NHL Rumor Mill – February 21, 2024
The latest on Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin, the Penguins are listening to offers for non-core players and the Rangers are interested in Kraken forward Alex Wennberg. Get the details on these and rumors involving several other teams in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
LATEST ON HANIFIN
TSN: Chris Johnston reports the Calgary Flames might make another push to sign Noah Hanifin to a contract extension. However, it seems likely that the 27-year-old defenseman will be traded. He’s got an eight-team no-trade clause and they’re not all Canadian teams.
Nevertheless, Johnston believes Hanifin will end up with a US-based team because it’s believed his preference is to sign with an American club. He singled out the Tampa Bay Lightning as a possible destination.
Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning have the cap space to pursue Hanifin with Mikhail Sergachev on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) for the remainder of the regular season. The Flames’ asking price for Hanifin will likely start with a first-round pick but the Lightning don’t have any first-rounders in this year’s or next year’s drafts. Their prospect pool is also shallow, ranked 29th by The Athletic.
PENGUINS LISTENING TO OFFERS FOR NON-CORE PLAYERS
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is entertaining offers on pretty much everyone except his core players. One of them is winger Reilly Smith, who has a year remaining on his contract with a $5 million cap hit. He won a Stanley Cup last season with the Vegas Golden Knights and that experience could intrigue a few contenders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined winger Jake Guentzel is among the Penguins’ core. He’s been dogged by trade rumors for weeks amid speculation that Dubas could also re-sign him. Perhaps this report means Dubas still intends on re-signing him? Stay tuned…
RANGERS INTERESTED IN WENNBERG
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports sources claim the Rangers are looking at Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg to fill their third-line center position. The 29-year-old Wennberg is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and carries a $4.5 million cap hit for this season.
Brooks cited Wennberg’s playoff experience, his skating ability and his 200-foot game among the reasons behind the Rangers’ interest in him. He also noted the Boston Bruins have been linked to the Kraken center.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken are just three points out of a wild-card berth in the Western Conference so they’re probably not sellers right now. That could change if they fail to gain ground in the standings over the next couple of weeks.
UPDATE ON THE BLUE JACKETS
THE ATHLETIC: While the Blue Jackets are in the process of finding a new general manager, Aaron Portzline reports interim GM John Davidson is focused on the upcoming NHL trade deadline.
The Jackets won’t trade their prospects nor is team captain Boone Jenner available. Jack Roslovic is their one prominent pending UFA. Portzline estimates his trade value as being worth a late-round draft pick or a distant prospect.
There was speculation defenseman Ivan Provorov could be a trade candidate to make room for promising Denton Mateychuk on their blueline. However, Davidson said Mateychuk must earn a roster spot in training camp. Nevertheless, Portzline believes Provorov could be moved if the right phone call is made.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Provorov could be moved if someone pitches a first-round pick or a high-quality young player. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s still with the Jackets after March 8.
NOTABLE RUMOR TIDBITS FROM TSN’S INSIDERS
TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Ottawa Senators want to do something bigger but must wait for the trade market to establish itself…The Edmonton Oilers would ideally like to add a top-six forward to Leon Draisaitl’s line. However, they’re also eyeing the Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique as a third-line center…The Dallas Stars would like to add a right-shot defenseman as could the Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils. Speaking of the Devils, they’re also looking for a goaltender and kicking tires on forwards.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have over $2.3 million in trade deadline cap space. It could make it difficult to add Henrique even if the Ducks retain half of his $5.8 million cap hit…With Vitek Vanecek on injured reserve, the Devils’ need for help between the pipes should be their priority if they hope to nail down a wild-card spot.
Pierre LeBrun believes the Florida Panthers want to add to their roster before the trade deadline. They’ll have around $5 million in accrued cap space by deadline day to add a top-nine forward but they lack first-round picks in 2024 and 2025 to use as trade bait.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: They also lack a second-rounder in this year’s draft. The Athletic recently ranked their prospect pool at No. 24 but they’ll likely have to dip into it if they intend to be buyers this year.
Chris Johnston believes the Arizona Coyotes will once again look to load up with draft picks at this year’s trade deadline. They’re looking to move pending UFAs such as Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes have 13 picks in this year’s draft, 11 in next year’s draft and 10 in 2026. 10 of those are second-rounders, seven are third-rounders and four are fourth-round picks. However, they only have one first-rounder in each of those drafts.
PROPOSED DESTINATIONS FOR THE CAPITALS’ NIC DOWD
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber recently suggested the New York Rangers could be a good fit for Nic Dowd if the Washington Capitals put him on the trade block. She also cited Jason Gregor of Oilers Nation suggesting the Edmonton Oilers as a fit.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Part of what makes Dowd enticing in the trade market is his contract. The 33-year-old checking-line center carries an affordable $1.3 million annual average value through next season.
