NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

by | Jan 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

The fallout from the Leafs re-signing William Nylander, an update on Oilers goalie Jack Campbell, and the latest on the Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FALLOUT FROM THE NYLANDER SIGNING

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the work has just begun for Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving after signing William Nylander yesterday to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension.

On July 1, captain John Tavares and winger Mitch Marner will be eligible to sign contract extensions as they’ll both be in the final season of their current deals. Marner’s next contract will probably cost between $11.5 million annually and $13.25 million.

Treliving could also consider tweaking his roster by the March 8 trade deadline. Bolstering the defense remains a priority. He could also look at adding a depth forward.

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran also noted that T.J. Brodie, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Meanwhile, goaltender Ilya Samsonov continues to work on improving his game with the AHL Marlies.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski speculates Nylander’s new contract could come up in contract negotiations between the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson. The difference, however, is Nylander was slated to become a UFA on July 1 whereas Pettersson is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel could also benefit from Nylander’s new deal. They’re a little older but could make the case for seeking over $10 million annually on their new contracts.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will likely cost the Leafs more than Nylander’s $11.5 million and less than Auston Matthew’s $13.25 million AAV to get Marner under contract. He could come in between $12 million and $12.5 million on a long-term deal.

Tavares is playing well but the 33-year-old Leafs captain will have to accept a pay cut from his current $11 million AAV to stay in Toronto. How much of a cut will determine whether he has a future with the Leafs beyond July 1, 2025. It’ll have to go at least below $10 million for sure.

The Leafs can afford to re-sign Brodie, Bertuzzi and Domi but they won’t overpay to do so. It won’t be surprising if at least one of them ends up hitting the open market on July 1.

Pettersson is two years younger than Nylander and keeping pace with the Leafs winger in points. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up with a similar contract given his value to the surging Canucks.

Reinhart and Guentzel could get over $10 million annually on their next contracts with the salary cap rising by $4.2 million for 2024-25. Whether they get them from their current clubs remains to be seen.

WILL THE OILERS TRY TO MOVE CAMPBELL?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland intends to see if Jack Campbell can bounce back though there’s no real sign of it yet.

“I’ll watch Jack Campbell, I’ll work the phones, I’ll watch our team and ultimately between now and the trade deadline, make some decisions with our staff as to what we think we need to do,” said Holland.

LeBrun speculates the Oilers GM could attempt to add a veteran goalie to be a 1B with Stuart Skinner or a more traditional backup. He thinks a goalie trade is possible but doesn’t see a likely scenario where they can move Campbell’s contract before the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun thinks it could cost the Oilers two first-round picks to convince a club to take on the remaining three years of Campbell’s contract. Unless the Oilers are willing to retain up to half of his $5 million average annual value, I don’t see him going anywhere by deadline day.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan believes roster changes are inevitable for the struggling Ottawa Senators. With their playoff hopes fading away, management must decide who stays and who goes.

Scanlan wonders what effect the years of losing could have on defenseman Thomas Chabot and team captain Brady Tkachuk. He wondered if the new front office is as devout to sticking with the mantra of building with youth as their predecessors.

General manager Steve Staios has publicly said he wants to add a veteran or two. However, there is a theory that he could also attempt to shake things up by moving one or two of the young core players.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes believes all eyes will be on Senators forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. Both are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Mendes also noted that Thomas Chabot’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1. While it seems doubtful the Senators would trade their best defenseman, the new regime in charge isn’t beholden to anyone on this roster as they didn’t acquire any of them.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Staios is trying to juggle salary-cap space to make room for center Shane Pinto once he’s finished serving his 41-game suspension later this month. He’ll have to demote someone or make a cost-cutting trade.

Garrioch also reports Staios will find it difficult to add one or two veteran players at this time. Teams that have good character players prefer to keep them and those that are available come with a high asking price. A league executive also said those players prefer going to a playoff contender rather than Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch indicated Staios and his front office team aren’t ready to move core players like Chabot, Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson. We won’t see any of those guys being peddled by the trade deadline.

