NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2024

by | Oct 4, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2024

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

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Lia Assimakopoulos reported earlier this week that Stars captain Jamie Benn won’t be signing a contract extension this season.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn (NHL Images).

Stars general manager Jim Nill said the 35-year-old Benn wants to focus on winning this season and decide from there. “He’s all in with the team,” said Nill, saying his captain wants to wait and see what the club’s needs are after this season and how he can help.

“My plan, as long as I’m the GM here, he’s going to be a Dallas Star,” said Nill. “He’s earned that right. I think the first thing is are they still performing at the level they should be? And Jamie’s done that.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Benn is past his playing prime but remains a productive part of the Stars’ roster core. It’ll be surprising if he ends up going to market next summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn wondered if the Buffalo Sabres would swing a big in-season trade. He indicated they have over $7 million in salary-cap space and plenty of prospects to draw on for trade bait.

The Sabres were poking around the trade market this summer for a top-six forward. He believes GM Kevyn Adams could make a move near the March 7 trade deadline if the Sabres are in playoff contention.

Fairburn also pointed out that the Sabres have several roster players in the final seasons of their contracts (notably Jordan Greenway), who could be attractive trade chips if Adams decides to shake up the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of that speculation had the Sabres interested in Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee. That could be something to keep an eye on depending on the fortunes of both clubs as the season progresses.

RG.ORG: Marco D’Amico cited sources claiming the Montreal Canadiens don’t appear to be in the trade market for a quick fix to address their recent injury issues. They would instead prefer long-term upgrades to their roster.

D’Amico cited a well-placed Canadiens source claiming the club will look to within, saying management is considering keeping promising forward Oliver Kapanen on their roster rather than returning him to his Swedish club. Forward Joshua Roy could also get an opportunity for more playing time.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2024

Looking at possible trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman and the latest on Kirill Kaprizov in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mike Gould looks at some potential trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman if the Boston Bruins decide to move him.

Gould suggested the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers as clubs that need a reliable starting goaltender.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon proposed the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Hockey Club, and the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade rumors about Swayman started on Monday after Bruins president Cam Neely hinted his club had offered the goaltender a contract worth $64 million, breaking down as an average annual value of $8 million for the league maximum eight seasons.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

That prompted an immediate response from Swayman’s agent claiming no such offer had been made. Gould’s colleague Frank Seravalli recently reported the actual offer from the Bruins was $62.4 million, or $7.8 million annually for eight seasons.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had reported that Swayman was seeking a contract comparable to teammate Charlie McAvoy (eight years, $9.5 million per season). It’s believed he’s reduced that asking price to “low 9’s, high 8’s” but the Bruins are sticking with 8×8.

It’s also been reported the Bruins remain determined to sign Swayman. There’s no indication that he’s going to ask for a trade.

Nevertheless, the Bruins will seek a big return for Swayman if they put him on the trade block. The acquiring team must also be able to afford to pay what he’s seeking on his next contract.

Looking at Gould’s and Dixon’s lists, Utah is in the best position in terms of cap space ($9.92 million) and tradeable assets thanks to their depth in draft picks and promising young talent.

The Blackhawks ($5.9 million) and Flyers ($3.17 million) also have the draft picks and prospects to make a competitive pitch. However, they would have to send some salary to Boston to make room for Swayman’s new contract.

The Red Wings also have depth in tradeable assets to tempt the Bruins but they have just over $198K in cap space after re-signing Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond to lucrative new contracts. They’d have to shed a significant amount of salary to do this deal.

Colorado has over $2 million in cap space but they also face uncertainty about the futures of forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. They won’t make major moves until they get clarity on those two.

The Golden Knights always seem to be sniffing around for a big deal to keep them among the Stanley Cup contenders. However, they lacked cap space and depleted their prospect pool in previous deals.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dylan Loucks reports Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold isn’t concerned about his club’s ability to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov.

The 28-year-old winger’s name surfaced in recent speculation suggesting the Blackhawks would pursue him if he goes to free agency in 2026. The earliest the Wild can sign him to a contract extension is next July.

Leipold pointed out his club will get a significant increase in cap space next summer. That’s when the contract buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter dropped from a combined $14.7 million to $1.66 million over the remainder of the buyouts.

