NHL Rumor Mill (Part 2) – February 23, 2023

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Rumors | 62 comments

Check out the latest on Brock Boeser, Sam Reinhart, Mattias Ekholm, J.T. Miller, Boone Jenner, Adam Henrique and more in Part 2 of today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE “32 THOUGHTS” TRADE RUMORS

SPORTSNET: With the March 3 trade deadline over a week away, Elliotte Friedman examined each NHL club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We looked at the first 16 teams in Part 1 earlier today. Here’s a summary of the remaining 16 clubs.

Calgary Flames: They looked into acquiring Vancouver’s Luke Schenn but the price looks like it was higher than they wanted to pay. The Flames also kicked tires on Vancouver winger Brock Boeser.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson observed the Flames are in a difficult position here given their position sitting just outside of a Western Conference wild-card berth. General manager Brad Treliving appears to be in wait-and-see mode with the club’s performance over the next seven days likely to decide whether he buys or sells.

Buffalo Sabres: Friedman believes they should do something no matter how small to bring in someone to help their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres GM Kevyn Adams isn’t likely to make a major acquisition by the deadline. However, with his rebuilding club sitting tantalizingly close to a playoff spot, I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t make an affordable rental addition to add a little more experience and leadership to the room.

Nashville Predators: Friedman doubts forward Tanner Jeannot is going anywhere with the club opening talks on a long-term contract extension. It would take a “strong package” to pry away defenseman Mattias Ekholm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed GM David Poile is willing to listen on most of his players. However, he’d got a lot of veterans on expensive long-term deals and those types of players usually don’t move before the trade deadline. And no, I don’t see him peddling goaltender Juuse Saros or captain Roman Josi. Moving on…

New York Islanders: Friedman isn’t sure what GM Lou Lamoriello could be up to. He’s already made a major move by acquiring Bo Horvat. He doesn’t see pending free-agent defenseman Scott Mayfield getting moved while they’re still in playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t rule out Lamoriello making another addition if the Isles can strengthen their grip on the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. It won’t be as big a splash as the Horvat deal but one that provides some affordable depth. Much could depend on how long center Mathew Barzal will be sidelined by his lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers: They’ve climbed back into the playoff race and winger Anthony Duclair should soon return to the lineup. Friedman’s heard Sam Reinhart’s name come up in the rumor mill but isn’t sure about the timing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart would be a trade chip if the Panthers were still wallowing near the bottom of the standings. He’s not going anywhere now that they’ve played their way back into the playoff race. GM Bill Zito could be a buyer but getting Duclair back into the lineup could be just as good as acquiring someone via trade.

Washington Capitals: GM Brian MacLellan is open to discussing his pending unrestricted free agents in the trade market. He’s not close to a new contract with Dmitry Orlov. Other UFAs include Garnet Hathaway, Connor Sheary, Marcus Johansson and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are just two points out of a wild-card spot with Alex Ovechkin returning to the lineup following the death of his father. I expect MacLellan will remain patient for the next week to see how his club responds.

Ottawa Senators: Friedman pointed out they’ve inquired about every available defenseman this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said the Senators have also expressed an interest in St. Louis defenseman Colton Parayko. Also, their shipping away Nikita Zaitsev to Chicago for “future considerations” (and including two draft picks in the deal) suggests they could be preparing for a significant acquisition. Maybe it’s Parayko or another notable defenseman. We’ll see…

St. Louis Blues: They’ve now got three first-round picks in the 2023 draft. It’s believed they’ve inquired about San Jose’s Timo Meier and Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. If Meier’s unavailable, Friedman also wondered if GM Doug Armstrong might pursue Alex DeBrincat if he doesn’t re-sign with Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes the Blues must clear more salary-cap space if they intend on making a quick rebuild. Trading away Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola and Noel Acciari didn’t free up any cap room for next season because they were all on expiring contracts. Thomas wondered if Armstrong would try to trade a defenseman such as Colton Parayko or Torey Krug but noted they’ve got expensive contracts with full no-trade protection.

