Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 6, 2022

by | Nov 6, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 6, 2022

Will the Sharks sign or trade Timo Meier? What’s the latest on Bo Horvat’s contract talks? Could injuries force the Leafs into the trade market for a goaltender? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

WHAT WILL THE SHARKS DO WITH MEIER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek recently wondered if Timo Meier will become trade bait at some point in this season. The 26-year-old winger enjoyed a career-best 35-goal, 76-point performance in 2021-22. He’s slated to become a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights and will be a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier (NHL Images)

Meier is earning an average annual value of $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary for this season. That’s how much it’ll cost the Sharks to qualify his rights unless the two sides agree to a new contract with a salary-cap hit.

The Sharks could attempt to shop Meier before the March 3 trade deadline if unable to re-sign him before then. However, his backloaded contract could turn him into a rental player if the acquiring club can’t afford the $10 million qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The question, as Duhatschek observes, is whether Meier can be considered a $10 million per season player. Another season with 76-or-more points could make that case, though there are players who had over 100 points last season (Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau) who agreed to deals worth around $9.5 million.

Duhatschek believes Meier will be an intriguing player in the trade market if the Sharks decide to move him before the deadline. He would draw considerable interest but that $10 million qualifier could dampen that enthusiasm and perhaps hurt his trade value to the Sharks.

NO PROGRESS IN HORVAT CONTRACT TALKS

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports “there’s been no moving of the needle whatsoever” in contract extension negotiations between the Vancouver Canucks and captain Bo Horvat.

The 27-year-old center is slated to become a UFA next summer and is earning an AAV of $5.5 million. Marek believes people are starting to get curious about whether the Canucks will decide if his future is in Vancouver or elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Plenty of time still exists for the two sides to hammer out an agreement before July 1. Unlike most of his teammates, Horvat’s been a reliable presence on the Canucks this season with a team-leading 10 goals.

However, the Canucks’ performance this season could also be a determining factor. If they’re out of playoff contention leading up to the trade deadline, management could decide that a shakeup of the club’s leadership is required. That could lead to Horvat getting shopped before March 3.

WILL THE LEAFS SHOP FOR A GOALTENDER?

THE ATHLETIC: With Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov sidelined by injuries, Jonas Siegel wondered if the Toronto Maple Leafs might consider shopping around for an experienced netminder as their third goalie. Current third-stringer Erik Kallgren is struggling to establish himself at the NHL level.

Siegel suggested the Vegas Golden Knights as a possible trade partner. Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have played well thus far while Laurent Brossoit is currently with their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Siegel notes the Leafs have some cap flexibility with Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve to acquire a third netminder. For now, they’ve signed Toronto Marlies netminder Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL contract to tandem with Kallgren. If he and Kallgren don’t pan out, they could consider claiming a goalie off waivers or going the trade route.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2022

by | Nov 5, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 5, 2022

Could the Flames re-sign Milan Lucic? Will the Oilers trade a forward to make room for Dylan Holloway? What coaches are available if some teams consider making changes behind the bench? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILL THE FLAMES SIGN LUCIC TO A NEW CONTRACT?

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane recently mused over whether the Flames will re-sign Milan Lucic. The 34-year-old power forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s been one of their steadiest players this season and is skating on the second line with Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli.

Calgary Flames winger Milan Lucic (NHL Images).

In addition to Lucic’s improved play, he’s also become a leader in the dressing room. Macfarlane believes there’s little doubt he wants to stay in Calgary and would cost a lot less than the $6 million average annual value he’s earning split between the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames have limited cap space ($1.7 million) for 2023-24. Fortunately, all their core players are under contract and Lucic is their most noteworthy pending free agent.

They might have to create some additional cap room even if Lucic’s next contract is a short-term one at a far more affordable rate than his current one. Still, I think the two sides can work something out if he wants to stay and management feels he can still contribute.

WILL THE OILERS MOVE A FORWARD TO MAKE ROOM FOR HOLLOWAY?

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell examined the Edmonton Oilers’ options to get promising winger Dylan Holloway more playing time this season. The easiest choice would be to send him to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield and then recall the 21-year-old if he does well there after a few games.

Another would be finding a way to create room on the roster for Holloway to skate among the top-six forwards. That could come down to making a decision on moving Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi or Warren Foegele.

Mitchell believes Yamamoto will stay put, in part because he’s signed through next season. Puljujarvi has frequently surfaced in media trade rumors but Mitchell believes the big winger helps the team even when he’s not scoring.

