NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, there’s speculation over Kirill Kaprizov’s next contract, the Blue Jackets could be worth monitoring in the trade market, and there’s interest in two Kraken forwards.

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said he felt that Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov’s next contract could place him among the league’s highest-paid players.

Friedman speculated that Kaprizov could be paid “in the Matthews/Draisaitl range”. He added that he felt the Wild star “is going to be one of the top-paid players in the league.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov, 27, is in the fourth year of his five-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026.

The Wild can attempt to sign Kaprizov to a contract extension next July. On Oct. 2, Wild owner Craig Leipold stated his club intends to re-sign him. “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer (years), so all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews earns an AAV of $13.25 million. Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl will start making $14 million annually next July when his new eight-year contract extension goes into effect.

The Wild can afford to pay Kaprizov that much on an eight-year contract. He’s their franchise player and the foundation of their efforts to build a Stanley Cup contender.

As Leipold pointed out their intent to win could be the deciding factor. If the Wild show no sign of becoming a contender by 2026, Kaprizov could take his talent elsewhere even if the Wild could pay him more for longer.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes the Columbus Blue Jackets are a club worth watching in this season’s trade market.

Seravalli claims Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell has informed teams that he’s willing to take on contracts that might be viewed as undesirable in exchange for assets. They have plenty of cap space to do so this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli also said Waddell has received offers of players with three to five years remaining on their contracts. However, the Blue Jackets GM isn’t interested in taking on those type of deals. He’s probably more keen on those with one or two years remaining.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Julian Gaudio cited Seravalli reporting the Seattle Kraken has received calls about forward Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde.

Seravalli said the Kraken has too many forwards and must move someone if everyone stays healthy. Tanev and Gourde are checking-line forwards but don’t contribute much offense, something the Kraken needs as their offensive stats are slipping.

Gourde’s ability to play center or wing makes the Kraken reluctant to move him while Tanev could be a different story.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gourde’s versatility and Stanley Cup experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning would make him more enticing for clubs seeking checking-line depth. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if the Kraken are willing to move either forward at this point.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2024

What are some possible trade targets for the Islanders, Avalanche and Sabres? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner noted the New York Islanders need a left-shot defenseman with Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly injured. Pelech is out for four to six weeks while Reilly is listed as day-to-day.

With wingers Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair on long-term injury reserve, the Islanders have $9.15 million in cap space.

Rosner suggested Detroit Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson as a trade option. He was a healthy scratch in four of the Wings’ 11 games and carries a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2 million.

Another could be Erik Brannstrom of the Vancouver Canucks, who’s on a one-year, $900K contract. Rosner also suggested Brendan Smith of the Dallas Stars (one year, $1 million), who has only appeared in five of his club’s 11 games this season.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple also weighed in on possible blueline trade targets for the Islanders.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (NHL Images).

He points out that Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has limited options. He can’t afford to make a shake-up trade unless he moves out some salary. That’s because Duclair comes off LTIR in two-to-three weeks and Barzal will return before the end of 2024.

Staple suggested Jon Merrill or Declan Chisholm of the Minnesota Wild and Scott Perunovich of the St. Louis Blues as trade options. He also included Gustafsson in his list. Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks could be available but the Isles would have to dump one of their top-four defensemen to afford his $6.5 million cap hit through next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler also has a four-team trade list. He’s reportedly willing to expand it but the Isles might not be among his preferred destinations.

Most of these suggested options are inexpensive short-term fixes that won’t significantly improve the Isles blueline. They would be the more likely options for Lamoriello given his salary-cap limitations.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau listed three potential trade targets for the slumping Colorado Avalanche to boost their injury-battered roster.

Proteau wondered if they could make a play for Islanders center Brock Nelson. Given his UFA eligibility next summer, the 33-year-old center has a cap hit of $6 million but he’d be a pure rental player. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson might become available by the March 7 trade deadline depending on where the Isles are in the standings. That could be too long a wait for Avs management.

More affordable options include Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson (one year, $875K) and Utah Hockey Club forward Michael Carcone ($775K).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche could be willing to wait until some of their sidelined players return to action. Artturi Lehkonen came off injured reserve yesterday and Valeri Nichushkin is expected to return from his six-month suspension later this month.

However, if they must make a trade, Robertson and Carcone are more likely to be available now than a core player like Nelson. They’ve been in and out of the lineup this season, carry low-cost contracts, and shouldn’t cost more than a third-round pick to acquire. The Avs have two fourth-rounders in the 2025 draft and two fifth-rounders in 2026 to use as trade chips.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Jason Moser cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting last Wednesday that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has been active in the trade market.

Moser believes Adams could be in the market for a top-six forward. He indicated the Sabres can afford to work out a deal for a bigger salary, carrying over $7 million in cap space.