Philadelphia Flyers: Friedman doesn’t see forward Travis Konecny going anywhere. James van Riemsdyk’s a scoring option for a few teams. Kevin Hayes is available and Felix Sandstrom could end up on waivers. The Flyers are looking for centers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A pending UFA, van Riemsdyk’s a goner though I expect interested clubs will want the Flyers to retain half of his $7 million salary-cap hit. Hayes carries a $7.1 million cap hit through 2025-26 with a 12-team no-trade clause. That’s a contract that gets moved in the offseason, not the trade deadline.

Montreal Canadiens: Injuries to Sean Monahan and Joel Edmundson rule them out as trade chips. Winger Evgenii Dadonov might go for a later-round draft pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The expectation is the Canadiens could have a quiet trade deadline. It would be a different story if Monahan and Edmundson were healthy and productive. GM Kent Hughes could surprise us but unless he’s shopping someone like Josh Anderson I don’t see him making many moves this year.

Vancouver Canucks: Defenseman Luke Schenn has been held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons. Friedman’s getting mixed messages regarding Washington’s supposed interest in Brock Boeser. Teams want to see what they’ll do with J.T. Miller but Friedman considers it unlikely that anything happens with him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schenn is the most likely to go given his affordable salary ($800K) and his playoff experience. The Canucks could probably move Boeser at the trade deadline if they agree to retain half of his $6.65 million cap hit. Miller’s no-trade clause doesn’t kick in until July 1 but I agree that he’s unlikely to be moved.

Arizona Coyotes: Jakob Chychrun’s been held out of the lineup for trade-related reasons since mid-February. Friedman doubts Boston is in on him because of salary-cap issues. That leaves Columbus, Los Angeles, St. Louis and perhaps Winnipeg as possible destinations. Shayne Gostisbehere is another Coyotes defenseman worth watching.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was assumed Chychrun was heading to the Kings earlier this month but that appears to have fallen through for now. I still expect he’s going to get moved by deadline day. Gostisbehere is also likely to be on the move.

San Jose Sharks: Suitors for Timo Meier include Carolina, New Jersey, St. Louis, Vegas and Winnipeg. Freidman wondered if it could cost Western suitors more for Meier than Eastern ones. Erik Karlsson to Edmonton appears unlikely. Pending free agents such as Nick Bonino and James Reimer are worth watching.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meier’s a goner, it’s just a question of where. The Devils, Hurricanes and Blues appear to be the front-runners. Karlsson’s not going anywhere because his hefty contract is too difficult to move in-season. It won’t be easy to shop him this summer. I think Bonino and Reimer will be changing teams by March 3.

Chicago Blackhawks: Patrick Kane’s decision regarding a trade is expected any day now. It’s down to picking one team to get traded to or making a decision to look after his health beyond this season and address his nagging hip issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In Part One, I noted that there remains a possibility Kane ends up with the New York Rangers after all. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case and how they’ll pull it off.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Vladislav Gavrikov has been taken out of the lineup for trade-related reasons. Friedman wondered if the Blue Jackets will try to pursue Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun. Joonas Korpisalo and the sidelined Gustav Nyquist could also become trade candidates. Some teams have looked at Boone Jenner but there aren’t many who can handle his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gavrikov is gone given his UFA status and affordable $2.8 million cap hit. Chychrun to Columbus makes no sense if reports that he doesn’t want to go there are true unless the Jackets intend to flip him to another team. A team in need of cap flexibility could acquire Nyquist’s contract, put him on LTIR and use the savings to add another player.

Anaheim Ducks: John Klingberg is available. Friedman believes it’s time to move Maxime Comtois. He also believes the Ducks and goalie John Gibson would love to find a way to get him to a new home. There are also teams interested in Adam Henrique but the Ducks could demand a premium to retain salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was very busy leading up to last year’s trade deadline, shipping out Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Rickard Rakell. It’ll be interesting to see what moves he makes this year and what returns he might get.

