NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2023

by | Apr 19, 2023 | Rumors | 34 comments

What moves should the Blues and Coyotes make this offseason? Is this Matt Dumba’s final season with the Wild? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT SHOULD THE BLUES DO THIS OFFSEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford recently made some suggestions regarding offseason moves for the St. Louis Blues.

One was trading Torey Krug or Nick Leddy if there’s any interest in them this summer provided they’re willing to waive their no-trade clauses. It would help the cap-strapped Blues and allow younger defensemen more playing time during the club’s roster retooling.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given their ages (32) and contract terms, that could be easier said than done. The oft-injured Krug carries an average annual value of $6.5 million through 2026-27 while Leddy’s is $4 million through 2025-26.

Leddy seems the easiest to move but that depends on whether there’s a market for him and if he’ll agree to be traded.

Colton Parayko popped up in trade rumors this season but nothing materialized. It seems unlikely that the Blues will move him because they’d need to find a suitable replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parayko also has a full no-trade clause. It was rumored that he’d only waive it for the Edmonton Oilers as his hometown is St. Albert, Alberta. If so, forget about moving him anytime soon.

Rutherford also suggested a contract buyout for Marco Scandella if they fail to move Krug or Leddy. He has one season left on his contract worth $3.275 million. A buyout would save them $2 million for 2023-24 and $1 million the following season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could be their best option if they can’t move Krug or Leddy or find a trade partner for Scandella.

WHAT WILL THE COYOTES DO THIS SUMMER?

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan recently looked at several questions facing the Arizona Coyotes this summer.

One of them was what this year’s draft will provide the Coyotes. They have 12 picks in this year’s draft, including two first-rounders, four in the third round, and two in each of rounds five and six. They also have a total of 47 picks over the next four drafts.

Morgan doesn’t expect they’ll trade either of this year’s first-rounders. However, they do have the pieces with their other picks to trade for a young prospect or existing NHL player.

There’s also the possibility of a trade on the draft floor. Morgan noted that Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz drew plenty of interest leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes could be a team to monitor as the opening day of the draft (June 28) approaches. General manager Bill Armstrong could look at packaging some of those picks (other than his 2023 first-rounders) for a young player who can help accelerate their rebuild.

Morgan speculated that Schmaltz might fetch them another first-rounder. It’s not a far-fetched suggestion given how often his name surfaced in the rumor mill before the trade deadline.

IS DUMBA’S TENURE WITH THE WILD DRAWING TO A CLOSE?

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Sarah McLellan reports this year’s playoffs could be the final leg of Matt Dumba’s 10 seasons with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With the Wild facing a salary-cap crunch this summer, he’s unlikely to be re-signed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is probably Dumba’s final season with the Wild. His name frequently surfaced in trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the March 3 deadline.







34 Comments

  1. Hey, there’s a trade – DeBrincat and Mandolese to Arizona for Vejmelka and a couple of picks 🙂 🙂

    • George.

      That would work for both teams as. Yotes would just move him out at deadline for a 1st etc

    • Depends on what the picks are you reference ? Vejmelka +1st + another mid pick or B prospect, sure. Just not certain Debrincat is going to want to sign long term in AZ.
      I believe that teams trading for ADB are going to give more in trade value if they know they can lock him up for the long term. It is a decent option.
      We just got over the Chychrun saga and now we have to read about this every day , hopefully this gets done one way or another by draft day.

      • Fergy22

        LOL Yeah like Cat would ever commit long term with that dump in Arizona, There’s absolutely no way Arizona is paying DeBrincat $9,000,000 per for 8 years. At least not playing in that dump Mullet Arena. Plus no way would DeBrincat leave a young up and coming Senators team for a Arizona team that’s more or less 10-15 years away from ever thinking about competing.

      • Well, of course Arizona isn’t going to pay DeBrincat $9 mil per long-term – neither is Ottawa nor anyone else with half a brain.

        But as for DeBrincat not wanting to leave “an up and coming Senators team for a Arizona team …” – who cares what he wants if he doesn’t want to commit to Ottawa at an annual salary more in keeping with his career 68 pts a season? And so far he hasn’t committed.

        Right now he goes where Dorion sends him after qualifying him. Either that or go play in Europe as Formenton did – and Ottawa STILL owns his rights.

    • AZ could flip the Cat for younger players, and the Sens would get a good and affordable goalie. I don’t think the Yotes want to pay the Cat $9M next year.