Moser listed several pending UFA forwards on struggling teams this season. They include Frank Vatrano and Robby Fabbri of the Anaheim Ducks, Mikael Granlund of the San Jose Sharks, Patrick Kane of the Detroit Red Wings, Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri of the New York Islanders, Gustav Nyquist of the Nashville Predators, and Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Depending on their clubs’ performances in the coming weeks, some of these forwards could appear in the trade market once the calendar flips to 2025 and the March 7 trade deadline approaches.

At this stage of the season, it’s unlikely any of them are available. Adams might have to overpay to land one now.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 3, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 3, 2024

Check out the latest on the Rangers, Islanders and Maple Leafs in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple recently looked at what New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury could do to free up salary-cap space for next season.

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin still needs a new contract. So does defenseman K’Andre Miller, Kaapo Kakko and Will Cuylle. He’ll also have to decide about pending unrestricted free agents Ryan Lindgren, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Quick.

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

Staple believes all arrows point to Jacob Trouba getting moved in an offseason trade. He’ll have a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $8 million. Drury could move the 30-year-old defenseman without having to retain salary or include major assets to get a deal done.

Drury doesn’t have many cost-cutting trade options outside of Trouba. Center Mika Zibanejad’s hefty contract is almost untradeable and they’d only get $700K in savings next season if he were bought out. Chris Kreider would draw interest but moving him and Trouba could be too much for the Rangers.

Staple also suggested a wild-card move like trading the 24-year-old Miller. He’d fetch a significant return and his absence could be offset by the maturing Braden Schneider and the promising Vincent Mancini.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury’s ill-fated attempt to trade Trouba in late June signaled this season will be the blueliner’s last with the Rangers. He’s now got a 15-team no-trade list which gives Drury some flexibility and potential trade partners.

Trading away Miller would be a risky move despite the promising return. Drury must ensure that Schneider and Mancini have matured enough to replace Trouba and Miller.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the New York Islanders are believed to be seeking help for their injury-battered defense corps. Bluelines Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov are sidelined with Pelech (upper body) out for four-to-six weeks. All three are left-hand shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reilly and Romanov are day-to-day and are expected to return to action soon. Nevertheless, Pelech’s lengthy absence could be difficult to address from within. They’ve called up Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc from their AHL affiliate.

They could also be in the market for a scoring forward. Their offense was among the league’s lowest before Mathew Barzal was sidelined for four to six weeks by an upper-body injury. They’ve placed him on long-term injury reserve to give themselves some cap relief to accommodate adding Hutton and Bolduc.

Friedman reports the Toronto Maple Leafs have two players (Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar) on conditioning stints with their AHL affiliate. They have about a week to address their impending roster crunch when everyone is healthy to return.

The Leafs acquired defenseman Matt Benning when they shipped Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks last week. They’ve let teams know they want to do right by Benning and made him available in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cost of moving Liljegren and his $3 million average annual value through next season was taking on Benning’s $1.25 million AAV. He’s an affordable veteran right-shot blueliner and should draw some interest around the league.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2024

Which Blues player is more likely to be moved by the March trade deadline? Should the Predators bring back Mikael Granlund? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was recently asked if Brandon Saad, Jordan Binnington and Nick Leddy are the three St. Louis Blues players most likely to be moved by the March 7 trade deadline, assuming the club is out of playoff contention by then.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).

Rutherford believes Saad would draw the most interest. The 32-year-old left winger has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million. With the salary cap projected to rise next season, he could have value for a contender.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s assuming Saad will waive his full no-trade clause. The extra year on his contract would make him more valuable because a contender would have him for two playoff runs. He’s been a reliable 20-plus goal scorer through most of his previous 12 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2013 and 2015.

Rutherford doesn’t see Binnington being moved because goalies often don’t fetch good returns, especially at the trade deadline. He believes Leddy would be difficult to move because he’s got a year left on his deal unless the Blues retain part of his $4 million AAV.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington’s contract likely keeps him in St. Louis. He carries an AAV of $6 million and an 18-team no-trade list. Leddy has a full no-trade clause for this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch believes San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund is the top trade target teams will be interested in, pointing to the 32-year-old’s point-per-game pace this season. Couch also noted his 60-point effort with the rebuilding Sharks last season.

Granlund is in the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $5 million. The Sharks can’t retain part of his salary because they’ve used up all three salary-retention spots for this season.

Couch makes the case for the Nashville Predators to reacquire Granlund, who played for them from 2018-19 to 2022-23. He could help the Preds address their need for a reliable second-line center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granlund’s playoff numbers aren’t great (32 points in 59 games) but he could become a player of interest for contending clubs seeking depth at center.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier will likely hang onto him until the trade deadline to maximize the potential return. Whether the Predators are among the suitors remains to be seen. That’ll depend on where they are in the standings by then.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2024

Check out the latest on the Oilers, Leafs and Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

OILERS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Caleb Kerney cited Elliotte Friedman’s appearance earlier this week on “Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer” listing four potential blueline trade targets for the Oilers.