Nevertheless, Scanlan makes a good point about the effect that years of losing could have on some of those players, especially guys like Chabot and Tkachuk who’ve been there the longest. Perhaps one or two of them grow weary of this situation and request a trade in the offseason.

For now, Tarasenko and Kubalik appear to be the only notable Senators certain to be on the move by the deadline. We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2024

by | Jan 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 9, 2024

Game recaps, the Flyers trade prospect Cutter Gauthier to the Ducks for Jamie Drysdale, the three stars of the week are announced and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored twice and collected two assists in a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Thatcher Demko made 39 saves, Brock Boeser had a goal and two assists and Nils Hoglander tallied two goals for the 26-11-3 Canucks (55 points), who sit one point behind the league-leading Winnipeg Jets in the overall standings. Vincent Trocheck netted two goals for the Rangers (26-11-2) as they sit one point back of the Canucks.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes each have at least 50 points, making the Canucks just the third team in the last 30 years to feature three players with 50 or more points through 40 games. The others were the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 2007-08 Ottawa Senators.

A shootout goal by Valeri Nichuskin lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3. Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his home points streak to 22 games as the Avalanche (26-12-3) are one point out of first overall with 55 points. Brad Marchand potted two goals for the 24-8-7 Bruins, who sit ahead of the Canucks and Avalanche in the overall standings with 55 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins sit ahead of the Canucks and Avs due to games in hand. The Canucks hold a game in hand over the Avs.

Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

Dallas Stars goaltender Matt Murray made 23 saves for his first career NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Roope Hintz and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (23-11-5) as they sit third in the Central Division with 51 points. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 16 shots for the 17-18-4 Wild as he remains at 551 career victories.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 36 shots for the 20-15-4 Penguins, who sit just outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 44 points. Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers (20-14-6) as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have the same amount of points as the New Jersey Devils (who hold that last wild-card berth), Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings. The Devils hold that berth with 21 wins, followed by the Capitals as they hold a game in hand over the Penguins and two games over the Red Wings while the Pens have a game in hand over the Wings.

HEADLINES

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers traded prospect forward Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A surprising move sparked by Gauthier’s unwillingness to sign with the Flyers. Philadelphia general manager Daniel Briere said the 19-year-old winger stopped communicating with the club following his participation in the 2023 World Championships.

That explains why Gauthier didn’t take part in the Flyers’ development camp last summer. The club kept it quiet from the media to protect the youngster. They also had trouble meeting with him during the recent 2024 World Junior Championship, where he tied for most points (12) and was named the tournament’s top forward as he led Team USA to the gold medal.

The Flyers reportedly never got an explanation behind Gauthier’s change of heart. Briere said they decided to move him now while his trade value was high.

There was also speculation that former Flyers center Kevin Hayes may have influenced Gauthier’s decision. Hayes strongly denied that rumor.

Landing the 21-year-old Drysdale gives the Flyers a skillful young puck-moving defenseman albeit one limited to just 18 games over the past two seasons due to injuries. He’s in the first season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million. If Drysdale can stay healthy he could blossom into a solid top-pairing blueliner with the Flyers.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said he made this move to add a forward with elite skating ability and an NHL-level shot. With three good young defensemen such as Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau and Owen Zellweger in their pipeline, they could afford to move Drysdale for Gauthier.

They already have three promising young centers in Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson but need more scoring punch on the wings. If Gauthier plays up to expectations he’ll provide an invaluable boost to the rebuilding Ducks’ offense.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers reportedly offered Gauthier to the Canadiens for the latter’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in last year’s draft. The Canadiens rejected the offer and used the pick to select David Reinbacher, whom the Flyers were also interested in selecting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers were reportedly attempting to ensure prospect Matvei Michkov would drop to them with the seventh overall pick, which he did even with the Canadiens rejecting the offer.