That leaves Foegele as potentially vulnerable. He‘s a left-shot winger filling the position Holloway is best suited to play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foegele hasn’t popped up as much as Puljujarvi in the rumor mill but he has been mentioned before as a trade candidate. However, general manager Ken Holland has found ways to balance his roster thus far without resorting to a trade. I think Holloway’s destined spend some time in Bakersfield.

AVAILABLE NHL COACHES

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin looked at the notable former NHL coaches currently available for any team that might be considering a shakeup behind the bench this season.

Topping the list, of course, is Barry Trotz followed by Rick Tocchet. Other familiar names include Alain Vigneault, Dave Tippett, Andrew Brunette, Travis Green and Jeff Blashill.

Larkin also listed “up-and-comers” such as Ryan Warsofsky, Jay Leach and Ian Laperriere. He also noted former NHL coaches Mike Babcock and Joel Quenneville are available but suggests both carry too much baggage to return to the league’s coaching ranks.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2022

by | Nov 4, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2022

The Canadiens are talking trade with the Capitals regarding a forward plus the latest on the Leafs and the Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CANADIENS TALKING TRADE WITH CAPITALS AND OTHER CLUBS.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens have been talking about a trade with the Washington Capitals though they haven’t progressed beyond the discussion stage.

Montreal Canadiens winger Evgenii Dadonov (NHL Images)

Washington winger Connor Brown is out six-to-eight months, given the Capitals $3.6 million of cap space to work with. For now, they’re content to explore their internal options to replace Brown, including their recent recall of winger Sonny Milano.

LeBrun reports the Canadiens have also reached out to several other teams looking to create a trade market for their glut of forwards. He mentioned Evgenii Dadonov, Jonathan Drouin and Mike Hoffman as trade candidates.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marc Dumont suggested the Canadiens could grease the skids to moving one of those forwards by agreeing to retain 50 percent of their salary-cap hit. That would mean Drouin would only cost the Capitals (or another club) $2.75 million. Dadonov would come in at $2.5 million while Hoffman would be $2.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens have placed Dadonov on injured reserve for now though earlier reports claimed he was suffering from a non-COVID-related illness. They could demote Juraj Slafkovsky to their AHL affiliate in Laval because he’s waiver-exempt but it appears they’d prefer to keep the promising 18-year-old rookie winger in the lineup.

Dadonov, Drouin or Hoffman could also be placed on waivers and demoted if they go unclaimed, though that would only provide the Habs with $1.125 million in cap relief. The preference for the Habs seems to be getting their entire cap hit off their books. Dadonov and Drouin are eligible for unrestricted free agent status next July while Hoffman is signed through 2023-24.

Dadonov’s and Drouin’s pending UFA status could make them enticing to contenders as rental players, especially at 50 percent salary retention. The rebuilding Canadiens could seek a draft pick or a prospect for either guy or perhaps a young, affordable defenseman.

The problem, however, is Dadonov, Drouin and Hoffman aren’t playing well this season. Maybe their production would improve by joining a playoff contender with a deeper roster but that doesn’t make them any easier to move.

LATEST LEAFS SPECULATION

TSN: Chris Johnston speculated the Toronto Maple Leafs could be in need of a defenseman if Jake Muzzin should become sidelined for the season with a neck injury. That would provide them with additional cap space ($5.625 million) to play with.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun believes the Leafs should go the trade route if things don’t improve instead of making a coaching change. He acknowledged the difficulty of making moves this early in the season under a flat cap but pointed to the recent moves made by the Vancouver Canucks in acquiring center Jack Studnicka and defenseman Ethan Bear. “Nothing big, but they’re tweaks that could help the team,” he wrote.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun wrote this before the Leafs’ win over the Flyers on Wednesday. Nevertheless, he thinks it’s too early for panic in the Toronto market and anticipates they’ll soon reverse their fortunes.

As for Muzzin, the Leafs are still awaiting clarity on his condition and how long he could be sidelined. If he’s out for the season, however, I think they’ll go shopping for a suitable replacement, preferably by the March trade deadline when the market has improved.

NO TRADES COMING FOR THE PENGUINS?

THE ATHLETIC: Following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Josh Yohe wrote that he didn’t expect they’ll be making a big trade anytime soon.

