NHL Rumor Mill – December 18, 2023
The annual holiday roster freeze is from Dec. 20-27. Check out the latest on the Penguins and Oilers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
COULD THE PENGUINS CONSIDER MOVING CROSBY, MALKIN OR LETANG?
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski weighed in on how recent comments by Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas sparked speculation about whether he’d consider rebuilding if his struggling club didn’t improve soon.
Kingerski doesn’t dismiss the possibility of Dubas peddling Erik Karlsson, who agreed to be traded to Pittsburgh this summer because he wanted to win. He can also see pending free-agent winger Jake Guentzel getting shopped by the March trade deadline. Rickard Rakell, Reilly Smith, Lars Eller, Noel Acciari or Ryan Graves could be trade bait if Dubas decides it’s time for a change.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).
However, Kingerski doesn’t see Dubas attempting to move long-time core stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang. He believes the Penguins are getting the best out of those three while the rest of the roster is struggling. The only one he thinks might accept a trade is Malkin, as he was ready to move on as a free agent in 2022 because it felt like the previous management didn’t want him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only way I see Crosby, Malkin or Letang getting traded right now is if they ask for it. Maybe one of them might want out in a couple of years. Perhaps Crosby will move on when his contract expires in 2025. However, if they insist on finishing their careers in Pittsburgh, their no-movement clauses will ensure that they stay put.
COULD THE OILERS MAKE ANOTHER BIG SPLASH AT THE TRADE DEADLINE
THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell believes the Edmonton Oilers could pull off another big splash at the March 8 trade deadline comparable to their acquisition of Mattias Ekholm before last season’s deadline.
Mitchell suggests the Oilers could do it without having to include Jack Campbell in the deal. They could package a first-round pick, a promising player such as Philip Broberg or Dylan Holloway, and a player such as Warren Foegele or Brett Kulak.
Trade targets could include a defenseman such as the Calgary Flames Chris Tanev or the Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Sean Walker, or a goaltender like the Detroit Red Wings’ James Reimer, the Flames’ Daniel Vladar or the Nashville Predator’s Juuse Saros, though Mitchell acknowledged he’d be “an extreme long shot.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Oilers rolling the dice again at the trade deadline if they’re in playoff contention by March 8. They’re in “win-now” mode and could be willing to sacrifice a first-rounder, especially if it’s for a player they could retain beyond this season. Broberg, Holloway, Foegele and Kulak have surfaced in the rumor mill at various times in recent months.
Mitchell’s colleague Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the Oilers need another goaltender to relieve Stuart Skinner and push him for the starter’s job. They also need improvement among their top-four defense, depth at center and among their middle-six forwards.
As for Mitchell’s suggested targets, trades between the Flames and Oilers are rare but they do happen, with the most notable recent example being Milan Lucic getting swapped for James Neal in 2019. Nevertheless, I see Walker or Reimer seem to be more likely targets than Tanev or Vladar.
Saros isn’t going anywhere. Earlier this season, Predators GM Barry Trotz indicated he wants to open contract extension talks next summer. With his club having battled back into playoff contention thanks in part to Saros, Trotz has no reason to trade his starting goaltender.
Pittsburgh is a going to have a rebuild in the near future. Over the years, management has traded too many draft picks to extend their playoff streak to allow replenishment in key roles.
Paul. Agreed Pittsburgh is in it to win this year and next and after that the rebuild will need to start.
What’s frustrating is they beat the good teams Tampa, Colorado, LA Kings, Vegas and lose to Chicago and high schoolers.
They need a stabilizing force on the 3rd pair defense pairing….like a Radko Gudas, they need a 3rd line stud so Eller who has been ok can go to the 4th line…an Adam Henrique someone steady like that…expiring contract.
With Dubas there now I have no doubt he will do something at the trade deadline or earlier unlike that fuc**stick Ron Hextall/Brian Burke which was two years of absolutely crap management.