Some Canadiens fans will probably be upset with their club for turning down this offer. However, the report indicates the Habs were confident Reinbacher was the right choice with their pick and other teams (like the Flyers) were also interested in landing the promising young blueliner.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Martin Jones and Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 7, 2024

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty had to make major changes to his skates to accommodate his altered right foot following two back-to-back Achilles tears. His right foot is now larger than his left.

Pacioretty said his new skates still don’t feel perfect but they feel much better. He’ll continue making modifications until he finds the right balance. He no longer feels any fear of another Achilles injury and is fully healthy now.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning winger Tanner Jeannot is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Erik Cernak is expected to rejoin the lineup after missing the last three games The club recently placed blueliner Mikhail Sergachev (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Calgary Flames placed forward Kevin Rooney on waivers.










Maple Leafs Sign William Nylander To Eight-Year Extension

by | Jan 8, 2024

Maple Leafs Sign William Nylander To Eight-Year Extension

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it official, signing William Nylander to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. The average annual value is $11.5 million. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the deal also contains a full no-movement clause throughout the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates $69 million of the $92 million will be paid out in signing bonuses.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

No surprise there. Friedman and his colleague Nick Kypreos first reported last week that the Leafs and Nylander were closing in on this deal, which was expected to be done by today.

Nylander has earned this contract. He was underpaid on his current deal ($6.92 million annually) while his performance steadily improved. He reached 80 points in 2021-22 followed by a career-high of 40 goals and 87 points last season.

With 54 points in 37 games, Nylander is on pace for over 115 points this season. As of today, he leads the Leafs in points and is sixth among the league leaders. The 27-year-old winger has established himself as an elite scoring forward and should be paid as such.

Nylander’s critics believe his performance will tail off now that he’s inked his big-money contract. That’s a possibility I consider unlikely based on his play over the past three seasons. He’s in his playing prime now and will remain among the Leafs’ best players going forward.

The Leafs had a projected $32.5 million in cap space for next season with 11 active players under contract before Nylander’s signing. This deal will leave them with around $21 million to invest in filling out the remainder of their roster.

With the salary cap rising to around $87.5 million for next season, the Leafs felt comfortable in signing Nylander to such an expensive extension. They can afford it but it could complicate efforts to re-sign or replace pending UFAs like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, TJ Brodie and Mark Giordano, as well as restricted free agents like Timothy Liljegren.

With Nylander under contract, the focus shifts toward Mitch Marner. He has a year remaining on his contract with an AAV of $10.9 million and is eligible for UFA status in July 2025.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 8, 2024

by | Jan 8, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 8, 2024

Check out the latest on Jake Guentzel and Andrei Kuzmenko as well as some recent Canadiens speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON GUENTZEL’S CONTRACT SITUATION

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi reported Sunday that Jake Guentzel’s agent seemed to suggest that his client might not be with the Pittsburgh Penguins for much longer. The 29-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Agent Ben Hankinson said his client loves living and playing in Pittsburgh. He also indicated that he has a good relationship with Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas.

However, Hankinson didn’t rule out the possibility that negotiations could get ugly. He thinks Dubas must determine his club’s plans before the March 8 trade deadline and his client’s place within them. Hankinson said he’ll “lean on conversations” he’s already had with Dubas and with his client. “What’s going to happen, I don’t know.”

Rossi believes a lot can be read into Hankinson’s comments. One open question is whether he and Dubas discussed a new contract for Guentzel since the start of this season. Another is whether the two sides agreed to wait until the end of this season for serious negotiations.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel (NHL Images)

Guentzel declined to comment about his agent’s comments. “I’m not going to go too much into detail about it,” he said. “I’m just trying to play, and we’ll see what happens as we go.”

Rossi speculates this could go three ways. Guentzel could test the free-agent market on July 1, he could be traded by the March 8 deadline, or he and the Penguins agree to a contract extension. So far, there’s no indication which way it will go.

