NHL Rumor Mill – May 17, 2023
Will the Penguins sign Jake Guentzel to a contract extension? Could the Bruins sign pending UFA Tyler Bertuzzi? What’s the latest Devils’ speculation? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WILL THE PENGUINS SIGN OR TRADE GUENTZEL?
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Horwat cited The Athletic recently suggesting that Jake Guentzel could pop up in trade rumors if the 28-year-old winger doesn’t receive a contract extension from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)
Guentzel is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. The Penguins can open contract extension talks with him on July 1. The club is still in the process of hiring a new general manager. Horwat suggests signing Guentzel could be a first order of business.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel has two 40-goal seasons on his resume and tallied 36 goals and 73 points in 2022-23. Re-signing him will be expensive. He is earning $6 million annually and will seek a significant raise on a long-term deal. Guentzel will draw plenty of interest if the Penguins decide to peddle him this summer or during the 2023-24 campaign.
WILL THE BRUINS RE-SIGN BERTUZZI?
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Joe Haggerty believes the Bruins should attempt to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi. They acquired the 28-year-old winger before the March trade deadline. His style of play fit in well with his new club, leading the Bruins with five goals and 10 points in their seven-game first-round series with the Florida Panthers.
Haggerty acknowledged the Bruins’ salary-cap constraints for 2023-24 but also pointed out Bertuzzi loved his time in Boston. He believes they should try to re-sign the winger if they can free up sufficient cap space to do so.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Bertuzzi is a possibility if they can move out a high-salaried player like Taylor Hall along with a defenseman like Matt Grzelcyk or Derek Forbort. However, it could prove to be a tight squeeze. Bertuzzi earned $4.75 million annually on a two-year contract and will probably seek $6.5 million annually on a long-term deal.
LATEST ON THE DEVILS
SPORTSNET: During Friday’s edition of The Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman reported there was some speculation around the March 3 trade deadline that the New Jersey Devils were considering moving forward Yegor Sharangovich.
Friedman said the Devils had some concerns over what he might get for an arbitration award. The 24-year-old is completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million and is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharangovich had a career-high 24 goals and 46 points in 2021-22 but his stats fell to 13 goals and 30 points as he dropped down the Devils’ depth chart. With Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt also RFAs this summer with arbitration rights plus their need for a goaltending upgrade, Sharangovich could become a trade candidate this summer.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner and Stan Fischler pondered whether the New York Islanders would have an interest in Miles Wood. The gritty 27-year-old Devils left winger is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. They suggest that Wood would help to improve the Islanders’ speed among their bottom-six forwards.
Krech and Bergeron will sign for peanuts if I was GM I would trade Ullmark for a young D man. I’d also move Griz and Derek and bring up Zboril. I’d keep Hall and sign Bertuzzi and let Swayman do his thing. So far in this year’s playoffs I can’t say any goalie has stolen a series maybe Bob has out played his opponents but not by much.
Obe, I think Bergeron signs, he let his team down in the playoffs, he should’ve sat one more game. He was -6 in 3 games. He won’t go out like that.
I hope they sign Bertuzzi
KPD(globe) suggested trading McAvoy, Debrusk and Ullmark to Chicago for the 1st overall pick.
My thought to that if it were to happen is glad Boston first round pick next season is top 10 protected.
I think Grizz will be traded, bring back the most in picks prospects. Also Matt can’t be happy with how Montgomery treated him.
Move out Forbort, check out the cost of signing Carson Soucy.
If can sign Bertuzzi, then Hall has to go.
Ullmark to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck.
C’mon now… McAvoy, February, and Ullman for Connor Bedard? Not even close!
I still maintain that Ullmark, Reilly and Grez have to go. That opens up just north of 11 mill.
If I were signing Bert (which I hope they do), then I would trade Debrusk as I believe he fetches more then Hall, and that opens a bit of the salary for Bert.
Bert played well with lots of Bruins and could be on line 1 or 2.
As for Forbert, Sure if you can move him, but Zoborill deserves a regular shift and they just signed Lohrie who likely would not have signed if he didn’t have a chance to make the big club.
Trade Ullmark, Griz, Reilly (11-12 M cap space). Use that to sign Bertuzzi(6,5M), Frederik(2-3M) and Swayman(bridge 4M).
Foligno and Nosek contracts saves about 5,5M. Bergy and Krech overage bonuses are 4,5M. There you have 1M extra to use to those extensions. Then comes the ifs…
Are Zboril or Lohrlei ready? Are Lysell, Merkulov, Koppanen ready? Does Bergy retire? Could Foligno sign 1 year 1M? Can Frederik be 3C ?