They include Cam Fowler of the Anaheim Ducks, Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks, Matt Benning of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Seth Jones of the Blackhawks.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was broadcast before the Leafs acquired Benning from the San Jose Sharks. However, Kerney’s colleague Nick Barden cited TSN’s Darren Dreger suggesting the Leafs could flip Benning to bring in an additional asset if the club is still struggling with the salary cap.

Don’t hold your breath expecting Fowler, Jones or Murphy to don an Oilers jersey anytime soon. Fowler and Jones carry hefty cap hits with no-trade protection. The asking prices are likely too expensive for the cap-strapped Oilers unless they can swing a three-team deal.

Murphy is signed through next season with an AAV of $4.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list. The earliest he could be available is near the March 7 trade deadline.

EDMONTON JOURNAL’s Jim Matheson also mentioned Murphy and suggested Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov as another trade option for the Oilers. He’s eligible for UFA status next July and the Jackets carry $4.7 million of his $6.75 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Provorov is more likely to be available than Fowler, Jones and Murphy. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported last week that the Utah Hockey Club contacted the Blue Jackets about Provorov but they’re not in a hurry to move him. They’ll likely wait until the trade deadline if they’re out of the playoff race by then to drive up his value.

LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan recently noted that Nick Robertson was a healthy scratch from the Maple Leafs game against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week. The 23-year-old winger led the Leafs with five preseason goals but has only one in 10 regular-season contests thus far.

Robertson said he wasn’t taking the benching personally, saying he was focused on working hard.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Aarif Deens cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting that the Avalanche were shopping around for a forward.

Deens suggested Robertson as a possible trade option for the Avs, pointing out that the winger can’t seem to find a permanent role with the Leafs. He thinks Robertson’s offensive game could take off with the right linemates.

Robertson is on a one-year, $875K contract. He’d be an affordable possibility for the cap-strapped Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson was the frequent topic of offseason speculation after requesting a trade on June 30 but re-signed before training camp. Leafs management saw him as a middle-six winger but they could entertain trade offers if he continues having difficulty filling that role.

CANADIENS

RG.ORG: Marco Dumont cites a source claiming Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans is attracting some interest in the NHL trade market. Dumont cites the jump in the 28-year-old Evans’ production (five points in 11 games) and his mature defensive game.

Evans is UFA-eligible next summer and carries an affordable $1.7 million cap hit this season. Dumont’s source noted that the Canadiens are searching for a top-four defenseman, suggesting that it would make sense to use Evans as trade bait to address their blueline need.

The Canadiens have other assets such as draft picks and prospects to draw on. However, if they’re unwilling to sacrifice their future it would make sense to cash in on their pending UFAs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens aren’t likely to move Evans right now. It’s more likely a trade-deadline move if he proves too costly to re-sign.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2024

Check out the latest on the Sabres, Avalanche, Canadiens, Utah HC, Jets and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman reports trade talks have increased as teams that have preached patience are starting to run out of it.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is trying to add to his roster.

Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been rumored since the summer that Adams wants to add a top-six forward. Offseason acquisition Jason Zucker is among their leading scorers with seven points but forwards Dylan Cozens (three assists), Jack Quinn (two points) and Jiri Kulich (one goal) haven’t produced as expected. 

The Colorado Avalanche are looking for forwards. Friedman observes they must “get through a miserable stretch” with five of their top-nine forwards sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That includes Ross Colton (broken foot, six to eight weeks) and Miles Wood (upper-body injury, seven to 10 days). However, help is coming in November.

Artturi Lehkonen is expected to make his season debut next Tuesday after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Valeri Nichushkin will return in mid-to-late November following his mandatory six-month suspension as part of entering Phase 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program in May.

Friedman also repeated his Saturday report claiming the Montreal Canadiens seek a forward who plays with an edge but not at the expense of their future.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed they’re interested in adding a player on an expiring contract.

Utah Hockey Club forward Michael Carcone hasn’t played since Oct. 16. Friedman believes that situation is “growing some urgency to it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah GM Bill Armstrong could be fielding calls for Carcone, who scored 21 goals last season but has dropped down their forward depth chart this season. He’s been a healthy scratch in all but three games.

The Winnipeg Jets are off to a blazing start but Friedman suggests they could use more size on their blueline.

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston recently listed 10 early NHL trade candidates.

Among them were Canadiens center Christian Dvorak, San Jose Sharks defenseman Cody Ceci, and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the players on Johnston’s list, such as Anaheim’s John Gibson and Cam Fowler, frequently appeared in the rumor mill recently. Follow the link to see the full listing if you have a subscription to The Athletic.

It’s not surprising that Dvorak and Ceci are on this list. They play on rebuilding teams and are eligible to become unrestricted free agents in July.

Ristolainen, however, is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $5.1 million. Johnston considers him a third-pairing defenseman at this stage of his career. Good luck moving that contract without retaining salary or adding sweeteners.