NHL Rumor Mill – September 20, 2024

by | Sep 20, 2024 | Rumors | 22 comments

The latest on Jacob Trouba, Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri plus the latest on the Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the Rangers offseason plans to shake up its roster were thwarted by defenseman Jacob Trouba’s unwillingness due to family reasons to report to a team if traded.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

The plan was to move Trouba and his $8 million cap hit once his full no-movement clause became a 15-team no-trade list on July 1, even if it meant retaining 25 percent of that cap hit to facilitate a deal. Multiple teams were interested in the 30-year-old Rangers captain, with Detroit considered the most likely destination.

Trouba’s NMC was set to expire at the same time when his wife’s medical residency was to end on June 30 but her residency was deferred by a year. The couple also welcomed a son in January, leaving the blueliner unwilling to leave his family behind.

TSN: Trouba acknowledged this season is likely the “last crack” the current Rangers core will have to win the Stanley Cup. “I don’t think it’s a secret by any means.”

Trouba said he communicated well with the Rangers regarding the offseason trade rumors, insisting there were no hard feelings. Meanwhile, head coach Peter Laviolette said he wasn’t involved in any of those conversations and is glad to have his captain back for another season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trouba and Rangers general manager Chris Drury are determined not to let this situation become a divisive issue for the coming season. Nevertheless, it’s expected they’ll attempt to move him once his wife’s residency is completed next June as they try to clear cap space next summer to add younger talent.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple is somewhat surprised that New York Islanders center Brock Nelson is entering his “walk year” without a new contract. He doesn’t rule out the 32-year-old Nelson signing an extension but noted some “what if” scenarios could creep in.

Staple wonders what happens with Nelson if the Islanders are out of the playoff race by the March 7 trade deadline, or if he decides he wants a change of scenery. He also suggested the cost of re-signing Nelson could rise if he remains the Isles’ leading scorer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson is among the notable pending UFAs worth monitoring this season. He turns 33 in October so it’s unlikely he’ll get a deal over four years. Nevertheless, he could seek a raise over his current $6 million AAV and could get it on the open market if the Isles aren’t willing to pay.

CALGARY SUN: Daniel Austin recently wondered if Nazem Kadri would be happy as the best player in a rebuilding Flames club. The 33-year-old center led them with 46 assists and 75 points last season.

Kadri hasn’t said anything publicly to suggest he wants out but Austin thinks the Flames would have to consider moving him if the right offer was made.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kadri doesn’t seem keen to move on from the Flames, telling reporters on Thursday to “pump the brakes” about whether he’d be open to a move. He’s indicated he wants to stay and help the Flames become a better club.

Kadri has a full no-movement clause giving him complete control over his situation. Unless he changes his mind, he’s not going anywhere.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico cites a source claiming the Montreal Canadiens are working the phones in pursuit of upgrades to their roster.

The Canadiens were linked to Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras, Carolina’s Martin Necas and Rutger McGroarty before his trade from Winnipeg to Pittsburgh. Ultimately, those deals fell through because they landed promising forwards Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage in this year’s draft.

They’re now looking for an experienced right-side top-four defenseman. They still believe in their young blueliners. However, if they take longer to develop, the Habs will need an upgrade at that position.







22 Comments

  1. Trouba right now can be traded to 16 teams (without his permission) and 19 as of next July.

    It seems reasonable to believe he won’t fully playout this contract for the Rangers.

  2. Of course the Habs are working the phones looking to upgrade, so are 31 other teams.

    Having let Johnathan Kovacevic go for a 4th rounder, I doubt they are looking for an experienced RD, by the same token Habs pundits spent all summer talking about moving David Savard.

    Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s talk with Winnipeg about Ehlers.who’d look good in Montreal.

    • The Habs aren’t trading for Ehlers. The Jets aren’t dealing him just yet. With Laine on board and with younger forwards like Demidov, Hage and Roy looking to join the team or rise up the depth chart in the next couple of years, I don’t see the Habs looking for help up front at this time. In any event, Ehlers has only one year left on his deal. It would make no sense for the Habs to trade for him unless he agrees to an extension and I don’t see Hughes as being currently willing to give him what he would want right now.

      On D, the Habs are better off giving their young guys opportunities rather than picking up veterans elsewhere. That’s why they traded Kovacevic.

      I’m quite skeptical about this rumor.

