Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 7, 2024
A look at the Leafs’ potential plans for John Tavares and the latest on the Red Wings and Blackhawks in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
WHAT WILL THE LEAFS DO WITH JOHN TAVARES?
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek examined what the offseason could hold for Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. The 33-year-old center has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $11 million and a full no-movement clause.
Duhatschek suggests the Leafs attempt to extend Tavares on the cheap. His production is no longer at the level expected of a player with his annual cap hit. He also doesn’t see Tavares waiving his no-movement clause because he wants to help his hometown team win the Stanley Cup.
A buyout this summer isn’t an option. It would be messy and expensive plus he’s still a contributing team player. Doing nothing and letting him walk next summer is an option if he won’t sign an extension.
Toronto Maple Leafs captains John Tavares (NHL Images).
Duhatschek noted that Tavares has made over $120 million in career earnings. He wondered if Tavares might sign a bargain contract to play out his career in Toronto. He pointed out that Jason Spezza, Joe Thornton and Mark Giordano did the same thing.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the attention in Leafs Nation this summer will be on Mitch Marner’s contract situation. Like Tavares, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. However, he’s in his playing prime and could seek as much as much as Auston Matthews’ AAV ($13.25 million) to stay in Toronto.
Tavares’ production noticeably declined this season from the point-per-game pace he’s been on for most of his career. With 59 points in 74 games, however, he’s still a productive member of the Leafs. He knows he won’t get anything close to his current AAV on his next contract. How much of a pay cut he’s willing to accept will decide if his future with his hometown club extends beyond next season.
COULD THE RED WINGS SHOP FOR A GOALTENDER THIS SUMMER?
THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman looked at what the Detroit Red Wings might do with their goaltending during the offseason. They have Ville Husso and Alex Lyon under contract for next season.
Lyon has a .906 save percentage in 40 games. Husso has been sidelined most of this season and has a .892 SP in 19 games when healthy.
The Wings could return with that tandem again next season and attempt to upgrade the defense in front of them. Another option could be pursuing an upgrade between the pipes like Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom or Boston’s Linus Ullmark. They might have to move Husso’s $4.75 million cap hit to make it work.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Provided Markstrom or Ullmark agree to a trade to Detroit, they could be too expensive for Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. This summer’s free-agent market is a thin one for goaltenders. Yzerman might find it easier to improve the defense corps to lessen the workload on Husso and Lyon.
LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS
CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Vinnie Parise wondered if the Blackhawks might change their rebuilding plans if they win the draft lottery again this year.
This year’s top pick is Boston University center Macklin Celebrini. Bringing him in to join Connor Bedard could give the Blackhawks two bright young stars to build around.
Parise and colleague Nate Brown examined how that might affect the Blackhawks’ rebuild. They suggest speeding up the rebuild to surround Celebrini and Bedard with quality players.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sitting second-last in the overall standings, the Blackhawks have the second-best odds of winning this season’s draft lottery.
Blackhawks management could already have a plan to bring in some experienced talent to help Bedard this offseason. That could become a bigger priority if they win the lottery again and land Celebrini.
Winning the lottery could also allow them to use that first-overall pick as a trade chip. They already struck paydirt last year with a generational talent like Bedard. Trading this year’s first-overall could fetch them a return of young players who improve the Blackhawks’ roster depth and speed up the rebuild.
No way would hawks trade the 1st overall pick if they win it,
that is fantasy land
EXACTLY! It is every team’s dream to have that kind of young talent at 1C and 2C!!!!!!! And a recipe for much success in the future.
Wings can trade Husso to someone as a BU by retaining half his salary. But he needs to come back this year and show all is well. Doubtful.
So improving the RS D is the real need for them to do. Ideally the Holl contract needs to be gone and trading or acquiring a 2nd pairing RD and relegating Petry to 7thD or 3rd pairing is the thing to do. But after re-signing Seider, Raymond, Kane, and maybe one other of Perron, Fischer, there will be little cap left to much of anything. So maybe Y will attempt to move out salary for those shiny new toys.
