Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 29, 2023
Could the Bruins pursue Patrick Kane? Will the Hurricanes find a replacement for the sidelined Brett Pesce? Could the Islanders pursue Shane Pinto? Check out the latest Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
BRUINS NOT EXPECTED TO PURSUE PATRICK KANE
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cites an NHL source saying we shouldn’t expect the Bruins to get into the bidding for Patrick Kane. The 34-year-old unrestricted free-agent winger is expected to begin fielding offers next month from interested clubs as he moves toward the completion of rehabbing from offseason hip resurfacing.
Murphy’s source pointed out that the Bruins lack the cap space to sign Kane even if it were on a one-year, $3 million deal. He also noted that they have plenty of wingers and would have to move one out to make room for Kane, which would be difficult to do right now with so many teams pressed for cap room.
Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murphy also cited ESPN.com’s Emily Kaplan listing the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings as being considered serious contenders for Kane. Both clubs have plenty of cap room to sign the future Hall-of-Famer to a one-year deal. Time will tell if he ends up with one of them this season.
HURRICANES WON’T SEEK A REPLACEMENT FOR PESCE
NHL NETWORK: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on what the Carolina Hurricanes might do with defenseman Brett Pesce sidelined for two to four weeks with a lower-body injury. It was originally feared that he could miss months or the entire season.
Given that shorter timeline, Friedman doesn’t expect they’ll go shopping for a replacement for Pesce. They’ve got extra defensemen who haven’t played that much this season so they’ll likely wait this out until Pesce returns.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tony DeAngelo and Jalen Chatfield will likely see more ice time while Pesce’s on the sidelines.
WOULD THE ISLANDERS BE INTERESTED IN PINTO?
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The following was written prior to Shane Pinto receiving a 41-game suspension last week for violating the NHL’s wagering rules.
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, a reader asked Arthur Staple if the New York Islanders might attempt to acquire center Shane Pinto. They cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating that the Isles might be interested if the Senators decided to shop the restricted free-agent center.
Staple was doubtful that the Islanders could pull it off. He observed that they lack the cap space to sign the 22-year-old Pinto plus the Senators would probably want a first-rounder, a prospect and something off the Isles roster.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In the wake of Pinto’s suspension, the Senators issued statements indicating they would welcome him back once he’d served his punishment. The stalemate over his contract negotiations remains to be settled but some believe he’ll sign his qualifying offer in order to play out the rest of the season with the Sens.
Pinto’s value in the trade market likely took a hit from his suspension. I doubt the Islanders or any other club will attempt to pursue him once he returns to action.
“He observed that they lack the cap space to sign the 22-year-old Pinto plus the Senators would probably want a first-rounder, a prospect and something off the Isles roster.”
la-la-land.
A guy Dorion didn’t consider important enough to sign when he could, who supposedly was looking for around 2 million, a guy who fans claim would be a 3rd liner at best on the team, a guy who’s suspended for half the year?
Sens devalued the worth of this player so his trade value is nowhere near what Staple is saying.
This reminiscent of Habs last GM Bergevin tearing down payers while trying to trade them/
I wonder if tearing down players publicly that they want to trade might be a way a GM curbs fan and media expectations on the return. We can probably agree GMs talk to each other and pretty much have an idea of what the values are on any player they may have. One can easily ask the other of their plans on a player, in this case an unsigned one, and can ask the other if it’s someone he wants to resign and if not, would “x” be something of interest for him, and if a GM is getting a certain quantity which is less than excepted, why not make the player look replaceable for your team?
I think it’s only realistic in the sense that would be Ottawa’s ask and that no team would pay that price, at least not now.
Pinto better hope the Sens stay in the mix because by mid-season they may have no reason to offer him anything more than close to league minimum vs. just letting his contract situation, and team control, slide into next season instead.
Exactly Brock Landers. As for his projected 3rd line C status – as voiced by many fans – that was – and is – predicated upon a healthy Norris and Stutzle holding down the 1/2 spots.
Last season Pinto showed he was capable of playing on the top 2 lines without being a noticeable detriment to the team for most of the season due to the Norris injury.
