NHL Rumor Mill – August 30, 2023

by | Aug 30, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 30, 2023

Should the Golden Knights look into acquiring Canucks center Elias Pettersson? Could the Blues trade Torey Krug this season? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS PURSUE ELIAS PETTERSSON?

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Chris Gawlik recently suggested the Golden Knights look into acquiring Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson if Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson don’t get contract extensions.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

Marchessault and Stephenson are slated to become unrestricted free agents next July. It’s not a certainty one or both will be re-signed as both will likely command significant raises. Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season while Stephenson has been outperforming his current contract.

Noting Pettersson’s recent remarks about putting contract talks with the Canucks on hold, Gawlik speculated the pending restricted free agent might prefer a trade to a potential contender. He pointed out that Marchessault and Stephenson have already peaked while the 24-year-old Pettersson is just starting his prime. The Golden Knights could offer up draft picks and prospects to get him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gawlik isn’t the first pundit to suggest the team that he’s covering should look into Pettersson’s availability. Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy made the same proposal for the Bruins.

Bear in mind Gawlik and Murphy aren’t stating that the Golden Knights and Bruins are actively pursuing Pettersson or even remotely interested at this point. They’re just suggesting the management of those clubs should conduct their due diligence and at least look into it.

In reality, it will take more than draft picks and prospects for the Golden Knights to pry Pettersson away from the Canucks. Their first-round picks in 2024, 2025 and 2026 will likely be near the bottom of each round. They’ve also depleted their prospect pipeline putting together their current roster.

The Golden Knights currently have 16 active roster players under contract for 2024-25 with just over $16 million in cap space. A new contract for Pettersson will likely eat up over $10 million of that, making him a tight squeeze within their cap payroll.

COULD THE BLUES TRADE TOREY KRUG THIS SEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford made 10 bold predictions for the St. Louis Blues this season. Among them was trading Torey Krug.

Rutherford indicated that the Blues had a trade in place earlier this summer to ship Krug to the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers. However, the 32-year-old defenseman nixed the deal by invoking his no-trade clause.

There are three reasons why Rutherford believes a Krug trade is possible during the upcoming season. The Blues’ failed attempt to move the veteran blueliner created a potentially awkward and distracting situation. They’d like to free up a spot on their defense corps for Scott Perunovich. They’re also up against the $83.5 million cap and moving out Krug’s $6.5 million cap hit will free up much-needed payroll space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rutherford acknowledged it remains difficult to trade Krug given his cap hit and his no-trade clause. Nevertheless, it could happen if a suitable trade destination can be found. A healthy season and a return to form could also make him more desirable in the trade market.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 29, 2023

by | Aug 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 29, 2023

A look at questions facing several Pacific Division teams in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently looked at the biggest question facing each team in the Pacific Division.

Among them was whether the Calgary Flames would make any major trades before training camp opens later next month. The expectation is defenseman Noah Hanifin will be dealt at some point. There’s less certainty about center Elias Lindholm but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Flames moved him before summer ends.

Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hanifin, Lindholm and center Mikael Backlund are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

Hanifin has reportedly informed Flames management that he intends to test next summer’s UFA market. There are reports the Flames and Lindholm’s camp are discussing an extension but no word as to whether progress has been made. A new contract for Lindholm could lead to one for Backlund.

Dixon wondered if the Los Angeles Kings might pursue another goaltender. He suspects that move might come during the season if the current tandem of Pheonix Copley and Cam Talbot aren’t up to snuff. Dixon isn’t sure if they could land Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, in part because it would take some salary-cap gymnastics by the Kings to pull it off.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with this assessment. Kings general manager Rob Blake could be forced into the trade market if Copley and Talbot can’t get the job done.

The Kings have plenty of promising young players to draw on for trade bait and a recent trade history with the Jets. However, Blake could ask the Jets to retain half of Hellebuyck’s $6.166 million salary-cap hit to facilitate a trade or try to swing a three-team deal to spread it around.

