NHL Rumor Mill – November 7, 2023
Check out the latest on the Flames and Oilers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
FLAMES GAUGING THE MARKET ON THEIR UFA DEFENSEMEN
SPORTSNET: During his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman believes the Calgary Flames could have three defensemen on the trade market. He thinks the Flames have started making phone calls around the league to gauge the market of Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov.
Friedman wondered if the Edmonton Oilers would have an interest in one of them. He also felt the Toronto Maple Leafs would be interested in Tanev and Zadorov if they could find a way to pull it off.
Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (NHL Images).
Appearing on the Donnie & Dhali Show, Friedman felt teams like Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver could show an interest in some of those players. However, he cautioned that things can always change and doesn’t think any trades are imminent. Friedman pointed out that the Flames were close to re-signing Hanifin before mounting losses put those talks on hold.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Barden believes the Leafs could be interested given the injuries to their blueline this season as well as the club’s overall defensive play thus far. However, he noted that Hanifin, Tanev and Zadorov each make over $3.7 million for this season, meaning the cap-strapped Leafs would have to shed significant salary to acquire one of them.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks and Oilers are in the same boat cap-wise as the Leafs. Unless it’s a dollar-in, dollar-out scenario or another club getting involved as a third party to broker the deal, I doubt we’ll see one of those three Flames defensemen getting shipped to the Canucks, Leafs or Oilers at this stage in the season. That’s a move that might have to wait until closer to the trade deadline provided those clubs can accrue sufficient cap space to make deals by that point.
LATEST ON THE OILERS
THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the struggling Edmonton Oilers are running out of time to address their goalie woes. Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner have had their difficulties this season. Their poor play has sunk the Oilers from being a team with Stanley Cup aspirations to one sitting 31st overall in the standings.
Nugent-Bowman noted that head coach Jay Woodcroft has also been feeling the heat in Edmonton. While he’s not without his faults, firing Woodcroft won’t improve the goaltending. The Oilers have also been sloppy defensively in front of Campbell and Skinner but it’s still up to those two to stop the puck.
SPORTSNET: Mark Spector believes the Oilers can’t afford to wait for their goaltenders to improve as their playoff hopes dwindle.
Meanwhile, on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman said he believes Oilers management may have kicked around the idea of a coaching change. He also ruled out the possibility of Joel Quenneville as a potential replacement for Woodcroft as he doubted the league would approve his return just now.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers could contact teams carrying three goalies like the Buffalo Sabres or Montreal Canadiens. However, those clubs won’t part with goalies like Devon Levi or Sam Montembeault who could make a difference in Edmonton.
There seems to be an Eastern Conf. team carrying 3 goalies that Holland knows quite well…
edmonton need a goalie real bad how about a trade with flyers edmonton send campbell holloway and a 2024 first rounder for carter hart
IDK if anyone would want 2 $5M goalies with term that can not stop a beach ball! How demoralizing would that be for the other team members? Then Ersson would have to make 95% of the starts.
How about goalie Tristan Jarry a two time all star, yes a tad injury prone and inconsistent but better than what they have.. for defenseman Codi Ceci ???
Thoughts—
Or trade Rakell for Zadorov.
Edmonton’s biggest problem is a certain GM who stupidly signed a goalie to a big bucks multi-year contract after his only good season. Holland simply can’t build a team in the salary cap era. Yzerman is just now finishing repairing the damage Holland’s bad habit of handing out big bucks multi-year to average players in Detroit.
“Trades are hard” Krazy Kenny
They are even harder when you handcuff yourself with cap issues!
The big worst kept secret is Noah Hannifin going to Boston.
If not this year, next year as an FA.
Agree that will happen next year
Justin Schwartz oilers goalie coach has to go. Decent goalies, dubnyk, Talbots come to Edm flounder, leave and return to decent numbers. Smith hired his own goalie coach. Time for him to go.
Ullmark, Debrusk and Zboril for Draisaitl.
Oh Lordy.
In spades!
i think bruins would love this trade but not sure ullmark would approve a trade to oilers plus i think it would take more to get draisitl out of edmonton
That package wouldn’t get us the Nuge, let alone Leon.
Dave, can you get Edmonton to retain salary at the same time.
Make it MacEvoy, Swayman, DeBrusk and a first for Nurse, Drai and Campbell and you may get em to pick up the phone.
👍🏻
Could a team be out of the playoffs 11 games in? No, but they certainly can make things very tough on themselves.
Oilers who suppose to be cup contenders are 2-8-1 for 5pts 11 games in.
Last year it took 95pts to get in the playoffs. If that holds true. The Oilers need 90pts in 71 games
42-21-8 not impossible but something needs to be done soon.
Re Oilers Goaltending…
Every year since Stuart Skinner played in the AHL in Bako he had 2 slow start each year,
Now its the same thing in the NHL in Edmonton
slow starts last year and the sane this year,
last night was a very poor game for Skinner
they need to play Skinner now 6-7 game’s in a row to get his game going…❓
As for Jack Campbell it looks like he is a Failed $5.M project now, He is going to be Trade Bate,
A Good Prospect or and 2nd round pick to move Campbell out asap…. and use his $5.M to help fix the D
The Oilers should call up there 3rd goaltender
Calvin Pickard from Bako and give him a go, in his first 4 games Pickard has good numbers
-Games 4
-GA -2.02
-SV% 0.939
last night was one of the better game’s they played
we seen lots of Push back but to many holes on the defence and poor goaltending led to 6 more goals against…..❗️
it could be a long winter.
