NHL Rumor Mill – October 16, 2023
Could the Bruins land Steven Stamkos? Which Coyotes’ players might get moved by the March trade deadline? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
COULD THE BRUINS ONE DAY LAND STAMKOS?
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered if “disgruntled” Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos would wind up playing for the Bruins this season or next. He noted that general manager Don Sweeney was among the bidders for Stamkos when the latter was in his unrestricted free-agent negotiating window in 2016.
An NHL executive source told Murphy that Sweeney “pushed hard” for Stamkos in 2016 and John Tavares two years later. The Bruins GM could look into acquiring the long-time Lightning star if he becomes available in this season’s trade market.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).
Murphy noted Stamkos expressing his disappointment last month over a lack of contract extension talks with the Lightning. Tampa Bay general manager Julien BriseBois said he intends to open those discussions at the end of the season after he’s had a chance to evaluate the club’s performance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy assumes that Stamkos appears set on becoming a UFA next summer. We can’t rule out that possibility given the Lightning’s cap constraints but I don’t consider it a certainty. BriseBois will attempt to sign Stamkos and could get creative as he’s always done to free up the necessary cap space to retain a core player.
Stamkos came close to hitting the open market in 2016 but decided to stay in Tampa Bay. That was a wise move on his part. The Lightning at that time were poised to become a dominant franchise, going on to win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, reach the Cup Final in 2022 and the Eastern Conference Final in 2018.
Despite Stamkos’ disappointment over a lack of contract talks this summer, his first choice remains to finish his playing career in Tampa Bay. A lot can happen between now and next July but I’m not assuming that he’s heading to market until the two sides have had an opportunity to discuss a new contract.
As for trading him during this season, it’s another possibility I don’t dismiss but also one that I don’t anticipate taking place. BriseBois made it clear that he and Stamkos are focused on winning the Stanley Cup this season. Unless things go awry for the Lightning, I don’t see them shopping their captain at the trade deadline unless he asks to be moved.
Remember, Stamkos has a full no-movement clause. BriseBois could ask him to waive it to join a Stanley Cup contender by the March trade deadline but there’s no guarantee that he’ll do so. Just because other players in the past have done so (like Patrick Kane last season) doesn’t mean Stamkos will.
WHICH COYOTES COULD BE MOVED BY THE MARCH TRADE DEADLINE?
GOPHNX.COM: In his 10 burning questions that dog the Arizona Coyotes this season, Craig Morgan wondered which players could end up being moved by the March 8 trade deadline.
The Coyotes hope to be playing meaningful games by then so they might not be sellers at the deadline as they’ve been in recent years. However, if they’re once again out of playoff contention, they could peddle some veterans who are eligible for UFA status in July.
Defenseman Matt Dumba and winger Jason Zucker could be among those trade candidates. Morgan noted that they’re both on one-year contracts and there’s a very real possibility that they return with the Coyotes in 2024-25 regardless of how the club performs this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ve become accustomed to the rebuilding Coyotes trading away pending UFAs or even veterans with years remaining on their contracts for young players, draft picks and prospects. However, the Coyotes hope to make positive strides this season. If they’re in wild-card contention they could stand pat or perhaps become buyers.
I certainly hope the Bruins take a pass on Stamkos. He is still a decent player but the Bruins need to get younger not older. Taking on vets with expensive contracts is a recipe for disaster imo…
As some prominent franchises have discovered over the years.
Seems like it worked pretty well for last seasons cup winners. 🤷♂️
The oldest players on Vegas are Marchessault (32), Karlsson (30), McNabb (32)_ – all of whom they got in the expansion draft when in their late 20s – and Pietrangelo (33) who they obtained when he was 30.
Who have they taken on who is both expensive and well into their 30s when obtained?
Welp I was specifically thinking of pietrangelo and stone. But after looking it up stone isn’t as old as I thought he was. They did sign piererangelo to a deal into his late thirties.
But ultimately I think I stand corrected.
The Bruins need a #1 Centre like a UFA 28 yr old like the Flames Elias Lindholm…
He the Best UFA Centre on the market this year… he is more that likely going to get somewhere in the $9.M++ a year range and will be in Big Demand
The Bruins are filling the role with Pavel Zacha who is a 2nd line centre at Best….❓
They also have Goaltender Linus Ullmark to trade and can get a 1st pick for him and maybe something else…
I wonder is Local Boston boy and UFA d/man
26 yr old Noah Hanifin will want to return home
to Boston as a UFA d/man July 1st…..🤔⁉️
that would give boston a Great to 4 d/men set for the 24/25 season….. they could move right back into contender mode….
What leads you to believe Boston could get a 1st for ullmark?
Chrism, I understand you don’t feel Ullmark or any goalie may get you a 1st round pick.
Supply and demand plus quality.
Boston doesn’t need to trade Ullmark or Swayman.
If say a team like Edmonton or LA feel they need a goalie to A: get them to the playoffs and/or B: make a playoff run; having a Vezina winning goaltender in their net might go along way.
LA and Edmonton don’t play the same way as Vegas and both teams cannot put out the same type of 6 dman.
If a team wants Ullmark, Sweeney holds the upper hand as he doesn’t need to deal him.
Edmonton would want Boston to take Jack Campbell (caphit). That alone would be a 1st round pick plus a price for getting Ullmark.
LA would also need to create cap space.
No deal is easy to complete.
Just looking at precedent caper. It might take a 1st to unload Campbell alone let alone get a good goalie back. So sure that scenario could work. But teams are going to look at vegas last year and say adin hill won the cup. It’s situations like that that limit goalie value.
