Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 25, 2023
Are the Kings close to acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois? Are the Jets getting much interest in Mark Scheifele? Are the Predators trying to move up in the draft? What’s the latest on the Capitals? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
KINGS CLOSING IN ON DUBOIS?
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens speculates the Los Angeles Kings trading Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday could be positioning themselves toward a big move. He noted that the rumblings linking the Kings to Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois are heating up.
Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).
Stephens pointed out the Kings have around $9 million in salary-cap space for 2023-24. With Dubois reportedly seeking an average annual value (AAV) of $9 million on his next contract, it would be a tight squeeze unless they shed more salary.
Winger Gabriel Vilardi could become a cost-cutting candidate. Like Dubois, he’s a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights. Promising Quinton Byfield would interest the Jets but Kings general manager Rob Blake has been resistant to cut ties on the 20-year-old center.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carter Brooks reports a number of league and front-office sources claim the Jets and Kings are deep in trade talks. One executive believes a deal between the two clubs is “nearly inevitable.”
Brooks pointed out that Dubois and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the two Jets most likely to be traded by the upcoming NHL Draft (June 28-29). Byfield, Vilardi and promising defenseman Brandt Clarke could be players of interest for the Jets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks also cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claiming the Dubois camp has whittled down their list of potential trade destinations from 5-6 teams to just two. The Kings and the Montreal Canadiens have been oft-mentioned as possible landing spots for Dubois. Of late, much of the chatter involves the Kings.
If the Kings acquire Dubois I believe there has to be a salaried player heading to Winnipeg in the deal to free up sufficient cap space. Vilardi is currently a restricted free agent so moving him doesn’t free up any cap space for the Kings. Byfield is entering the final season of his entry-level contract with a cap hit of over $894K.
If not, the Kings will have to make a separate trade with another club to free up cap space for Dubois if they intend to ink him to a deal with an AAV of $9 million.
LITTLE INTEREST IN SCHEIFELE?
THE ATHLETIC: Like teammates Hellebuyck, Dubois and Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.
Like them, Scheifele could also be on the move this summer. However, it appears the Jets aren’t getting as many offers as they anticipated for the 30-year-old center even though he’s coming off a career-high 42-goal performance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Inconsistency was an issue for Scheifele in recent years which could be dampening his value in the trade market.
PREDATORS ATTEMPTING TO MOVE UP IN THE DRAFT
THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports incoming Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz is “trying like hell to get a, say, top four or top-five pick.” He acknowledged the difficulty of landing one in the trade market. However, he’s said he’s trying to make the teams holding those picks uncomfortable by making a lot of offers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I applaud Trotz’s willingness to aggressively pursue a top-five pick. However, teams with those selections usually guard them like crown jewels. The Predators, meanwhile, hold the No. 15 selection in this year’s draft. Trotz will have to bundle that with some really enticing trade bait if he hopes to land one of those top-five selections.
LATEST ON THE CAPITALS
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports the Washington Capitals might hold off on trading Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha. They reportedly made both forwards available in the trade market.
Silber cited The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun indicating that Mantha hasn’t drawn much interest in the trade market while Kuznetsov remains a long shot to be dealt.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s not surprising given the poor performances of both forwards this season plus their respective contracts. Mantha has a year remaining with an AAV of $5.7 million while Kuznetsov has two years left with an annual cap hit of $7.8 million.
The Capitals are also exploring ways to move up from eighth overall in this year’s first-round draft order. It’s believed they have serious interest in Russian prospect winger Matvei Michkov.
I think the Capitals are safe to grab Matvei Michkov @ 8th.I dont think any of the teams picking before them can take the risk besides Arizona because its Arizona.
Philly will trade #7 to them at a cost! HA HA
that would be something
I would actually draft him and keep him if I was running the Flyers. He is exactly what they need moving forward. This whole russian thing is over blown, he will play for whoever drafts him.
Still think SJ takes him at 4
Bedard
Fantelli
Carlson
Michkov
Smith
Most likely the top 5 in order.
I think SJs pick is the one to target.
Trotz’s aggressiveness seems to be rather reckless. There will be a taker, but not the top 4 spots.
Philly will trade for anyone willing to play for Torts.
Not sure Trotz will be a good GM. Good coach.
