NHL Rumor Mill – October 12, 2024
Check out the latest on Ducks forward Trevor Zegras and Stars goalie Jake Oettinger in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Andrew Knoll wondered if Trevor Zegras remains part of the Anaheim Duck’s nucleus after a disappointing, injury-shortened 2023-24 campaign in which he was the subject of trade rumors.
The Ducks are flush at center with Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish anchoring their top-six forwards. Zegras, 23, has played on both the left and right wings and is being challenged to improve his all-around game.
Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras (NHL Images).
Zegras is entering the second season of his three-year contract with an annual average value of $5.75 million. Nevertheless, Knoll suggests this season could be critical for his future with the Ducks and his capability of reaching a high level of NHL stardom.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek denied he was shopping Zegras or received any trade calls from other clubs. That didn’t stop the young forward from popping up in the rumor mill.
An improved effort by Zegras this season could restore his place among the Ducks’ foundation of budding young stars. It could also increase his value to other teams before the March 7 trade deadline.
Zegras isn’t the only Duck showing up in recent trade speculation. Defenseman Cam Fowler reportedly had discussions with management about his future in Anaheim, including the possibility of a trade. Goaltender John Gibson has also been the topic of media trade chatter.
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed what Jake Oettinger’s next contract might look like. The 25-year-old Dallas Stars goaltender can become a restricted free agent in July.
Yaremchuk suggested the next contract for Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers would be the high level while Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins could be the floor for elite goaltenders.
Swayman signed an eight-year deal last Sunday worth an AAV of $8.25 million. If Shesterkin’s next AAV is $12 million, Yaremchuk speculated Oettinger could seek the middle ground, perhaps around $9 million to $9.25 million.
Seravalli said the Stars and Oettinger haven’t started contract extension talks. Given how the market for goalie contracts is changing, he suggests the Stars should open those discussions sooner instead of later.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Swayman’s new contract will be the baseline for Oettinger, who has a larger body of work. He could use Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million AAV) or Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million) as a comparable if he backstops the Stars to the Stanley Cup next spring.
Looks like Swaymans contract opened the doors for the next wave of goalies! Linus Ullmark was a benefactor of Swaymans deal and Ottenger looks like the next one to settle! Shesterkin will be off the charts when he settles his deal!
Regarding Swayman and Ullmark…Big difference in the two. One got his money quietly, going about his business. He was thinking team first and not wanting to become a distraction. While the other proclaimed he wanted to reset the goalie market. He was hiding behind that statement. It was always really about him. I Would love to know what the rest of the team really thought. The goalie hug isn’t gone, as Swayman is hugging himself.
The Turk I’m sure where you work, you’ll take less so your employers can make bigger profits, right? And I’m sure, like myself, be happy being paid less than you believe your worth is; am I right?
We as fans really have no business to complain about player’s salaries when it’s the management’s fault for wanting this CBA is why situations such as we’ve seen are even possible.
It feels like more than half the time we talk hockey it’s about the money rather than the game.
Ron, I rarely agree with you but this time, you’re spot on. Swayman was clear. He said he was upset with how things went in arbitration so he made the B’s pay. Makes perfect sense to me.
Depends on the goal and none of us is making millions per year. The delta between 7 and 8 per year is nothing considering it is far more than he needs or his family has ever had. If the goal is for the fompany to succeee then yeah many would take less. As to the lie about them makkng more…with a cap you know yoir budget and spending less on salaries does not give you more profit. It gives you the chance to buy better players.
Would you take less so your company could afford a new employee you know is an allstar and will help you all succeed?
Big difference, where I work. There is no cap that everyone needs to share.
Ummm. It seemed to me that it was the bruins upper management that took the situation public and made it a distraction.
Re- Next Wave Of Goaltenders
Or be like Toronto in goal ..
A Number 1
“. 1A
“ 1B
“. 1C
All capable of stopping the puck
Leafs didn’t even have a true number 1 last year
Now … !!!
Woll, Stolarz, Hildeby , Murray
As per my above statement
1and 1C are an accident waiting to happen
But between the pipes- 1A & 1B are more than fine !
As per another topic
Berube ‘s System …
Matthews Won’t be Scoring 60 goals again ?
Nylander < 40
Marner <30
The bottom 2 lines will be “MUCH”Improved , they R buying in
Top 2 lines are finding it more of a challenge buying in and will get less ice time than previous years as Berube wants everyone involved as a team , and accountable !
The main reason O’Reilly jumped ship , fled to Nashville – It wasn’t about the team ..
Ken when it comes to injuries any player can get injured at any given time and sometimes all it takes is a bump from another player, a rut in the ice or even a player`s equipment can cause an injury. Sometimes players over develop certain parts of their body which causes problems, occasionally it`s just bad luck. Goalies are probably the highest risk when it comes to injuries. With all the twisting and stretching they do and even with the lightweight pads their hips and groins take a beating. Berube`s north south game, we used to call it head manning the puck. You can move the puck up the ice faster passing than you can by skating. Does playing a north south game hurt their goal scoring ability, not a chance, if anything it should benefit Willie the most. A north south doesn`t mean that they have to get it to the blue line and then dump it in and chase it. Not every player is expected to throw their bodies around with wreckless abandon. It`s a long season so giving a little more ice time to the 3rd and 4th line isn`t such a bad thing, it keeps them in the game. The idea behind it is keeping the shifts shorter and skating harder, so the top 2 lines may get a little less ice time but may actually get more shifts. How well the north south game works will depend on how well the defence can make that outlet pass and how well the goalies can handle the puck. Too many and bad cross ice passes plagued the Leafs last year. O`reilly didn`t resign it Toronto because he didn`t like the media attention
Until he legitimately puts his game together, Zegras is far and away one of the most overrated players this decade.