Turning to the San Jose Sharks, Dixon wondered if offseason acquisitions such as Mike Hoffman, Anthony Duclair, Mikael Granlund and Jan Rutta end up getting flipped to other clubs.

Duclair, 28, could be part of the Sharks’ future but the others are over 30 and probably won’t figure into their long-range plans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of that group, Duclair has the best trade value and would fetch the biggest return. That will depend on whether he wants to re-sign with the rebuilding Sharks or test next summer’s free-agent market. If it’s the latter, he’ll be used as a bargaining chip near the March trade deadline by the Sharks.

Dixon also took note of Elias Pettersson putting contract extension talks on hold with the Vancouver Canucks to focus on preparing for the coming season. He wondered if Pettersson might change his mind once he’s back in North America.

Dixon also wondered if frequent trade-rumor subject Brock Boeser gets moved before training camp begins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson’s remarks prompted at least one pundit to suggest the club he covers at least look into whether a trade can be done for the 24-year-old center. Considering his value to the retooling Canucks, I doubt it.

Pettersson is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. If a new contract isn’t agreed to by then, the Canucks are under no pressure to move him as they’ll still retain his rights.

As for Boeser, he made it clear at the end of last season that he wants to stay with the Canucks. There’s no indication they intend to move him. That could change over the course of the season but for now, I expect him to be part of their roster when the schedule begins in October.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 28, 2023

by | Aug 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 28, 2023

A look at questions facing some Atlantic Division teams entering 2023-24 in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently looked at big questions facing Atlantic Division teams as they approach the coming season.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

Among the noteworthy questions was whether Pavel Zacha would become the Boston Bruins’ first-line center at the start of training camp. Their depth at the center position suffered a significant blow with the recent retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

The Bruins possess enough overall roster talent to be fighting hard for a playoff berth this season. Nevertheless, if general manager Don Sweeney can swing a trade for someone like Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, the Bruins could be in the thick of the postseason race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Scheifele and Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm have frequently surfaced as possible Bruins trade targets. That’s because of their eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

The Bruins, however, lack depth in suitable trade assets. Unless they’re the only ones pursuing Scheifele and Lindholm if one or both become available in the trade market. I doubt Sweeney will win a bidding war for either guy this season.

Dixon pondered whether the Buffalo Sabres could acquire Calgary’s Noah Hanifin or another top-four defenseman like Carolina’s Brett Pesce. They’ve been linked to every defenseman in the rumor mill and would no doubt want to sign whoever they pursue to a long-term contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I still say goaltending is the biggest issue facing the Sabres but it appears they’re willing to start the season with Devon Levi, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Eric Comrie. Bolstering the blueline in front of their inexperienced netminders would be a sensible option.

Hanifin or Pesce won’t come cheaply. Both are slated to become UFAs next summer and their current clubs will set a high price in the trade market. They might not become available until the weeks leading up to the March trade deadline. By that point, the Sabres’ roster needs could change.

Dixon also mused over whether the Montreal Canadiens can find a new home for recently acquired goalie Casey DeSmith. The Canadiens already have a crowded crease with Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau. DeSmith, 32, has a year left on his contract at an affordable $1.8 million and might tempt a club in need of goaltending depth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has indicated he could trade DeSmith or make other changes. Either way, Hughes assured him that he wouldn’t be heading to the minors.

The “other changes” could be peddling Primeau or Allen. Montembeault received assurances from Hughes that he was not going anywhere.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 27, 2023

by | Aug 27, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 27, 2023

A look at some of the teams in the Central Division heading into the 2023-24 season in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently looked at the biggest unanswered question for each team in the NHL’s Central Division.

Among the notables was whether the Colorado Avalanche could figure out a contract extension for Devon Toews before the start of the season. The 29-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Given the Avalanche’s limited salary-cap space, Dixon wondered if Toews and fellow blueliner Samuel Girard would still be with the club in a year’s time.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews skates on the Avalanche’s top defense pairing with superstar Cale Makar. He’s due for a significant raise over the $4.1 million average annual value of his current contract. The Avs, however, have just $10.7 million in cap space for 2024-25 with 13 active roster players under contract.

