NHL Rumor Mill – November 22, 2023
The latest on Patrick Kane, the Oilers’ goaltending, and the Wild in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
PANTHERS, RED WINGS, SABRES COULD BE FRONT-RUNNERS FOR KANE
TSN: Darren Dreger reports Patrick Kane is getting very close to deciding on which NHL team he’ll join this season. The 35-year-old free-agent winger is reportedly mulling over multiple options.
As many as eight clubs were initially involved as Kane and his agent Pat Brisson were involved in several face-to-face interviews, including a Zoom call with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brisson is expected to circle back to clubs to tell them they’re out, though that hasn’t happened yet.
Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
It was expected that Kane might reach a decision this week. With American Thanksgiving coming up, it might take place by next week.
NHL NETWORK (via NHL WATCHER): Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Florida Panthers, Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres are the leading candidates for Kane’s services. He claimed he keep hearing about Eastern clubs linked to Kane as there may be a concern about travel in the Western Conference.
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli said he’s spoken to teams that are wondering if the Panthers might be the front-runner for Kane. They could be the best option for him to win a fourth Stanley Cup this season, especially with defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour returning from injury. Seravalli speculates they could be a multi-year destination for Kane if they can free up cap space down the line.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that Panthers general manager Bill Zito has aggressively pursued Kane since the summer. They currently have around 630K in cap space so someone will have to be traded or demoted to free up a roster spot and cap room for him.
LATEST ON THE OILERS GOALTENDING WOES
SPORTSNET (via NHL WATCHER): Appearing on the latest episode of The Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman said the Edmonton Oilers could make a really bad trade for a goaltender if they wanted to. However, they don’t want to do that as they’re trying to keep an eye on the big picture at some level.
Friedman believed someone like the Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson could make a difference for the Oilers. However, he’s not going to fix everything that ails the club.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the representatives for free-agent goaltender Jaroslav Halak have spoken with the Oilers. The 38-year-old is back in Boston contemplating his next move after being released from his PTO contract by the Carolina Hurricanes. LeBrun believes the reason Halak was released was due to his unwillingness to have a conditioning stint in the AHL.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are backed into a corner with their goaltending and everyone knows it. They would have to overpay to bring in an experienced netminder who might not have much success between the pipes given the Oilers’ sloppy defensive game.
Signing a free agent like Halak would be a more affordable option. However, there’s no guarantee of improvement given his age and the fact he hasn’t played since April.
LATEST ON THE WILD
TSN: Chris Johnston reports Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason is not in any imminent danger of losing his job despite his club’s sputtering start to this season. He believes that’s mainly because the best fix is for the Wild’s best players to pull them through this difficult stretch.
Johnston cited the low production thus far from Wild stars like Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Marcus Foligno. He believes the heated meeting that general manager Bill Guerin had with the players last week was to send the message that it’s up to them to get themselves out of this situation.
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith believe Guerin may have robbed himself of potentially valuable trade-deadline chips by re-signing Foligno, Ryan Hartman, and Mats Zuccarello to multi-year contract extensions.
If the Wild fail to improve, Guerin will have little or no flexibility near the trade deadline. They won’t have many players on expiring contracts to flog for draft picks and prospects.
Multi-year deal for Kane? A fool and their money…
Mind-boggling!
Any GM that commits to that in the forlorn hope of recapturing past glory with a 5′ 10″ 175 lb skater who just turned 35 ands is coming off serious hip surgery has the IQ of a Kumquat!
And that is why I will believe it when I see it. Unless, of course, it is a multi year deal you can bury without much cost against the cap, or he simply goes on LTIR.
My guess is the contract will be self insured.
And if Kane is the 1st to continue a productive career after hip resurfacing surgery, that GM would be a genius!
Many said Vegas was crazy to take a chance on Eichel. Actually that was a much bigger chance than what is take place with Kane!
Man’s did say that about Eichel. I still can not understand why? I don’t think I will ever understand why Buffalo was so reluctant. But that isn’t todays topic.
