NHL Rumor Mill – October 25, 2024

by | Oct 25, 2024 | Rumors | 15 comments

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the Canadiens and the Utah Hockey Club are exploring the trade market plus updates on Panthers forward Sam Bennett and Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson.

CANADIENS, UTAH SHOPPING AROUND FOR DEFENSEMEN

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports he’s been talking with teams around the league who say that Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has started making calls to conduct due diligence and determine which players might be available in the trade market.

He believes Hughes is open to making a move that could shake up his roster a bit and help his rebuilding club win some games this season. So far, there’s no activity in the trade market and nothing imminent for the Canadiens.

LeBrun points out the Canadiens aren’t going to mortgage their future as their long-term plan remains in place. They also have limited cap space this season so any deal would have to be dollar-in, dollar-out.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli told Sportsnet the Canadiens are checking prices for a top-four, right-shot defenseman.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens aren’t the only team looking for that kind of blueliner…

LeBrun also said the Utah Hockey Club is looking to plug some holes in their defense with Sean Durzi and John Marino sidelined for months recovering from surgeries.

They’ve reportedly contacted the Columbus Blue Jackets about Ivan Provorov. The 27-year-old rearguard is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July and could be in demand as a playoff rental player by the March 7 trade deadline. However, the Blue Jackets aren’t ready to part with him yet as they don’t want to take away from their roster this early in the season.

LeBrun mentioned the Toronto Maple Leafs might be open to moving Timothy Liljegren. However, the 25-year-old might not appeal to Utah because he has term remaining on his deal. Liljegren is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $3 million.

Darren Dreger pointed out that Dante Fabbro of the Nashville Predators might be available. The 26-year-old has been available before in the trade market. He also carries an affordable $2.5 million cap hit. Dreger noted the Predators are in the market for a center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also mentioned Utah could shop around for a right-shot defenseman. He also mentioned the emergence of Michael Kesselring has partially alleviated that problem. LeBrun believes they’ll look to within and see if they can ride this out. Nevertheless, they could be worth monitoring if losses mount because of their depleted defense.

Friedman also pointed out that Predators GM Barry Trotz wants to add a center. Maybe there’s a deal there to be had with the Canadiens or Utah.

LATEST ON BENNETT AND GIBSON

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos reports the Florida Panthers could find it trickier getting Sam Bennett under contract compared to their signings of Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. He claims both sides are miles apart with little chance of a resolution anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson will soon return to the lineup following an emergency appendectomy earlier this month. Kypreos claimed the Carolina Hurricanes were close to acquiring the 31-year-old netminder in the offseason but the deal fell through. Interest in Gibson could heat up with Colorado, Detroit and Pittsburgh having problems between the pipes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson carries an AAV of $6.4 million through 2026-27. Kypreos claims Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is willing to retain part of it if he gets a top asset in return. We’ll see if one of those teams will bite.







15 Comments

  1. Detroit’s goaltenders (Lyon .955sp, Talbot .913sp) have been lights-out thus far. Giving up 30+ shots a game is their biggest woe. If Detroit has a “problem between the pipes,” it is tje need to offload the Husso contract.

  2. Kypreos’ take of the Bennett contract is significantly different from Friedman’s who stated the other day that “Zito and agent Darren Ferris wouldn’t comment, and a couple of sources painted it as ‘not far apart, but now everyone’s dug in.'”

    The point is that no one really knows except Bennett, his agent, and Zito.

  3. the Leafs should fine any defenseman who leaves the front of the net to join his partner in a corner and leaves the goalie unprotected $ 1000 each time that happens. it would soon stop.

    • The defence has no choice when they`re outnumbered in the corners because the forwards won`t go there and besides if the front of the net is unprotected, it`s the centres responsibility to cover it

    • Just watched Holloway’s first goal for the Blues on the PP.
      4 Leafs in the corner and Holloway all alone in front of the net.
      Is this the NHL?

  4. Nobody is going to trade for a #7 defenceman raking in 3 million per with term left on his deal.

    Lilijgren isnt going anywhere. Not without an extra sweet add-on included.

    • Actually it’s not six million owing, Leafs have paid him 2.4 M bonus already.

  5. Has there been any talk of an Ekblad extension in Florida? Feel like Panthers will have hard time keeping both.

    • It might be tight, Slick62, but with maybe one move (e.g. trading, for example, someone like Eetu Luostarinen and his $3 mil cap hit (2 years after this), it could be done – depending, of course, upon the “ask” of each of Bennett and Ekblad.

      Next year’s cap is expected to be $92.5 mil and Florida, at the end of this season, is committed to 10F, 4D and 2G for a cap total of $73,275,000 – meaning they’d have $19,225,000 with which to sign 7. That includes buyout Keith Yandle’s $1,241,667 coming off the books.

      Their only RFAs look to be signings with modest raises – probably bridge deals – Samoskevich coming off an ELC of $925,000, and Jesper and Adam Boqvist, each coming off ELCs of $775,000.
      That total of $2,475,000 should become no more than $3.5 mil, leaving $15,775,000.

      With a trade such as that mentioned above they’d have close to $19 mil to re-up Bennett and Ekblad, while at the same time fleshing out the roster with 2 ELC-level contracts. Being Florida and its cushy tax situation they’ll likely get it done (neither of the other two UFAs are likely to be re-signed (Nosek, who’s on LTIR anyway, and Schmidt.

      • Trade Bob at $5-6M salary, $4-5M saved and put towards a good tandem goalie with Knight.

  6. Laf closing in on new deal. 7yrs. 7.6 per. According to Brooksie

    • From media chatter it seemed he was looking for something closer to 4 or 5 years to bring him to UFA status when he’s 28 or 29. This shaves one year off th e team’s 8-year preference.

      • 7 years. 7.45 AAV

  7. A one is never done. Liljegren will get picks at least . A couple in fact.

    Never any trade action in October . Maybe late November . Last year Flames new about Lindholm before game one and didn’t move until late January.

  8. The centers job is to go in the corners the d-Man needs to park himself in the shooting area in front of the net where he is more qualified to be.