The Wild owner insists his club will re-sign Kaprizov. “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer,” said Leipold. “So all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s foundation player and leading scorer. They want to build around him but are handcuffed by their expensive buyouts of Parise and Suter. They’ll likely be major players in next summer’s trade and free-agent markets once the cap hit of those buyouts drops.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2024

by | Oct 2, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2024

The latest in the Jeremy Swayman contract negotiation saga, a suggestion for the Flames to pursue Igor Shesterkin this summer, and some potential waiver wire goalie options in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON JEREMY SWAYMAN’S CONTRACT SAGA

TSN: Chris Johnston believes the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman are taking a timeout for a cooling-off period following Monday’s war of words between the two sides regarding their contract negotiations.

On Monday, Bruins president Cam Neely hinted that his club had offered up a deal worth $64 million to Swayman. However, the goaltender’s agent replied no such offer had been made.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Johnston also noted the Bruins announced that Joonas Korpisalo will be their starting goaltender for their season opener next week. That indicates that, even if the Bruins and Swayman agree to a new contract this week, he won’t have enough practice time to prepare for the start of the season.

The deadline for signing restricted free agents is 5 pm ET on Dec. 1. Johnston believes the Bruins will start the season without Swayman and their standoff could last for some time yet.

Darren Dreger claims the Bruins remain “hopeful, optimistic and committed” to getting Swayman under contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the Bruins’ actual offer to Swayman was an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $7.8 million. That’s different from what Neely hinted at, as a $64 million contract for eight seasons carries an AAV of $8 million.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa believes the ball is now in Swayman’s court as to how this proceeds. He considers the 25-year-old netminder to be “thin-skinned” and sensitive to real or perceived slights. “If Swayman takes his bosses’ latest actions personally, then he’ll have to wait much longer for a resolution,” writes Shinzawa.

Swayman could also request a trade if he doesn’t see a resolution with the Bruins. However, that doesn’t mean it’ll happen, citing the club’s high asking price and the cost for a rival club to sign the young netminder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication that a short-term compromise is possible. Both sides agree they want a long-term deal at the league maximum of eight years, but can’t agree on the money.

The Bruins appear willing to come up from their original rumored pitch (between $6.2 million and $6.4 million) to between $7.8 million and $8 million. It’s believed the Swayman camp seeks around $9.5 million.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols suggests the Devils should look into Swayman’s availability despite their offseason acquisition of Jacob Markstrom. He pointed out the Devils attempted to acquire goalie Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators in August before he was shipped to the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s a big difference between the two. The Bruins’ asking price and the cost of signing Swayman will be too high for the Devils, whereas the promising Askarov would’ve been a more affordable long-term addition.

SHOULD THE FLAMES PURSUE SHESTERKIN NEXT SUMMER?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jim Parsons suggests the Calgary Flames should look into pursuing Igor Shesterkin next July if the New York Rangers goaltender hits the open market.

Shesterkin, 28, is expected to become the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender. Parsons pointed out that the Flames will have $35 million in cap space next season, more than enough room to pitch a $13 million AAV to the Shesterkin camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parsons acknowledged Shesterkin is likely to re-sign with the Rangers. Still, it’s worthwhile to explore what might happen if he instead ends up testing the market.

The Flames could easily afford Shesterkin but he might not fit into their long-term plans. He’ll be 29 next summer and signing him to an expensive long-term deal could create a salary-cap headache down the road.

There’s also no certainty that Shesterkin will sign with any team that offers the most money. Location will also come into play. He might not be keen to play in Canada or in the Western Conference.

THE ATHLETIC: Jesse Granger listed several goaltenders who might be available on the waiver wire before the start of the season next week. They include Detroit’s Alex Lyon, Buffalo’s James Reimer, Washington’s Hunter Shepard, Toronto’s Matt Murray, and Florida’s Chris Driedger.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

by | Oct 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

The latest on the Bruins’ negotiations with Jeremy Swayman plus an update on the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We are experiencing technical difficulties today that are affecting the layout of today’s updates. We hope to have this rectified soon. Your patience is appreciated. 

LATEST ON SWAYMAN

TSN: Boston Bruins president Cam Neely seemed to let the cat out of the bag regarding the club’s contract offer to Jeremy Swayman.

