NHL Rumor Mill – December 2, 2024
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: a look at Penguins trade candidates and the Wild, Avalanche, Blue Jackets & Predators might not be done dealing.
THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe recently looked at trade candidates for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Rickard Rakell are considered “as good as gone.” The 28-year-old Pettersson is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July. Rakell is signed through 2027-28 with an average annual value of $5 million.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson will likely be on the move before the March 7 trade deadline but Rakell isn’t a certainty to join him. The 31-year-old forward is a streak scorer and those extra years on his contract could be a sticking point.
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari, and Kevin Hayes are among those Yohe considers available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of those players will end up with other clubs by deadline day. Acciari’s physical style and penalty killing could make him the most sought-after player in that group.
Yohe believes the Penguins would trade Erik Karlsson if his contract wasn’t so expensive. However, he thinks it’s a possibility that Kris Letang could end up with another club. He doesn’t think ending his career in Pittsburgh is as important to Letang as it is for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If there is any way to dump Karlsson it’ll happen in the offseason when teams have more cap space and a willingness to gamble. As for Letang, I’ll believe it when I see it.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau noted the Minnesota Wild acquiring David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche shipping Justus Annunen to the Nashville Predators for Scott Wedgewood.
He believes those trades were just the start for the four clubs, suggesting more moves could be in store before the March 7 trade deadline.
The Avalanche, Predators and Wild are determined to be playoff contenders, so Proteau sees them adding talent. Meanwhile, the rebuilding Blue Jackets will attempt to bring in talent that helps them now and over the long term.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salary cap constraints will be a factor for some of those clubs. The Avalanche have $3.04 million in projected trade deadline cap space and the Wild just $1.14 million. It won’t be an issue for the Blue Jackets ($27.6 million in current cap space, over $90 million at the deadline) or Predators ($23.9 million).
The Wild supplanted the Winnipeg Jets atop the overall standings on Sunday. It’s rumored promising center Marco Rossi could be a trade chip in a player-for-player swap. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are within two points of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Their trade deadline plans could change if they’re in playoff contention by the deadline.
Predators general manager Barry Trotz could go from buyer to seller if his club fails to gain ground in the standings. The Avs remain all-in as playoff contenders but they have limited options to draw on for trade bait.
The Avs are in a curious position. With all the injuries they have they have been forced to bring up players to the big leagues who should not be there. In one sense this is good because the prospects get exposure. On the other hand players who flop out in their try out might be de-valued. When all it would take is more time in the minors.
If Avs stay close they will make big push once injuries start getting back in line up
and then everyone that’s not an Aves fan will bitch because of injured players coming back after the regular season has ended. (if that’s thw way it works out)
Letang will be a Canadian at some point before he retires
Re; Intresting Trades,
Mid december to Early January
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson would be a nice fit for the Edmonton Oilers on there 2nd pairing,
I wonder what the Cost would be,
A 2nd pick and prospect and a salary going the othere way….❓
Or
A 1st pick & salary going the other way…❓
if Kris Letang go’s any where it will be the Hab’s
Or
To a contender in Florida…
A Nashville sell off….❗️
with
2 points out of 32nd place, and 25 games played
it could be a Huge sell off…..If the Preds do become seller’s and its very much looking that way…..
I see Boston going after A first line Scoring,
Like LW Like a Jonathan Marchessault, Scoring is there big hole for good returns
A 1st pick & Prospect like a RW, Fabian Lysell…❓
to help the Preds with the Re-tool, Re-build
Preds have 3X1st round picks & 2nd rd picks in the 2025 draft already, the will ask for 1st & 2nd picks and
maybe more so Very Good young prospects 19-23 yrs old🤔
Ww
Bruins be better off with RoR. If they sell off IMHO
MrB4
WhatsRoR…?
I’d like to think, based on what second pair d rentals have gotten recently, that petterson gets at least a first
Hi Willie, hope you are doing good 🙂
It would surprise me alot if Letang ends up in Montreal. There are already many talks about Matheson and Savard being traded at the end of the year plus the fact that the Canadiens will again miss the playoffs (can’t wait for Laine, Mailloux and Demidov being ready). Letang is not the type of player you’ll have to give a sweetener with to trade, I think Hughes would only do this type of transaction for players another team needs to get rid of and have to include a good pick or prospect for them to be taken by another team. But that’s just my opinion 🙂 That being said I hope you’ll have a great one, cheers !
