Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 21, 2024

by | Jul 21, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 21, 2024

Check out the latest on the Kings and Sharks in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens is asked by a reader if the Los Angeles Kings might break down their roster if they’re floundering by the 2025 trade deadline.

Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov would be the most natural trade candidate as he’s in the final season of a two-year contract. He also carries a full no-movement clause. The 28-year-old defenseman would have value as a minute-munching shutdown blueliner. Recently acquired forward Tanner Jeannot could also become a trade candidate.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (NHL Images).

Stephens believes captain Anze Kopitar intends to finish his career as a King. He wondered if management would gauge whether Drew Doughty and Phillip Danault would prefer finishing their contracts with teams closer to Stanley Cup contention.

The rising salary cap might make Danault easier to trade. Doughty’s $11 million average annual value through 2026-27 would be difficult to move in any trade scenario.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings went sideways last season after two promising years where they seemed poised to break out as a contender. This season could determine the club’s direction under general manager Rob Blake.

Players eligible to become unrestricted free agents next summer (Gavrikov, Jeannot) will be shopped if the Kings are out of playoff contention by the March trade deadline. Moves involving aging players like Doughty or Danault would likely occur in the offseason.

Those moves could signal the Kings intend to rebuild around younger talent like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke. That could also mean they’ll consider moving players in their late twenties like Kevin Fiala (if he’ll waive his no-movement clause) and Adrian Kempe.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: Sheng Peng cited multiple sources claiming the San Jose Sharks could seek a right-handed defenseman.

Options in the free-agent market include Tyson Barrie, John Klingberg, Justin Schultz and Kevin Shattenkirk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All four are now past their prime. Klingberg only played 14 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs before undergoing season-ending hip surgery.

Trade possibilities include Cody Ceci of the Edmonton Oilers, Trevor van Riemsdyk of the Washington Capitals, Zach Whitecloud of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad’s been floated in the rumor mill recently but Peng acknowledged it’s unlikely that he’s available. He noted that the Panthers blueliner has a 12-team no-trade list and there’s no reason to believe he’d accept a trade to the rebuilding Sharks.

Peng noted the Golden Knights don’t need to move Whitecloud and his $2.75 million cap hit right now. However, he pointed out that they always seem in need of shedding cap space. I wouldn’t rule out Whitecloud being available later this season if the Golden Knights go on another shopping spree to bolster their roster for the playoffs.

Ceci and van Riemsdyk are more likely to be available this summer as cost-cutting candidates. Peng suggests there’s less urgency now for the Capitals to shed salary following Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract termination, freeing up $3.9 million in cap space.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2024

by | Jul 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 21, 2024

The Canucks sign Daniel Sprong, an updated list of the best remaining unrestricted free agents, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Daniel Sprong to a one-year contract on Saturday. The cap hit is $975K, leaving the Canucks with only $15,833 in cap space with 23 active roster players under contract. However, they could garner $2.5 million in cap relief if defenseman Tucker Poolman remains on long-term injury reserve.

Vancouver Canucks sign Daniel Sprong (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are Sprong’s sixth club since his NHL debut in 2015-16. He’s coming off an 18-goal, 43-point performance last season with the Detroit Red Wings. Sprong enjoyed a career-best 21 goals and 46 points with the Seattle Kraken in 2022-23.

THE SCORE: Before Sprong’s signing, he was among the best available forwards in the UFA market. The remaining notables include James van Riemsdyk, Blake Wheeler, Max Pacioretty, Kyle Okposo, and Tyler Johnson.

Noteworthy defensemen include Tyson Barrie, Tony DeAngelo and Oliver Kylington. Goalies include Martin Jones, Antti Raanta and Kevin Lankinen.

SPORTSNET: The Nashville Predators and defenseman Spencer Stastney remain apart in contract talks amid arbitration. Stastney seeks a one-year, one-way deal worth $950K while the Predators want a two-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The arbitration period began on July 20 and runs to Aug. 4.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings signed forward Liam Greentree to a three-year entry-level contract. Greentree, 18, was chosen in the first round (26th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 20, 2024

by | Jul 20, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 20, 2024

Check out the latest on some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox and Rory Boylen recently looked at where things stand with 12 of this summer’s notable remaining restricted free agents. Here are some of the more notable ones:

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman didn’t file for salary arbitration. Some observers wonder why the Bruins didn’t already have a “hush-hush handshake deal” with the Swayman camp in place before trading Linus Ullmark to Ottawa last month.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have over $8.6 million in cap space for 2024-25 with the 25-year-old Swayman the only active roster playing to be signed. He’s two years away from UFA eligibility.