Gibson’s hefty contract means he’s not moving at the deadline. Henrique has a year left on his deal with a $5.8 million cap hit and a 12-team no-trade clause. Comtois is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights carrying an affordable $2.037 million cap hit.







62 Comments

  1. It’s a pretty unbelievable time to be a Blues fan!?! I’m dating myself badly, but it reminds me of the old Ron Caron years of wheeling and dealing–who’s next?

    The Blues are strapped with SO MANY bad contracts (I’m sure many teams would say the same) like Schenn, Krug, Parayko, Faulk…….it will certainly have an impact on potential signings and trades. Shame on Armstrong, I guess.

    Meier (and Chychrun) would both be great pieces for the “retool”, but the Blues are one of SEVERAL teams wanting them.

    I expect that Barbashev, Parayko, and others will be gone by March 3rd.

    IP

    • Sorry IP, but I am not going to judge some of these contracts on this outlier season. Faulk and CP where pretty legit the second half of last year. Krug has been pretty solid on the offensive side, but the guy has roughly 90 points in 155 games as a Blue.
      I cant ben the only one that has to point out that with Larry Robinson on staff and Monty on staff the team looked pretty good. This is just not a player issue the coaching staff needs some changes as well. Pretty clear that Mactavish has been a terrible addition to the staff.

      • B,

        I really hope that this season proves to be an “outlier”, as you state. I worry that it may ,in fact, be the start of a downturn for some upcoming seasons.

        Fully agree on MacTavish. Fully agree regarding loss of Monty. Faulk is fine now, but not confident what 36 will look like. Krug is struggling with injuries now, smallish, and I’m not sure what 36 will look like! Parayko has had a couple really inconsistent seasons as well as back issues, and I’m not sure what 37 will look like!!

        Really hope you’re correct.

        IP

  2. THANK you, Friedman, for not including Ottawa in your above speculation as to the destination of Chychrun!

  3. I wonder if my Leafs would be able to pry Jeanott and Trenin with, Engvall, Knies and a 2024 4th then,….another greedy wish list to add even more sandpaper would be:

    Holl, Topi 2023 6th for Gudas

    Bunts- Matthews- Nylander
    Tavares – O’reilly- Marner
    Trenin-Accarri- Jeanott
    Kerfoot – Kampf – Jarncrock/Zar

    Morgan- Brodie
    Sandin- Gudas
    Gio- Lili
    ——–
    Timmins- Benn
    Samsonov
    _______________

    Murray

    Blank needs another add imo
    The target- Korpisalo

    Trade to Florida – the choice of Kalgren/Woll 2024 5th 2025 3rd

    • DJ

      No way the Leafs are trading Holl, Topi Niemela and a 6th for Gudas.

      Niemela is their top defensive prospect. Playing pro hockey in Sweden since he was 17.
      Mid the Leafs are truly “all in” this year they need to get players back that will be substantial upgrades over what they currently have.

      Gudas would be an upgrade in physicality but not sure about much else.

      I know I’ll probably get roasted for this but if they put a package together of Sandin, Knies, 2024 and a 1st pick, I think ARZ listens for Chychrun

      Sandin is a former 1st rounder, is 22 and plays regular minutes on a top 5 team.
      Knies is an NCAA sophomore nominated for the Hobey Baker award. (Top prospect)
      2024 1st round pick

      There is Arizona’s ask…2 first rounders and a top prospect

      • I just feel that some overpayment to target needs required to make a long run with added grit could take us a longer, deeper path.

        Gudas imo would not only help clear creases and keep oncomers heads up but Gudas does’nt seem to get injured often.

        If only Cych didn’t have that tag, I may be on board with your suggestion.

        Nashville will now be sellers so hence my offer to pry that sandpaper off of them, but it seems like Nashville only retools but maybe they listen hard considering the offer proposed.