Guentzel is currently earning an average annual value of $6 million. Rossi thinks he could get a $2 million pay bump over that on his next deal. He could get a maximum of eight years with the Penguins and seven years on the open market. Given his production, Guentzel would be one of the most sought-after players in this summer’s free-agent pool.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau suggested the Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche and New York Islanders could use Guentzel if the Penguins shop him before the March 8 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another factor to take into account is what Sidney Crosby would think about Guentzel moving on at the trade deadline or via free agency. He’s had Guentzel on his wing for several productive seasons now and could exercise his influence to keep him there.

However, Rossi noted that the Penguins already have several over-30 players on expensive contracts. While the resilient Guentzel is currently the club’s leading scorer, Rossi pointed out that he also has an injury history.

If the Penguins decide to move Guentzel before March 8 there won’t be any shortage of suitors. He could become the most coveted player in this season’s trade market given his scoring ability and Stanley Cup experience.

WHAT NEXT FOR KUZMENKO AND THE CANUCKS?

THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal noted the Vancouver Canucks are continuing to work with struggling winger Andrei Kuzmenko to help him improve his performance.

Kuzmenko and his agent Dan Milstein want to make this work with the Canucks. Milstein has a good relationship with management and the two sides have regularly kept in touch. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old winger has yet to show signs of real improvement in his overall game and was a healthy scratch from some recent games.

Drance and Dhaliwal believe some teams have expressed some interest in Kuzmenko. However, his usage by the Canucks has distressed his value in the trade market. The Canucks would also be reluctant to retain part of his $5.5 million cap hit to facilitate a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drance and Dhaliwal believe something’s got to give if this situation doesn’t improve soon. It’ll be interesting to see how much longer this goes on.

The Canucks are currently jockeying for first place in the overall standings. They could be in a position to become buyers at the March 8 trade deadline. Perhaps Kuzmenko becomes part of a hockey trade that fetches a winger or defenseman who can help them stage a deep playoff run. Bear in mind, however, that his cap hit and 12-team no-trade clause could hamper those efforts.

UPDATE ON THE CANADIENS

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu wondered if Christian Dvorak’s season-ending injury could make Sean Monahan too important for the Montreal Canadiens to trade.

Basu believes the Canadiens will maintain its rebuilding program and that will include shopping Monahan even if he’s helping the club remain competitive this season. He suggested that perhaps a market for Monahan won’t develop that would fetch a sufficient return. However, the added responsibility he’ll have by replacing Dvorak could raise his trade profile.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens would trade Monahan simply for the sake of doing so by the deadline. I also doubt that they’d do so for a middling return. They’ll want substantial for him.

TVA SPORTS: With Los Angeles Kings backup goaltender Pheonix Copley sidelined for the season by knee surgery, perhaps general manager Rob Blake will call Canadiens GM Kent Hughes about Jake Allen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For now, the Kings will stick with their tandem of starter Cam Talbot and call-up David Rittich. Nevertheless, I think Blake will keep an eye on the trade market to add a little more depth between the pipes. Whether Allen will be on his radar remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2024

by | Jan 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2024

The Jets extend their points streak as they remain atop the overall standings, the injury-depleted Blackhawks upset the Flames, the Capitals and Red Wings score late game winners, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets picked up their sixth straight win and extended their points streak to 12 games by defeating the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Mark Scheifele scored two goals while Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist for the 26-9-4 Jets, who sit alone atop the overall standings with 56 points. Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther replied for the 19-17-2 Coyotes (40 points), who sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

Chicago Blackhawks forward Colin Blackwell tallied twice and collected an assist to lead his injury-depleted club to a 4-3 upset of the Calgary Flames. Petr Mrazek made 28 saves for the 12-26-2 Blackhawks. Nazem Kadri scored two goals for the 17-18-5 Flames, who are three points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks have nine regular players sidelined by injuries. They include Connor Bedard (fractured jaw), Taylor Hall, (season-ending knee surgery), Seth Jones (shoulder), Nick Foligno (fractured finger), Anthony Beauvillier (upper body), Tyler Johnson (undisclosed), Andreas Athanasiou (groin), Joey Anderson (shoulder) and Taylor Raddysh (lower body).

