NHL Rumor Mill – August 11, 2023
What are the Hurricanes’ plans going forward this season? What’s the latest on the Bruins’ goaltending? Are any more big moves coming for the Penguins? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
HURRICANES FACING MORE QUESTIONS
CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Bryant Baucom believes the Hurricanes front office still has some questions to address regarding their roster.
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).
Baucom thinks their biggest need remains a scoring forward but those are virtually non-existent in the free-agent market. They also have limited cap room to make a significant UFA addition.
General manager Don Waddell must decide if he’s shopping Brett Pesce and/or Brady Skjei. Both defensemen are slated to become UFAs next July. Young forward Jack Drury requested a trade prior to last season and put in a lackluster performance with the Hurricanes and their AHL affiliate in Chicago.
Baucom also wondered how big the list of Hurricanes untouchables is and how much urgency management has to add another scorer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Much will depend on the Hurricanes’ performance over the course of the upcoming season. They could become more active in the trade market if their scoring fails to improve.
After adding Dmitry Orlov this summer as well as affordable depth defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Caleb Jones, the Hurricanes could peddle Pesce or Skjei before the start of the season. They could also retain them until the trade deadline nears in order to land a scoring forward. Perhaps they’ll hang onto both as “own rentals” for the season.
Drury would be a tempting trade chip for clubs that become sellers this season. On his own, he probably won’t fetch the scoring forward the Hurricanes seek. Bundled with Pesce or Skjei or with a first-round pick, however, it could be a different story.
LATEST ON THE BRUINS GOALTENDERS
NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss recently explained why the Bruins are keeping their goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman intact. He pointed out that they’ll need strong goaltending this season to reach the playoffs after losing several key players elsewhere from the lineup to free agency and retirement.
Beyond this season is another story. The combined cap hits of Ullmark and Swayman for 2023-24 is $8.475 million. However, a strong performance by Swayman could vault him into the $5 million average annual value range. That could mean trading Ullmark to free up his $5 million cap hit next summer when he has only a year left on his contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winner of the 2023 Vezina Trophy, Ullmark will also have a 15-team no-trade list for 2024-25. It could hamper efforts to move him but wouldn’t make it impossible. Whether he or Swayman get moved next summer will depend on their respective performances this season.
NO OTHER BIG MOVES PLANNED FOR THE PENGUINS
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ acquisition of Erik Karlsson, Nick Horwat cited general manager Kyle Dubas telling reporters that he’s likely done making big moves this summer. Dubas mentioned he could bring in some players on professional tryout offers.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated the Penguins GM might look into signing free-agent winger Tomas Tatar but Horwat considers that to be unlikely. While Tatar could be seen as an obvious replacement for sidelined winger Jake Guentzel, he’s only expected to miss the first five games of the regular season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I guess that also spikes that silly rumor flying around on social media claiming Dubas was going to sign 51-year-old Jaromir Jagr to a one-year, $1 million contract to return to the Penguins.
Jagr will be playing hockey this season but not in the NHL. He’s reportedly committed to spending another season in Czechia with the Kladno Knights, the club that he also owns.
Regarding Jagr, he is taking no salary to play for his own club. Imagine the infusion of cash that one year NHL contract would bring to his team. Now I don’t doubt he’d be marginally effective at best, but man, what a side show attraction that would be for the NHL.
Canes have to trade 2 Dman by the start of the season or will lose them on waivers.
TT is very expensive on the 4th line.
Nylander is too expensive for a winger.
They should try to get Scheifele and lock him up 8x$9M.
Pesce, KK, TT and a first?
That’s a big overpayment for Scheifele. Im not sure he could even play center for RBA as bad as he is at face-offs. I highly doubt Dundon would give a 30 year old second line center (on Carolina) an 8 year expensive contract. I would keep KK at half the price, better defensively, younger, and still has offensive upside. We already know he is a good fit on the team and he has shown steady improvement since Carolina signed him.
Caleb Jones would probably make it through waivers and if he didn’t not a big deal. Cap Friendly shows Coghlan in the AHL already. Not sure when or how that happened but he’s not in the long term plans anyway.
Way too many acronyms and nick names in the comments section on this site, hard to know who the hell anyone is talking about most times!