        IMHO if we did offer the value you presented with maybe a little less I would turn to Calgary to see if they would bite on a trade involving Hannifin and pssst,…with a retention, send us Lucic. 😉 cheers D

      • Daryl, for the record, there were at least 45 initial nominees for the Baker award. Knies was one of them. But he did not make the final cut

        https://ecachockey.com/news/2023/1/19/mens-ice-hockey-12-players-named-2023-hobey-baker-memorial-award-nominees.aspx

        The history of the award shows that there are vastly more among those who were nominated for it who failed to make the grade in the NHL than those who did.

        Knies is a 2nd round pick – 57th overall – and remains a decent prospect – a status that will endure until he shows he can handle the NHL game.

        As long as Armstrong is holding firm to his demands, that package won’t do it.

  4. Nice rundown today of all the teams!

    • George you do know they did a team-draft on the Knies draft he would be a 10-15 pick now

      • Re- draft. George

      • Where is that shown?

      • Saw it last year sometime they do re- drafts for past drafts all the time. Can’t remember where I saw it but it was after his first year of NCAA so one year after being drafted. Maybe it was the Athletic it’s interesting when they do it it shows where possible mistakes where made.

      • https://theathletic.com/3682561/2022/10/17/2021-nhl-redraft/?amp=1

        Here is the link. However it’s a bit premature to be making that call. Most players in that draft haven’t even sniffed the NHL yet.

        So what are they basing this on? My guess? Nothing.

        This kind of analysis takes years.

      • OK, but in the end what pundits/journalists think is not what counts when it comes to choosing at the draft – any GM will go with what his scouting department recommends.

        I doubt the Atlantic or any other outlet got all 32 scouting departments to let them have a peek at what they compiled, let alone re-assess their initial evaluations for public scrutiny.

        That stuff is guarded like Fort Knox and allowing a rival to see their efforts just cost an AHL GM his job.

  5. If a player is traded march 3/2023 what would his cap hit be ?

    • canuck, cap hit on March 3rd is the same as on March 1st.

      Yes, cap hits are pro-rated but the easiest way to analyze a club’s position is with Cap Friendly and their Deadline Cap Space projection. For example, the Bruins have $1 million in deadline space (all based on Thomas Nosek’s LTIR status). So, they can add $1 million in cap hit – e.g. 1 player at $1 million or $3 M out and $4 M in.

  6. Never mind getting Nyquist’s contract for LTIR cap space, the player himself ain’t bad and would be a nice add for depth if he’ll be ready to play come playoffs when cap and roster limit is gone. Plus the player(s) you can add because of that LTIR cap space his contract brings.

  7. Chicago still have players to move in Andreas Athanasiou and Max Domi. There was talk of Domi wanting to stay in Chicago; however that could be re-visited in the summer

    Athanasiou 12g 8a in 56gp cap hit $3m
    Domi 17g 29a in 57gp cap hit $3m

    Both players would be good additional bottom 6 on a good team.

    Domi would be a nice add for Boston

    • @caper
      If Kane, AA and Domi gets moved…..

      how many minutes can Tyler Johnson play before he gets hurt again?

    • ds maybe they can move Johnson also. Not likely though.

  8. Schenn and Meyers to WSH for
    Mantha, Eller and a 1st? WSH needs depth on D Incase Orlov doesn’t resign.

    Maybe Orlov and a 3rd to CHI for McCabe?

    I personally like Parayko and Barbashev 50 % to EDM for Barrie, PJ a 1st and 2nd

    • Not a chance. 50% on Parayko for 7 years for a struggling PJ and Barrie with a 1st and 2nd?

      • No the 50% is on Barbashev not 50% on Parayko lol.

      • That makes more sense. But from the player comparison alone, I wouldn’t do it anyway.

  9. Still trying to get my head around Kingerski and a “West Coast”
    team interested in (and that could fit in) Petry?????

