NHL Rumor Mill – September 17, 2024
Updates on Cole Perfetti, Alexei Kolosov and Dawson Mercer plus some recent Sabres speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports one executive told him negotiations between the Winnipeg Jets and restricted free agent Cole Perfetti are “the politest in recent memory.”
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti (NHL Images).
Perfetti has represented the Jets in some recent NHL/team events, saying he’s not unhappy in Winnipeg and wants to stay. Sources told Friedman that Shane Pinto’s contract with the Ottawa Senators is challenging for the Jets. The two players have similar career numbers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pinto is entering the first season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million.
The Philadelphia Flyers are trying to determine what to do with Alexei Kolosov. The 22-year-old Belarussian goaltender did not report to training camp and remains in Russia.
Friedman said teams that inquired about Kolosov were told the asking price is a second-round draft pick. They must also figure out if the young netminder will join them.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kolosov’s apparent reluctance to leave home is likely the bigger sticking point. Some teams in desperate need of goalie depth would probably part with a second-rounder for him.
Friedman is sticking to his prediction of Dawson Mercer getting a bridge contract from the New Jersey Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mercer is coming off his entry-level contract. He has no leverage other than not reporting to training camp, which won’t do him or the Devils any good.
COULD THE SABRES STILL PURSUE A TOP-SIX FORWARD?
THE ATHLETIC: A reader asked Matthew Fairburn if he felt it was still possible for the Buffalo Sabres to make a big trade for a top-six forward to replace the departed Jeff Skinner. They possess the cap space and prospect depth to swing a deal this season.
Fairburn believes it’s still possible but noted it might not take place until later in the season. He suggested Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers as a trade target, noting he’s in the final season of his contract and the Jets must decide if they’ll keep or trade him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ehlers, 28, was the subject of trade speculation earlier this offseason but that died away as general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and head coach Scott Arniel praised his performance.
Despite that praise, Cheveldayoff hasn’t committed to signing Ehlers to an extension. The winger’s future in Winnipeg could depend on him and his teammates this season. He could become available if the Jets drop out of the playoff race by the March 7 trade deadline. Whether the Sabres will be interested in him will depend on where they are in the standings by that point.
I don’t post often but I’m a big fan of the site Lyle! Really enjoyed the post by George yesterday re: some RFA’s still unsigned with their teams having plenty of cap space. Krebs in Buffalo comes to mind.
Curious about what George thinks of Bernard Docker. I was a Zamboni driver for the Okotoks Oilers while BD was playing. Big fan of him. But he seems to be stalling establishing himself at the NHL level?
No way Flyers are getting a 2nd for Kolosov. Maybe a conditional 2nd if Kolosov reports to camp…
Jaysen, the Senators scouting staff first became interested in Bernard-Docker when he was playing with the Okotoks Oilers in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and after he completed the 2017-18 season there with 20g 21a 41 pts in 49gp, they picked him at # 26 in Round 1 of the 2018 entry draft. They knew he was headed to the U. of North Dakota where, over the course of 3 seasons, he played 95 games with 15g 45a 60 pts while demonstrating a good 2-way game.
When he turned pro, it quickly became evident that, like a LOT of young D, the transition would be a slow, but hopefully steady process. And that’s the way it has played out for him. After leaving UofND in 2021 Ottawa gave him a 5-game taste of the NHL during which he held his own in limited ice time.
The following season he played 58 in the AHL and 8 in Ottawa, followed by 19 in Ottawa and 43 in the AHL in 2022-23. The steady progress paid off with 72gp in Ottawa this past season where, playing up and down the D pairings, he scored 4g 10a 14 pts with – considering the overall team defensive shortcomings – a respectable -7 (the departed Chychrun, in comparison, has a -30).
The projections for this season have Sanderson paired with Zub on the 1st pairing, Chabot with newcomer Jensen on the 2nd, and Bernard-Docker on the right side of rookie Tyler Kleven on the 3rd. That shows team confidence in Bernard-Docker being a steadying influence for Kleven who, if he falters, will be replaced by Hamonic until other options are pursued. But I think the duo will do well in 3rd-line minutes.
I also don’t think Bernard-Docker is destined to become a solely 3rd pairing type D. In coming seasons he will move up to at least the 2nd pairing as he adds to his growing confidence and responds to the coaches’ confidence in him.
As a hedge, however, and probably simply to push him a bit more in training camp/pre-season, the Senators have brought in on a p.t.o. RD Calen Addison, a 2nd Rd pick 53rd overall in 2018 by Pittsburgh, and who has 152 NHL games under his belt..
To compare Bernard-Docker and Addison, both are 24 yo with B-D 6′ 190 lbs and Addison 5′ 11″ 173 lbs.
Over 104 gp Bernard-Docker has 82-game averages of 3g 10a 13 pts and a cumulative -6.
Over 152gp, Addison has 82 game averages of 3g 24a 27 pts but an alarming cumulative -59 playing for Minnesota and San Jose.
As usual, appreciate your knowledge and your posts George. I got to know BD for 2 years while working for the Okotoks Oilers. Absolute gem of a young man. I really wish him a long lasting career in the NHL. Definitely gets me interested in watching more Sens games.
As a Habs fan, I must ask: interested in getting Anderson and Dvorak of our hands for a 7th round pick??? We’ll even retained half of both salaries 😂😂😂
Thanks for the kind comment Jaysen. But if you’ve read my posts for long you’ll have noticed that one thing I rarely engage in is specific players for specific players. Positional improvements – yes … but I don’t toss out names.
But I’ll make a partial exception here – lol.
First of all there haven’t been a whole lot of trade action between Ottawa and Montreal since the Senators returned to the league in 1992, so I caution you to not hold your breath. Lol..