  2. If a team needs a goalie maybe reach out to Don Sweeney. Swayman is an rfa that could be on the move. Who has draft capital that needs a goalie.

    • Once Ottawa moves DeBrincat they have lots of cap.

      • I feel like you are as cold on Debrincat as I am. Some Sens fans are all worried about him leaving and I am thinking… with the core we already have…he is a FANTASTIC trade chip to bolster the net and perhaps the D a little more. I know they are not necessarily comparable, but I am far more invested in Shane Pinto than I am in ADB.

      • This makes more sense than keeping him. Trade him to the Ducks for Gibson (retain 1/2 salary), and use the rest of the savings elsewhere. The Ducks have nearly $40M in cap space to spend!

    • Caper as a Bruins guy, would you rather trade Ullmark or Swayman?

      My preference is off load Ullmark as I believe Swayman is the cheaper option. Not to mention he is younger and I feel has higher upside.

      Sell on Ullmark while the value is extremely high.

  3. Imagine being in the 2023 draft and hearing your name be called by the Yotes…not that it wouldn’t be exciting to be in that position for a young player, but making it all this way and then going to a team that is considered the ugly-red-headed-step-child of the entire league. (no offends to red-heads, just a saying)

    • I can’t speak for anyone. But Holy cr*p, I wouldn’t care who drafted me. I get an opportunity to play in the NHL.

      Imagine playing in Regina Saskatchewan and now you get to live and play in Arizona.

      I think Bedard will be Ok if drafted by whom ever.

      • Well at least Bedard could use the team getting paid as an NHLer while he adjusts to the game and then jumps ship as soon as he is eligible 😛

    • Yeah, LOL. I almost choked last year when Logan Cooley, taken 3rd overall by Arizona and speaking to the reporter after being selected, expressed his “delight at being drafted by such a fine organization ….”

      One can only conclude that he wasn’t paying much attention to the NHL while playing college hockey. Either that or he was just quoting from page 4 of the Little Red Book Of Cliches.

      • If AZ gets a new arena and their young core they will be fine moving forward

  4. We’re in total agreement there, theSaint.

    Let’s see – with a roster whose top players are mostly locked in long term (including a quickly-improving Brannstrom an RFA to be settled this year and Sanderson an RFA next year), and so heading for a situation where cap space could become an issue down the line, I’m looking at a 6′ 2″ 200lb C with speed (Pinto), who is also an RFA this summer coming of an ELC of $925,000 and who has expressed openly a wish to be part of this team going forward, along with a 5′ 7″ 165lb winger RFA (DeBrincat), coming off a $6.4 mil cap hit and who would need to be qualified at $9 mil and who, after 6 full seasons, has averaged out to be a 34g 34a 68pt F and who is himing and hawing about whether or not he wants to be part of the team going forward.

    Hmmm. Who do I retain and who do I seek to move for the best return possible??

    Sayonara Alex.

    • Yep George! I feel like that is money better spent on talented guys who have a passion for the team. Sanderson and Brannstrom deserve the money for their much improved play. That and a solid goalie… yes please.

      I mean the offensive numbers were getting pretty good to the end of the season and that is WITHOUT Norris in the lineup. ADB is excess baggage.

  5. Caper and GG, that is one of the more fascinating things to watch this summer for the Bruins. If they win the Cup with Ulmark, can they trade him w/o causing a ruckus? What if someone give Swayman and offer sheet before they get a chance to trade him? It’s a deep draft, can the Bruins trade Swayman to get back in? What about resigning DeBrusk after next year? Do you trade Carlo and try and sign Orlov? Can they sign Bertuzzi? Would be tough to see both go. Then, you need to think about Bergeron and/or Krejci coming back. Who will be our number 1 center next year? Going to be intersting.

    • I guess this is why they call it “going all in” for a Cup. They are fully aware and prepared for a changed team after this run.

    • Don should move Reilly. And Gryzlick frees up almost 6 million. Both Orlov and Bertuzzi. Would be awesome to have around. Doubt we keep either We need either 37 or 46 to sign next yr if so we will be more then fine if not will battle for a wild card

  6. Off topic. Just read that Macaulay the referee is brother in law and good friends with David Frost. Since Keefe has coached the Leafs they are 0-8 in games Macaulay refs.

    • League is a joke to allow that to happen!