    There is still also talk re Oil in on EK(???)

    So… for my usual way out there Ships ‘N Giggles

    To SJ
    Petry
    Yammo
    McGuinn
    1st (Oil ‘23 Lottery protected)
    1st (Oil ‘24 also lottery protected)

    To Oil
    EK at $6.1 M Cap (Sharks retain 12%, Pens 35%)….. their net Cap change hit this year is zero

    To Yotes
    Dumo (50% retained by Pens)
    4th (‘23…. Sharks)

    To Pens
    JP

    Result

    Sharks ….retain 12% on EK; move him; move a 3rd….. net Petry, Yammo, McGuinn; 2 firsts; gain cash and Cap space out years

    Oil…. Convert Yammo and JP into EK for two 1sts; get EK for balance of this year and 4 more years…. @$6.1 M annualized Cap hit

    Yotes get a 3rd for retaining about $400 K cash

    Pens
    Convert McGuinn into JP
    Move Dumo (replaced by Smith)
    Net $4 M (annualized Cap) this year (gives them trade maneuver room)
    Net $5 M cap 23/24
    Net $5 M cap 24/25
    Do NOT give up futures

    @ expense of

    $4 M Cap space in both 25/26 & 26/27 (when cap much higher AND Pens then in rebuild);

    AND

    Petry

    • Would you do

      Domi 50%, McCabe to Pitt
      Petry, Kapanen, a 1st and 3rd to Chi

      • I would IHC

        would hope HexBurkie would

        Can’t possibly see Davidson even considering it

        no matter what…. Hexburkie need to decide if they are selling

        This bubble situation is not good

        Pens with or without a move are very very unlikely to get past first round (almost assuredly if they get in they are a WC team)… so any trade of futures (unless late rounders… and you get nothing for that) should be for players with term

        Pens need 3C upgrade…. with term and possibly available …. list is very very very small

        Henriques fits the bill…. need to know how much (in trade) he’ll cost

    • It’s probably just Arizona trying to take on salary to remain above the floor. 🙂
      It seems like they have more money tied up in LTIR and “retained salary” than they do in actual roster salary!
      Someone needs to make this organization accountable to field up a real roster.

      • hi foleyd7

        No one is holding Bettman accountable for this atrocity in the desert; so I can’t think it will change.

      • And yet this atrocity in the desert sits in 28th ahead of SJ, Chicago, Columbus, Anaheim, are tied with Vancouver in pts (Canucks have a game in hand), 3 back of Montreal, and 6 back of St. Louis.

        They’ve given up less goals than all of those teams and have scored more than Chicago, Columbus, Anaheim, Montreal and Nashville, have 1 less than Philadelphia and for a real eye-opener, just 15 less than the defending Cup champions – all this after 57/58 gp.

        Seems to me that bogus roster isn’t the only one that needs to “answer” for the product they put on the ice.

      • @ George O,
        I think the difference is that it seems like Arizona hasn’t tried to build anything sustainable in years. It seems like the last time Arizona was relevant, JR was dishing assists to dad Tkachuk.
        Chicago has been a playoff competitor for the better part of the last 15 years. Same for SJ. Anahiem was for a while too and should be coming out of a short rebuild (and is looking promising with a young roster). Columbus seems to try to build a competitive roster but just swings and misses with some players, but it does seem like they are trying, at least way more than Arizona.
        To me, Arizona has been a joke for competitiveness and salary cap manipulation for quite some time now. They seem more interested in trading for contracts to “get above the cap floor” instead of trading for players to improve and get in the playoffs.
        Lots of teams have a down period for some years every now and then. Arizona is perpetually down and doesn’t seem to care.

      • Until the Coyotes get a decent arena, imo, they’ll stay in this low salary holding pattern. Selling assets at their peak, trying to accumulate draft capital. Has the feel of a small market MLB team.