Swayman will get signed, it’s just a question of for how long and how much. The two sides could agree to a long-term contract or a two-year deal. The average annual value could be between $6.5 million and $7.5 million.

The Carolina Hurricanes hold the hammer in contract talks with Seth Jarvis. The 22-year-old winger is coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights.

General manager Eric Tulsky could go for a short-term bridge deal or attempt to lock up Jarvis to an eight-year deal. His camp could seek a long-term deal worth over 8.35 million annually.

Tulsky isn’t worried about someone signing Jarvis to an offer sheet, pointing out they have the cap space to match.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terminating Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract gives the Hurricanes $13.9 million in cap space. That’s more than enough to match an offer sheet for Jarvis.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, Martin Necas has been the subject of trade speculation since their playoff elimination in May. The New Jersey Devils, Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames were believed to be monitoring the 25-year-old winger’s situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox and Boylen considered Necas most likely to be traded when this list was published on July 17. Since then, GM Tulsky said he’s not closing the door on a potential deal but it’s looking more likely Necas will remain with the Hurricanes.

Tulsky pointed out that teams have a lot less flexibility than they did a month ago, making it harder to do deals in the trade market. In other words, the clubs interested in Necas lack sufficient cap space to acquire him.

Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti had an inconsistent 2023-24 performance but still finished fifth among their leading scorers. The departures of Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan could lead to a fresh start for the 22-year-old forward under new head coach Scott Arniel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press observed the Jets tend to sign players like Perfetti to bridge contracts. However, there is precedence for a long-term deal, citing Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.

In that case, his camp could seek an average annual value between the $5 million AAV that Anton Lundell received from the Florida Panthers and the $6.25 million the Los Angeles Kings are paying Quinton Byfield.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko filed for arbitration on July 5. With Patrik Laine facing a doubtful future in Columbus, the 23-year-old Marchenko could get a nice raise.

The Rangers and Ryan Lindgren remain in contract negotiations despite the latter filing for arbitration. A one-year deal for the 25-year-old defenseman could cost $3.6 million. A longer deal will cost more due to the cost of his UFA years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2024

by | Jul 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 20, 2024

The “no state tax” issue, Kyle Okposo forced to cancel Stanley Cup appearance, the Red Wings re-sign Joe Veleno, the latest salary arbitration news, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatshek reports little appetite around the NHL to make changes to the salary cap addressing the issue of teams with no state tax having an advantage in signing players over those with state and provincial tax.

Duhatschek indicates it would be “an incredibly complex system” involving tax laws in the 18 different states, five Canadian provinces, and the District of Columbia, where the NHL operates.

A change of that magnitude must be made through collective bargaining between the league and the NHL Players Association. The next round of CBA talks will begin in 2026.

Duhatschek noted this became an issue when the Florida Panthers became a very good team. He also cited an NHL executive accusing clubs complaining about the tax advantage of Florida teams as “a bunch of crybabies” trying to defend their mediocre team-building records.

The 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers (NHL.com).

This executive believes the Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights built their teams better and that’s why they became Stanley Cup Champions, not because of a “no tax state” advantage.

The Lightning drafted better, finding value in players like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn that other teams passed over in the draft.

Meanwhile, the Panthers struck gold in the trade market, acquiring Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour and Matthew Tkachuk.

As for the Golden Knights, they did a great job in the 2017 expansion draft, acquiring draft capital and young talent that made them immediately competitive.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve been skeptical of this recent complaint about a“no state tax” advantage. The Lightning, Panthers and Golden Knights simply did a better job building their championship rosters.

The Lightning and Panthers have been around for 30 years. They were non-contenders for most of that period, especially the Panthers. It was when they finally brought in stable ownership and management that they became champions.

However, the salary cap remains the great leveler. The Lightning endured it over the past three years while the Panthers and Golden Knights began to feel its pinch this summer.