They could get an additional $7 million in cap relief if captain Gabriel Landeskog remains sidelined in 2024-25 by his ongoing (and potentially career-threatening) knee injury. That could help them clear enough space to re-sign Toews.

If Landeskog returns, however, the Avs will have to shed salary if they hope to re-sign Toews. Girard could become a trade candidate. The 25-year-old rearguard carries an AAV of $5 million through 2026-27.

Dixon noted that the Dallas Stars could use some blue-line help for stud defenseman Miro Heiskanen. If they wanted to go after someone like the Calgary Flames’ Noah Hanifin they have a couple of prospect forwards that could help get a deal done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf also recently pointed to the Stars’ need to bolster their defense corps, especially on the right side. However, he suggested the Carolina Hurricanes’ Brett Pesce, the Nashville Predators’ Tyson Barrie, Arizona Coyotes’ Matt Dumba or Hanifin’s teammate Chris Tanev as more likely targets should they become available before the March trade deadline.

Dixon also pondered whether goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and/or center Mark Scheifele would still be with the Winnipeg Jets in a month’s time. Like Toews, both are due to become UFAs next July.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will be patient and won’t rush into trading either guy simply for the sake of closure. Dixon noted that Cheveldayoff held firm on his asking price for Pierre-Luc Dubois and pretty much got what he wanted from the Los Angeles Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Starting the season with Hellebuyck and Scheifele in the lineup runs the risk of injuries or a decline in performance affecting their trade value. Nevertheless, recent reports suggest Cheveldayoff could be comfortable with doing so in the hope of either re-signing one or both or finding better trade offers as the season goes on.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 26, 2023

by | Aug 26, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 26, 2023

Check out the latest on the Hurricanes and Oilers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON THE HURRICANES

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Cory Lavalette was asked about Carolina Hurricanes defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. The question was whether they could be moved for assets while clearing salary-cap space or as part of a move or multiple moves to bolster the Hurricane’s scoring.

Lavalette suggests both scenarios are possibilities. He believes the Hurricanes don’t need to panic about this as they’re under the salary cap and can afford to wait for the right offer. They can afford to move Skjei and/or Pesce given their solid blueline depth for the coming season.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

If Pesce is the most likely trade candidate as rumored, Lavalette believes Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell would expect at least a first-round pick in return. They could use that pick as bait leading up to the trade deadline to fill any holes in the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lavalette doesn’t think that the Hurricanes need to add a scorer. He believes Jesperi Kotkaniemi will eclipse 20 goals and 55 points this season based on his production following his slow start to last season. He also noted that the Hurricanes offense was nearly identical to that of the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights last season.

Nevertheless, Lavalette conceded that they have the ability to add to their offense if the need arises once they declutter their defense. In other words, Pesce and/or Skjei could be used as trade bait to land a scorer.

I believe they could use more scoring punch. With all due respect to Lavalette, it was painfully apparent in the Eastern Conference Final that a lack of offense was a key reason why they were swept by the underdog Florida Panthers.

The Hurricanes dominated the play throughout that series. Yes, the Panthers got strong goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and timely scoring led by Matthew Tkachuk. However, I think the Canes could’ve prevailed had they had a healthy Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty in the lineup. Svechnikov will be back but they could look at landing a scorer by the trade deadline.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Bryant Baucom believes Teuvo Teravainen, Jack Drury and Andrei Svechnikov are the three players on the Hurricanes with the most to prove this season.

Teravainen’s production suffered last season in part due to injuries and the loss of a family member. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and surfaced in trade rumors earlier this offseason.

Drury, 23, finds himself in a logjam of centers that are much more valuable to the Hurricanes’ success. A restricted free agent next summer coming off his entry-level contract, he could become a possible rental player leading up to this season’s trade deadline.

Svechnikov is coming off a season-ending knee injury. If he takes longer to regain his form, the Hurricanes could be forced into the trade market to find a scorer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Svechnikov obviously isn’t going anywhere given his value to the Hurricanes. It could take him some time to get back into the scoring groove again but he faces no danger of getting traded. Nevertheless, Baucom is correct in his assessment that how quickly Svechnikov’s returns to form could create an urgency to bolster their offensive attack.