  10. From TSN per Kaplan and Portzline combined…. Bruimns looking at Gav AND Bruins want to move Smith… but (???) Jackets need another team involved ??

    both are UFA…. their Sal diff this year is $100 K (so 33 K as at what is left now)… Jackets have space

    Why not flip the two ; and Bruins give the 1st and 3rd asking …. that is IF Bruins are truly in on Gav (to me a cheaper depth D upgrade is Shenn; and assets COULD be used (if Bruins still want— not sure) on Fwd upgrade????

    This Gav to Bruins seems strange to me

  11. From TSN per Kaplan and Portzline combined…. Bruimns looking at Gav AND Bruins want to move Smith… but (???) Jackets need another team involved ??

    both are UFA…. their Sal diff this year is $100 K (so 33 K as at what is left now)… Jackets have space

    Why not flip the two ; and Bruins give the 1st and 3rd asking …. that is IF Bruins are truly in on Gav (to me a cheaper depth D upgrade is Shenn; and assets COULD be used (if Bruins still want— not sure) on Fwd upgrade????

    This Gav to Bruins seems strange to me

    • I can say that again

  12. George O

    What is the criteria you use to determine that a player is a “top prospect”?

    Yes, Knies was a 2nd round pick. Is it relevant where he was picked? Jesse Puljujarvi was a consensus top 3 pick in his draft year…how is that working out for Edmonton?

    There was not much data for scouts to go on because of limited playing time due to Covid restrictions. If the same draft was redone today I think it’s fair to say the results would be different.

    Knies is also from Arizona so that could help tilt the table in the right direction. You say there are other teams that could offer more in trade…where are the offers and why is Chychrun still there?

    • And how do you know that Dubas did NOT offer Knies, Sandin and some pick?

      Daryl, if Knies is THAT good and a sure-thing to be a star in the NHL befitting a top 15 pick, why are Leafs fans so anxious to include him – and not just him alone but only as part of a larger package – in a deal for a D-man who has spent so much time on the IR for a wide variety of reasons?

      How is that sound management?

      • And when you say ” Jesse Puljujarvi was a consensus top 3 pick in his draft year…how is that working out for Edmonton?” you more or less make my case. Hell, Nail Yakopov was a consensus # 1.

        Or doesn’t the same thing apply to Knies – even if a re-draft by some unknown collection of pundits considers him a top 15 if the draft was held some time after the real one?

        As I said yesterday, I believe, Knies could well turn pro and do very well …. or he could fall flat on his ass … at this stage no one can say for certain one way or another. He is what a lot of players in that draft have become – a prospect. Period. As Captain Obvious says, “Most players in that draft haven’t even sniffed the NHL yet.
        So what are they basing this on? My guess? Nothing. This kind of analysis takes years.”

      • George, lest we forget the next big thing (at the time) Alexandre Daigle. Consensus #1 and then…? (Insert crickets noise here)

      • I have never evaded acknowledging the Daigle fiasco which you would know if you’ve been following this site for years.

        But that was two hockey generations ago – I could have mentioned it again, along with every other top drafted bust since then (such as Korshkov with the first pick in the 2nd round after “picking” Matthews) but I don’t think Lyle would appreciate a 4-page post.

        And what was the ‘cricket noise” supposed to suggest? That I DON’T mention Ottawa’s gaffes and so would not respond?

        Anyway, as far as I can determine, we were talking about a Leafs proposed trade, I didn’t bring up Puljujarvi as an example.

      • George O

        Nobody knows what’s offered in trades…not even the “insiders”.

        It’s not that the Leafs fans are anxious to trade Knies . It’s simply that you have to include a quality prospect to get a quality return.

        Only reason I suggested Knies as part of the Chychrun proposal is he’s from Arizona and could possibly interest the Coyotes to have a (ELC) hometown player to sell tickets.

        As for Sandin…he’s an NHL defenceman on a $1.4M contract. Former 1st round pick. Chychrun would be an upgrade on Sandin and ARZ is looking to shed salary while still icing a team.