Whether some fans like it or not, a healthy 6′ 2″ close to 200 lbs C capable of potting 20 goals is something a LOT of teams would covet. Enough to garner a 1st round pick, a prospect and something off a team’s roster??? Probably not quite that sol;id a return … but then again it would all depend on a lot of factors, including the health status at C of teams approaching their 41-game mark.
Whatever the case, whether Ottawa or some other team he is going to need some extensive AHL play to get into game shape at that time, so his seasonal “debut” likely wouldn’t occur until close to the 50-game mark.
I think there’s a little more to it than we’re seeing on the surface, habfan30. The more I read and think about it, the more I think Dorian actually did a solid for Pinto this summer/fall.
I could be wrong, but idk?
Doesn’t matter either way Shore. Habfan wants to say something negative about the Sens and everyone in the org. 🙂
Plus, his snarky “la la land” completely overlooks the facts that Arthur Staple has, following a long stint at Newsday covering the NFL and other local sports, been a mainstay at The Athletic for 4 years covering first, the Islanders and lately mostly the Rangers.
The 1st, prospect and roster player was HIS opinion as to what he figured the Senators might want for Pinto – and is no way connected to anything emanating from Dorion. So how, exactly, does that become Ottawa living in la la land?
As I say, ignore him in any direct responses. It’s clearly what he lives for.
Pay no attention to Staple. He’s a hack, who is now covering both the Rangers and Islanders, since the Athletic downsized their local hockey coverage.
He was a lazy Islander beat writer for Newsday before moving to the Athletic. He has no inside sources and makes the excuse that a Lou team is impossible to get “news” from.
He’s just lazy.
Hey George, I read on TSN that Bailey is still travelling with the Sens. What gives?
I haven’t heard that nevinsrip. Can you provide a link?
Luke Fox @ LeafsNet :
Leafs suffering from “fatigue”.
Imagine if you had to go to work 5 times in 18 days and were expected to put in a full 26 minutes every time.
All that misery for only a few lousy million in compensation.
Fatigue? Really?
Pretty shoddy post-mortem scribble Luke.
If DeBrusk slumps then trade him for a 2nd and sign Kane
Pinto’s 41 game suspension shouldn’t start until he’s signed and on a team. What kind of crap punishment is that?!?
What difference does it make in the long run? Bottom line – signed or unsigned he can’t play until the 42nd game of any team’s season.
And if he doesn’t sign something before what? – December 6 – December 8 – he can’t play in the NHL this season.
GeorgeO, what is your thoughts on the NHL going to penalize the Ottawa Senators for the Dadonov error.
I wonder what the possible punishment could be… I lost of a draft pick or a fine.
Well, if the “punishment” is more than that handed down to Chicago for the sex scandal cover-up, there’s something basically wrong with NHL HQ thinking.
We’ll soon see, I guess.
Hey George I was under the impression that the the December deadline did not apply to Pinto in this situation but I my have misunderstood something that Lyle stated about that.
Clarification of that would be nice theSaint … I thought I read somewhere that, given the current circumstances, some believe he’ll sign some one-season basic deal soon that, if nothing else, paves the way for his return to the ice sometime after the 41-game mark.
But clarity from the collection of stooges currently posing as the NHL head office is as remote as are prospects from Tierra Del Fuego!
https://ottawasun.com/sports/nhl-position-on-shane-pintos-sports-wagering-suspension-clear-as-mud
I agree Turk, no NHL suspension should be able to be completed by a player who doesn’t have an NHL contract – it is ridiculous! This isn’t a Pinto thing, the same should be true for any other players too.
Isn’t Chicago the obvious spot for P. Kane to sign? They have cap space, they’d get a marketing bump (more there than elsewhere) and a veteran presence for a young team. If he plays poorly, he can retire a Blackhawk. If he plays well, they can trade him to a contender at the deadline (Chicago can give him a NTC so he gets a veto on any trade).
Contenders don’t have cap space and he’s high risk at this point. But he could prove himself on a PP with Bedard and be a mentor type to the rookie.
I’m not a Blackhawk or Kane fan but this makes sense to me.