NHL Rumor Mill – February 9, 2024
Check out the latest on Jacob Markstrom and Phil Kessel plus updates on the Oilers and Lightning in today’s NHL Rumor Mill
MARKSTROM SAYS FLAMES ARE IN CONTROL OF HIS FUTURE
SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports Jacob Markstrom said it’s up to the Calgary Flames to decide whether he’ll finish the remaining two years of his contract in the Stampede City.
The 34-year-old goaltender has a full no-movement clause but has been the recent subject of trade speculation after his friend Elias Lindholm was shipped to the Vancouver Canucks last week. He said he’s not going to ask to be traded nor has management approached him about waiving his NMC.
Markstrom said it’s up to Flames management what they want to do. Francis noted that the club’s youth movement and Markstrom’s return to form have many wondering if general manager Craig Conroy will attempt to move him. The Flames must also make room for promising netminder Dustin Wolf.
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).
Conroy isn’t shopping Markstrom but Francis believes Conroy now knows there’s a possibility the goalie might accept a trade if a rival GM pitched a significant offer. Meanwhile, Markstrom claims he’s focused on the games and doesn’t pay attention to trade rumors.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Markstrom’s comments have New Jersey Hockey Now’s James Nichols pondering the possibility of the Devils acquiring the former Vezina Trophy winner before the March 8 trade deadline. Assuming Markstrom would accept a trade to the Devils, Nichols acknowledged the Flames’ asking price would be expensive.
Trading Markstrom isn’t out of the question. However, this could be a move that takes place in the offseason, especially with the salary cap projected to jump by $4.2 million for next season.
OILERS SEEKING A TOP-SIX FORWARD
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Edmonton Oilers’ priority before the trade deadline is acquiring a top-six forward.
LeBrun mentioned Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel as a “real splashy name” but it’s unknown if he’s even available. The Oilers could consider a reunion with winger Jordan Eberle if the Seattle Kraken fall out of the playoff race.
Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko has a full no-trade clause but he could waive it to go to Edmonton. Detroit Red Wings forwards Daniel Sprong and David Perron are possibilities if their club falls out of postseason contention.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins’ asking price for Guentzel would likely be too expensive for the Oilers. Guentzel, Eberle, Tarasenko and Perron each make over $4.7 million annually so they could find it a challenge to squeeze one of those players within their limited salary-cap payroll.
Sprong would be the most affordable option in terms of salary ($2 million) and return. Speaking of Tarasenko, he reportedly changed agents again to get a contract extension as a condition for waiving his no-trade clause.
Darren Dreger said the Oilers are also considering their defense options. They’re having conversations about some of the better available blueliners in the trade market such as Philadelphia’s Sean Walker and perhaps Calgary’s Chris Tanev. However, they’d have to shed a defenseman like Brett Kulak or Cody Ceci to make a deal like that happen.
LIGHTNING COULD SEEK REPLACEMENT FOR SERGACHEV
TSN: Chris Johnston believes the Tampa Bay Lightning could attempt to find a replacement for sidelined defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. If he ends up on long-term injury reserve for the remainder of the regular season, they could use the salary cap savings to add a defenseman.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sergachev underwent surgery yesterday to repair a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg. Having undergone a similar procedure myself years ago, I doubt very much that we’ll see him back in action before the playoffs begin. Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has likely already started searching for Sergachev’s replacement.
LATEST ON KESSEL
CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reports the Vancouver Canucks are still poking around UFA Phil Kessel.
LA’s Matt Roy to TB for 2nd round pick.
Tampa would be looking at a LHD not a RHD like Roy to replace Sergachev and with no 1st for several years good luck with that.
And if Rob Blake trades Matt Roy, I could see Steve Yzerman making a pitch to bring the Detroit boy home.
Tampa shops for a LD with LTIR dollars from Sergachev, $8.5 million can get a LD and some more depth. They will be looking at Hannifin, Chychrun, Proverov,or Fabbro. Maybe bring back McDonough!! LOL
They could conceivably get Hannifin at half salary and have nearly $6M to shop for other players! But the cupboard will be very bare for the future!!!!!!
All those you mentioned will require a first round pick which TB doesn’t have for 2 more years.
Interesting that Detroit has 4 LD’s on the roster, and Edvinsson and Johansson waiting to be called up from Grand Rapids. Do you think Yzerman would deal with Tampa while fighting them for a playoff spot ?
What if TB trades Cerelli and a 2nd for Jenner and Proverov??????