        Nobody can guarantee that any prospect will be what they’re projected to be. Some players surprise even the best scouts.

        I just find it interesting that you’re quick to jump on fans of other teams for suggesting trades involving prospects that you consider “over rated” but have done exactly the same when mentioning players OTT could move (Bernard-Docker, Thomson) to acquire an NHL player.

        Don’t get me wrong here. I like the back and forth banter. Keep it up 👍🏻

  13. Florida is back in playoff race with about 5-6 other teams. They’re probably Chychruns 1st choice as far as landing spots. I doubt Arizona retains anything on his deal. Panthers have dealt away all their 1st rounders, but maybe Yotes take a package including Knight and Denisenko plus Forsling for cap purposes. Add their 2nd round pick? I think Kane wants to go to NY but finding the 3rd team to retain is probably holding up deal. Arizona seemed logical, but they also have a couple pending ufas they might need to retain salary on. They’re already retaining OEL so can only do 2 more.

    • George, the cricket noise comment was the resounding silence of Daigle’s career after being rafted. As in it was short lived and underwhelming. I’m only here to comment on hockey, not on the people commenting on hockey. Honestly I was supporting your theory of highly drafted players being nothing more than a prospect and not living up to the hype in many instances.

  14. Sweeney if you’re reading this … Schenn and Hathaway..both vets who have been deep into playoffs …Schenn plays the matchup D and Hathaway 4th line size ..energy player score some .. both cheap not much going other way

    • Sweeny did better than anyone here thought!

    • Good call Joe , Hathaway is a solid PITA addition for the Bs.

    • Nice call, Joe. You got it half right.

  15. Hathaway headed to Boston

  16. Garnet Hathaway · $1,500,000
    Dmitry Orlov ($2,550,000 retained – 50%) · $2,550,000
    to Boston for
    Craig Smith · $3,100,000
    2023 1st round pick (BOS)
    2024 3rd round pick (BOS)
    2025 2nd round pick (BOS)

    • Sweeney. Pulls a big rabbit out of the hat. Kudos to him

      • Such a good deal.

      • Luv the deal.
        A veteran calm all around D-man who can play both special teams.
        And a high energy banger, a-hole on the ice, who can skate and kill penalties. The guy is a physical player, couldn’t stand him when he was with WSH!

        Outstanding Mr Sweeney.

        WSH was on a losing streak but still kinda surprised they didn’t wait a bit longer to see if they could get back into it.

    • Minnesota got a 5th round pick to hold another 25 percent on Orlov.

  17. About time I called one … makes me feel all fuzzy inside

  18. Bruins have any cap $$$ left or are they done

    • Just read. They are going to move both Reilly and Zyboril

      Love this trade. Bruins will be very hard to win 7 game series against. Smells like Stanley coming home to beantown 😍

      So glad No Gavrikov

      • Yeah they got Orlov and Hathaway, plus dumped Smith’s contract, for basically the reported price of Gav. Solid move.
        Also seeing rumors that Zboril and Reilly are headed out. Wondering what the return might be there? Maybe Schenn just as more depth and toughness?

      • If they do move Reilly and Zyboril that would give them a little extra cap $$ to play with …the good thing is that they aren’t removing any pieces from the team just adding … great job by Sweeney … thinking RWM would agree

      • Great adds for Boston

  19. Leaf fan here. Knies is overrated – stop the madness already lol. Upside is will be a 3rd or 4th line winger for next two years on entry level (will burn a year this year).

    Not every kid turns out like Hyman- more often than not- Jimmy Vesey -remember that hype show..
    All this to say if you can deal and get a contract with term you do it and Zona would want that too… he is an Arizona kid.

    That being said- jury is still out on Chychrun for me (not saying he isnt worth it-the package required – just dont know what his ceiling is)

    • I think his ceiling is playing about 50 games out of 82 every year.