NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2023
Check out the latest on the Flames, Penguins and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
FLAMES PAUSE CONTRACT TALKS WITH PENDING FREE AGENTS
SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports the Calgary Flames have put all contract extension talks with pending free agents such as Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm on hold. He speculates this move isn’t being made to rebuild the roster but instead to retool using Hanifin and Lindholm as trade chips.
The move comes as the Flames were 2-6-1 through October with a popgun offense that has shown no signs of chemistry during their current five-game losing skid. Francis also suspects Hanifin and Lindholm could be having second thoughts based on the club’s stumbling start to the season.
Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).
If things don’t soon improve, Francis speculates the wheels could be set in motion for an overhaul. That would mean trading Hanifin and Lindholm for young players and draft picks, trading backup goalie Dan Vladar and promoting the promising Dustin Wolf, and making tough decisions on other pending UFAs like Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were expected to have a bounce-back performance this season. Instead, they’ve been bounced toward the bottom of the Western Conference standings. If they don’t rally back in November, general manager Craig Conroy will have to shake things up.
As I noted yesterday, they cannot pin the blame on former head coach Darryl Sutter. The problem is this club never recovered from the departures of core players Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the summer of 2022. Bringing in Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri as their replacements has so far failed to provide them with any kind of lift.
The Flames are stuck with Huberdeau and Kadri after signing them to lucrative long-term contracts. Their best trade chips are their pending UFAs led by Lindholm and Hanifin. Those two could fetch solid returns once the calendar flips to 2024 and teams accrue enough cap space to pursue them before the March 8 trade deadline.
LATEST ON THE PENGUINS
TSN: Frankie Corrado weighed in on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 3-6-0 start through October. He doesn’t believe that general manager Kyle Dubas got it wrong in trying to stage one last run. Everyone knew the Penguins would have to turn over its roster at some point with a rebuild on the horizon. They just didn’t know it would happen this quickly.
Corrado noted that the Penguins haven’t seen much reward for their acquisition of Erik Karlsson over the summer plus the team is average in several categories and underachieving. He felt that Dubas has a limited runway to turn this team into a playoff contender but will have plenty of runway to tear down the roster and rebuild.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski pointed out that two Metropolitan Division rivals have what the Penguins need.
The Philadelphia Flyers are willing to use their cap space to take on bad contracts from cap-strapped clubs. They have more than $12 million eligible for long-term injury reserve and over $7 million they can permanently move to LTIR (Ryan Ellis).
If Penguins center Jeff Carter was willing to waive his no-movement clause, the Flyers would be among the few teams that could take on his $3.125 million cap hit. Kingerski also noted that the Penguins have a glut of young left-handed defensemen (Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Ty Smith, Will Butcher), something that the Flyers need.
Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to move a right-shot blueliner like Erik Gudbranson, Adam Boqvist or Andrew Peeke. The Penguins only have three righties and one of them (Chad Ruhwedel) is struggling.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot could depend on the Penguins’ performance during their upcoming California road trip. If they stumble through that stretch, Dubas could be forced into the trade market. Given his cap constraints, however, it will take some effort to find a suitable deal that provides immediate help to their roster.
The Penguins have an aging core, a struggling blueline and an inconsistent starting goaltender in Tristan Jarry. That’s not a promising recipe for a club with playoff aspirations. Dubas would end up becoming a seller rather than a buyer if their woeful October performance is a sign of things to come.
SENATORS SHOPPING FOR A DEFENSEMAN
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Senators GM Pierre Dorion was kicking tires around the league to see what defensemen are available should the organization decide to go that route. The Senators are short two blueliners with Thomas Chabot on LTIR with a broken hand and Erik Brannstrom recovering from a head injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As noted earlier, the Blues Jackets and Penguins could have some defensemen available. Whether they’re what the Senators need, however, is another story.
Doubt either player will resign with flames I see both going to UFA and probably both moved at deadline for assets
Both sign with bruins in off season đ¤
Definitely see Hanifin going to Boston next year.
Hanifin
Lindholm
Lohrei
Nice Left side D. Let Forbort and Grzelcyk walk.
I think Nylander is in the plan as heâs good friends with Pastrnak.
If Willie wanted to sign with his pal. Debrusk would be gone for sure I just canât see it happening But it would be quite something if he did. He does not get respect from leaf fans better then all except 34
Breaking News!!
Ottawa fires GM Pierre Dorian
As per Elliot Freeman
Report today at lunch time
Senators get find a first round pick in the
Evgenii Dadonov trade debacle from 2022âŚ.