Salary cap constraints forced the Lightning to shed salaries to maintain their core players. It cut into their roster depth, eventually knocking them from their perch as Stanley Cup contenders.

The cost of maintaining a Cup contender was felt by the Panthers this summer by the departure of Montour. Verhaeghe, Bennett and Aaron Ekblad could be next to leave given their UFA eligibility next summer.

Wheeling and dealing in the trade market built the Golden Knights into a Cup champion in 2022-23. However, they felt the bite of the salary cap this summer with the departures of Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier. They could soon run out of tradeable assets and cap room to make the major deals for expensive talent that built them into a champion.

The Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, and Seattle Kraken garnered no championship advantage playing in no-tax states.

The Predators peaked in 2018, winning the Presidents’ Trophy a year after reaching the Stanley Cup Final. They landed three of this summer’s biggest UFAs, signing Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Marchessault. Those moves could make them better but doesn’t guarantee a championship.

Meanwhile, the Stars have been in Dallas for over 30 years and have had their share of highs and lows, including a Cup in 1999. No one’s grumbled about their supposed advantage playing in a “no-tax state”. 

Meanwhile, the Kraken didn’t enjoy the same success out of the gate as the Golden Knights, mainly because rival clubs did a better job protecting assets in the expansion draft.

SPORTSNET: Travel issues affected Kyle Okposo’s day with the Stanley Cup. He had to cancel an event in Minnetonka, Minnesota due to the grounding of US flights on Friday because of the global IT outage affecting airlines. The 37-year-old forward was crushed by the news, though efforts are being made for him to have his day with the Cup.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings avoided salary arbitration with forward Joe Veleno as the two sides agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.275 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Veleno is among six of the 14 players who filed for arbitration to settle with their clubs before their hearings. The others were Jake Christiansen and Jet Greaves of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jack Drury of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ty Emberson of the San Jose Sharks, and JJ Moser of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The NHLPA has decided against releasing the scheduled dates of the hearings for those who filed for arbitration. The arbitration period runs from July 20 to Aug. 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of these cases are settled before their scheduled hearings, a trend that seems to be continuing this year. The notable players still unsigned include the Hurricanes’ Martin Necas, the New York Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren, and the Buffalo Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs recently announced they hired Mark Leach as their new director of amateur scouting.

Leach spent the past 11 seasons with the Dallas Stars. He was instrumental in their selections of Miro Heiskanen, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger, Thomas Harley, Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could see a notable improvement at the draft table in the coming years given Leach’s impressive ability to find quality talent for the Stars.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 19, 2024

by | Jul 19, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 19, 2024

Are more changes coming for the Hurricanes after Evgeny Kuznetsov’s departure? What’s the latest Patrik Laine speculation? Could Oilers RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg become offer-sheet targets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE CHANGES COMING FOR THE HURRICANES?

TSN: Terminating Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract earlier this week was the latest significant offseason change to the Carolina Hurricanes roster. They also endured the departures of Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, and Stefan Noesen.

Kuznetsov’s contract termination also freed up $3.9 million, giving the Hurricanes over $13.8 million in cap space. They have 21 of their 23 active roster players under contract for 2024-25 with restricted free agents Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis still to sign.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Necas has been the subject of trade speculation following recent reports of his unhappiness with his role as a third-line winger. The 25-year-old forward also filed for salary arbitration on July 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas and Jarvis will seek significant raises but the Hurricanes have the room to accommodate those new contracts. They could also have sufficient space remaining to make other moves.

Necas’ situation remains uncertain. There’s been no speculation linking him to other clubs for the last couple of weeks but that doesn’t mean the Hurricanes aren’t getting any offers. Interested teams could also be waiting to see what his next contract looks like. However, they could be reluctant to part ways with Necas following the loss of Guentzel, Teravainen and Kuznetsov.

LATEST ON PATRIK LAINE

TSN MONTREAL 690: Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline recently discussed the type of return the club could seek as they attempt to trade Patrik Laine.

The 26-year-old winger recently requested a trade but remains in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. The Blue Jackets can still move him but neither they nor other teams can speak directly to him while he remains in the program.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell believes teams are interested in Laine but they’re waiting to speak with him first. Portzline speculates they might not seek a roster player because of their recent offseason additions. They could instead prefer a return of picks and prospects. Portzline also thinks they must retain part of Laine’s $8.7 million cap hit in the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine’s contract remains the biggest sticking point once he’s released from the assistance program. He’s signed through 2025-26 and carries a 10-team no-trade list. Interested parties could ask the Jackets to retain up to half of his cap hit to facilitate a deal.