“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely told reporters on Monday.

His remarks suggest the Bruins have offered Swayman an average annual value of $8 million at the league’s maximum term of eight years.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Fantucchio reports that Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, took to social media Monday refuting Neely’s claim that the Bruins offered them a deal worth $64 million. 

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

“I feel the need to defend my client,” wrote Gross. “This was the first time ($64 million) was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made approaching that level.”

Gross concluded by saying his camp was “extremely disappointed” and it was unfair to Swayman. “We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.” 

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy cites NHL sources suggesting Bruins ownership could be unhappy over Swayman’s comments in August regarding his contract negotiations. During an interview with Marc Lewis of Savage Sports, Swayman described his unhappiness over the arbitration process for his last contract, adding he’s since educated himself on the business side of the game and doesn’t want to adversely affect the market value of comparable goaltenders. 

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman examined where things could go in the Swayman negotiations from here. 

Friedman believes the goalie’s camp is calling a timeout as they carefully evaluate the situation. That could include a trade as speculation “ran rampant” following Neely’s remarks. He also thinks the Bruins have publicly indicated how far they’re willing to go with their negotiations, putting the pressure firmly on Swayman. 

Both sides are in agreement on a league-maximum eight-year contract but remain far apart on the money. Friedman thinks the Bruins may have offered between $60 million and $62 million. He also mentioned hearing trade rumors a couple of weeks ago but the Bruins were intent on signing Swayman but he wonders if things may have changed. 

THE ATHLETIC: Despite the contract standoff between Swayman and the Boston Bruins, Fluto Shinzawa reports the Bruins aren’t ready to trade the 25-year-old goaltender. 

Shinzawa points out that the Bruins need Swayman. The 25-year-old is poised to be their starting goalie for the next several seasons. He also noted that the Bruins would set a very high asking price while the acquiring team must sign him to a new contract.

It’s believed Swayman seeks an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shinzawa’s report was published before Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply.

The Bruins have until the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents to get Swayman under contract. The sooner they can accomplish that, the better it’ll be for the team and the netminder, who has already missed most of training camp and preseason play with the Bruins’ Oct. 9 season opener fast approaching.

It’s still premature to suggest trading Swayman. Nevertheless, the longer this standoff continues, the more speculation will be raised about his future in Boston. Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply suggest the crossroads has been reached. We’ll learn soon enough which direction they take. 

HOW WILL THE MAPLE LEAFS SHED SALARY?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Evan Doerfler cited TSN’s Darren Dreger last week suggesting Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf as cost-cutting candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are above the $88 million salary cap for the upcoming season. They must be cap-compliant before the start of the regular season.

Jarnkrok, 33, has an injury history and has already missed preseason play with a lower-body injury, raising concerns about his availability this season. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $2.1 million and has a 10-team no-trade list.

Kampf, 29, has earned praise for his defensive work on the Leafs’ fourth line. Those skills might give him value in the trade market but his $2.4 million AAV through 2026-27 could be a sticking point for some teams. Like Jarnkrok, he has a 10-team no-trade list.

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan also mentioned Jarnkrok and Kampf as cost-cutting trade candidates. He suggested defenseman Conor Timmins and his $1.1 million cap hit could also be a trade option.

Nick Robertson requested a trade during the offseason but Koshan doesn’t expect he’ll be traded. The 23-year-old winger played well in training camp after signing a one-year deal with the Leafs.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle speculates the Leafs could get some early-season cap relief by placing Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar on long-term injury reserve. He also suggested Timmins could end up on waivers and Marshall Rifai be used as their seventh defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puckpedia has the Leafs sitting above the cap by $1.069 million. They must be cap-compliant but must also find room to sign forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz.

It’ll be interesting to see how they address this issue.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 29, 2024

by | Sep 29, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 29, 2024

Some predictions for the coming season in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski made bold predictions for every NHL team for 2024-25. Among them were some trade and free-agent forecasts.

Wyshynski expects this season will be Jim Montgomery’s last as head coach of the Bruins. He cited the lack of contract extension talks between the two sides and the club’s inability to get past the Florida Panthers in the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another early postseason exit could spell the end for Montgomery in Boston.

