NHL Rumor Mill – March 25, 2023
Could Coyotes such as Clayton Keller or Nick Schmaltz follow Jakob Chychrun out of Arizona? How will the Red Wings fix their imbalanced blueline? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
COULD MORE COYOTES REQUEST TRADES?
GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan recently examined the Arizona Coyotes’ offseason plans. He wondered how many of their core players will want to spend their prime playing years with the rebuilding club.
Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller (NHL Images).
That frustration drove Jakob Chychrun to request a trade, prompting Morgan to ponder if others such as Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse might do the same if the club “follows the same lather, rinse and repeat formula for the next two seasons”.
If the Coyotes stick to that program, Morgan wondered why they would keep a player such as Nick Schmaltz around. The 27-year-old forward won’t be in his prime when the rebuild is over, his trade value has never been higher and his salary significantly increases over the next three seasons.
Morgan mused over whether the Coyotes could get more assets by peddling Schmaltz and 26-year-old goaltender Karel Vejmelka. He also wondered if doing so would upset their other core players.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be up to Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong and head coach Andre Tourigny to sell their younger stars like Keller on their program and keep them motivated to be part of it. If those guys lose faith over the next couple of years they could follow Chychrun’s example and ask to be traded.
Schmaltz and Vejmelka are in a different situation given their ages and where they could fit within their rebuild. That would explain why their names surfaced in the rumor mill leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. Armstrong could shop one or both this summer but, as Morgan observed, it comes with the risk of upsetting those younger core players.
I think it’s more likely Schmaltz and Vejmelka get traded than Keller and Crouse. That doesn’t mean that I believe Armstrong is going to trade those two older players this summer. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if they pop up in the trade speculation leading up to the NHL Draft on June 28-29.
HOW WILL THE RED WINGS ADDRESS ITS IMBALANCE BLUELINE?
THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman wondered how the Detroit Red Wings intend to address their imbalanced blueline. Most of their defense prospects are left-handed shots. He anticipates general manager Steve Yzerman will make one or two additions to the right side of their defense corps.
Free agent options could include the New Jersey Devils’ Damon Severson, the New York Islanders’ Scott Mayfield, Boston Bruins’ Connor Clifton or the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba.
They really should move the Coyotes out of Arizona. Quebec City would be happy to have them and they might even make money and be successful, something that is never going to happen in Arizona.
Paul
Wrong country. Wrong 1/2 of hemisphere. If moved would be to west division like Houston Kansas etc Quebec blew it will probably never get another team
🍁 Next thing you know Quebec Will say they want to Separate from Canada if Gary Betman will not give them an NHL Team…!
&
This time We should vote to let them Go this time….🤣
Next NHL Team will be Houston, they have it all ready to go✔️
Portland is Very intresting….🤔
Seattle has been a Huge Hit….✔️
Willie W
Your comment is not ok, you are talking about a certain portion of Quebec’s population and you are making us the other portion look bad. If all Quebers wanted it, it would have been done already. Enough of the bashing please
If (when?) the Coyotes are allowed to move out of the Phoenix area, they definitely will not be going to Quebec City. Portland, Oregon, Kansas City and Houston are far more likely. Placing a team in Quebec City won’t drastically increase HRR the way larger American cities/metropolitan areas would.
I for one am tired of the NHL’s focus on American cities for expansion. Canadian cities have a much better chance of survival than southern American cities that have little interest in hockey. But you are most likely correct that a Coyotes move would not be north of the border.
Paul H, where Bettman is concerned, it’s time to give credit where credit is due when it comes to expanding the popularity of the game in the U.S.
When he became Commissioner in Feb 1993 there were 24 teams, 8 of which were in Canada, including Quebec City. Back then it was fair to say, to some degree anyway, that “southern American cities have little interest in hockey.”
But since taking over he has brought the NHL to 9 U.S. cities – Carolina, Vegas, Dallas, Colorado, Seattle, Nashville, Florida, Arizona, Anaheim and Columbus – virtually all of which are solid operations, several in the south, and only one that remains “a work in progress.”