For one of the following year
2024, 2025, 2026,âŚ.
Time for Chia to reappear.
Scanning the Columbus and Pittsburgh rosters I see no possible connection in either for Dorion to pursue a D-man. Either because his cap situation would simply not allow the acquisition of a high-ticket player for anything longer than 4-5 weeks (when both Chabot and Brannstrom would be off the IR) or because their more “affordable” D-men are not much better than what Dorion already has in his system.
This. And despite suddenly having a little cap relief it’s fools good when those two are back from injury. It has to be in-house.
I see both UFA flames players ending up in Boston on July 1stâŚ..
Boston need to add a top 4 d/man�
They also need a real #1 Centre
Enter the 2 flames UFA players
Iâm sure Calgary will try to trade them both but they will both want to test the UFA market July 1st
Both the big flames signings $18.M have turned out to be duds for a total of 5 point between them,
They should have started the rebuilding when the lost there 2 great players Matt & Johnny hockey last year..?
George, What’s your opinion of Dorian? Should he be given a chance with new ownership? Has he earned that right?
Can he do better with a more stable ownership?
Except for the Pinto situation and a couple of strange buyouts, he seems to have the team headed in the right direction, from my point of view.
However, my view is from long distance, while you are up close. I can’t blame him for taking a shot with the Cat. Didn’t work out but it was certainly worth the risk.
So, what say you? Good? Bad? Or Indifferent?
Well, bottom line is, he’s gone. Decision made this morning.
If I had to assess his overall performance as the GM I’d say “fair.” And unfortunately “fair” doesn’t cut it in the realm of professional sports.
I wasn’t surprised at the decision – I figured the new owner would have him on a very short leash – and why not? He just spent $950 mill to buy the franchise and he is passionate about the sport. He likely has always had his own idea as to who should be calling the shots. It will be VERY interesting from this point on to see who gets the nod.
If I were coach Smith and his staff I wouldn’t be buying a house in the area.
According to Garrioch’s article in the Ottawa Sun, a name at the top of a list of GMs will be Tampa Bay assistant Mathieu Darch
Flames are at a crossroads. Do they re-sign their pending UFAs and hope things can gel or do they seek a rebuild or retool with picks and prospects. The problem is that the huge long term deals for Huberdeau and Kadri make them untradeable and will become a huge drag, that will hold up a true rebuild. The Monahan trade is looking better for the Habs with each passing day. That first rounder May turn out to be a real prize.
Howard it’s not just a matter of do they sign their ufa’s. Do the ufa’s want to sign?
As you mention Huberdeau and Kadri need to start playing up to their capabilities.
Kadri on pace for 9 goals; It’s time for him to kick it into gear.
Huberdeau blamed last season on Sutter; he isn’t there anymore. Calgary invested big time in Huberdeau a caphit of $10.5 so far not getting the return for a player in the first year of an 8yr contract.
Reports were that progress was being made at least on Hanifin. It would seem to be the team thatâs having second thoughts,
You have to remember, Montreal has the option to take the Flames 2024 1st round pick ONLY if it’s between picks 20 and 32. If the pick is 19th or below then Montreal gets the highest of Calgary’s 2025 1st round pick of Florida’s 2025 1st round pick that Calgary received from the Tkachuk trade.
Yes I realize that Kevjam. What l meant was that the pick theyâll get in 2025 May very well be higher than they ever expected. Highly doubtful itâll transfer in 2024.
Ya that pick could be good Howard.
So I go on Cap Friendly to see if there are any conditions on it. That has to be the longest most convoluted set of conditions and possible scenarios I have ever seen.
Calgary has one of those clouds over it right now. Something isn’t meshing in that room. Possible theory; some of the guys were Sutter guys since they had success with him, some hated him and blamed him because they stopped having success, guessing the new expensive guys.
Now they are still struggling and the guys who liked Sutter are looking at the guys who blamed him and thinking maybe you’re the reason we are struggling.
Just a guess from what Zadorov said publicly, but if so, they need to straighten that sh*t out and fast.
Pittsburghâs problem is that their aging roster is just not good enough and they do not have the cap space for improvements. They need to get younger. A cap dump involving Carter would not be a good idea because it would cost them picks and prospects they just canât spare right now. Their futures cupboard is pretty thin. They may have no choice but to tough it out.
Howard
I think Dubas was trying to extend with the karlsson trade
But so far they look old.