I whole heartedly agree there is too much use of abbreviation and an unwarranted assumption of personal friendship in the all-too-casual adoption of player nicknames. Perhaps many of the commenters are former GMs or team mates, or are just too busy to write a proper sentence.
LMAO!
Jack if someone who posts a comment and they can’t be bothered to use names so the rest of us in the outside real life world could follow, then I think it’s ok to skip that comment. I know you won’t miss much.
Hurricanes position of strength is defence. That’s is the way they like it and will only continue to make it better. Albeit getting a little crowded back there.
Svechnikov goals were missed last playoffs. A goal here and there makes a difference in a low scoring tight series
I agree SilverSeven. BrindAmour demands that forwards play a 200 ft team game. Defense first means that the forwards will score less. Las Vegas didn’t score a lot of goals last year either. If Aho wasn’t playing a 200 ft game his numbers would be even better. Carolina doesn’t give up on their young forwards that aren’t scoring if they play solid defensively. I expect Jarvis and Kotkaniemi to add additional scoring this year. Also Bunting should score more than Noesen. Carolina’s most effective line in the first few months last year was Necas, Svech & Kotkaniemi. The line last was broke up to help the first line.
The question with Carolina is are they a better playoff team now? I believe they are. The loss of Svech wasn’t just about goals. He was their only true power forward that created space for the skill players. I don’t think that Carolina goes into the season with 5 defensemen capable of playing on the top pair. Also Chatfield did not look out of place when he had to fill in on the top 4 and he played well in the playoffs. There is one more trade coming and Drury plus a defenseman makes sense. If Tervainen gets off to a slow start and moves out of the top 6 he may also be traded.
bringing BACK Lindholm makes sense if the Canes find a way. Jesperi is a 3rd liner….
Was reading the rumor that Dubas, had offered Pickering, a 1st, and Granlund to Calgary for E. Lindholm. Clearly this was before last weekend.
If that is true, it doesnt seem that Dubas is content with his top 6.
It would also appear that nothing is off the table in terms of draft picks and or prospects.
During the summer rumors Penguins inquiring about trading for Lindholm. My understanding D-man prospect Pickering wouldn’t be involved in the deal. Rumor Sharks wanted Pickering as part of the Karlsson trade package. Kyle Dubas ultimately declined.
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I dont think Pen’s New GM can go 3 Month’s without making a Trade….😂
KD has done a Great job so far… Im not a Pens fan But this Guy dose not sit on his Thub…. and is not Scared to make Trades like lots of NHL GM’s
Are,
I see 2-3 more trades coming before the deadline🤔
Right now Penguins are around +80,000 over the cap. Somehow moving Jeff Carter free 3.2 million? Releasing/trading forward for another forward or third line right handed D-man effectively kills penalties.
Bruins really haven’t lost as many guys as mentioned. Orlov, Bertuzzi and Hathaway were deadline acquisitions when they already had the best record in the league. Bergeron is the big one. Clifton will be missed as well as Hall. Besides that Nosek and Foligno didn’t do much. I think they will be ok if healthy and really just need a top 6 center down the road.
Spot on Dave, Bruins played well when Bergeron and Krejci were out in the playoffs also. Bruins have never gotten the respect they deserve. Their goaltending duo second to none, McAvoy is a stud, Lindholm a #1 on a lot of teams, Marchand, Pastrnak, DeBrusk are no slouches either
I think the issue with the Bruins isn’t that they lost a ton of players from their best record team, it’s that they lost 59 goals 91 assists 150 points between Bergeron, Krejci and Hall, “replacing them” with 28 goals 48 assists 76 points between JVR, Lucic and Geekie.
On top of that none of them are centres.
It’s not the lack of respect, it’s giving the 3 full season players the respect they deserve. Going from 107 to record 135 points is a massive difference and those 3 players were a big part of that.
It’s no different from giving the credit to Huberdeau and Weeger they’re due with Florida or Gaudreau and Tkachuk they’re due with the flames.
Travis your point is well taken but when you remove Bergeron Krech and Hall and their points you must remember the players left also get more quality ice time. Jake JVR Freddy Pavel and Charlie will pick up most of the slack. Personally I believe Boston will miss Bergerons defensive game and leadership. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see Krech and Bergeron back after Xmas.