much due diligence as anything else.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jones’ hefty $9.5 million average annual value through 2029-30 aside, any trade involving the 28-year-old defenseman depends on his willingness to waive his no-movement clause. Things are rough for the rebuilding Blackhawks right now but there’s no indication Jones wants out. He could become their next captain if Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane don’t return next season.
Friedman believes the Edmonton Oilers are eyeing Vladislav Gavrikov. He believes the Columbus Blue Jackets would set a high asking price for the 27-year-old defenseman, who’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Mark Spector elaborated that it would likely be a first-round pick plus a third or fourth-rounder.
The New Jersey Devils have a very nice right-side defense with Dougie Hamilton, John Marino and Damon Severson. The latter is eligible for UFA status next summer and his situation could be worth watching but the Devils are trying to win now.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Severson’s drop to the third pairing and his free-agent eligibility has made him the occasional topic of media trade speculation. I think the Devils will hang onto him for the playoffs unless their season goes off the rails before the March 3 trade deadline.
Friedman thought Philadelphia Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk might make sense for the Calgary Flames. However, he no longer thinks that’s a fit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: van Riemsdyk is a UFA in July and is reportedly available in the trade market. The Flames, however, are pressed against the salary cap. Even if the Flyers retained half of JvR’s $7 million cap hit, the Flames would have to move out a player to make the dollars fit.
No one is expecting Jordan Staal to leave the Carolina Hurricanes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal is a UFA next summer coming off a 10-year, $60-million contract. The 34-year-old center isn’t going to get $6 million annually again but perhaps he’ll accept something between $4.5 million and $5 million on a two or three-year deal to stay in Carolina.
Friedman considers the chances of the Vancouver Canucks trading defenseman Quinn Hughes to be low. He also thinks Ethan Bear will get a contract extension while a decision has to be made regarding Jack Rathbone.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless Quinn asks for a trade he’s not going anywhere.
The klingberg rumors to Edmonton make no sense, they already have Barrie and Bouchard who play a similar game. Can someone tell me why holland has interest?
It’s not that Holland has an interest but rather a pundit suggested Klingberg as an option.
I am trying to think of a Cup contender who would improve with Klingburg in their lineup……can’t come up with one.
We all need to read many pundits comments with a critical eye,and take them with a grain of salt. I think that, at least 90% of the time, these folks are simply throwing the proverbial stuff against a wall to see what might stick. There are a couple of well known analysts who word their comments to sound like they have been personally been told by GM’s that they intend to trade a certain player, or acquire one,but in fact have zero insider knowledge. Since it is the Holiday season, I will refrain from mentioning names, but almost all of what they say is nonsenclick bait. merely clickbait.
They are definitely spit balling Iago, nothing wrong with that IMO. We do to on here. GM’s call teams and talk about all kinds of players all the time, doesn’t mean they can work out a deal that makes sense for both. Guys like Friedman qualify what they say.
All I know is I read 32 thoughts every week.
lago your not wrong, not to say they don’t have some info because they do.
Some GM float things just to test.
Yes it’s all clickbait, hence why anything at all to do with Toronto is a quick headline as it means a ton of clicks.
They just look at the standings, looks at the ufa’s and go from there, see where they might be a fit and the price to pay.
Wait until next season, until Matthews is signed.
Most trades now break about 30 minutes after the trade happen.
None the less we like to hear them, read them and criticize them.
Bob your 100?% Right, The Oilers dont need Klingberg….
to much like a Barrie & Bouchard
The Oiler need Big & Tough 2nd pair d man,
like, plus klingberg salary is at $7.M
Top 3 today are
– Joel Edmundson, Montreal.
– Vladislav Gavrikov, Columbus.
-Chychrun would be nice to have…
But
not at the asking price of 2X1st pick’s and a Good Prospect, a d is what the want the prospect to be..? meaning Broberg ? maybe Nemo? and
A salary Dump to clear Cap space for a trade
99% of all trade’s coming up will have salarys going the other way due to the tight Cap Space
Late January more player’s will become avalable once we know who is out the playoffs for sure
4 teams trending that way in the West, Hawks,
Ducks, Sharks, AZ, and Vancouver look like they wont make it with pending trades of Bo, & Brock & some d/men….
3 in the East so far, CBJ, Philly, Sen’s
willie w, not disputing your contention that
Columbus, Philadelphia, Ottawa are trending towards missing the playoffs … but do you think Montreal is not?