Pittsburgh Penguins :
1 elite forward (Crosby)
1 good forward injured (Guentzel)
1 slightly above average goalie (Jarry)
Rest of the roster construed of broken down hasbeens on retirement NM contracts (Malkin, Letang, Carter, Karlsson) and 4th line muckers better suited for the AHL.
No picks, no prospects and no cap room.
The freefall down the standings to mediocrity and another bankruptcy is in full force and this time theres no Lemieux or Crosby on the horizon coming to the rescue.
Scooby Dubas cant spend his way out of this fiasco.
Enjoy the ride, its going to be glorious.
Your owner will do with the Penguins what he has done with the Red Sox! Start trading away high priced players for cheaper talent and still try to convince the fans that he cares as he goes to the bank!
The Penguins if you look at them are 5th in the NHL in goals against going in to the islanders game, and their goal differential is positive 155 GF 144 GA so that’s ok……
Their power play sucks, and their secondary scoring outside of Crosby and Guentzel is just awful which is why they are 9 points out of playoff spot.
The Penguins need to move Guentzel, Reilly Smith, Rakell if possible and RETOOL not rebuild for one last kick t the can next year.
Hextall and Burke screwed this team for two years.
With contracts expiring in the summer UFAS and not renewing RFAs, and the cap going up $ 4 million next year and if they can move Rakell and Smith that is $28.6 million in cap space this off season.
Malkin does not need to be the second line center anymore he has 16 goals so does Adam Henrique who is 4 years younger and a better all around player.
we need two good forwards and two good defenseman and we are in contention.
lets say a Brett Pesche and a Ilya Lubushkin on D
lets say a Jake DeBrusk and a Tyler Toffoli or Adam Henrique we are good to go..
Crosby Guentzel have been lights out and surprisingly the goaltending has been good.
cap space and some tweaks for this off season
They have about 70 million committed to their current roster, Petry retention and Johnson’s buy out. That leaves them with 14 million?
I think you’re calculating their space incorrectly.
I enjoyed the three Stanley Cups. If this is the price of success I’ll gladly pay it.
No way Sid leaves Pittsburgh unless Sid wants to leave. Playing for the Penguins is 100% his decision. If he walked into Dubas’s office and asked for a trade that trade would immediately be granted.
The Penguins should entertain offers for everyone not named Crosby or Petterson.
I don’t see the point of hanging on to anyone on that team.
Crosbys 36 and Petterson is 27, not ideal guys to build around at this point.
Crosbys value will never again be as high as it is today. And they have a lot of players that would be difficult, if not impossible to trade.
Crosby without a doubt is their most valuable piece that will bring back a significant return today. They ink him to any extension this summer, and he becomes less appealing to suitors.
Crosby will retire a Penguin, he is also the only one on the team who still produces at a high level and will surely continue to do so for at least a couple of more years. And the younger guys coming up (Yager, Poulin etc.) will need mentoring and who better to do that than Sid? Rest of the team is open season. We need to trade Guentzel now for a high draft pick and some assets so we can get this rebuild going.
I can’t emphasize strongly enough what a bad plan that would be.
Mentor for one of the thinnest prospect pools in the league?
The Penguins don’t have any foreseeable prospects worth building around today. Not one. Trading Crosby could change that. So why keep him around to mentor a core that isn’t even intact today?
I agree about his production etc, but this is exactly why you trade him away while he still has value.
Keeping him around for sentimental value isn’t helping them to stockpile an actual piece to even start building around. Bad business.
Captain Obvious…Obviously Crosby isn’t going anywhere.
The Penguins will have $30 million in cap space this off season..UFAS, not resigning RFAS, cap going up $ 4 million plus moving a couple players at the deadline Reilly Smith Rickard Rakell.
We are a couple players away and Dubas who just took over will get us those players.
Hextall/Burke messed this team up for two years.
we have beaten all the good teams but we have lost to the worst teams, our goals against is 5th best in the NHL and our goal differential is positive 155 GF 144 GA..
we need secondary scoring and a couple defenseman and with $ 30 million and Dubas we can get that in the off season.
The Penguins need some tweaks for one last run next year after that it is a rebuild.
Reilly or Rackell will be hard to move. Rackell has fallen off a cliff and has 4 years remainingi at 5 per with a m-ntc.
I don’t see teams lining up for either player, and I certainly don’t see good returns for either. More than likely a sweetener and or retention would be needed to move either.
I think Hextall and Burke played the game of thinking they were a couple of pieces away and just kept digging the hole deeper and deeper.
Dubas adding Karlsson was just making things even worse. Terrible move, terrible.
This team is far beyond a retool. 5 straight 1st round exits followed by missing the playoffs. And are well on their way to missing them again
A retool was needed 5 years ago, a complete rebuild was needed 3 years ago. This is not a team even remotely close to competing.
Crosby’s not going anywhere? Maybe. Maybe anyone thinking that is dead on.
But that’s just more of the same. And judging the awful decisions this team has made over the past few years, it wouldn’t shock me at all.
But, that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing or the right thing to do for this organization.
Johnson’s buyout is $962.000 for two year.