How would that affect their cap next year and going forward?
It is only like a $1M bump up, which could be easily handled with the cap increase and them losing FA’s!
Not likely to happen but EDM should offer Ceci, Campbell, Broberg, a 1st and 2nd to CHI for Seth Jones and a 6th
Don’t think top top 6 scoring is what they’ll need in the playoffs but rather smart d men who can play physical and contribute offensively for the long playoffs
Chicago can keep Campbell or split his cap and trade him to a team needing depth since they need to stay above the cap floor next yr with the rising floor
Trade Ceci to TB for a 1st or at least a 2nd and conditional pick
Chicago left with Broberg and multiple picks to rebuild more
EDM using cap space better
EDM May also consider Brown and a pick to WSH for Dowd
That’d a solid playoffpick up
Ceci for a 1st or 2nd ? Brutal
Playoff rental prices for Dmen is always ridiculous. Look at past UFA on mediocre dmen who got incredulous picks back for the trading teams. GMs overpay at deadline for RD righties.
And he is cost controlled for another season around 3m
Ouch, the tibia and fibia. That’s not like your ulna and radius which are both in your forearm. His entire leg has a fracture. Hard to see him back but these athletes have top notch care, around the clock.
That sounds rough, how long did it take you to recover Lyle?
Two months in a cast followed by three months of physio.
Gotta watch out for those reverse hits, Lyle!
Indeed!
@ Lyle.
Which basically means he’s done for the season and playoffs, Which is basically not good for Tampa.
The earliest he could return is for the Conference Final
Edmonton Oilers
Needs for the Trade deadline by position…
its pretty much same as last year and the previous year’s A RW top 6 & A stay at home RD/man,
they have added enought in the bottom six
Oilers Trade bate,
-Oilers 1st pick
-Oilers 2nd pick,
-Phillip Broberg, LD
-Cody Ceci, RD
&
-Jack Campbell,
he is playing very well dont be surprized to see him back with the Oil to show case a move
if Campbell continues to play well and Carter Hart is done for the foreseeable future who know’s when Or if Carter Hart will be back in Philly…🤔
–
1/
A Top 6 Real RW,
Philly’s Travis Konecny would be top of the list
A trade
Jack Campbell & 1st pick & 2nd pick & big RW Raphael Lavoie
2/
RD man shut down to play with nurse
Flames Chris Tanev RD, 25 % retained
for Cody Ceci & a 3rd round pick
Flyers are said to be in the midst of negotiating an extension (July 1st) for Konecny.
I doubt he is going anywhere, though he would be a great fit with the Oilers and many other teams.
If Conny trades Tanev for that, he should be removed from his position, effective immediately.
And run out of town
H
The Flames only have 2 Real NHL d/men sighed for next year…🤔
they need to get some kind of NHL d/man back in any trades for next season unless they go into Full Re-build…..⁉️
Willie come on dude. Why would Calgary trade Tanev for a worse defenceman and a third-rounder that is a crap shot to make the NHL? Especially to the Oilers of all teams.
We can supplant the D. Corps through the farm, free agency and future trades if needed.
H and Willie, I wouldn’t trade Ceci for Tanev straight up. I don’t think folks realize what kind of D-man Ceci is these days. Not to be confused with the one that was unfairly the whipping boy of Leaf fans for a season 5 years ago. They always have 1.
He was solid in PIT and has been a solid, if unspectacular, #4, shut down D with the Oil for 3 seasons.
Are their better RD available out there that can improve their chances? I dunno, but it sure as heck isn’t Tanev. When did he become some star D-man? Better hockey salad and fewer teeth, after that what the heck is the difference with Ceci? Both # 4, similar minutes, similar competition, similar everything. Both play with guys better than they are, which helps both of them.
Oh yeah, he has a bigger ticket and it expires after this season. Conroy shouldn’t get fired if he did that deal, Holland should. And he won’t.
My prediction for the Oil, Nic Dowd so it frees up MacLeod to move up the lineup on the wing vs 3C, and some another depth guy. Maybe a cheap D.
Campbell won’t get called up until the playoffs or they lose Pickard on waivers.
Broberg will be their 7th D-man.
Whatever we’re not trading for Ceci. Grab a brain.
All this love for this Tanev from Calgary I just don’t understand. Especially when you can make a deal for a RD named David Savard from Montreal. I am sure that Kent Hughes would gladly take your 1st rounder + a prospect.