    • If they are working the phones it is likely to trade one of their dsipensable young defensemen or older forwards. They need to make room for their emerging players. If younger players play their way into the line-up, I suspect Hughes priority will be to clear some roster space for them. I don’t see them stacking up on more experience players at this point in the season.

  3. Re Habs

    Sounds like 21yr old Big RD/man Logan Mailloux
    is having a very good start to camp, he could make the team as there 3rd pairing d/man and work his way up to the 2nd paring RD,

    Habs do have 2 X1st picks and 2 X2nd picks in this years draft if they think they need to trade

    5 of the Habs d/men are between 20 & 23 yrs old
    the other 2, Savard A UFA at the end of the year Mike Matheson are 33 & 30 years old so they could do with an older RD …⁉️

    • The Re-Habs, funny! 😁

      • An apt description for the team over the past few years. So many injuries!

      • johnny….

        how so?

      • By the by, Johnny Z, I posted several days ago to point out you were right about Laine to the Habs, which I dismissed.

        Good for you.

      • Missed your post, LJ. Thanks for the re-post and the credit. I know I got the return wrong, who saw that the Habs would take the entire salary?

    • So is Reinbacher.

      Granted, two rookies with a total of two games between them, and this is just training camp. It is possible they want a more seasoned R D, but there is much talk – which I agree with – that this is a season where development is put ahead of a playoff chase.

      Let the kids play, make mistakes and learn for a better future faster.

  4. Given the huge number of players on p.t.o. – several of them RD – and most of whom are essentially unknown, it’s a bit surprising that none among these experienced RD have been given a shot under the p.t.o. arrangement

    Tony DeAngelo 28 y/o; John Klingberg 31 y/o; Justin Schultz 33 y/o; Kevin Shattenkirk 35 y/o

    Now, I can appreciate why deAngelo is being avoided, but where the others are concerned you have to wonder if the consensus among GMs is that they are, for all intents and purposes, finished.

    Schultz, at the very least, I thought would have been offered a contract.

    • I think Schultz might be a fit in Detroit, but now they would need to clear some cap space to sign him.

    • You have to wonder what makes people like deAngelo tick.

      Turning just 29 next month, the 5′ 11″ 180 lbs RD, taken 19th overall in Rd 1 in 2014 by Tampa, has obvious talents – and a position – that a lot of teams are searching for right now, with 82-game averages over his 371gp (for 4 teams in 8 years) of 11g 36a 47 pts … but apparently an on-ice mouth that just won’t quit getting him ejected and suspended.

      To the point where, still in his prime, teams are obviously avoiding him like the plague.

      • Using Evander Kane as an example,there is usually some team that takes a chance on talent,despite questionable attitudes! What does that tell you about D Angelo!

      • Off ice too. He can’t leave politics out of the locker room. Nobody cares about your political opinions. They certainly don’t care about mine. Play the game. Do your job.

  5. NJD and Dawson Mercer have agreed to a 3 year deal with an AAV of $4M.
    Good value deal, and he’s an RFA at the end, with a QO of $4.25M.
    Leave NJD with some cap space to add a PTO player, or go into the season, and accrue cap space for the deadline.

  6. Just throwing this out there. Is it possible bell sold their share in MSLE to prepare for an offer for another expansion team in Toronto? $4B would go along way if that was a possibility.

    • There’s no indication thus far that any group has plans to bid for a second franchise in Toronto. They would need a suitable venue as they won’t be playing in the Leafs’ arena. So far, there’s nothing available.

    • Jeff, not very likely.

      Bell sold their stake in MLSE because their debt load is too high. Dividend payout ratio is greater than 100% of cash flow. Borrowing money to pay distributions to shareholders is not sustainable in the long run.

      Just look at BCE’s stock price chart – currently trading more than 20% below the 2020 pre-Covid level.

  7. It’s going to be a dog fight between BUF DET and MTL OTT for seats in the playoffs. Injuries will likely be the difference maker. I like the Habs the best only if Dach Anderson Gallagher can play 70 games.
    Lane Hutson reminds me a lot of Q.Hughes. I’ll go on a limb and say a Calder finalist

    • Gonna come down to goaltending. Ott has Ullmark, Buf has a slue of young G, Detroit depending on…less than dependables, and Habs hoping beyond hope Primeau takes the bull by the horns this season. Askarov would have been a great pickup, short of seeking other help, Dobes isn’t ready and Fowler a few years away.
      Looking forward to Habs reconstructed top 6 producing this szn. If Habs don’t make it, expect a goalie swap to happen in 2024-25 at some point.