PLD rumors to end??? They will be back in 3 years, 😆
Still think Rangers should be in on PLD. Next years cap will be tight, but no more than Kings. If they move Goodrow and package a deal for PLD including Laf and Chytil? Moce Trochek to RW solves that problem as well.
PLD’s just turned 25 and his numbers are better than Zibs were at same age.
At this point, the Kings would be more likely than the Habs to give up more assets to the Jets and to overpay Dubois on an extension. Hughes has just started the rebuild and he’s in no hurry. Time is on his side. Blake has gotten the Kings back into the playoffs but were knocked out in the first round each of the past two years. They cannot afford another first round exit next year.
The Kings biggest roadblocks would be their tight cap situation and whether Dubois would be willing to sign long term in a city so far from his home.
On the other hand, it could be Hellebuyck that the Kings are after. They’re in desperate need of a goalie.
It looks like the Habs fans that thought PLD was a lock to play in Montreal, at least next year, will get a reality check when he gets traded to the Kings in a long term deal. Personally, I would have traded Dach for PLD. I never just look at points, but Dach has averaged 38 ppg in 210 games. PLD averaged 58 in his first 224 games. Only 2.5 year’s difference in age, and at these ages, that’s no big deal. Maybe the habs anti up and still get him, but Dvorak and pick 31 is not going to cut it. I would take Vilardi with no picks over that crap.
Dave, as much as I was hoping the Habs could find a way to pick up Dubois, I’m happy that Hughes did not want to make Dach part of the deal. He just turned 22 and is a big part of the rebuild. Remember, the Kings and Habs are in different places now and it’s not a good idea for the Habs to move out a player like Dach at this point.
Dach has had the misfortune to only play for shaky teams so far, but he’s younger that Dubois and has formed solid chemistry with Suzuki, Caufield and other teammates. He certainly took a big step forward last year and at this stage of the Habs rebuild, the Habs are much better off holding onto him and watching him, hopefully, continue to improve. He’s also signed for three more years at a very good cap hit and is under team control for another year after that. By that time, I have no doubt he’ll be at least as good a player as Dubois.
Bear in mind that it wouldn’t have been Dach for Dubois even up. The Jets would have wanted other pieces as well. And we must also take into consideration what Dubois would want on his extension. Well see how it works out, but if Friedman is correct that they’re looking at $8.75-9m. AAV, no was Hughes is paying that. He’s not worth that much.
The Habs will be in a good position to pick up Dubois in three years when he demands a trade out of LA.
Jets should move out lots of guys. Trade Schiefele Dubois and Hellebuyck.
Definitely keep Connor and Ehlers Morrissey
For Dubois Ask Montreal for Dach and a swap of first round picks. (#5 and #18).
Try to get Seth Jarvis and Kochetkov and a pick for Schiefele
Hellebuyck to LA for Vilardi a prospect and a pick
I would think Jets would jump at that offer. I doubt Rangers would offer that.
Chytil had more even strength goals than PLD with less ice time. He is going to demand 9million per season as well and always want to play in Montreal
no thanks
If Panarin and Trouba were on the last year of their deals I might consider making a pitch for PLD at current age BUT that is not the case
The Rangers are struggling to balance out the roster
If you trade Laf and Chtyl NYR really would struggle to find affordable NHL talent for top 9 role that can play top 6 especially with PLD allegedly wanting that 9m AAV
the only wild card is that Panarin had chemistry with him but you would need to trade trocheck or kreider for salary reasons. and neither would waive
rangers are stuck with that trouba contract for now
DA
Ya both Kreider and Trotchek would have to go
Better to wait the 3 years and develop the team
Let trouba and panarin go and use the cap space better
The whole key is is Laffy and Kakko develop into consistent top line forwards who net 25 goals plus
Rangers are in a hole due t so much cap in so few players that don’t carry the load
&ihate
exactly
rangers need new coaching staff to get the youth productive with current salary issues
My son was saying he “heard” Sanheim was moving from Philly to the Blues and DeAngelo was going back to Carolina.
Maybe my kids an “insider” too.
Ive never seen anything on those specific moves.
Be funny if he got the scoop before Freidman and the rest of the so called experts and insiders.
lol
Ron. Few IG websites that discuss the NHL and trades have that being said. It was said to be worked on last night and will continue today
Ron, your son’s guess is as good as anyone else’s. Always bear in mind that those who say don’t know and those who know don’t say. Expect the unexpected.