Quebec City, with a metro population of 844,000, would undoubtedly render greater game by game support than the current situation in Arizona – but that area has its own warts frequently discussed in here and putting a team there would do nothing to “grow the game.”
Certainly not anywhere near these U.S. locations where, with the league experiencing ever-increasing popularity in the U.S. – thanks in no small part to the growth of the game at the development level – a franchise would now thrive (and that includes three locations that have previously had a kick at the can):
Showing metro populations, these are:
Houston – 6,707,000
Atlanta – 6,144,050
San Francisco – 4,620,000
Cleveland – 3,630,000
San Diego – 3,298,634
Portland, Oregon – 2,259,710
Kansas City – 2,392,035
Milwaukee – 1,575,179
Hartford – 1,214,295
Rochester, N.Y. – 1,007,486
Yes, a few of the above 10 will probably never see an NHL franchise … but any one of 7 of them would be targets before Quebec City ever is considered again.
As for Arizona, the logic of remaining there escapes all of us, and we can debate the “whys” until the cows come home … but there has to be more to it than just focusing on what many in here perceive as Bettman’s stubbornness … and when (and, yes, IF) a new major league capacity arena is finalized, I’d bet “the Arizona fiasco” would soon fade away as yesterday’s news.
Move them to Houston or Atlanta: KC you had your chance…
When I wrote, above, “(and that includes three locations that have previously had a kick at the can):” I was thinking Atlanta, Hartford and Kansas City. I should have said “five” since both Cleveland and San Francisco (the Golden Seals were, essentially, San Francisco, albeit located across the water in Oakland and then became, briefly, the Cleveland Barons).
Stephen Malik – so did Atlanta. Twice.
Steven Malik,
You’re snide remark is historically flawed. Remember the Colorado Rockies? And I don’t mean the baseball team.
Damn, I forgot about the Rockies … lol.
Hi Paul,
i agree with you 100% on the Locations.
just makes sence.
Hi Mike,
just my own personal oppinion about Quebec City 49% of the population over there feel they are entitled… and Alberta is always giving them the money from the oil field’s….
I would put a NHL team in Hamilton or Markham Ontario 100%….. way before Quebec City, it would not even make my top 10 Locations in North America to add an NHL right now.
Honestly if the kracken were smart they put in a area clause that includes Portland so they don’t have that coming up. But a 1/3 filled minor league rink doesn’t scream nhl here we come
Quebec doesn’t have the corporate base to make an NHL team viable. Better to move them to Houston or Kansas City.
This is more the reason than not, unfortunately.
Larger Phoenix is one of the larger city areas in the US, Bettman is not giving up that since if they leave they surely cant come back.
No one in Quebec has shown they have the resources to afford an NHL team. During expansion, Quebecor was behind their bid, and they were $6 billion in debt.
The ownership of the Coyotes wants to build a billion dollar complex in tempe, they could have bought the Glendale arena for millions less. if their proposal is turned down by Tempe they might want to be in touch with Glendale but I suspect they have an eye on Houston. Bettman will likely do all he can to avoid another Canadian team.
Glendale already told the ownership of the Yotes to pound salt because they weren’t getting paid.
That’s why they are sharing a college rink.
You have to have some veterans in the line up . Schmaltz along with Keller and Hayton make up a decent first line. Maccelli is nifty and looks to have real good potential. Centering Crouse.
Some makings there why mess with that.
3 weeks to the dance.
Toronto breaks the streak, Presidents Trophy jinx ? Oilers win the west and one first round upset
Hi George Chychrum got his first injury went longer than I thought he sure dried up in getting points too. The man is always been out long stretches luckily you have some young D to fill in.
Couldn’t agree more Man on TV. But I’d feel a lot worse about it had Dorion been forced to hand over 2 1sts, a top prospect and a good roster player in accordance with Armstrong’s early demands.
From what I’m hearing he could be back in the line-up Monday when Florida comes to town. Whatever’s bugging him this time had to have happened during that 7-2 win over Tampa in which he played just over 18 minutes and did record an assist.