Right now they’re 3 points up on Ottawa with the Senators having a game in hand and due to start getting back Zub, Norris and Stutzle (aided by the coming storm which has resulted in their postponing tomorrow night’s game against Detroit – meaning all 3 could be back when tat game is played later). But whether Ottawa catches them or not, I see nothing to suggest they are still in the mix for a playoff spot.
Te Klingberg
Better Edmonton than Toronto
Too much of a liability defensively
Who knows with Holland ..
He signed Campbell
Anything’s possible ..
Holland is a good GM. EDM was lucky he was available.
Campbell can get it going again, like almost every goalie not named Vasilevskiy, he is going through a tough stretch. They all seem too these days.
Regarding JP, he is an NHL player, he is just paid too much if he isn’t contributing offensively, which he isn’t this year. IMO if he is added to make the cap $ work on a deal, why not?
CLB won’t have to qualify him at his current salary to keep him, as JP and his agent know nobody else will either.
@Ray Bark
Are you being sarcastic when you say Holland is a good GM?
His last few years in Detroit were awful and he’s consistently shown he can’t navigate the salary cap.
EDM has the two highest scorers in the league but they’re in the middle of the league standings. Team defence needs to be addressed.
No not sarcastic Daryl.
How were the Oil doing before he got here?
How are they doing now?
Answer – way better now. Final 4 last year. They will get it going this year too, would bet $$ on it.
Will add a D at the TDL.
Overall he was great in Detroit and will go into the HOF because of it. He played a huge role in building that team into a contender, and keeping it one for 20 years.
The last few years in DET he hung on too long. The way I understand it Ilitch wanted to keep going for it as he wasn’t doing well health wise, just a rumor mind you. Heard the same thing went on in Philly with Snyder.
Glad EDM has him.
Holland’s so good that he’s wasting $3 million on a 1st round bust whom nobody else wanted. Maybe Anaheim is desperate enough to give Puljujarvi a try. If Holland throws in a 1st round pick. Which Holland might do, since he’s made a lot of questionable moves in his career as a GM who cannot win the big one.
Oh, stop trying to send that worthless Puljujarvi to Columbus. IT AIN’T HAPPENING!!!!!
Right on ray .Kenny we trust
Right on Ray ,Holland we trust
I think you have to look at pre and post cap years. Pre cap = good gm. Post cap…. Not so much
So you guys honestly think Holland hasn’t done a good job in Edmonton or can’t function in a cap world?
Bit of a wow. Care to explain that position?
Here is the reality here in Edmonton:
Hired in 2019 off season after missing the playoffs. Again, with nothing but noise and turmoil. Chiarelli was doing nutbar stuff and locking himself away in the office.
Edmonton was a mess, up against the cap for his first 2 years, so mended around the edges, but decent additions considering. Biggest thing is – he calmed sh*t down.
Holland’s record.
Year 1 – finished 2nd in Div. Lost 1st RD
Year 2 – Same. 2nd and lost in Rd one
Year 3 (finally had some cap space) – 2nd in Div. Won 2 rds, lost Conf final.
We’ll see how they do this year. One thing we know for sure is he won’t panic like PC did.
Paul – can’t win the big one? How many current GM’s have more rings?
Re JP’s $3M salary. He was a 1/2 pt per game player last year. That is what those guys get paid. That is what he was predicted to get, and that is what he got. Please check other similar guys. So you let young guys who produce that walk? No hindsight allowed for GM’s.
You ignored what I said, “if he is added on to make the cap work why not”
So why not?
And yes as it sits right now with available LD’s who can defend Gavrikov may very likley get a first, depends how the market develops. Best option today from what I can see for the Oil.
Ray,
Explain Holland signing Campbell to a multi-year contract with a $5MM AAV after one shaky season as Toronto’s starting goalie. Then, explain to me (and anyone with a brain) why the Jackets – and especially Kekalainen – would trade for Puljujarvi after passing him up in the draft. At least, then, he had potential. Now, he’s another draft bust. Yes, bust, because more than .5 points per game, in only one season, is expected of the 4th overall pick.
But Holland doesn’t get it. Just like in Detroit, he throws around money like a Democrat in Congress in hopes something good will happen. He has not figured out that, in a cap league, it’s not how much you spend, but how you spend it.