Thank God Crosby is well on fire 18 goals playing lights out.
now if only Letang and Malkin would get their heads out of the collective asses maybe…
Even if Crosby agreed to be traded I cant see it happening. The team he would agree to go to would have to be a contender and what would contender be able to give up still be competitive and make Pitt happy.
He can come to Detroit and center Kane and Cat! 👌😁
Johnny Z… Crosby Isn’t going anywhere but if he did go to the Detroit Red Wings, he would take them to the next level and make them a dangerous team.
Holland doesn’t like giving up 1st rounders for rental players, which is what I like about him. At last year’s trade deadline, he traded away Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer (32nd pick in the 2022 draft), a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick for Ekholm who still had term on his contract.
Besides, getting a goalie will be cheaper than a d-man. Mackenzie Blackwood is at the top of my wish list.
No, he already gave one of Detroit’s 1sts for Kyle Quincy, That pick got Tampa Vasssy!!!!
So Edmonton needs a goalie, depth at center, upgrades on defense and middle six and is still considered cup contenders? Looks more like any bubble team we’ve seen in years past more than a cup contender… they must of been given the Toronto sports news media treatment…aka crazy out of wack unrealistic reporting and hype.
Like many teams, the Oil lacks serious depth and it’s going to be hard for teams to get it and get it within a set time frame. This problem can easily passed on to the GM of said teams but it’s really part of the reality of a hard cap and watering down of the talent pool.
The way I see it so far, the cap restricts roster development or improvements and doesn’t allow championship teams to stay together. In short, the cap is more like a punishment or a hindrance rather than a guide.
Ron
It is Canadian media pushing for a team from Canada to win the cup I personally don’t think it will happen anytime soon
Ron, they don’t need depth at C.
McDavid, Draisaitl, RNH (if they wanted to play him at C), McLeod, Janmark & Ryan. I would put that C depth against any team in the NHL.
Their middle 6 is also just fine.
They have 4 top 4 D, but only 1 I would consider top 2; Nurse.
Ekholm maybe is a top 2, but I would call him a 3. Ceci is a 4. Bouchard has defensive issues but brings the O.
If they fix their tending they are a contender, all day every day. But that is a really big IF, isn’t it?
They could use depth, just like almost every team in the cap era NHL and almost every contender as well. They have more than my B’s upfront by a mile, are they a contender?
Agree with everything you said except Nurse. He’s not a top 6 in my books . He’s the reason my Oil are in Cap purgatory. Holland is going to wear that contract for the rest of his Career & beyond.
Nurse is a 4 at best & that’s on his best night. He is severely overpaid for what he brings, looks lost when the pressure is on. A fair number of goals they give up Nurse is out of position taking the wrong man or standing around with his thumb up his keister. Ceci is a 5/6, better value than Nurse.
Holland should be fired immediately. Who cares if he’s possibly a future HOF. That is based off of his playing. Between Campbell and Brown, both useless so far, he has wasted 11% of Oilers cap. Hard to be a contender when your GM does that.
Re; the Oilers
Dont hold your Breath on a big trade …We need Way to Much this Season.
1st We need to Move $5.M dollar man Goaltender Jack Campbell….
The Cost
A 1st Round Pick and Very good Top prospect…🙈 to
A rebuilding team like the Hawks and or the Sharks
who both have lots of Cap Space
Then,
but not in this order, but over the next 18-Months
They have to fix these position, untill this is done they will Not get out of the west & Not past the following Teams The Avs, Vegas, or kings…..🤔
1/ A Top 4 RD-man to Replace Ceci
2/ A Top 6 RW
3/ A Good 3rd line Centre
4/ A Back up goaltender possibly❓ Right now its Pickards job now to lose
Sitting 9 points behind 7th place Nashville this am, The Oil have a chance to make the 8th playoff Spot, but then they have to play Vegas and again if they can make the playoff cut that is….😳❗️
1. David Savard 2. Brendon Gallagher 3. Sean Monahan 4. Jake Allen. How much money you got to play with?
You still visiting here George? You got your wish: Smith has been fired.
Merry Christmas!