High end offensive players always get another look and the benefit of the doubt! Contract is a hurdle but a team needing offense will bite for the right price!
Looks like Oettinger will get a large integer!
I think Zegras might be judged unfairly in some quarters. Taken 9th overall in 2019 by Anaheim, the 6′ 185 left-shot C, who has been thrust into games at both wing positions by the Ducks, has run into some injury bad luck since joining the team in the 2020-21 season where he wound up playing a bit under half the 56-game Covid-shortened season – 24gp 3g 10a 13 pts and was a +6 on a team that, overall, was a minus 53, going 17 30 9.
The team itself has remained down among the bottom-feeders since, with horrible overall aggregates of -39, -129 and -91 the past 3 seasons.
As for Zegras, in 2021-22 he scored 23g 38a 61 pts and was a -21 in 75gp, followed by a 2022-23 season in which he played 81 of 82 games, potting 23g 42a 65 pts and a -29 on yet another overall bad team. But those two solid seasons earned him a jump from his $925,000 ELC to a 3-year $5,750,000 deal which runs out next season, at which point he becomes a RFA.
This past season he suffered a lower-body injury early in Nov which kept him out of the line-up until Dec 23 when, in a game against Seattle, he scored in Anaheim’s 3-2 loss. His misfortune then continued when, on January 9, 2024 he broke his ankle, which required surgery and kept him out of the lineup for most of the rest of the season. Bottom line – he played in just 31 of the 82 games, finishing with 6g 9a 15 pts.
I doubt they’re in any rush to trade this kid, but if they ever did put him on the market there’d be any number of other re-building teams bidding.
Besides, with $20,104,680 in cap space and no huge RFA/UFA increases on the horizon, it’s not as if they need to move out cap!
@Yogi
As per O’Reilly -there were continuous comments from Shanahan in the background
I can’t remember Shanahan exact quotes, but O’Reilly didn’t feel part of the team , as per O’Reilly’s quote- “This is a team game” It’s not about singling out star players…
As per the North , South Berube style of game – I don’t disagree with it , but there are away more dump and chase … , vs Matthews and Marner for example , carrying the the puck over the oppositions blue line .
We will see , but I remember Berube’s Blues , it was an even balanced lineup , no one was lighting it up
We will wait and see , I hope I am wrong , hopefully the top 2 lines can be as productive as they were in the past .
The Leafs power play , I am still not impressed with
They look lost out there .
I think Larson should be at the point on the power play vs Morgan Reilly
As per the 2 goalies , I am referring to , I am not holding by breath on Murray , but as we all know – Woll has a tremendous upside , but cannot stay healthy
A pivotal game 7 , now – he can’t even start the season ?!?!?
Wow! You got all that from just 2 games? Impressive.
Heh … yeah … 2 games in and a team obviously still ironing out the kinks associated with adapting to an entirely different coaching philosophy, and having fired everything but the kitchen sink in the opening game against a goalie who had one for the ages, helped by several pings of puck on iron, followed by a back-to-back encounter against a team that applies a smothering defensive style and, although managing just half the shots on goal of the night before, still came out on top 4-2 … and some are reaching for the panic button.
Some fans among LeafsNation can, at times, be their own worst enemy.
Watch. If they don’t absolutely hose the Penguins tonight, and Matthews, Marner and Nylander don’t light it up, the crepe-hangers will be out in full force tomorrow,
Ken a north south game is getting the puck from your end of the ice to the opposition end of the ice. Once you get to the opposition blueline the top 2 lines will operate differently than the 3rd and 4th lines. The bottom 2 lines will be a dump and chase style, heavy forechecking create turmoil and turnovers. Nobody is expecting Nylander and Marner to hit everything in site, especially not Berube. Not sure what or why your fixation on O`Reilly is and I don`t think Shanahan has any fans anymore. A lot of goalies are having problems staying healthy these days. Savard wants to try different things on the PP and it takes time. Both Marner and Matthews call Savard very creative. To me you sound like you just want to do a rant and it`s just silly because there`s absolutely nothing that either you or I say that will change anything. Plus pivotal game 7 ?????????? wtf
1. O’Reilly’s Exit was how long ago
I am not a Shanahan fan
2. Leafs power play last year was no where near where it should be
Looks very awkward, unorganized still
3. Joseph Woll came out lamb , as per the 7 th deciding game against Boston , and and is on the shelf already , the season hasn’t even started
4. I believe in Berube – His team approach , making everyone accountable
5. The specialty teams are a work in process – hopefully the 2nd or 3rd chapter of this season , we will see a different result
The are all factual views, not negativity – please read accordingly as per Yogi , he gets it – etc …
There are very knowledgeable fans on this website and very passionate Bruin fans