NHL Rumor Mill – November 21, 2023
Leafs winger William Nylander’s performance is pushing up the cost of his next contract, a look at the goalie market for the Oilers plus an update on the Avalanche in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT PRICE TO SIGN NYLANDER?
TSN: Travis Yost believes William Nylander’s torrid scoring pace will raise the cost of his next contract if he maintains his production throughout this season. He pointed out that the 27-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs winger had closed the gap with teammates such as Mitch Marner, including outperforming them in the playoffs.
TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman observing that the difference between Leafs management and the Nylander camp over the summer was thought to be around $1 million per season in the $8 million to $9 million range. “I just do not think that’s realistic anymore,” said Friedman. Hornby noted that talks are continuing between the two sides.
TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran wondered if Nylander has priced himself out of Toronto. “Looks like the supposed $10-million-a-year ask over the summer might have been a bargain,” he writes.
THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun spoke to team executives in rival front offices across the NHL to get their views on what they felt would be a fair contract extension for Nylander. The numbers came in with an average annual value between $8.5 million to $12.25 million on a seven or eight-year contract.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be very surprised if the AAV is below $10 million on his next contract if he maintains his current level of performance throughout this season.
Nylander is the Leafs’ leading scorer thus far and among this season’s league leaders. He’s on pace to reach 100 points for the first time after two seasons between 80 and 87 points. He’s earned far less than teammates Marner and Auston Matthews. His summer asking price indicates that he wants fair market value.
I think Nylander’s asking price is now between $11 million and $12 million. Maybe he accepts a little less if he wants to stay in Toronto but I doubt that number goes below $10 million. If the Leafs won’t pay up, plenty of other clubs will line up to do so if he hits the open market on July 1.
WHAT’S THE GOALIE MARKET LOOK LIKE FOR THE OILERS?
THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell believes the Edmonton Oilers’ salary-cap constraints mean they must find a way to shed the contract of struggling goalie Jack Campbell to free up cap dollars for an upgrade between the pipes.
Mitchell believes it’ll cost the Oilers at least three good prospects/draft picks being bundled with Campbell as sweeteners. He wondered if they could find a team that would accept their 2024 first-round pick, top prospect Xavier Bourgault and a “more established asset” such as Philip Broberg or the sidelined Dylan Holloway packaged with Campbell.
Mitchell then looked around at possible options in the trade market. They include Montreal’s Sam Montembeault and Jake Allen, St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, Calgary’s Dan Vladar and Detroit’s James Reimer. He felt Vladar was the right choice.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are in a very bad state with their goaltending right now. I concur with Mitchell regarding what it would cost them to entice a rival team into taking Campbell off their hands. That club could then buy him out next summer if he doesn’t improve over the remainder of this season.
Nevertheless, I still think moving out Campbell’s contract is very difficult with so many teams pressed for cap space this season. The Oilers have no leverage which other clubs will attempt to exploit.
Mitchell mentioned Montembeault and Allen because of recent reports indicating the Oilers had scouted the Canadiens goalies. Binnington’s come up because of rumored concerns in St. Louis over his performance in recent years (though he’s playing better this season) as well as the difficulty of carrying his $6 million AAV. Like the Canadiens, the Red Wings are carrying three goalies which is why Reimer got mentioned. Meanwhile, the Flames could be willing to move Vladar to bring up promising Dustin Wolf.
Binnington, however, has a full no-trade clause while Allen carries a seven-team no-trade list for this season. Given the Oilers’ struggles this season, the attraction of playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl might not be enough of a selling point to convince either guy to come to Edmonton.
The Red Wings and Canadiens could have the room to take on Campbell’s contract but I don’t think they’re keen to do so even if they got a package of sweeteners in the deal. The Flames, meanwhile, lack the cap space plus I don’t see them and the Oilers making a deal unless a third team gets into the mix. Indeed, it could take a three-team deal to spread Campbell’s cap hit around to make this happen.
LATEST ON THE AVALANCHE
SPORTSNET (via NHL WATCHER): During his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman said Artturi Lehkonen’s injury is pretty significant. He added the Colorado Avalanche are in the market to add some depth scoring.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word on who they might pursue and what they’re willing to offer. Perhaps we’ll learn more in the coming days.
As far as Binnington waiving his no trade to go to Edmonton…his ego is so big that he probably thinks he is better than both, Leon and Connor. I could totally see him thinking that “he” can fix this team.
Trade Willie to FLA for :
Montour (retain half) , Verhagie and Spencer Knight,
Trono should be able to adjust for the small cap increase in the trade and Knight can stay with the Marlies till the play-offs if necessary.
