NHL Rumor Mill – January 16, 2024
Check out the latest on Jacob Markstrom as well as updates on the Canadiens and Capitals in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON MARKSTROM
SPORTSNET: Eric Francis isn’t putting much stock into recent trade speculation regarding Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Francis noted the 33-year-old Markstrom’s no-movement clause gives the netminder complete control over this situation. He also felt that teams in the market for an upgrade between the pipes could be leery about pursuing established, highly-paid goalies, pointing out that the Vegas Golden Knights carried four unproven ones on their Stanley Cup roster last season.
Cap-strapped clubs could prefer employing cheaper options, such as the New Jersey Devils with Nico Daws and the Toronto Maple Leafs with Martin Jones.
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).
Francis believes the Flames aren’t about to tear down their roster after moving back into playoff contention. He also thinks it would take an overwhelming offer for management to approach Markstrom about waiving his NMC. Such an offer, if it comes at all, might not occur until the offseason.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Trevor Neufeld pointed out that Markstrom hasn’t requested a trade while his outstanding play of late is a crucial factor in the Flames’ surge in the standings.
Nevertheless, Neufeld believes Markstrom faces a “Catch-22” backlash from a contingent of Flames fans upset that the netminder wants to stay in Calgary. If he’s playing poorly, it generates talk that they need to find a new starter. If he plays well, fans and media start examining how much he might fetch in the trade market.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames general manager Craig Conroy has indicated he’s willing to listen to offers on pretty much everyone on his roster. However, he’s not about to start trading away assets while his team is battling for a playoff spot.
That could change if the Flames fall out of contention in the coming weeks. If so, Conroy will look at the market for pending free agents such as Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. Someone like Markstrom (assuming he’ll waive his NMC) usually isn’t traded until the offseason when interested clubs have more cap space to work with.
WHAT WILL THE CANADIENS DO AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?
SPORTSNET: Eric Engels expects the Montreal Canadiens to be sellers at the March 8 trade deadline. As many as five players could be shipped out in the coming weeks.
Sean Monahan is expected to be the most likely to move should Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes receive the right offer. Defenseman David Savard could be another trade candidate as well as winger Tanner Pearson. It’s also possible Hughes could shop one or two of his young defensemen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Don’t expect first-pairing defenseman Kaiden Guhle to be moved. It’s also unlikely that Jayden Struble will be peddled given that he’s been a pleasant surprise for the Habs this season. Justin Barron, Jordan Harris and fan favorite Arber Xhekaj have occasionally surfaced in the rumor mill.
Engels also reported on the Canadiens’ need for a scoring star. However, he noted that Hughes, head coach Martin St. Louis and team captain Nick Suzuki bristle at the notion that the club is devoid of elite forward talent. “It’s there, but in development,” wrote Engels.
Nevertheless, Hughes admitted that he’d like to add forwards who can help the Canadiens. They possess a stockpile of 22 picks in the next two drafts, a loaded prospect pool and plenty of promising young defensemen. As a result, Engels noted the Habs GM seemed confident that trade was one of three ways he could address that need in the next year or two.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie believes Hughes is working on adding a scoring forward to support Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. However, Lavoie is uncertain if it’ll come through the draft or via trade for someone like the Anaheim Ducks’ Trevor Zegras.
THE SCORE: Kayla Douglas cited Montreal Hockey Now’s Marc Dumont indicating Hughes isn’t guaranteeing he’ll move one of his three goaltenders by the March trade deadline.
Hughes acknowledged the plan at the start of the season was to carry the trio of Sam Montembeault, Cayden Primeau and Jake Allen and evaluate potential trades. It’s still not the plan to carry all three for the rest of the year but he admits there’s no certainty he’ll move one of them by deadline day.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montembeault isn’t going anywhere as he’s emerged as their clear-cut starter, earning a three-year contract extension as a result. It’s down to Primeau and Allen and I think the latter is the most likely candidate as the former has improved throughout this season.
UPDATES ON THE CAPITALS
THE HOCKEY NEWS: In a recent mailbag segment, Sammi Silber was asked which members of the Washington Capitals could be moved by the March trade deadline.
Silber believed it’ll depend on where the club sits in the standings leading up to deadline day. She suspected winger Anthony Mantha and defenseman Joel Edmundson could become trade chips given their eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status this summer.
