NHL Rumor Mill – September 1, 2023
Canucks wingers Brock Boeser and Anthony Beauvillier are on the hot seat this season plus an update on Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
BOESER AND BEAUVILLIER ON THE HOT SEAT IN VANCOUVER
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes it’s within the realm of possibility that the Vancouver Canucks move on from winger Brock Boeser and Anthony Beauvillier this season. The former is signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $6.65 million while Beauvillier is entering the final season of his contract with an AAV of $4.15 million.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).
Proteau thinks Boeser and Beauvillier could hit the trade block if the Canucks get off to another struggling start. Their contract numbers are reasonable for teams in the market for experienced, above-average help on the wing. They also lack no-trade/no-move protection.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We can’t dismiss the possibility of Boeser and/or Beauvillier getting shopped if the Canucks stumble through another season. Moving either guy, however, won’t be easy even if they play well this season.
With just six teams carrying $5 million or more in projected cap space, there aren’t many potential destinations for Boeser or Beauvillier during the first couple of months into the regular season. The market could improve by the trade deadline as teams that aren’t using LTIR can accrue cap space over the course of the season.
Tyler Myers is in the final year of his contract. The Canucks aren’t expected to re-sign the 33-year-old defenseman. His size, physicality and ability to log around 20 minutes of ice time per game could prove worthwhile to a true contender.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was rumored that the Canucks had a deal in place to send Myers to the San Jose Sharks after his $5 million signing bonus was paid in September. We’ll find out in due course if that’s the case.
JAKE ALLEN TO REMAIN WITH THE CANADIENS
TVA SPORTS: Raphael Doucet cited a well-placed source claiming that Jake Allen has received confirmation from Montreal Canadiens management that he will not be traded.
The 33-year-old goaltender was the subject of some trade speculation after the Canadiens acquired Casey DeSmith last month from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Allen’s goalie partner Sam Montembeault recently told reporters that he’d also received assurances from Canadiens GM Kent Hughes that he wouldn’t be traded.
Hughes has said he would look into trading DeSmith. Perhaps he has something lined up to flip the former Penguins netminder to another club before training camps open later this month.
DeSmith is at best a backup goalie, not sure why/if teams are lining up to acquire him
It was generally understood in Pittsburgh that it would take a small sweetener to move him. Not sure anything’s changed since his move to Montreal?
Chrisms (and all Pens fans)…,
Errey and Mearsy ousted… I’m a big fan…. So to mr really not good news
💩🤬😭
https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/pittsburgh-penguins-bob-errey-tv-analyst-fenway-sports-group/
A small sweetner? To move a $1.8, 1 year backup with good stats over the last 4 years?
Your source is out-to-lunch. No sweetner outgoing, probably a 4th incoming.
Hi Banger
Chrisms is right
Media, Chrisms, Pengy agree that sweetener needed… Cap more than $1.15 …. So burying will still have some Cap against big club; has consistency issues….
DeSmith plus late rounder for “future considerations”
Now that said……at TDL; retaining 50%….. maybe gets a late rounder (of course that’s if he performs as he has with Pens. Uptick in performance…. Better return and/or less retention required)
As a pens fan if I had said desmith was going to bring back an asset in this goalie market I’d have been labeled a homer with black n gold glasses. Good luck to Montreal. But part of the pens retaining on petry was Montreal had to take desmith in the deal. Take it from a fan who liked desmith. Of those 4 years the first two were good. He was a really good backup. His last two years? Not so much.
Sorry to hear about errey. Indifferent about mears.
Casey DeSieve.
Teams aren’t lining up to sign DeSmith now, not until some goalies begin to go down or GMs with foresight want a backup in the pocket.
In Montreal, I don’t think Cayden Primeau is ready and I doubt he ever will be, so DeSmith is fine insurance if either Allen or Montembeault are injured.
As for the Penguins, who’s the backup and insurance Are the Capitals happy with Chanow, Magnus Hellberg? Alex Nedeljkovic?
Are the Capitals happy with Charlie Lindgren at #2? a career AHL goalie.
ugh…..
As for the Penguins, who’s the backup and insurance Are the Capitals happy with Chanow, Magnus Hellberg? Alex Nedeljkovic?
should read
As for the Penguins, who’s the backup and insurance now, Magnus Hellberg? Alex Nedeljkovic?
