NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2021
NHL Rumor Mill – January 27, 2021
Vince Dunn’s days with the St. Louis Blues could be numbered plus the latest on the Leafs, Canadiens and Ducks in today’s NHL rumor mill.
DUNN COULD BE DONE IN ST. LOUIS
TSN: Frank Seravalli last night reported Vince Dunn could be on the move. The St. Louis Blues have engaged in conversations with many clubs regarding the 24-year-old defenseman, who signed a one-year, $1.875 million contract last year. Seravalli said there was a belief Dunn would be traded during training camp, adding the blueliner was expected to be a healthy scratch in last night’s game.
SPORTSNET: In his latest “31 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman noted Dunn was taken off the Blues second power-play unit during Tuesday’s practice. While the defenseman has had a rough start his talent is respected. Friedman also indicated the Blues had a lot of trade talk about him during the summer. It’s believed they’re seeking a first-rounder in return.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dunn was a healthy scratch from last night’s win over the Vegas Golden Knights. That could indicate a trade could be in the works. Whatever the reason behind Dunn’s struggles this season he should still draw lots of interest in the trade market.
A skilled mobile blueliner, Dunn was once considered a promising part of the Blues defense corps. He’s tallied 23-or-more points in each of his first three seasons, including a 35-point performance during his sophomore campaign.
MORE TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “31 THOUGHTS”
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman repeated his report from last Saturday claiming the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for forwards with Joe Thornton and Nick Robertson sidelined by injuries.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs are already pressed for salary cap space so they’ll have to do a dollar-for-dollar swap if they’re looking to significantly boost their injury-depleted forward lines.
He also repeated his report that Montreal Canadiens defenseman Victor Mete is having trouble cracking the Habs’ deep blueline corps.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens haven’t assigned Mete to their taxi squad because a rival club will likely pluck him off waivers. They probably prefer hanging on to him for now in case injuries strike their blueline. Still, they could trade him for the right offer.
Friedman reports the Anaheim Ducks are looking for scoring.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s understandable as they enter today sitting dead-last with a goals-for per game average of 1.71. They were reportedly among the clubs interested in Pierre-Luc Dubois and Patrik Laine before they were swapped for each other last Saturday. No word as to who else they’re interested in or what they’re prepared to offer.