Evgeny Kuznetsov has frequently surfaced in the rumor mill. However, Silber doesn’t see him getting moved at the deadline given his $7.8 million cap hit through next season and his declining performance. She considers him more of an offseason trade candidate.
Nic Dowd, Sonny Milano and Nick Jensen could also become trade candidates if the Capitals become sellers.
Silber was also asked if the Capitals would trade goaltender Darcy Kuemper and take a flyer on Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins. She doesn’t see either scenario taking place, especially for Merzlikins after he was involved last month in an on-ice altercation with Capitals winger Tom Wilson.
Hughes and the Habs will be the most interesting team to watch this trade deadline. They have all the pieces and a surplus of them to put together a couple strong trades in their favour.
Ranger fans should have a good idea of what hughes has done in the past in terms of aggressiveness and targeting.
The only thing stopping this would be if the Habs are too far back in development, something only Habs fans would be able to answer about Hughes and how the team is viewed as a team being ready for the next step.
Hughes never worked for the NY Rangers. Gorton did.
Great to see another Canadian and AB team playing well, but if the Flames can’t extend Lindholm, Hanifin, or Tanev they need to trade them don’t they? Even if they are in a WC spot at TDL.
I suppose I will qualify that with; unless they go on a serious heater like the Oil are on right now, move up the standings, and show they can have a reasonable chance beat the best in the league in a 7 game series. Key word being reasonable.
I know “anything can happen” in the playoffs, and it has, but not very flippin’ often.
How often do WC teams win the cup in the cap era? I can only think of 1, LA in 11/12. STL got on a late heater and pulled it off, not sure how many pending UFA’s they, or LA had.
If they keep hanging around the mushy middle, IMO they need to move the guys that plan on testing the market.
Flames should trade them, or they will get Tavaresed, those Pajamas must have an incredible pull of where they sign.
Nylanders 2023/24 contract is m-ntc.leafs should trade him to Calgary for hannifin and tanev with ltir to cover the 2 million or so contract differences. They could use nylanders 2024/25 money to give hannifin and tanev raises in their new contracts and have cap money left over for additional roster upgrades next year. The leafs are in a cap bind and the current group have struggled and nylanders contract is NMC next year. the window for dramatic action is closing.nylander is back to his old self unless he is playing injured.
Do not hate the idea///but I think the Leafs should take a flyer on Markstrom at the same time.
Adding Hanifin+Tanev+Markstrom over MARTIN JONES…. makes them a much harder team to play against… not sure Markstrom wants to leave the Calgary heat for Toronto….
If the Leafs trade Nylander right after signing him for 8 years with a full NMC, I will eat my shoes.
Tanev makes some sense for sure, as he likely won’t cost that much and is the type of guy the Leafs could use.
Not sure MTL would trade Savard to the Leafs or what he would cost, but that guy would help almost every team in contention. I could also see MTL wanting to keep him around for the young D, but they have guys pushing for spots too. Worth the phone call.
Re; Toronto
Leafs are waiting to get 33 yr old John Tavares of there books at $11.M for 1.5 more seasons❗️
If he resign in leaf land,
JT it will be for $5.M max 2 year, they can’t keep maxing out on 4 forwards…
The Leafs need to spend their
$6M they will save on good D/men…..they need 2…
Willie is there 2nd best forward and best in the playoffs he works hard ever shift at 27 yr old 🤙
If I remember correctly the Bruins went hard after Tavares but they would of had to trade David Krejci in his prime and another player making decent $$$ to fit him in
“Nylanders 2023/24 contract is m-ntc.”
According to capfriendly this was changed to an NMC as part of the new contract…
savard to me is a conundrum. one week i read comments that he is playing poorly for montreal and then in another that he is a great player that the leafs should acquire. comments fail to say if the person is a leafs or hab supporter making those comments.
Still there CC?
Savard has played very well for the Habs this season. He blocks tons of shots, is the first D over the board to PK, and is a top 4 D on any team that is not loaded with talented D. He is also credited as being an unofficial coach for the Habs’ young D.
So whomever is issuing these dodgy reports is enjoying the legalization of pot. Or perhaps decriminalization of crack.