Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 10, 2024
Check out the latest on the Rangers, Predators, Canadiens, and more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
LATEST RANGERS SPECULATION
NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks dismissed the suggestion that the Rangers might get Igor Shesterkin under contract for an average annual value of $11.5 million. “It’s going to be more, I think at least another half a million a year.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most pundits believe Shesterkin will get at least $12 million annually on his next contract. If the Rangers balk at that price, other clubs will line up to pay him.
New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).
Brooks also raised the issue of how the Rangers will afford to re-sign Artemi Panarin when the 33-year-old left winger’s contract expires at the end of next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll depend on how much Panarin wants and how much cap space the Rangers have after re-signing Shesterkin, K’Andre Miller, and perhaps Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren this summer.
UPDATE ON THE PREDATORS
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz continues to search for a center but it’s not easy. “When you’re struggling, you get thrown anvils, not life-preservers,” writes Friedman.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman also reported on Trotz’s comments last week about implementing his rebuild plan and subsequent clarification that he might consider calling up some young players if his team doesn’t improve soon. He has no intention of tearing down the roster by staging a fire sale of his veteran stars.
Friedman also reported the Predators placed defenseman Dante Fabbro on waivers. He believes Fabbro won’t be claimed because of his $2.5 million cap hit, which most teams can’t afford now.
The 26-year-old blueliner is available for trade. He could be sent to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee where he’ll get more playing time and interested teams can get a better look at him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fabbro was the Predators’ first-round pick (17th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. However, he’s struggled to establish himself as a full-time top-four defenseman in Nashville.
The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie wondered if the Ottawa Senators might put in a claim for Fabbro or attempt to trade for him. The Hockey News’ Caleb Kerney raised the same question about the Edmonton Oilers.
McKenzie noted Fabbro’s limited offensive upside and cap hit made him question if the Sens would consider adding him. Those factors could also raise red flags for the Oilers.
CANADIENS SHOULD TRADE FOR A GOALTENDER
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Pat Hickey recently weighed in on reports claiming the Canadiens are shopping around for a defenseman and a physical forward.
Some observers have tied the Canadiens to Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic but Hickey dismissed the notion of the Bruins trading him to a division rival. He also rejected the clamor from some Habs followers to acquire Trevor Zegras, the skilled winger currently struggling with the Anaheim Ducks.
Hickey believes the Canadiens’ biggest need is an upgrade between the pipes. Their goalie tandem of Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau hasn’t been able to steal some games this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The market is even thinner for quality goalies. There’s no help coming on the horizon for the Habs. They must find a way to dig themselves out of their current mess.
RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”.
SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman reported the Boston Bruins have looked around in the trade market. However, they’re trying to be patient with their club and let their group work out its problems.
Friedman also mentioned Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is still working the phones. Teams are asking about Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Dylan Cozens but Adams doesn’t want to subtract from his roster.
The NHL and NHL Players Association didn’t ask for an expedited grievance regarding the Philadelphia Flyers’ efforts to terminate Ryan Johansen’s contract. Friedman explains that means no one is in a hurry to have this adjudicated and it will take time until there’s an outcome.
I seriously doubt Staios has given even a passing thought on putting in a waiver claim on Fabro.
First of all. sitting on cap space of just under $400,000, he would need to move out about $2.5 mil in cap space to make room. That’s on a waiver claim. If Nashville plucked him back from waivers in order to force a trade, who could Ottawa even want to offer up to make the cap work?
Secondly, any problems experienced by Ottawa so far has little to do with the overall play of their D, but rather collective brain farts in giving up late – and early – period goals – and recently in pairs just seconds apart.
Right now there’s no “dog” on that team that they’d love to get rid of … yes, they could improve in a few cases … but Fabro doesn’t do that anywhere along their D, with the possible exception of Hamonic. But even though I was joining the chorus ticked off over his replacing of Bernard-Docker on the 3rd pairing, I need to give credit where credit is due, and last night in Boston he played a flawless 13.44 alongside Kleven, while blocking 3 shots. And he only costs $1 mil off the cap.
Teams may line up to pay Shesterkin, but it will be a short line.
What legitimate contender out there can comfortably afford him at 12 million?
Even then, paying him 500k more than NY’s 11.5 is still leaving 8.5 on the table for that 8th year.
I say, go for it! And best of luck with it!