The only hope coyotes have to surviving is by winning the draft lottery. I can’t see any NiHL player willing to give up the best years of their career to stay in phoenix.
I sure hope the vote is a no for tax $$ to be used to build the arena. Before leaving Glendale the word was they need to be downtown phoenix. Now it seems they are going down the same rabbit hole – out in the suburbs.
I get why the nhl wants to stay there because of market size but let them prove the hard way that they really want and will support a team and give them a team back as an expansion team in the future.
Look at other markets who have lost a team and then were granted an expansion team (excluding Atlanta). Minnesota has been highly successful in it’s second stint.
Not sure why the negativity towards Quebec. Relocation would be perfect. State of the art arena, assume this move would come with new owners with deep pockets, strong fan base, unique culture and beautiful city. I think is would be the Nashville of the North.
Sure it won’t be a to 10 revenue generating team but it won’t cost the nhl revenue $$’s either. What is wrong with Winnipeg and Ottawa formula? Ottawa selling for $200 million more than penguins with the condition a new arena must be built in downtown ottawa. New owners will be investing $2 billion. This throws out are arguments against these type of markets not being of value to the nhl. Should also mention there was a lineup of buyers to purchase the sens.
What would an owner be willing pay to have a team in Quebec City with an arena already in place. It seems all you need is a billionaire owner and the sale of ottawa has proven there is lots of interest.
And how much HRR will a team just down the road from Montreal produce? How many new fans will be created?
I understand Canadians wanting as many teams as possible since hockey is your national sport. But you have to face facts. The population of Canada is about the same as California. For the NHL to thrive, teams, either new or relocating, must go where there are large populations without teams.
When the Coyotes played in the Suns NBA arena many years ago they actually had very good attendance. Then they decided to build an areana 45 mins outside of downtown Phoenix. Who wants to drive that far after a days work. For NFL is different 8 games a year on a Sunday. The same mistake was made by The Panthers and placing their areana while really nice outside of Downtown Miami and South Beach. NHL and NBA facilities have to be in downtown or very near proximity. The majority of attendees are people after a days work or school age individuals. ⁸
Where’d that little 8 come from?
Yes let’s face the facts. Canadian teams drive HRR.
You only need 20,000 people to fill an arena. And with a small population density as small as Quebec, it would stay full.
It wasnt filling a building the reason they moved. They had a cup winning team. The reason they moved was an aging building and a very small corprate structure, something very different and much larger then back in 1995.
If were talking about growing the game.
Its not much of an argument. When a city like Atlanta loses a team to Winnipeg. The NHL should be focused on strengthening its markets first.
Quebec has an nhl history and would create and renew old rivalries. So putting bums in the seats is not the issue here. Its weather Bettman can stomach losing a failed market like Arizona. And watch it thrive in Quebec.
I’m watching a very angry Lightning team today. We need to get the pp clicking to take advantage of their aggression.
If I were a Quebec city NHL fan, I would be hoping that the next franchise goes to Atlanta. After all, the previous Atlanta franchises were moved to Calgary and Winnipeg. Let’s try for a three-peat, and have a third failed Atlanta franchise moved to Quebec City! C’mon, Bettman, you can do it!
When the Coyotes played in the Suns NBA arena many years ago they actually had very good attendance. Then they decided to build an areana 45 mins outside of downtown Phoenix. Who wants to drive that far after a days work. For NFL is different 8 games a year on a Sunday. The same mistake was made by The Panthers and placing their areana while really nice outside of Downtown Miami and South Beach. NHL and NBA facilities have to be in downtown or very near proximity. The majority of attendees are people after a days work or school age individuals.
When the Coyotes played in the Suns NBA arena many years ago they actually had very good attendance. Then they decided to build an areana 45 mins outside of downtown Phoenix. Who wants to drive that far after a days work. For NFL is different 8 games a year on a Sunday. The same mistake was made by The Panthers and placing their areana while really nice outside of Downtown Miami and South Beach. NHL and NBA facilities have to be in downtown or very near proximity. The majority of attendees are people after a days work or school age individuals. ⁸
Hiccups, Naveen?