      • The NHLPA had poll in 2019 on the best referee in the league. MaCauley was voted best referee with almost half the vote from the players. There are a lot of ref’s and to get almost half the vote is pretty amazing.

        I get that you don’t want that perception, fair enough, but you would have to do a lot of juggling when you consider many of the best NHL referees came up playing hockey in the same systems that the players and coaches did. Most were good players.

        I forget the ref, who after a tough call in late or in OT that led to the elimination of the Caps, went to Boudreau’s hotel room to talk to the coach who lost. The reason is they were best buds in junior, and he may have been Boudreau’s best man at wedding, or visa versa.

        They had a hug and a cocktail. Both did their jobs to the best of their ability, and both men understood that. Work is work, buds are buds.

        If McCauley was accepting money from a Leaf’s rival or something OK, but this seems like a stretch to suggest he is biased because of who his wife’s brother is.

        I would hope there is more to the story to suggest something like this.

    • Yes Guy,

      4 of the games were played while Babcock coached (1 in ’17, 1 in ’18, 2 in ’19).
      Then games 3 and 5 against Columbus and game 7 last year vs Tampa.

      • Ray Bark, very little juggling required. 20 referees are working the first round. Easiest way out would be to assign McCauley to Western Conference games, IF there is an issue.

        Read a post somewhere that Keefe’s $25k fine occurred for abusive comments during a game refereed by McCauley.

        Confirmed – Dec 27th vs St. Louis.
        referees Wes McCauley and Brian Pochmara, with linesmen Bryan Pancich and Tyson Baker.

      • I suppose you could do that Hammer and at least avoid the appearance. And don’t get me wrong would be nice if it were that easy. My guess is these refs get rated on performance all year, and get assigned on that and that only, which is how it should be IMO, or you would then get questions on bias by the NHL.

        Coaches get fined for criticizing refs, happens. Is there some bad blood there? Maybe, all kinds of things are possible, but it may have nothing to do with the this Frost character, and by Keefe’s own admission, he regrets much of what he did back then as well.

        He got a clean slate and an opportunity so IMO McCauley should be afforded the same unless there is evidence of bias or something more than a suspicion based on something that happened 20 plus years ago.

        He is the best in the NHL according to the players, by a mile. This will be one of the best/closest series based on records and past history. Those series should get the best refs.

        I haven’t read any reasonable saying the Leafs got the short end of the stick in each of the games he called, I see the opposite in the posts above, so what’s the issue?

  7. Matt Dumba would be a perfect fit on the Penguins 2nd pair right side……..if we can move Jeff Petry…

    Hello Buffalo they are looking for a veteran RHD next season?

    To mentor Danlin and Power !

    • To mentor Dahlin and Power !???

      Far better off doing that as an assistant coach than as a player, based upon the reasons why so may Penguins fans are anxious to get him out of town.

      • Dahlin will get Norris votes. He can mentor Power just fine.

      • George… Buffalo has said they are in need and looking for a right handed defenseman to be a mentor type…and Petry is that guy.

        How quickly thou forget two seasons ago Dahlin was a mess in every aspect of the game. Powers while young is still learning and not setting the house on fire just yet

        Jeff Petry while inconsistent and injured was a + 2 for the season with inconsistent goaltending and no third or fourth line. He would help Buffalo let’s not be silly now George

      • To further my pointGeorgr I want Matt Dumba don’t really care where Petry goes…but you can’t say with a straight face Buffalo is a strong defensive team..

  8. George… Buffalo has said they are in need and looking for a right handed defenseman to be a mentor type…and Petry is that guy.

    How quickly thou forget two seasons ago Dahlin was a mess in every aspect of the game. Powers while young is still learning and not setting the house on fire just yet

    Jeff Petry while inconsistent and injured was a + 2 for the season with inconsistent goaltending and no third or fourth line. He would help Buffalo let’s not be silly now George

  9. Ray Bark……How quickly thoust forget two years ago Dahlin was an absolute mess in all aspects. Yes he had a strong year but that is his first.

    I’m sure Jeff Petry who was + 2 this year, and has had years in the league, could help show them both things they haven’t seen yet.

    Buffalo is not a good defensive team and the media and team sources from Buffalo are calling for a right handed veteran defenseman for leadership…not me

    I want Matt Dumba for the Penguins so I suggested moving Petry and Buffalo is looking for a vet righty defender.