Signing Kane to a multi year deal wouldn’t surprise Me. 2-3 years at reasonible cost. If he comes back and starts lighting lamps and helps whatever team signs him to a contract have a long playoff run it be kind of silly to let him retire if he still wants to play.
Hahahaha!
I think that Seravalli’s inference was that the Panthers would sign Kane now for the balance of the season and would then try a multi year extension later if he stays healthy and plays well for them and if they can open us more cap space.
Johnny Z, the BIG difference between Eichel and Kane is that Eichel – besides being HUGE compared to Kane – was 25 when he joined Vegas – a far cry from 35 and needing to rely on a restructured hip just to be able to skate!
Agrred George,
I hope GM’s are getting Smarter … After seeing all these teams that are Cash Strapped, and teams that have multiple picks they are cashing in on in the first few rounds over the next 2-3 seasons
GM’s need to be Held more Accountable for there actions,
Less Coach firing and more GM firings✔️👍
95% of all players that are hitting 35 yrs old are well on the downward slide,
Like a Huberdeau in Calgary the 30 yr old is in his first year of a 8 yr deal that pays him
$80.M dollars….❗️
he will make $$40.M in the last 4 years of his deal playing on the 3rd or 4th line….
Are you sniffing glue George, a 5’10 175lb who has averaged over a point per game throughout his career. Who is a prominant playoff player, who wouldn’t want Patty Kane
There is risk for sure but why not take that risk? If you’re the Florida Panthers or even the Sabres, why not? As long as the Cap hit isn’t too large a 2 year deal, especially if it gets Kane to sign with your team, is worth it. If it doesn’t work out, oh well, LTIR. Kane is a first ballot hall of famer. If he can perform at 80-90% of his former level, he’s still worth a couple mil, IMO.
The $2 Million IF
so no rumblings about Kessel? the talk was always how he was a positive in Vegas’ run in the room.
Whatever fool GM signs Patrick Kane needs to immediately trade for Evander…you know, in case Patrick needs a Kane after hip surgery.
Meh. 3. Maybe 4/10.
If Sam Montembeault for Jack Campbell lands you an overpayment of their 1st Rd + then Kent Hughes should definitely do it.
I doubt the oilers are dumb enough to trade a 1st without protecting it somehows. I mean. If they are bottom 5 they are all but guaranteed 1st overall.
I doubt the Oilers – as bad as they are so far (.323) – will play the rest of the way at a pace worse than any of San Jose (.194), Columbus (.316) and Chicago (.313). Not with McDavid and Draisaitl in the line-up. Those two alone will win games here and there now down the line.
I would do a Jack Campbell Trade & A first round pick (Top 8 protected in 2024 ) and Hollaway Or an open pick in 1st pick 2025for Jake Allen…..👍
A Re-building team will go for this kind of trade
to get a top pick and a prospect lots of teams are rebuilding
it Sound like the Habs want to keep Goaltender
Sam Montembeault & keep developing
Cayden Primeau with there re-build❓
Habs Goaltening is a Weak Area, they have Absolutely Nothing exciting in the pipeline
Or
Maybe the Oilers or Habs Go Afterone of these two & use there 1st Pick and prospect to go after A Nashville’s Goaltender,
A 1st pick, Dylan Hollaway and Jack Campbell
for
1/ Juuse Saros with a 7 year deal in place befor the trade of course👌
Or
young 21 yr old Yaroslav Askarov to be 1-b with Skinner🤔
From Emily Kaplan:
“Interestingly, she also noted that it sounded like Kane’s preference was to “run it back” with the New York Rangers. But, GM Chris Drury told the winger to pump the brakes on the idea because of their cap space situation. She added that if he winds up there, it will be for a lot less than he could make elsewhere and that he’ll have forced himself into that situation there”
I know Brooks reported they weren’t in on Kane, but NY still hasn’t settled on top line RW for Zib/Kreider. If they jumped through hoops last season to make it work, why wouldn’t they consider it this year when they don’t need to trade anything? Seems like Drury has a take it or leave it price. Also, there seems to be a lot of concern over Chytil and his current concussion. Not his 1st. Could end up on lite. Fox out still too.