Nobody is taking Campbell, especially this early in the year (and teams can only retain 50% of salary in a trade).
Nobody is taking Campbell even with sweeteners, especially this early in the year (and teams can only retain 50% of salary in a trade).
1.pm Edmonton time
The Edmonton Oilers just placed goaltender
Jack Campbell on Waivers to assign him to the AHL
my guess they probably calling up Calvin Pickard to back up Skinner….👍👍
Im not sure what the oilers will save in Campbells $5.M Salary..❓
Williew
They will save $1.125 but if they bring up Pickard (probably will) his salary is $762.5 so they will save $362.5.
Winnipeg Jets have plenty of cap space and could use some D upgrades. Chris Tanev could be a good fit.
Thanks Travis….👍
Im sure the Oilers will ether buy him out and Or
try to trade him at the deadline in March with a pick or a prospect to get the $5.M of the payroll
The Hawks are Stock Pilling Picks 5X1st & 8X 2nd pick’s in the next 3 drafts and thats before they trade anyone before the deadline this season…
& have $12.M in Cap Space this year 🤔
and
Cap space $51.M next year 2025
and
Cap space $75M for 2026
After watching the Canucks beat the oilers last night, Bouchard/ Ceci/ Desharnais looked pretty bad, Edmonton might want to look at changing the goalie coach/ defence coach/ their defence is wow and let’s just leave it at wow.
There’s no cap room for trades
Lost in all the angst around the Oilers goaltending situation is the fact that they have a goalie coach who is in way over his head. Ask the Rangers about the value of a good goalie coach. If a coach is going to be replaced in Edmonton it shouldn’t be Woodcroft, it should be Dustin Schwartz.
A goalie coach Is the problem in Edmonton?
How many goals have the Oilers scored in their first 11 games?
Blow it up!
Were I Hughes I would offer the Oil Jake Allen. He can’t take an every game load at this point but he can play regularly enough to improve their goaltending. He could probably be had for a second round draft pick in 2025.
As a not fan of the Oilers, I’d absolutely love to see Jake Allen on that team.
Brock..I agree with you but I would love to see Jake Allen on the Penguins..
He is just steady, solid, and consistent which is what the Penguins need…move Jarry..
Edmonton has a 21player roster and only $377k of cap space. So, even if Skinner is the return to Montreal, the Habs would have to retain some of Jake’s salary. And I don’t see Mtl taking Campbell.
Edm won’t be getting much help; they will need to fix their problems themselves. If the season turns into a bust, re-tool in the off season.
But there’s this thing called a salary cap so the oilers can’t even do that. Give up
Bouchard and lavoie for montembeault solves a couple problems for the oilers
Yeah, Bob, there is that pesky salary cap. But any fix to the Oier’s goalie problems is going to mean managing the cap. For example, their bottom 6 forwards are bringing nothing to the party so they could be demoted and replaced with AHL players with little downside.
I suggested Allen as from the Habs point of view Montembeault is the one to keep.
As to your comment, Brock, Allen has a career save % 0f .909, and .927 this year. That’s a clear upgrade for the Oil.
Perhaps you have a better suggestion?
I’ll take the career .909 sv% as more reliable as to what to expect, plus he’s only getting older. He’s just not a great goalie if a team is going to give up a high volume of shots.
I don’t know what the solution is for the Oilers, but clearly they’ve managed the cap poorly and their goalies are blowing up their season so far.
Edmonton don’t have the cap space to take on Allen’s contract.
Anaheim’s phones are ringing. Gibson is back playing very sharp. The Ducks defense last year was so incredibly bad both Defenders and Forwards.
Good Defense is a team concept. Their coach at the time doesnt understand that. You can see the dramatic difference now vs then.
Gibson would get Edmonton back on track
What’s the trade that gets Gibson’s $6.4M on the Oilers’ cap? I can’t see the Ducks retaining unless McDavid or Leon are headed back the other way…
Brock..
John Gibson to Pittsburgh
Jake Guentzel and Pierre Oliver Joseph plus a 2nd round pick
we can resign Guentzel in the off season if needed plus cap goes up $ 4 million next year.
we need a goalie
we can move Jarry
Drake Batherson
Shane Pinto
and perhaps a pick
to Calgary for Hanafin
So assuming Hanafin is signed in that scenario, and Chychrun is too, that would mean Ottawa will have 4 defenseman making $8M+? How does that work???
Campbell put on waivers this afternoon, so heading to minors to work on game.
With Campbell on waivers, I could see the Ducks retaining some of Gibson’s salary but it wouldn’t be a give away. The Ducks do not need a Pro roster player at this time unless its a top line winger. Ducks have plenty of cap space now and tons more next year. What would the trade look like from your point of view? Gibson will have a much better year similar to years past.
If I were Ken Holland I’d be on the phone with Detroit kicking the tires on Husso, Reimer or Lyon.
Reimer is on a 1 yr contract and will most likely be traded at the deadline anyway.
Mcdavid was always disappointed Buffalo didn’t win the lottery. Let’s make things right.
Mcdavid for Thompson and Power.
Both teams would would be better for it. Buffalo was not expected to contend this year but could next year. Edm could use the cap savings to try and get a goalie.
Jeff, points for interesting promo Edmonton fans would burn the town down and Ft Mac again were McDavid to be traded. I know, Gretzky was traded but that was because Pocklington was an idiot.