From a Habs standpoint, I recall the trade rumors last year about Kirby Dach. Most of them had him going to Detroit. Nothing about the Habs. And look what happened.
Allegedly hates and sanheim to stl for krug but krug doesn’t want to go to Philly
So why not flip krug to WSH, if he’d accept, for mantha a future 1st and 2nd and TVR
Philly can flip mantha and continue to clear cap
Just read lyles morning headlines and it’s all laid out there
Great work Lyle
Things are moving fast before the draft
Good time for fans
If I am WPG I’d ask for Vilardi and Byfield for PLD as is
Or
PLD & wheeler
For
Arvidson vilardi & byfield
WPG can hold 50% on wheeler
WPG will need centers and they are both young and cost effective
Is this the year that GM’s reflect and rue all those NMC’s and overpayments? Naaah! Live for the moment. In this kind of environment, there is something to be said for tearing things down to the bare bones unless you have a Goalie, a Long term signed anchor D’man, a solid 1 and 2 at center, and a core of 7-9 folks signed at cap reasonable cost. Everyone else seems “hamstrung”, tho some feeling less pain cause they’ve a cup to show for it.
The cap only going up 1m is part of the economic conditions setting teams up to do what they are
Teams that are gauging they are not contenders are freeing up some cap space to spend less
And teams that are contenders are trying to load up but use their cap space more efficiently being the cap only rose 1m
Lots of good moves for both clubs thus far
Wonder if AVS and VAN would consider Girard for Boeser
if the Jets are going into a Full Re-build and it sound like they are…..
➡️The Trade
They sould be asking for a Kings for
20 yr old Big C Quinton Byfield
&
23 yr old Winger Gab Vilardi and a good pick
i dont think there top d prospect is on the table for a trade Brandt Clarke❓…
for 25 yr old Big Centre Pierre-Luc Dubois…
He could be there #1 Centre for the next 8 years🤔
if they can sign him for $9.M for 8 years thats a good deal for them
Jets may have to take a salary Dump to make it all work
like a Viktor Arvidsson @ $4.25M
Williew, the Jets aren’t quite going into full rebuild yet. They will try to retool. Chevy knows that if they do go into rebuild, it’ll be someone else in charge. Unlike Hughes and Conroy, he’s been there a while and any change will start at the top.
I don’t know why Brandt Clark’s name comes up like that, Kings would be crazy to trade him. As for Byfield if he goes it won’t be with a Vilardi. That would be overpay.
Maybe Vilardi and picks or Alex Turcotte with other assets, something like that. Pressure’s not on the Kings side right now
Byfield & Vilardi no Brandt Clarke, Arvidson
for
PLD and Helly
Your offer is a non starter, Clarke not on the table according to LA in any deal, he is UNTOUCHABLE.
Not sure i would make the deal anyways from LA’s side, Byfield is the most valuable piece not PLD.
LA needs to move salary in ANY deal. Trading picks, ELC players and prospects do nothing for their lack of cap space!!!!!!
Interesting not much interest in Scheifele.
I wouldn’t call Scheifele in consistent he score 42 goals last season, 29 goals in 67 games.
There got to be more at play. This player been averaging by games play over 30 goals a season for the last 8 seasons.
This could be a lead way into what is happening in the jets room.
If I’m Boston get him on the cheap if you can.
I think the Bruins put alot of importance in the players attitude, don’t see them being interested in him.
Bruins don’t have much of a choice they need a quality center and unless Matthews wants to sign there next year it’s either Mark Scheifele or Lindholm.
Fair enough Howard, only time will tell how any trade plays out. If the Kings acquire him, there’s nothing to say he won’t want out in two, three or four years. He played in two different cities with three different coaches in the past three years and never seems to be happy, so maybe you are better off not having him there anyway if he goes to the Kings.
Dubois and Hellybuck solves all L.A’s problems now and in the future . What’s that worth ? A lot for one organization
Vilardi ,a first in 2025 and Iafallo For Dubois
Hellybuck to Devils for Vanacek and Holtz.
Hanafin & this year’s second to Leafs for Brodie Robertson and this year’s first then buyout Brodie