Re;Goaltenders
I think what GM’s hopfully have learned is to sign ( potential ) starting goaltender’s who are a flash in the Pan with one good year……… is to sign them for 2-3 years at a reasonable yearly pay rate $3.5 to $4.M
PA to see if they can actually perform at that position
Last years Goaltender signings you got
Korpasalo, Husso, Vitek Vanecek,
All three have been a Bust⁉️
Husso got 3 years at $4.75 AAV. He has 1 year after this season. Wings could retain $2.375 and move Husso.
Bultman is clueless, horrible reporter.
Cossa and Augustine are on the horizon, no way Yzerman would even consider picking a high priced goalie.
Improving D starts with forwards buying in and playing 200 foot game — that starts with coaching.
When was the last time a #1 overall was intentionally traded?
I think it was 2003 when Florida dealt the # 1 pick before the draft and Pittsburgh took Marc-Andrei Fleury.
In terms of the last time a # 1 pick overall was dealt some time later, I believe that was Nail Yakupov who went from Edm to St. Louis in Oct 2016, a few months after they had dealt Taylor Hall to NJ.
And that one is kinda asterisked. Cause Florida had goaltending and wanted Horton. They still got their guy plus an additional pick and prospect.
It was reported that 15 of 16 teams on Ullmark ntc are in the West.
Not likely the team in the east is Detroit but could be.
What is a realistic return for a number 1 goalie with 1yr remaining on his contract.
Boston is unlikely to take a goalie in return for Ullmark with Bussi in the wings. So it would be more difficult for Detroit to acquire Ullmark…but not impossible. Ullmark would be a great acquisition for the Wings but the cot may be prohibitive, and I am sure there would be plenty of competition. I wonder if Detroit might be better off if trading Husso to CBJ for Elvis, with Detroit retaining half on Huso and CBJ retaining $2M per on Elvis.
The Leafs should take a wait and see attitude with JT. They’re stuck with him through next year. He’ll never waive his NMC.
Until this year he’s been a point per game or better player with the Leafs. Maybe this year is an aberration maybe it’s the start of a decline. Next year will tell. Either way, it won’t be easy. If he bounces back he might become too expensive for the Leafs. If his numbers continue to drop it may not pay to bring him back. All in all the Leafs may be better off letting him go and work on strengthening their D.
And never mind the comparisons to Spezza Thornton or Giordano. They were several years older than JT is now and further into decline when they signed with the Leafs.
And they play(ed) a diminished role with diminished expectations. If the Leafs keep Tavares does it make sense he plays a 3C role? Doesn’t to me, so he’s not going to play for peanuts. And shouldn’t.
Another idea that may influence Tavares’ thinking is playing for a legit chance to win the Cup. Will he have done that by the end of next season? Would the Leafs look like a serious contender at that time?
It kinda seems when people look at Tavares’ contract they seem to only look at the cap hit and NMC aspect – which was quite respectable for a player of his quality – are either lazy or like to stir up crap, never mention that his take home is only $6.5M/per at this point of the deal. Part of his “deal” was getting most of his cash earlier than spread (more) evenly over the full term.
So what this means is one can expect his next contract at around, and I’m guessing) $6M per if they want him back, ie cap allowing. For a potentially 60pt player that won’t hurt your team would be fair. Term however is a problem and where things would get interesting, ie sign or not.
There’s that unnecessary abrasiveness again, Ron. None of the comments on this string were disrespectful of Tavares or trying to stir up crap, as you so petulantly state. Discussing players cap hits and future contracts happen all the time here. That’s what this site is for.
His take home pay right now is irrelevant to the issue. The issue being discussed is what his ecpectations and cap hit will be after this contract.
I agree that unless Tavares has a significant decline next season I’d happily sign him for 6 million for several years.
I’m sorry if my frankness comes off as abrasive. I can see how that can be. I don’t see what I said isn’t true or could be seen as unreasonable nor was it my intention to attach my comment to any comments made here.
The bottom line is, regardless of the team or player (or what anyone thinks of him) a center that is good in the dots, not terribly bad defensively, great hands and goes to the dirty area who can score 50-60 pts will cost you around the $6m range. And like we know, older players slow down, both physically and point production wise so there should be some serious consideration of that with term as well as actual cost or cap hit.
The real question is even Tavares at say $6m per, would that be the best use of that cap hit? I think for me personally, I could go either way and I’m happy it’s not my decision.
If Chicago wins lottery; no way they trade Celebrini
19 year old Bedard; 18 year old Celebrini; 28 year old Dickinson down the Center…. Nice!