Agin right on Ray ,holland we trust
Paul, US Politics? If you are referring to todays bipartisan spending deal, 18 Republican Senators signed it out of 50.
Because it wasn’t one season Paul, and it wasn’t all that shaky either. It was 2, one of which was excellent, last year was simply good. Had a tough stretch. No tender perfect, no human is. Look at the other Leaf tenders last year and their #’s? Hmmm.
The year before he was outstanding and even better in the playoffs, so not sure what you are talking about.
He was the 2nd best tender available, they needed one and signed him. Didn’t hear too many complaints on this site then? Waaaay to early to call that a bad deal. I said the same thing about Ullmark to some of my fellow B’s fans who were saying the same thing about him last year. Don’t freak out over a bad stretch. There was plenty Trade Ullmark posts! Fire Sweeney!
Hindsight is easy Paul.
JP got what he earned and was a very good player for a significant portion of last year. Signed him to a 1 year deal, based on production, made sense to almost everybody here in EDM at the time. Hasn’t worked out, yet. Again, hindsight is easy and not really an argument, unless you brought it up then?
So will ask the same question differently. Why not take JP as basically a throw in as part of a Gavrikov deal to make the cap$ work? What is the risk? I don’t see any. 6 weeks of $3M is the risk.
Holland and CLB don’t care where JP was drafted or that he was passed on, some fans do, but they don’t. They care about the player today.
Big, fast, physical, can defend, but can’t score right now. Seems like he is in his own head too, which is the part that worries me about the player.
Hi George,
I think right now the NYR 41 pts, NYI 38 pts, & the Caps 38 pts are Stronger than the Habs @ 33pts
Then you have Detroit, Florida, and Buffalo
right in front of them.. Buffalo are playing well but they are also very young and a dark horse❓
When Allen is in goal he give the Habs a chance, Montembeault is a difrent story,
Habs are Very young especaly there d core 3 young guys under 22
Habs are going to be trading away anywhere from 3-6 players, to help with there re-build
d/man Edmundson a 1st or a 2nd
forwards, salary retained for mid picks or prospects Drouin, Dadonov, Hoffman, Byron they may resign Monahan..❓ 50-50
Anderson i dont think they move him this year❓
George you know my thoughts on Ottawa goaltending🙈 thats there Big hold back for this year,
i think they may make a pitch for a RFA goaltender that avalable in july 2023….❓
Re; Ken Holland.
When he arived in Edmonton
Peter “Cinderella” Chiarelli had left a Huge Trail of Distruction of Very Very Bad trades, Very bad contracts, Buy outs and a Max Cap ect …..⁉️💥
Pet Chiarelli Legacy’s ( TUEMOIL )😱
A Mess like this is not cleaned up in a couple years, it takes time… It may not be cleaned up this season 2022/2023❗️
but 2023/24 it will be and he will get it sorted out with Keith Gretzky
Jack Campbell will get his game back he is olny 30yrs old and been on the team 3 months ,
Give the guy a chance eh⁉️
like any 1st round pick its not garenteed
some team will take a chance on JP,
its not worked out in edmonton but if reunited with his old line mates in CBJ, or Carolina who know it could be a steal,,,, food for thought🤔
I could see Gavvy bringing a 1st+. But I don’t understand why certain websites/rumormongers keep making Puljujarvi that extra. Sure, he needs a change of scenery, but it won’t be with the Jackets. The Jackets, and specifically GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who selected Dubois ahead of Puljujarvi. If the Jackets didn’t want him when he was full of potential, why would they want him when he’s becoming a 1st round bust?
I don’t know why anyone would consider Jakob Chychrun as a good trade for the asking price. Please correct me if I am wrong but he has never played a full season that I can see. Last year he had 21 points in 47 games with a +/- of -21. Wow what an elite player. The current asking price is so ridiculous that I do not think he’s going anywhere. If I’m a general manager I would look elsewhere.
snuffy1953 Chychrun played a full season in 20-21 season, although it was 56 games.
last season he had a -20
this season in 15gp he has 3g 10a 13pts and is a team leading +8
Arizona only has 3 players with a +
The asking price, at the moment no one is willing to pay the price, we will see if that changes.
IMO your not just paying for the player, your also paying for the term and caphit. Chychrun cap hit of $4.6 is a bargain.
If a team thinks Chychrun can be a difference maker, they made look at it as having him for 3 playoff runs. I think he gets traded by the deadline.