Linus Ullmark’s tenure with the Ottawa Senators will only last this season. Wyshynski noted the 31-year-old goaltender is in the final season of his contract and the Sens are giving him time to acclimate before trying to re-sign him.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark could enjoy his time in Ottawa and want to stick around, especially if he backstops them to their first postseason appearance in eight years. Where it could get sticky is how much salary he’ll want and for how long.

Wyshynski expects Mitch Marner will re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He pointed out how stories that he’ll get traded this summer gave way to stories that he’s open to negotiating a contract extension during this season, remaining unwavering in his intent to stick with the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll cost a fortune to keep Marner in the fold, perhaps over $12.5 million annually. However, John Tavares’ big contract comes off their books next summer and if Tavares wants to stay he’ll have to do so for less money. They’ll have enough to re-sign Marner, even if it means carrying a top-heavy roster that struggles in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.

Igor Shesterkin will get his hefty new contract with the New York Rangers, probably before the start of the season to avoid an average performance on his part bringing down his average annual value. Whyshynki predicts they’ll reach common ground at around $11 million annually.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are believed to be willing to go as high as $11 million while the Shesterkin camp reportedly seeks an average annual value of $12 million. They’re not that far apart if those reports are true.

Wyshynski predicts the rising salary cap could make it possible for the Chicago Blackhawks to find a trade partner willing to take defenseman Seth Jones and his $9.5 million AAV off their hands.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe, but that also depends on Jones’ willingness to waive his full no-movement clause. Until that happens, the 29-year-old defenseman isn’t going anywhere.

Expect the Anaheim Ducks to move Cam Fowler by the March 7 trade deadline. The 32-year-old defenseman has had discussions with management about his future. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $6.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler will be enticing to contenders seeking a top-pairing defenseman who will be more than a rental player for one postseason.

Speaking of the Ducks, Wyshynski predicts they’ll move forward Trevor Zegras in the offseason when he’ll have a year remaining on his contract. The 23-year-old center can become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zegras emerged as a trade candidate in January. His name continues to float to the surface of the rumor mill. A strong performance on his part this season could silence that chatter or bolster his value in the trade market.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 28, 2024

by | Sep 28, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 28, 2024

How will the Kings replace the sidelined Drew Doughty on their blueline? What’s the latest on Flyers goalie Alexei Kolosov? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman wondered how the Los Angeles Kings will replace sidelined Drew Doughty. The 34-year-old defenseman requires surgery to repair a broken ankle and is listed as month-to-month.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (NHL Images).

Friedman pondered which right-handed defensemen remain available in the free-agent market, mentioning Justin Schultz and Kevin Shattenkirk. He also suggested a rearguard could become available via waivers.

The Kings could also promote Kyle Burroughs, Brandt Clarke or Jordan Spence as Doughty’s replacement. Friedman doubts they’ll move Clarke because they added Joel Edmundson to pair with him.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens also examined the Kings’ options to replace Doughty.

Stephens thinks it’ll have to be a collective effort by the Kings blueline to offset Doughty’s absence. He noted they already planned to lean more on Clarke and Spence this season. He Stephens also suggested Tyson Barrie, Shattenkirk, or Schultz as external free-agent options if Doughty is out long-term.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings have over $1.7 million in cap space to put toward adding a defenseman via waivers, trade, or free agency. They could also exceed the cap by placing Doughty and his $11 million annual cap hit on long-term injury reserve to address that issue.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Kings address this situation. They could look to within but it wouldn’t be surprising if they also opt for an affordable veteran addition.

RG.ORG: Sergey Demidov cites a source claiming Alexei Kolosov returned to North America to personally meet with Philadelphia Flyers management to terminate his NHL contract.

The source said the 22-year-old netminder’s goal is to negotiate the termination of his contract and return to KHL club Dinamo Minsk, where his salary has been reserved for this season. He doesn’t want to play in North America, but the KHL won’t allow him to play for Dinamo while under an NHL contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kolosov participated in the Flyers’ practice on Friday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes he might get into one of their four remaining preseason games and could start this season with their AHL affiliate. The goalie also has a European assignment clause and could return to the KHL if he hasn’t played in the NHL by a certain date.