Already have youth D developing (Korchinski/Vlassic)
24 year old Kurashev coming into form
They also have a budding farm and Tampa’s 1st this year; Leafs first next year; and 5 2nd round picks over next two drafts
If Chicago wins Cellebrini…. Then….Use those extra 2 firsts, and some of those 2nds to acquire mid 20’s players on the rise….. Build Build Build
They could use some of that draft capital for Necas! 3 2nds for Necas??? Reichel and a 2nd for him?
If they do get Celebrini then yes 3 2nds for Necas is the right type of move
Reichel and a 2nd not enough
TML are best off giving Tavares and Marner a last hurrah next year and let them go.
Addition by subtraction, build around Matthews and Nylander and use all that money to shore up D and G, totally change the identity of the team.
It will take another early playoff exit for that to happen.
Leafs have been in cap hell ever since Dubas completely overpaid Marner as an RFA for close to $11M a season (Laine signed for $6.75M that same offseason for example). Now they’re going to tie up $40M in three forwards, 2 of which are wingers? LoL
LOL Brock I don’t understand your comparison. Are you advocating having Laine over Marner? Marner regardless of the sweater he’s wearing, is a more than a point per game player and has been for multiple seasons. You have to agree those players are going to demand top dollar no matter where they play.
What the Leafs have done years ago is what most teams are facing to do now. Paying their young stars early was a risk that paid off by them making the playoffs for 8 straight years now, right about the time a rookie Marner (and Matthews) first suited up for the Leafs whom will probably be known as the best players this 100 year old franchise ever had.
Both players started in 2016, and regardless of how their careers have played out, Laine actually has 11 more career goals than Marner in 90 less games. There’s no reason Marner needed to be given $11M as an RFA, with pretty much zero leverage.
Agree.
Marner was a $9.75M dollar player at the time of his last contract (same as Kucherov in pay).
Dubas paying him $10.9 was not only an overpay but sets the Leafs up for another overpay this summer.
Personally I wouldn’t want to see the Leafs pay Marner more than $12 – $12.5.
More than that they should ask him if there are any teams he would agree to waive his NTC for.
As for Tavares, if he truly wants to extend with the Leafs I would not pay him more that $5M and that’s stretching it.
Tavares is in decline and if the Leafs are going to give him more than a one year contract I could see $4M x 3 years as being reasonable.
He should also agree to give up the captaincy to either Reilly or Matthews.
You’re measuring Marner’s two-way game to Laine’s one-dimensional game? Marner was a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season and will likely be one again this season. The fact Marner has 11 fewer goals than Laine actually speaks volumes about the superior quality of his overall game.
Marner has 438 assists and 631 points. Laine has 184 assists and 388 points. It’s no contest.
Marner is also going to be a UFA next summer, not an RFA. With a current annual cap hit of $10.9 million, he has all the leverage he needs to command well over $11 million annually.
My main point is that another big RFA was extended at the same time Marner was, at $4M less a season. There was no reason to pay him $10.9M, when $8.5M should have been the max offer. Regardless, it’s hilarious the Leafs did this and it’s hilarious they’re going to have 3 players making almost $40M of the their cap.
Ok Brock so were many players signed for less. Again you’re trying to convince yourself at the time of the extensions, Marner who has and continues to perform at a super star rate should of easily been signed at the same rate a player who could be outta the league soon if he doesn’t improve. Is that a fair assumption?
I’m just using Laine as a comparable in terms of RFA class. In 2019, Laine was not a “bust”, he was still a player projected to become an elite player, as was Marner, albeit in different ways. It’s simply crazy to give an RFA, who’s only leverage would be to sit at home and not play, max market value with in a cap system. $8.5M would have still been a HUGE payday and it would have given the Leafs a lot more flexibility for depth signings.
This is one Bruins fan that is thrilled tavares chose to sign with toronto…..
It’s time to move on from JT, he’ll be 34 at end of next season. He’s way too slow.
Use the savings on a top 4 D man
I’d like to see JT signed to an 8 years deal.
Give him 16M over 8 years. It’s basically a 4x4M, but takes him to the end of his career where he can then move into management if he wants it, while keeping his cap hit real low to allow for the team to get better and improve his chance of winning here.