Petrys buyout isnt all that.
And i went the the ufas rfas cap goi g up etc.
Plus moving Reilly which will happen carter guentzel off the books im close.
They have 37 million on 10 forwards next year.
25.4 million on 5 dmen.
5.375 on 1 goaltender.
900k on Johnson’s buyout.
1.52 on Petrys retention..
That’s not counting Guentzal , Carter etc. or any trade. More than likely the will have salary coming back or retention
That’s 71,195,000. In cap.. and 12.85 in cap space. (84 million cap) . That needs to be spread over 6-7 contracts. Assuming 6 positions. That’s 2.083 per player.
That’s way off from 30 million in available cap space.
They’re not fixing that roster with 12 million in cap space.
TB doesn’t have a 1st round pick in 2024 or 2025, what exactly would the offer Calgary for Hanifin?
Their not sending a player off the roster that Calgary would want.
Cirelli would be a sufficient return for Hanafin
Dont see Hanifin going to the Cash Strapped TB
-No Picks,
-No good young prospects,
The Flames are looks for a way better deal than TB can offer Rookie, Zarry has as many points as Cirelli
PS
Kadri @7 X $7M is going to be 39 to 40 years OLD when he is done his contract he is already slowing down,
Nobody is taking Kadri….❗️🙈
Cerilli and ’26 1st for Kadri (retain $1M) and Hannafin. Unlikely but that 1st is all of TB’s futures that is worth anything to offer for Hannifin and Cerelli > Kadri, mainly because of age.
I could see the Kracken moving on from Wennberg, sure. Given how thin the centre trade market is, they’d be fools not to at least listen to offers. The more burning question in my opinion is: Are they willing to part with Shane Wright for a piece that pushes them into the playoff picture? Wright would be an intriguing piece to any rebuilder, and if it brings back guys who can push them past the traffic jam in the wildcard race then why wouldn’t they?
Wright will be part of the team next year. Or they eal Wenberg now and bring him up.
But a Wright for Vatrono + might get them in the playoffs……but I would not do it. It is a shame to see Wright not on the team, though.
Hey Johnny
I thingk the Duck’s Re-sign 29 yr old
Winger Frank Vatrano… He has 1.3 years left at $3.65.M
he is on pace for 40 goals and playing better each year
I honestly do not want the Sens to “do anything bigger” at the deadline. If they can somehow shed some players that should not be there next year, that’s great. But I think Staios needs to let contracts expire and look at the numbers after the dead cap goes and general cap goes up. Summer of taking stock and then making moves.
Wise words theSaint. Staios (and Yzerman) mentored under Holland, you would be hard pressed to find a GM with more patience than him. I get why he wants to see who reacts how, and who keeps pushing to the end.
He has a log jam at LD with Chychrun playing his off side. Definitely doable, but not preferred. Only thing I would bet the farm on is he doesn’t move Sanderson when it comes to those 3 guys.
Can he get a youngish vet with less O & more D minded RD guy with size and decent wheels for Chychrun or Chabot? I think so. Not a flashy deal, but seems like one that makes sense. From the outside anyway.
Captain…There is interest in Reilly Smith he is a stanley cup champion who knows how to win on the playoffs…just hasn’t found it in Pittsburgh.
Surprisingly Carters name has come up with a couple of teams..
I agree Rakell will be difficult..
This team has shown it can beat the good teams and they have they also have proven they could lose to a High school team.
their goals against 5th best goal differential better than most just too many blown leads, shitty power play, can’t win in OT and horrible secondary scoring.
If Dubas who has $30 million in cap space in his first off season can retool around Sid unlike Hextall did the Penguins can be strong next season
I concede . Hanifin to the Bruins
Lohrei Debrusk and a pick this year. No money held
Apparently Hanifin is sure to sign with the Bruins so not an UFA in theory
.i believe Louie JR is . and he will be close to home but not that close
Devils also conceding ? Get something in net.
“ TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is entertaining offers on pretty much everyone except his core players.”
That’s actually fairly humorous as I don’t believe Dubas is getting any interest, at all, in his non “Core” players.
Reilly Smith at $5M is a joke!
Penguins are going backwards.
Crosby to the Av’s: Bowen Byram plus a 1st or A+ prospect.
Malkin to the Rangers: Kakko plus
Letang to the Stars: 1st round pick plus B+ – ‘A’ prospect
Guentzel to Edmonton:1st round pick plus either Broberg or Holloway.
Trading the Core will cause the Pens to tank netting them a top 10 pick in this years draft and likely another top 10 pick in next years draft.
Start the rebuild!
Colorado doesn’t have the trade capital to get sid. Unless we’re talking multiple roster players.
Alan
⁉️
i think your Right apart from the Oilers Trade
( Guentzel to Edmonton )
1st round pick plus either Broberg or Holloway.
GM Holland has come out and Said they are Not trading these two players…
Pens and Cap’s are both Re-building teams in the East, both are to Old and too Slow