Yup. Hellburg Ned and sparks. I’ll take any over the play of desmith last year and a half or so. A starter should win you some games you might have lost. A back up should win you games you should win. Desmith stopped doing that recently
DeSmith has been a solid backup who averages around 30 games a year and puts up better than average SV % #’s, year after year, who earns $1.8M.
From the comments, it sounds like he struggled at times last year, but his overall work has been solid hasn’t it?
Nedeljkovic got sent to the minors last year, was meh the year before, and makes $1.5M. A guy who seemed to look better than he actually was in Carolina who defends as good as anybody. It’s why they let him walk. Careful what you wish for.
I agree with HF30, odds are above even somebody comes knocking on Hughes door about him. Solid backup tender judging by his actual results and at a reasonable price. They just need to find some $$ to sign him.
Look at his stats last two years tells the story of a guy who is on the decline. I think it would take an injury and a desperate gm to move him without a sweetener. But time will tell.
Not saying he’s next Vasy Chrisms, but he’s not getting paid like him either.
And yes his save % has gone down a bit each of the last 2 years, but so have the Pens as a team.
His SV % is better than the league average (also going down lately), and has been every year. Tending is volatile from year to year, he seems pretty consistent compared to most. Not great and not bad.
Just based on his results he looks like a solid, veteran back up tender. Better than plenty of them out there IMO. Have to figure somebody will need a guy like that during the year, maybe even before the season starts.
I dunno, I think MTL finds a home for him without giving up anything to do it, we’ll see.
Look at the last few years’
Jarry DeSmith
GAA Sv% GAA Sv%
2020-21 2.75 .909 2.54 .912
2021-22 2.42 .919 2.79 .914
2022-23 2.90 .909 3.17 .905
They follow the same slope, tells the story of the team in front of the goalies.
Your #2 isn’t expected to be as good as your #1.
Well fellas. All I can say is I’ve watched the fellow these past years. Used to say he was among the best backups out there. But it is definitely more than the team decline. He flat out cost them many games last year by not even being average. But I digress. Unless ken pulls another rabbit (he could. He’s been quite shrewd) in the current market I don’t see anyone taking a 1.8 mil sub par season having backup. And seeings how Montreal has told their nhl goalies they are staying we will see what happens. If he’s not traded it all but proves he had no market value. If he actually brings back an asset good on ken
If the Canucks mess their bed sheets starting the season, you can almost bet young stars like Pettersson and Hughes also demand their way out. Pettersson definately wont be re-upping
Tyler
Pettersson Has little leverage. Still RFA
If he tells them he isnt signing next summer, he sure will be dealt and if he also gives them teams he would accept to sign with, thats where he is going. No one pays a premium for a player that they cant sign. And if he goes, you can bet Hughes asks out as well, however that could take longer
Tyler, Agreed 👍
Mrbruin4
Re; Elias Pettersson’s
His salary is $10,250,000 and his cap hit is $7,350,000 for the 2023-24 season, At the end he is an RFA can go to Arbitration for a 1 year deal then he becomes an 26 yr old UFA at the end of the 2025 season… if they are Still a Mess and the Owner is still pulling the strings,
EP is out of Vancouver in July 2025💥
You can almost bet? Lol
Well I will bet you.
Boeser is “above average”?
In what league?
In my beer league???😵💫
He isnt what was promised and not worth his salary, but he sure is above average
Above Average? Brock Brittle:
No forecheck
No backcheck
No speed
Injury prone
Never scored 30 in a season.
Yah, above average.
Does an average player in the nhl score 30 goals?
The Pens were forced to lean heavy on DeSmith . That is not his Jam. Fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot down to the wire as the number one guy. Again not his Jam . He will find a home before Xmas in the NHL in a ba k up role.
In regards to the promises to the other two ? Many a coach has heard his job is safe and fired two weeks later.
Maybe. But hasn’t kens big thing been his treatment of players? He made himself out to be quite the players gm with the petry deal.
Based on their performance after the coaching change, the Canucks could be a lot more competitive this year than people expect.
I could see them making the playoffs.