NO OFFER SHEETS LIKELY FOR HOLLWAY AND BROBERG

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins recently weighed in on speculation suggesting Oilers RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg could become offer-sheet targets by rival clubs.

Leavins noted that offer sheets are a rarely used tactic by NHL GMs, pointing out that players who sign them usually seek a change. That’s unlikely for Holloway and Broberg after they were in regular rotation with the Oilers during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg received praise for their performances during this postseason. They have bright futures in Edmonton and should receive bigger roles with the Oilers starting this season. It’s doubtful they’re keen to leave a serious Stanley Cup contender.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2024

by | Jul 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2024

Jake Guentzel explains why he signed with the Lightning, Sean Monahan looks forward to reuniting with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus, Matt Grzelcyk opens up about his disappointing season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Jake Guentzel said the Tampa Bay Lightning’s winning pedigree factored into his decision to sign a seven-year, $63 million contract with them on July 1.

“They all know how to win,” said Guentzel, adding they still have high-end, elite players. He believes they still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, adding this is an incredible opportunity for himself and his family.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel has some big skates to fill as he’ll be taking over the left-wing position formerly held by departed franchise player Steven Stamkos. The Lightning are betting that the younger Guentzel gives them a better opportunity to remain among the Cup contenders.

NHLPA.COM: Sean Monahan is delighted to reunite with former Calgary Flames linemate Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus. The 29-year-old center signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1.

Gaudreau and Monahan played together with the Flames for nine seasons before Gaudreau joined the Blue Jackets in 2022. “I am really looking forward to being teammates with Johnny again,” said Monahan, calling Gaudreau “an amazing teammate, person, and friend.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan’s 59-point comeback performance last season with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets earned him the multi-year contract with the Blue Jackets and the reunion with Gaudreau.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Matt Grzelcyk said a nagging injury derailed his final season with the Boston Bruins. The 30-year-old defenseman signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Grzelcyk indicated he struggled to regain his form last season, amassing a career-low two goals and 11 points in 63 games with the Bruins. He was a healthy scratch in all their playoff games. He’s now preparing for the challenge of earning top-four minutes with the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A bounce-back effort by Grzelcyk could boost Pittsburgh’s blueline depth. It could also improve his stock leading up to the March trade deadline if the Penguins are out of playoff contention by then.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Brian Dumoulin requested a trade from the Seattle Kraken to an East Coast team over a month ago. Instead, they shipped the 32-year-old defenseman to the Anaheim Ducks in a cost-cutting move.

Dumoulin said he’s excited about the opportunity to join an up-and-coming team. He’s promising to work hard for his new club even if the situation he finds himself in isn’t what he wanted.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dumoulin is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July and carries a $3.15 million cap hit for this season and a 10-team no-trade list. A solid effort with the Ducks could draw interest from playoff contenders looking for experienced blueline depth at the March trade deadline.

TSN: Maxime Comtois signed a one-year contract with KHL club Dynamo Moscow. The 25-year-old forward spent most of last season in the AHL. He spent the first five seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring 38 goals and 49 assists in 210 career games with the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Comtois was considered a promising left winger after scoring 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. However, injuries left him struggling to regain his form.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy said he supports Stan Bowman’s bid to return to the NHL.

The former Chicago Blackhawks general manager was suspended for three years by the NHL for his role in burying sexual assault allegations against video coach Bradley Aldrich by player Kyle Beach in 2009-10.

Kennedy, a victim of sexual assault by his former Junior coach, is the co-founder of Respect Group Inc., which helps to empower people to recognize and prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination.

In a statement, Kennedy said he established a relationship with Bowman after he reached out to learn more “about the issues of sexual abuse and the critical role of bystanders to confront and address maltreatment effectively.”

TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Kennedy believes Bowman has done the work to learn and improve since the scandal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kennedy’s endorsement could help Bowman in his efforts to resume his career as an NHL executive. If he doesn’t land another GM job he could end up in a front-office role as an assistant GM, scout or advisor.