Teravainen could have a bounce-back performance. If he does, I expect the Hurricanes will hang onto him for the playoffs and worry about his contract after this season. Drury, on the other hand, could become expendable if he fails to improve this season.

COULD THE OILERS TRADE BROBERG?

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell wondered if the Edmonton Oilers might consider trading Philip Broberg this season. He is listed as the Oilers’ top prospect by colleague Corey Pronman.

Mitchell observed that the Oilers are in “win-now” mode. While Broberg has tremendous potential, they need their entire roster to play at a championship level. His size and speed could make him an enticing trade target for clubs more focused on the future.

If the Oilers did move Broberg, Mitchell speculated that they could seek a right-handed, big-minute defenseman to skate on the top pairing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The pressure will be on the Oilers this season to finally get over the championship hump. They could move Broberg before the trade deadline for a rental asset if they feel the player they’re receiving can help them win that elusive Stanley Cup.

Of course, that could change if Broberg makes significant strides in his performance this season. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he gets traded at some point this season for the type of defenseman envisioned by Mitchell.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 25, 2023

by | Aug 25, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 25, 2023

Could the Bruins still pursue the Flames’ Elias Lindholm or could they instead set their sights on the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson? Alexis Lafreniere has a two-year deal with the Rangers but will he finish it with them? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LINDHOLM OR PETTERSSON FOR THE BRUINS?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited an NHL source who claims the Bruins could be in on Elias Lindholm if he’s still available in the trade market next month.

Murphy noted there have been numerous reports in recent weeks indicating the contract talks between the Flames and the Lindholm camp have picked up. He also mentioned a source telling him a month ago that the Bruins would have to include winger Jake DeBrusk in the deal if they make a pitch to the Flames for the 28-year-old center.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless the Bruins are the only team pursuing Lindholm I doubt they have sufficient trade capital to outbid other clubs that will also have an interest in the Flames’ center. Like Lindholm, DeBrusk is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Flames could prefer a good young player with more cost certainty as part of the return.

Murphy also wondered if the Bruins should shift their focus in the trade market toward Elias Pettersson. The 24-year-old center is the subject of trade rumors after telling Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman this week that he’s in no hurry to sign a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks.

Pettersson is slated to become a restricted free agent next July with arbitration rights. Murphy points out that the Vancouver center is four years younger than Lindholm and in his playing prime during the duration of his next contract. There’s no telling what the Canucks would set as an asking price if they put Pettersson on the trade block.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are in no rush to peddle Pettersson, who is undecided if he’ll sign a short or long-term contract with the Canucks. Unlike the Flames with Lindholm, they still control Pettersson’s rights after next season.

The Canucks’ performance this season will be the determining factor regarding the length of Pettersson’s next contract. He probably doesn’t want to tie himself too long to a club stuck in a perpetual rebuild.

If the Canucks shop Pettersson, the Bruins will face the same issue as they would if they were pursuing Lindholm. They lack tradeable assets to win a bidding war in the trade market. If you think the Flames will set a high price for Lindholm, the Canucks’ will seek more for Pettersson.

THE LATEST ON LAFRENIERE

SPORTSNET (via NHL Watcher): During his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman touched on what the future might hold for Alexis Lafreniere, who signed a two-year bridge contract with the New York Rangers earlier this week.

Friedman thinks the Rangers could consider moving Lafreniere if the 21-year-old winger fails to improve under new head coach Peter Laviolette. He believes his current contract with its current average annual value ($2.325 million) is a number suitable enough for other clubs to handle.

“To me, it’s a two-year deal, but it’s a one-year deal in New York and then we will see,” said Friedman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a struggle for Lafreniere to play up to the expectations that come with being a first-overall draft pick. His situation hasn’t been helped by the instability behind the Rangers bench since his rookie season in 2020-21. Laviolette will be his third head coach.