Fla can sign Willie to an 8 x $10M because he gets more of his hard earned money in the Free State of Florida.
Why would the Panthers trade Montour (who they want to sign), Verhaeghe (one of their most reliable scorers and also among their more affordable) and Knight (their future between the pipes)? Why gut their roster to bring in Nylander? It makes no sense.
Well, I suppose it does make sense from the point of view of Leafs supporters 🙂
Yeah, I really wish all of us Leafs fans didn’t think as one.
FLA has proven they can win w/o Ekblad and Montour, which can make one of them expendable for more scoring. I am not a Leafs fan, but I like Willie.
Maybe Montour and Verhaeghe is enough.
“FLA has proven they can win w/o Ekblad and Montour”.
Not for an entire season they haven’t, and don’t forget that they played major roles in the Panthers’ reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season and in winning the Presidents’ Trophy the year before that. As I noted earlier, they want to re-sign Montour so why trade him for Nylander, a fellow pending UFA who would cost far more to re-sign?
The problem with this trade is Verhagae is another LW (of which Leafs have a surplus) while Leafs will need a RW to replace Nylander on the 2nd line.
Better to just sign Nylander and bite the bullet next season until Tavares’s contract expires.
Binnington is a head case who blows up at any little thing. Why would any other team think he could be counted on, especially in the playoffs.
The Blues would be counting their lucky stars for any other team to take his contract
If only we can look at these comment section 2 years ago or even when Nylander signed his contract. Nylander is the worst contract in the NHL. He’s overpayed. Fire Dubas ect… shows you what the commenters know.
Philly is still rebuilding
Hart to EDM for Campbell a 1st and Broberg and Bourgault
Gives Philly more young guys to build around
I know Philly is playing well but this isn’t their roster of the future. They still need to retool
Off season see if TML wants Sanheim and Couturier for the sign and trade of Nylander if TML cant sign him.
TML will have cap in the summer to make this move and they need D men with Brodie and Klingberg UFA along with Bertuzzi and Domi UFA
Nylander is not going to Philly
If the Leafs don’t get it done in the series I doubt he’ll go back to Toronto as well. A young team or a better contender with alot of money might entice him.
Willie Styles isn’t exactly a Tortorella style of player!
The problem in Edmonton is 50-50 Goaltending and the Defence,
Campbell has been a Complete Flop, A trade will be expencive for the oil regarding picks and prospects
Skinner play, it always warms up mid November, but who is he going to play with
Pickard has only played one game, nobdy on the farm to call up
The defence has been Consistantly poor…
1st paring of Nurse and Cody Ceci has looked and played like a Poor runing around 3rd paring❗️
Elkhom & Bouchard are starting to play well together, Kulak is playing well,
The other 2 are still work in progress
young Broberg & Desharnais,
Part of the trade package to move Jack Campbell could well be a Broberg & Hollaway and a Bourgault
1st & 2nd pick’s this season that could well be top 10 lotery pick in 2024….🤔
Maybe its time to let Ken Holland take a back seat?
Habs should totally do this and send Allen in the deal for (Campbell) Bourgeault, Holloway and a pick. I like Broberg but they already are packed with good young defenseman while it would speed up the rebuilt up front. Hope Kent is looking at this !
Could interest the Oilers by the fact they wouldn’t have to trade away Broberg, they would get a decent goalie and would dump Campbell’s contract. Just saying…
To Allen Mitchell:
The BLUES say YES to the offer suggested for Binnington.
IP
I don’t really understand the NTC setup. Allen has a 7-team clause, but when does he have to submit that? It can’t be now, can it? I mean, if he is allowed to submit it every time he’s about to be traded, he could effectively veto the whole league. Certainly he must need to put in the list of seven teams long before any potential deal… no?
Signed,
Confused in Canada
Paddy: Unless otherwise stipulated in the contract, a player with a partial no-trade clause like Allen must submit their no-trade list at the start of each new season, which is July 1.
Thanks, Lyle! I appreciate the response and clarity.
That totally makes sense. And might then mean this season’s struggles wouldn’t be applicable on a player’s decision to join the Oilers, which *might* then open up some options.
Thanks again!
Happy to help. Cheers!
Leaf’s can’t afford to trade Nylander they need him for playoffs unless of course they got a goalie and a stud D man which is never happening so they will keep him and he will sign somewhere else for 7×12 next year.
Nylander absolutely double digits . I also think he will chase the money. A deal with just under $80 million .
Right now he looks like he is worth it !
If he went to Philly he would be blocking shots or benched.