So true – if things remain the same as currently structured cap-wise, there isn’t a single team out there – contender or not – that could accomplish that without some massive cap movement of their own – especially considering that almost all will also have to negotiate new RFA deals – some significant – and/or re-sign key UFAs they’d like to retain..
And any team that might foolishly try, in turn, then faces the problem of trying to find a taker – in that same limited field – for the cap they’d need to clear in order to get it done.
It all points to what some of us in here were forecasting a few years ago before Covid intervened on regular seasons, revenue and annual cap increases – and that was, those same cap increases would soon become insufficient to meet salary demands by top UFAs AND RFAs within any given team, and that even those teams located in so-called tax-havens would have trouble trying to forge a competitive roster if they chose the route of assembling a top 6 or 7 accounting for in excess of 55% of their cap.
Right now – and barring significant changes between now and the end of the season – just 3 teams have the cap space – on the surface at least – that would allow them to take on Shesterkin at $12 mil+ – Anaheim, Columbus and Calgary – and even there, each will have a considerable number of roster spots requiring either re-negotiation or replacement: Anaheim (5 RFAs and 5 UFAs), Columbus (4 RFAs and 10 UFAs), Calgary (3 RFAs and 9 UFAs).
maybe a NY -Tor trade could work…marner and woll for shisherkin …something like that?
I have a lot of respect for Pat Hickey but his singling out of the Habs’ goaltending is off the mark. Yes the goaltending has been uneven – to say the least – but most of the team in front of him has been that and worse.
Goals on deflections and missed assignments are part of the game but Toronto’s 2nd and 3rd goals last night were the result of ineptitude. Their best players have managed 2 points in 4 games. Dach and Slavkovski have one goal each. Suzuki has 4 goals in 15 games. They can’t recover from brain farts and unlucky bounces. The Leafs blocked 21 shots last night simply by crowding between the dots. Simple, and effective.
The only help I can see without deviating from the longer term (I am not the first to say this) is to bring in a coach specifically for the defence. Larry Robinson is likely not interested, but the Habs can surely find someone to help. Weber? More stability in the D zone will lead to more opportunities in the O zone.
Shea Weber is being paid by Utahtil July or 2026, he can only work for them till he retires.
Right. Thanks.
An usher then.
Chris Pronger was still getting paid by the Flyers when the league hired him for Player Safety, so there is some precedent for double dipping.
LJ. The goaltending needs to be better. The defence needs to be better. The offence needs to be better. The special teams need to be better. The coaches need to be better. The management team needs to be better. If any of the above can’t get better then they need to be replaced. It’s going to be a long year… again.
Habsman67, there’s a weird sort of similarity between Ottawa and Montreal when you look at “spinning your wheels” criticism.
In 2020-21 Ottawa was into the 4th season of their tear-down/re-build phase and these 10 players were part of that 2020-21 roster: Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, Chabot Stutzle, Zub, Pinto, Amadio (who departed that same year and is back now), Bernard-Docker and Forsberg. Each was, of course, in various stages of their development (Bernard-Docker, for example, had just 5gp at season’s end). The point is, they’re all still here, and the team hasn’t made the playoffs for 7 seasons in total.
Montreal is in – I believe – the 4th year of their re-build, and they still have these 12 from 2021-22: Suzuki, Caufield, Dvorak, Anderson, Evans, Gallagher, Savard, Armia, Pezetta, Barron (just 5 gp in 2021-22) Montembeault and Primeau. All, as with Ottawa’s situation, in various stages of their development.
I’m not suggesting Montreal is on a path for 7 seasons in the wilderness … I hope not … but believe me, the years can creep up on you pretty fast as you start to make roster or coaching changes … and nothing seems to work.
Wondering around in the wilderness as a rebuilding or developing team for 7 years or more, is normal. Your team will go through growing pains and it’s better during the regular season than in the post like one team is doing.
Habsman67: I just hope George is wrong, because another 3 years of this will require a dump truck of antacid.
Ron Moore: LOL. Thanks.
George O. Thanks for pointing out the similarities – you really know how to kick a Habsman when he is down. Can’t even begin to imagine another 3 years of this.
LJ, it’s going to take something a lot stronger than antacids. Maybe a psychedelic such a LSD combined with an antidepressant like Prozac and something for nausea.
The cream always rises to the top.
Shesterkin should be highest paid goalie. What that number is , don’t know.
Fabro claimed by Clb ??
They have good depth mix in numbers back end . Might be in advance of something else out – Provorov ?
indeed something is up for them to make that claim.