Letang is 37, has 3 goals this year and has three more years at 6 million. He makes zero sense for Montreal. Not sure he makes sense for anyone else either
Struble, Xhekaj and Barron are all developing slower than hoped, so it makes no sense to trade Matheson this year either unless the Habs want a total collapse.
I’d trade Savard this season only if a quiet mutual promise to resign again next year; as that is a dicey proposition I’d hold onto him as well, unless Montreal has a score board that can register 4 digit goals against.
Hey Mike doing ok,
These 3 will improve things,
Laine, Mailloux and Demidov
However the young d will need veteran help to train them… one in Each pairing? or maybe just the Top 2….?
Savard will get traded out for Sure
Demidov will be Very Exciting to watch👌
the Habs are Loaded with Prospects & picks
2X1st, 2 X2nd and 3X3rd round picks thats before they make trades this season❓
However Goaltending is a Huge Weakness
if the Preds to a Big Sell of i can see them going after there Goaltender Juuse Luicy Saros❓
Willie W,I think the Bruins need to take a hard look at their roster come playoff time,trade deadline time and see where they stand! To me Marchessault is a right handed Marchand! Both are old and small! If the Bruins are waffling on reupping with Marchand,I would be concerned about Marchessault! I see they could possibly trade Zadorov back to Vancouver!It might be smart to get out from underneath that contract! Their free agent signings have really struggled and Don t look to good!
SR,
Jonathan Marchessault played both LW & RW, and yes he has a right shot..
However if the Preds do a Hugh Sell off and it looks 90% they are going to✔️
Preds have lost there last 4.. and are 2 point out the basement…
Right now looks like the finish bottom 5-10,
Trotz the GM said if its not turing round soon he s
will start to move players out
I could see them moving All 3 UFA they picked up
this summer and more…❓
Just for Willie:
Trent Fredric, 2025 top 10 protected 1st and 2026 3rd for Marchy at 1/2 salary’
I really don’t think it will happen because Marchy is 33 yo with 4 more years on his contract to age 38!!!
Bruins need to get younger not older and probably should blow the roster up soon!
I agree Bruins need to start trading to get younger .I am a Bruins fan but no way they are cup hopefulls. Time to start getting younger.Only untouchables in my opinion are Pastrnak Mcavoy and Swayman.
Hey Johnny Z,
I dont know, Boston like the older players….
who
do you think they should go after…❓
Willie:
If Rossi is really available, then it should be him.
Why is Rossi being considered as a trade chip? The Wild are at the top of the league and he’s 3rd in team scoring. Why would they rock the boat and do something that may affect team chemistry? Is it his size?
yeah I wondered that too…
Gored1970: Michael Russo, The Athletic’s Minnesota Wild beat writer, believes they’ll move Rossi at some point between now and next summer. He doesn’t think the young center fits into their long-term plans. TSN’s Chris Johnston echoed that sentiment. His size has been mentioned as a factor but it seems to be more about whether they want to invest heavily in him when Kaprizov is due for a huge raise in 2026. Personally, I don’t see why they don’t do the bridge deal with him and ink him to a bigger raise later on. Then again, maybe if try to go that route, another club could offer-sheet him.
JohnnyZ & G1970…
i dont know if Rossi is avalable….❓
He is very young @ 23 yrs old, This is only his 3rd full season in the NHL..
Games,24 Goals, 7 Assists 12 19point in 24 games…
he could be on pace for 24 goals and 45 assists
thats almost 70 point’s if he plays the full season,
very good for a young kid……⁉️
i think its just Media trying to fill up there space with this one…
maybe Edmonton can just trade Nurse for Karlsson lol
It’s interesting to see now that the season is at the quarter poll and assess all those outrageous contracts handed out this past July. Those teams aren’t doing particularly well and the players acquired aren’t fitting in or producing as paid…maybe it’s a sign that teams ought to develop their own players than crave and overpay another team’s talent.
I think the avalanche are not done as well? i think they will make some moves. they need to shake things up. they spot teams two and three goal leads before they even get their heads into the game which is a recipe for disaster. and it has borne out that way in the playoffs the last couple of years. i would like to say it’s the injuries but to me they let other teams dictate the flow of a series and are always behind the 8 ball , then it’s too late( i.e. seattle, vegas and dallas) i blame the players, not bednar. to me, they lack leadership due to no landeskog or cogliano or even e.j. who is on the flyers. injuries are a factor but can’t be used as a ongoing excuse. now, the goaltending sucks plus they don’t do anything to help their goaltender!!!!