Dvorak, just 28 y/o, has been in a steady decline for the past 5 seasons. At $4,450,000 with just one season to go before becoming a UFA, the best scenario in his case will be to get off to a good start, stay healthy and be producing decently at the trade deadline, in which case they should get something significantly better than a 7th from somebody as a pure rental at least.
Anderson, to steal from Winston Churchill, is best described as a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
At 6′ 3″ 224 lbs the big RW has all the tools to be a top tier power F, but it just doesn’t translate into production.
And this is borne out when comparing his stats in Columbus with those in Montreal.
In the former, over 367gp, he had 65g 50a 115 pts for 82-game averages of 15g 11a 26 pts and a cumulative +27. Not great … but not bad for a 4th Rd pick 95th overall in 2012 and certainly with enough potential upside to encourage Montreal to trade Max Domi and a 2020 3rd Rd pick in Oct 2020. Soon after, they showed that confidence by signing him to his current cap hit.
After 268gb in Montreal he has registered 82-game averages of 20g and 13a – a slight uptick over his Columbus stats – but nowhere near worth $5.5 mil per (with 3 more seasons to go including this one).
But you know what? If as you say Montreal withheld half that hit and a trade could be negotiated, I wouldn’t mind seeing him in a Senators jersey.
They lack any depth on the right side after Giroux and Batherson on the first two lines, with Amadio and McEwen penciled in as the 3rd and 4th line RW. A 3rd line with Anderson at RW, Perron at LW and Greig at C would have the potential of being a tough line to skate against.
But I ain’t holding my breath either 😉
Don’t quite get why Friedman thanks Pinto’s 2-year deal at $3.75 mil per should be challenging for Winnipeg. Pinto got that on the basis of 140gp 30g 40a 70 pts, or 82-game averages of 16g 23a 39 pts, while Perfetti has played the same number of games with 29g 46a 75 pts, or 82-game averages of 16g 27a 43 pts.
So, if that is around what Perfetti would get on a similar 2-year deal, there is certainly enough left in Cheveldayov’s cap reserve ($5,776,309 according to PuckPedia) to cover that and still leave a decent “cushion” for later possible move.
And that current cap reserve is based upon a full 23-man roster. Once Perfetti is signed someone will need to be optioned – probably Axel Jongson-Fjallby ($775,000 ELC_ or David Gustafsson ($835,000 ELC)
In that event, and if Perfeti got the same amount as Pinto, Cheveldayov would still have anywhere from $2,801,309 to $2,861,309 in cap space. Which, of course, means he could also go a bit higher on Perfetti to around $4 mil per.
So, what the heck is the hold-up?
another way to read this is that the team thinks Pinto is fair and its Perfetti that wants more.
the points are obviously a match and both play centre, however, Pinto has a size and weight advantage so can play a very different style of game, likely able to be effective in more roles as his career matures.
Anyway its good to hear that Perfetti is healthy and is preparing as though he will be in Winnipeg. He still has good potential upside to his game as a pass first offensive player, hopefully as a first line player.
Krebs in Buffalo signed a 2 year deal with a $1.45 AAV.
Good move by both sides. The Sabres, with 23 of 23 signed, still have $6,999,484 in the kitty with which to get into any late pre-season trade action, or even early on into the season.
No need for BUF to trade – give Kulich the shot he deserves.
He’s certainly put up good numbers in the AHL Toronto St Pats … but being a C who does he bump for playing time among Thompson, Cozens, McLeod and Lafferty?
When I say they’re in a good position cap-wise to get in on any trades I was thinking about the 13 teams that are currently over the cap or with less than $1 mil – most of whom don’t have LTIR options – perhaps offering a decent term cap to free up space.
If the position of such a player was one the Sabres see as an improvement over what they have, I would think they’d at least see what it would cost.
I think he needs to be on the wing, not center. And you would have a 2nd guy to take faceoffs, should the primary center gets tossed.
Krebs or Kulich, either but there is no need to trade for a another wing. Benson too
One other note from Friedmans 32 thoughts was his observation of the excitement in Montreal over the two game rookie scrimmages with the Leafs and about how it’s time for Montreal to get an outdoor game. I couldn’t agree more. Bettman is holding that up. I can understand his desire to place such high profile games in cities that would garner more publicity in the US but an outdoor game in a true hockey hotbed would greatly benefit the league.
2x$3.5 for Perfetti seems totally reasonable, hopefully it happens soon.
It does my black n gold heart good to see Philly become a destination non grata for young nhl players. These kids these days are getting smarter.
It does my Orange & black heart good to know to the Pens will be dumpster fire this year, even though they think the playoffs are possible.
I love that the Pens, at the least, have a star player or 2 and Philly has…who, exactly? The best-known Flyer is Gritty. Tortorella is infamous, not famous, but he is better known than any of his players. We’ll see about that “dumpster fire this year” as it unfolds, you know, when some games are actually completed. Ok, Nostradamus?
Yea,just ask Gauthier!
I see where Dallas negotiated a 5-year extension of one of their top LD, 30 y/o Esa Lindell – $26.25 mil or $5.25 per to kick in next season.
That’s a drop from his expiring $5.8 mil per, saving the club $550,000.
Exhibition starts Saturday . A lot these balls in the air will land between then and October 8th.
Gentlemen start your engines.
3 more p.t.o’s inked today
Florida signs 26 y/o LW John Leonard – Rd 6 182nd overall by SJ – 70 NHL gp – last with Arizona this past season – 6gp and 24 y/o LW Aiden McDonough Rd 7 195th overall Vancouver – 6 NHL gp 1g
Toronto signs John Gillies 30 y/o G Rd 3 75th overall 35gp 3.39gaa 0.897 save %