Mr bruin..they are aying fast…
The beat Colorado 4-0
-They out played out chanced out played out possesed out shot a younger Anaheim team.
A bad goal by jarry with 15 seconds left. Anaheim beat Boston philly..
We beat Calgary had Chicago 2-0 blew a lead
Im not betting against Crosby or Dubas
Howard yes the Penguins are older but their stars Crosby Malkin Letang are still elite and producing.
They are still playing fast maybe not Colorado fast (who we beat 4-0) but fast Washington looks super slow.
we need a goaltender period Jarry has been shaky now for a while.
The Anaheim game Penguins, out shot, out chanced, out possed a much younger team until sieve Jarry gives up a soft goal with 15 seconds left in the game.
Goaltending is the issue with a need at 3rd pair defense
Pittsburgh will need to go through the process of rebuilding at some point. They probably should have started that process before re-signing Malkin and Letang and trading for Karlsson.
It just seems like they still think they can complete even though itâs grossly obvious over the last few years they canât.
That prospect pool is more of a prospect puddle, so itâs going to be a long painful process.
Captain…agreed but that rebuild isn’t now. They’re stars are still elite it is the goaltending and a suspect 3rd pair d and Dubas can and will fix that..
Crosby has 9 points in 9 games, Malkin has 5 goals already Letang has ben good Karlsson has a couple of goals and looks solid
I really wouldnt bet against this team, Crosby and Dubas.
What about Connor McDonald in Edmonton 9 years now not a sniff of a championship.??.
3rd pair sucks rudwhedel Joseph both now out of the line up finally..
I have a hard time seeing the Fliers helping out their biggest rival the Penguins dump some of their cap unless it’s there is at least a first-round pick going to the Fliers. These two teams hate each other.
If the Flyers could get back a defenseman in the deal , I think they would consider it. The rivalry with the Penguins is just not what it used to be!
If you can’t keep Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk then how do you expect to attract the higher quality free agents? Calgary might as well blow things up and rebuild as there is very little on their roster worth a retooling effort
Howard yes the Penguins are older but their stars Crosby Malkin Letang are still elite and producing.
They are still playing fast maybe not Colorado fast (who we beat 4-0) but fast Washington looks super slow.
we need a goaltender period Jarry has been shaky now for a while.
The Anaheim game Penguins, out shot, out chanced, out possed a much younger team until sieve Jarry gives up a soft goal with 15 seconds left in the game.
Goaltending is the issue with a need at 3rd pair defense
Calgary and Pittsburgh seem to be putting off the inevitable! Putting this off for another month is a waste of time!Calgary has no choice but to trade before UFA s walk and you get nothing for them!Teams are not going to give up good talent for them if they walk to free agency in July! They can only hope for sign and trade!In Pittsburgh s case the players gave bad advice to management by signing off on the Karlsson trade and resigning Letang and Malkin to deals! The bottom half of the roster is not very effective and Crosby can t carry the team by himself!
Steve R.
I agree i think a Calgary and Pittsburgh could b trade partners..
I would do
To Calgary
Jake guentzel
Pierre Oliver Joseph
# 2 draft pick 2)24
Prospect Sammy Poulin
To Pittsburgh
Elias Lindholm
Nikita Zadorov
$ 1 million reatained
To
Too early to panic and too early to be euphoric about the start of the season.
Think back to 2015 Habs started the year 9-0 and in the first 2 months were 18-4-3, yet they missed the playoffs.
With the penalty on the Davydov trade, have to figure Dorion is done now as Ottawa GM. Likely the end of Smith as coach as well.
Sad state of affairs in Ottawa. One mistake after another by current management , now they lose a 1st rnd pick in the next 3 drafts. Not sure what Andlauer is waiting for in replacing Dorion. Hand the reins over to Staios on an interim basis.
First round pick in one of the next 3 drafts. But Dorion has to finally go. But he would have messed up that draft pick anyway.
That is what I was implying Peter , i could have written that statement better. Actually he is not bad at drafting but âyesâ he needs to go.
Fergy22 ⌠I am still torn on his drafting. The 2020 draft was amazing ⌠likely the best in franchise history. But beyond that I am not a fan.
He had one amazing trade but many bad ones.
One thing I will give him a lot of credit is the way he locked up his young talent. When he is fired (and I think it is a give ), the new GM is going to inherit a strong, young, and signed nucleus to build around. And none of these guys have no movement clauses ⌠so can easily be flipped if deemed necessary.
Good assessment Peter.
I guess youâve heard the news by now. Dorion is gone.