Then again I thought three way video game trades of take my junk give me your star types of trades were purely imagination and this offseason proved me wrong.
The cap going up $4.5M next year is not a certainty, so Stammer will have to wait until the cap limits are set in stone.
i see so many hung up on the cap going up. 4.5/20 players is 225 per player on average. Given agents and GMs have already bet on it foing up and signed some players to big deals starting next year there really isn’t a big pile to play with like people think
I agree with AZ. The cap going up $4-5M is not going to make much of a difference. That’s one maybe two players that get a bump. GMs will spend up to the limit again and we’ll be right back to where we were. It’s a mirage. Kind of like most of Murphy’s rumors.
That is true AZ, but misses the mark IMO.
The cap increase will not be spread around the team, it will be used by teams to add a quality piece they need (think what the Leafs could do with D), and it also will be used as an indication that the Cap will continue to trend up. Again using the Leafs, this could give Treviling confidence the implications of paying Nylander – one example – will be mitigated by an upward cap trend.
You could argue that more cap space around the league means greater competition and therefore less actual bang for the buck, but in my experience that notion doesn’t often seize GMs.
In Ottawa’s case, a $4.5 mil bump up in the cap will put them in a good position.
With Murray’s hold-back and the buy-outs of Ryan and Del Zotto coming off the books they get $4,145,833 back in the books and they’ll likely not re-up their 3 UFAs (Tarasenko – $5 mil), Kubalev ($2,500,000) and Chartier ($775,000) that’s another $12,420,833.
In total they’ll have $16,920,833 to spend – perhaps Tarasenko could account for the greater chunk of that IF he has a good season and is willing to re-up should they make an offer.
They also have just two RFA’s to consider – Kelly ($762,500) and Brannstrom (if he’s not dealt before – currently $2 mil).
Hey Chrisms,
He Linus Ullmark is a very good starter,
Who need one…. Hear are 3 ….
-LA Kings Will…
there pair wont make it….🙈
-Buffalo Will…..
Devon Levi is to young with not enough experince He let 7 in the other night and its Early season….❗️
-Detrot may need one
Thats if Villi Housso dose not Improve a Lot
56 Games, 3.11SV%, 0.896 GA…..🙈
Ok. Teams need goalies every year… when’s the last time one got a 1st in return?
I think you can scratch Detroit off the list. Yzerman has already stated that this is not a “Playoffs or bust” year. And the only teams that should consider Ullmark are teams that might be a goalie short of Cup contention, and neither Detroit or Buffalo fit that bill.
Wow, 2 or 3 games into the season and we are seeing comments about who might be traded in march, how idiotic.
That’s because this a trade rumors page.
It’s what we do here. 🙂
What would you rather read about on the “NHL Rumour Mill” page that you willingly clicked on?
Need directions crazy? You look lost.
Now Now …
If you’re a Canucks fan, Rutherford won’t wait until March. Why not get out there and read up on possible trade targets for your team? Better use of time than checking your retirement performance…
Stammer plays mostly LW. We’re good in that position. He stands at the dot for the one timer on the PP.We have that already in Pasta.
There’s no real fit for him in Boston.
Nylander on the other hand, is the player that makes me excited now that Matthews is tied up with the Leafs for a while.
Him and Pasta could be magical.
As an aside, Pavel Zacha has played very good positional hockey for his first spin at 1C. Seems to me he’s more focused on preventing goals than scoring them. I like that. His linemates call fill the net, while he watches the house.
Nylander would look good playing on Cooley’s right. With Little and Voracek clearing cap space and the cap going up, they may need to sign him just to get to the floor.
Mathews could have waited and chosen any other team to his liking but..he did not. Oh well…maybe Nylander does…maybe he doesn’t.
Yeah, FD. I was hoping that the big fella would test the market and Boston could make a pitch for him. I mean, why not? He’s easily among the best shooting centers I’ve ever seen. Now he’s mature and entering his prime. I’d sell the farm for a player like that.
Nylander is a step below, but I’d definitely offer him a contract if ever decided to leave Toronto. I’m not sure why he would though, other than $, of course.
Stammer to Chicago to play LW with Bedard in the off-season
Johnson, Perry, Foligno will be off the books and Chicago’s has the space. Over pay the guy on a 6 yr deal.
Lights out stammer/Bedard combo for 6 yrs
Yes they are not contenders but no contenders have cap space to pay a Stamkos market value
Chicago can overpay and still come out ahead.
Heck even trade Mrazek to EDM for Soup and Broberg and a pick
A couple of comments. (1) Jimmy Murphy constantly tries tries to drum up BS stories to get his “news” articles copied elsewhere, but if you look at his history, he has no more insight than any common hockey fan. I don’t consider him a professional insider with any credible sources, rather he is a headline monger. It is fair to consider his comments just as anyone else off the street, but let’s not treat them as anything pure than pure speculation, (2) people talk about first rounds draft picks as if they are guaranteed gold. Actually they are very far from it. Take a look at the 1st round draft picks over the last several years who have not made it, or just made it as
“just ok” NHLers and the list is very long. If I am a playoff contender, I’d rather have a legit top end starting goalie (or two) on my roster rather than trading one for a 1st rounder, especially if the 1st rounder is not a top five pick. Several teams have traded bottom end starters, or backups, or ageing goalies, but not many have traded top tier goalies in their prime to answer Chrisms question.
I see Detroit is making Jeff Petry a healthy scratch tonight. I knew I didn’t want him, and that we overpaid to get him.