The Washington Capitals nipped the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 on John Carlson’s goal with 53 seconds remaining in the third period. Carlson also picked up an assist while Nicolas Aube-Kubel had a goal and two assists as the Capitals (19-13-6) sit just outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 44 points. Kevin Fiala scored twice for the 20-10-6 Kings as they are perched in third place in the Pacific Division with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen netted the game-winner with 1:07 left in the third period in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Lyon made 29 saves for the win as the Red Wings improved to 20-16-4 and also sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Trevor Zegras scored both goals for the 13-25-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New Jersey Devils hold the final Eastern wild card spot with 44 points with two more wins than the Capitals and two games in hand over the Red Wings.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s unclear if he’ll be available for Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Devils placed forward Tomas Nosek (foot) on long-term injury reserve.

The Minnesota Wild have called up goaltender Jesper Wallstedt for the first time in his career. Wallstedt, 21, was the Wild’s first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 7, 2024

by | Jan 7, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 7, 2024

The latest on William Nylander’s contract negotiations, the Flames and Noah Hanifin could be renewing talks, plus updates on the Senators and Ducks in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

NYLANDER DEAL COMING THIS WEEK?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander are closing in on an eight-year contract extension with an expected average annual value of $11.5 million. The deal could be officially announced as early as Monday.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There have been reports from Friedman and his colleague Nick Kypreos since last week that the two sides were working on a lucrative long-term extension. It was believed the aim was to get the deal done before the All-Star weekend from Feb. 1 to 3 in Toronto.

So what do you think, folks? Are the Leafs overpaying for Nylander or is this the right amount? Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

FLAMES AND HANIFIN STILL TALKING CONTRACT

Friedman believes the Calgary Flames and defenseman Noah Hanifin have renewed contract negotiations after they were ended earlier in the season. He didn’t think there was any chance of the two sides picking up those discussions. However, Friedman doesn’t think it’s out of the question that the two sides could reach a deal but wouldn’t put any odds on it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Two days ago, Friedman’s colleague Eric Francis suggested Hanifin as the one player of their pending UFAs (the others being Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Dan Vladar) worth retaining.

Francis pointed out that Hanifin still wants to stay in Calgary, he’s only 26 and it would make sense to re-sign a reliable No. 3 defenseman. He also noted the two sides were close to agreeing to an eight-year extension worth $7.5 million annually until the club’s slow start brought those talks to a halt.

Hanifin will draw plenty of interest if he becomes available leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. He could fetch the Flames a solid return of futures if they opt to rebuild. Whether it comes down to that could depend on their performance over the next two months.

SENATORS CALLING AROUND FOR HELP

Friedman reports Ottawa Senators management has been calling around letting other clubs know they’re willing to try some things. They’re unwilling to move their young core players but they’re in the market for what Friedman called professional players, those who know how to play properly and take good care of themselves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has reported since last week that Senators general manager Steve Staios is seeking a veteran for their third line who can help alternate captain Claude Giroux work with their young players.

Garrioch cited a league executive saying it’s difficult to find those types of players right now because most are on expiring contracts and the trade deadline is still two months away. Like Friedman, Garrioch also reports that Staios hasn’t yet reached the stage where he’d consider moving one or two of his young core players.

There are rumors the Senators are shopping pending UFA Dominik Kubalik. However, there isn’t much of a market for the struggling winger.

CAN THE DUCKS LAND A SCORING STAR THIS SUMMER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens recently suggested the Anaheim Ducks could use a player such as William Nylander to take the eventual step out of their rebuilding process.

Stephens noted that the Ducks have the salary cap space to spend this summer and they need to add a pure sniper such as Nylander. With the Leafs winger likely to be off the market soon, there aren’t many decent free-agent alternatives.

Florida’s Sam Reinhart isn’t in the same class as Nylander. Jake Guentzel could re-sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos is 34 and appears to be on a slow fade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stephens acknowledged that any chance of the Ducks landing Nylander was “pure fantasy”. He’s not wrong about what they’ll need to take the next step in their development but it doesn’t look like they’ll find it via this summer’s free-agent market.