They may have him for three playoff runs if he can stay healthy that long. He isn’t going to help his team in the playoffs if he’s on LTIR again.
Word here is the Oil aren’t as high on Chychrun as some of the pundits.
I think the issue is, his problem is the same as the problem the Oil have had on and off all year.
Bad puck management and turnovers. The rest of his game is excellent.
Gavrikov if they can swing it, as LD is what they need.
Gonna cost, as not many available right now on teams that are obviously out of it at this point, which isn’t that many. Hopefully for the Oil, more come available nearer the TDL.
Caper, the 2019/20 season was also shortened. He played 63 out of 70 games. I believe the season before that he missed significant time due to an offseason training injury. He’s 24 and probably will be playing another 10 or so years. Also, I believe if Arizona wants to get even close to their ask, they’ll need to retain part of his salary. The cap floor is a bigger problem for them than the ceiling, but his actual dollars jumps next 2 seasons. Besides what he’s owed this year, an aquiring team will need to pay him another 12.5 mil.
Re Oil and suggested D….
Only two suggested are UFAs…. Klinger & Gav
Gav better and cheaper
Acquire Gav; and
Trade with Yotes….
Campbell (50% retained) plus ??
For Vejmelka
Not sure how much that would cost
Gav on the D; Vejmelka replacing Campbell; Kane returning before playoffs…. West is up for grabs
Above just might be the thing to explore for Holland
If Krakken were beliw the line (instead of challenging the top of PacDiv)..,., Yammo/Ryan for Soucy/3rd
Pengy or Lyle. Are there any rules on how much a 3rd team can retain in salary? Example: Chicago trades Kane to Rangers. I know Chicago can’t retain more than 50%. If Arizona uses its cap space to aquire an asset, is there a limit on what percentage?
50 % of what is left after the first team retains, and the next team can retain 50% of their cap hit…and so on and so on…….
Pengy or Lyle?
As Johnny noted, it is no more than 50 percent retained.
If Ottawa could swing it they should go after Jones. The times I watched him in the playoffs with Columbus he was always one of the best players on the ice. He may not be playing very well on a real s****y Blackhawk team but put him on a young Ottawa team with some very good players I think he would be a difference maker for them.
Unfortunately I don’t know what Ottawa would have to give up to make it happen.
I don’t get to see the Jets play often but on paper they are deep on the back end. Chychrun would be nice to have but not at the asking price.
Morrisey is having a solid year plus Heinola is getting a shot now and he could be slotted in on the left side if he performs. All the Jets need is to get and stay healthy.
Wow, what a difference a year makes? Winnepeg, the hockey news says, getting Chyhchrun will “put them over the top”. Last year they were talking about shipping guys out like Scheifele and Wheeler, now they’re talking about a Stanley Cup run? I like Bowness, always have as a coach, he goes way back but a run? The Avalanche ,when they get healthy, will get payback IMHO and then some. Even Dallas and Minnesota will give Winnepeg all they can handle. They are playing well but we will see. Let’s not get carried away? GO AVS!!!!!!
Tom
You forgot the Blues???!!!???
IP
ps, Something for Oilers/Ray Bark to ponder:
Parayko and 4th for Ceci, Puljujarvi, Shafer, and 2nd
Iowa, Ken Holland here, deal.
Sorry IP! You’re right throw the Blues in there , too!!!
IP
Hexburkie here
What do you want from Pens just for Parayko??
HexB,
P-O J, Kappy, Poulin, 4th
Army
The chances of Seth Jones being acquired by Ottawa range somewhere between slim and none – and slim left the building! And that’s due to a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that bloated cap hit.
Sorry IP! You’re right throw the Blues in there , too!!!
As bad as we suck I would rather resign Gavy and not trade him. We have been thru that before with Savard. Savard was the steady Eddie back there and now Gavy is. The fact that we are sitting with 9 guys on the IR doesn’t help. We are playing half the team from the AHL now. I didn’t think we were a playoff team this year but this let’s be the youngest team in the league every year is getting old.
That’s a fair point Fred, assuming he wants to stay in CLB, I have no idea. Seems like a guy worth keeping.
Sucks to have that many injuries, unless you get to draft one of the top 2 guys this off season!
Starting to get to the point where they won’t be able to crawl back into it, even if they play well, so might as well hope for some lottery luck.