And then, depending on, what assets you get from Ullmark and Griz trades, you make your decisions to fill the roster.
(if not Bergy) I could start the season with this lineup and and see how it goes.
Remember, that there are the assets from Ullmark ans Griz trades to use…
Marchand – Coyle – Debrusk
Bertuzzi – Zacha – Pastrnak
Hall – Frederik – Lysell/Merkulov?
Lauko – Koppanen – Greer/Foligno
Zboril ? – McAvoy
Lindholm – Carlo
Forbort – Achan ?
Swayman
I have a feeling Bergeron and Krejci are retiring
Give away if you have to and move Grzelcyk and Forbort .
I think you need to keep Hall in that event and sign Bertuzzi and Orlov. Good for another stab at it.
Wood is a good role player but tough time staying healthy .
A lot can happen in 6 weeks and July 1 should be entertaining
SS,
I think your Right they will both Retire …
They both looked Very tired late in the season and during the first round.
Bruins have a Very Tight Cap with only $6.M…⁉️
They need to replace A Wopping 9X Roster UFA players whop are making just over $15M …😳
and
Hot shot young RFA Goaltender Swayman may cost them $4.M in a bridge deal if he dose not get an offer sheet……
Sweeny will have to Make a few Salary out Trades,
They cant aford to Sign Bertuzzi and Orlov…❓
Someone offer sheet Swayman $4.2 x 5, it will only cost a 2nd!
Doubtful both Bergy and Krechi retire. As a betting man I would assume Krechi does and Bergy returns on another undervalued contract. Bertuzzi would be good pick up but wouldn’t want to overpay in either $ of term. He really only has had 1 great year with 30 goals. Gotta move min 2 of Grizlick. Forbert Reilly.
I have a sneaky feeling that Meier will find his way back to San Jose. The fact that his time in NJ only went so-so will let the Sharks pick him up for around 8 mil, especially as he enjoyed playing there.
Before I’m signing Guentzel I’d want an in depth stats breakdown of his production playing with and without Sydney Crosby. If he’s a 25 goal guy on a different line? Or if he’s gettin his points on the pp when primary assists come from 87? The guy is one of the best players of all time. It matters.
Regarding Bertuzzi. This is tricky spot for the Bruins. Is he better than Hall. Is really what it boils down to. Is Hall past his prime? I don’t think you can keep them both, if you’re keeping everyone else.
That’s what I was thinking Dark G.
Witness Debrincat, whose 27 goals this year with the Sens is nothing to sneeze at but in his last two years in Chicago with Kane he scored 41 and 32 (in 52 games).
BJ Macdonald is a cautionary tale …
Where’s the LIKE button LJ. 100% agree. Cautionary tale indeed. I like DeBrincat and all that……but.
“oh but but he had more assists this year. Oh but but his role changed. Oh but but he was in a new unfamiliar city with new players”
9 million to qualify. Same as Timo Meier I believe. That’s a tough check to sign.
Who is BJ MacDonald?
Life itself sometimes seems a cautionary tale
OBD! Nice to hear from you.
BJ MacDonald scored 46 goals one year playing with Gretzky. He was traded and Glen Sather said (and this is from memory) “A fire hydrant could score that many goals playing with Gretzky.”
Ouch … He never came close to that total elsewhere and had a short NHL career thereafter.
I’m not a Leafs fan nor am I an NHL GM. But it seems to me that the best trade that the Leafs can make is Marner for Erik Karlsson.
The money matches and both teams are getting full value.
I don’t claim to be a hockey genius so I am asking a legit question here.
What do you guys think?
Leaf’s need big mean tuff D man Erik isn’t that if I’m trading Marner I want young D man in return.
Although I feel bad for the Bruins fans after the first round KO, I wonder how often they think about the 2015 draft and what could have been.
It has to be extremely rare to have three consecutive first round picks. They picked 13th, 14th and 15th, choosing Zboril, DeBrusk and Senyshyn. The next three players picked were Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot. Ouch
For the Bruins fans, you can still hope Krejci and Bergeron sign for another year, but I wouldn’t want to risk having a 37 and 38 year old as your top two centers. The decline in play gets a lot more rapid in your late 30’s.
It’ll be fine. Just ice a team that can get into the playoffs. Anything goes after that part has been achieved.
I guarantee they would both miss a lot of games. You might only get 80-90 points combined. They won their cup. Why go through the grind. In turn they might have to literally pull the jersey off Bergeron’s back. Krejci gone.