“Who are they going to trade? Who would they be willing to part with that another team would covet,” wrote Yohe. He believes the only solution to their six-game losing skid is for them to start playing better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After winning three of their first four games and picking up points in each of those contests, the Penguins have been in free fall. Their best players simply haven’t played like it for long stretches. Worse, they’re looking slower than their opponents, which could be the kiss of death in a league that’s trending toward speed and skill.

As for trade candidates, Pierre-Olivier Joseph was a frequent topic of media trade chatter throughout October. However, the 23-year-old defenseman hasn’t been mentioned much recently in the rumor mill over the past week or so. Regardless, he won’t fetch the type of significant return the Penguins need to shake things up and reverse their fortunes.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 3, 2022

by | Nov 3, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 3, 2022

Could there be a trade market for the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson? Are changes coming for the struggling Blue Jackets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

IS THERE A MARKET FOR ERIK KARLSSON?

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran observes the San Jose Sharks are “already in selling mode”. He points out Erik Karlsson is looking like his old self as an elite puck-moving defenseman and “looks as if he’s auditioning for a trade.”

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Karlsson, 32, has five years remaining on a contract with an average annual value of $11.5 million. He joked about how that cap hit would fit in with the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he also wondered “if the Sharks could retain half…and take back someone making around $5.685 million, and a sweetener or two.”

Nick Kypreos believes there isn’t a contending team in the league that Karlsson wouldn’t dramatically help. He also mused over whether the Sharks would be open to retaining “40 to 50 percent of the remaining value of his contract”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun last week was the first to report that Sharks general manager Mike Grier was willing to listen on almost everyone on his roster with the possible exception of Tomas Hertl.

Grier has already shown a willingness to shake things up, shipping Brent Burns in July to the Carolina Hurricanes despite his $8 million annual cap hit and three-team no-trade list. If Karlsson should be open to joining a playoff contender, perhaps he’d be willing to waive his no-movement clause.

Burns, however, has only two more seasons left after this one on his contract. His cap hit is more affordable and he currently has a 688 consecutive games streak going whereas Karlsson has been plagued by injuries in recent years.

Any trade of Karlsson will come down to two factors: waiving his no-movement clause and the Sharks’ willingness to carry up to $5.75 million in dead cap space if they agree to retain up to 50 percent of his cap hit for the next five years.

LATEST ON THE BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline recently cited the shabby state of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ blueline as a key factor in the club’s sputtering start to the season. However, he felt there are no easy answers to address the issue.

Portzline observed that volatility has been a factor. Their top-two left-side blueliners (Zach Werenski and Vladislav Gavrikov) have each had four different defense partners in the club’s first nine games.

Fixing the problem won’t be easy. The Blue Jackets are near the salary cap and top-four defensemen rarely change teams via trade and tend to be expensive in both salary and return.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Blue Jackets would look for some help at center until their good young players are fully NHL-ready. However, he indicates there’s nothing imminent on that front.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Expectations were high for the rebuilding (or is it retooling?) Blue Jackets when they finished higher than expected in last season’s standings. The signing of Johnny Gaudreau and re-signing Patrik Laine stoked excitement as well as some observers suggesting that they could even be a dark horse playoff contender.

It’s become painfully obvious they’re nowhere close to being a playoff contender. They’ve become lifeless as the losses have mounted, so much so that long-time NHL broadcaster Chico Resch called them “embarrassing” and “pathetic” during their recent 7-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

Something will have to happen if the Jackets don’t turn things around soon. If a trade can’t be found to shake things up, head coach Brad Larsen could end up losing his job.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2022

by | Nov 2, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 2, 2022

How will the Canadiens address their surplus of forwards? What’s the latest on the Senators’ contract talks with Alex Formenton? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu reports the Montreal Canadiens will face a delicate balancing act of managing their surplus of forwards this season. They’re currently carrying 15 forwards but will have to move one of them once defenseman Joel Edmundson returns from injury.

The Canadiens could send rookie Juraj Slafkovsky to their AHL affiliate as he’s exempt from waivers. However, the 18-year-old winger’s performance thus far doesn’t merit demotion.

Montreal Canadiens winger Evgenii Dadonov (NHL Images)

Basu believes they don’t want to put affordable forward Michael Pezzetta on waivers because he’d likely be claimed by another club. He speculates it could instead be a veteran such as Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov or Mike Hoffman who could get waived and demoted.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Dadonov could become the odd man out among the Canadiens forwards. He suggested a trade would be best for the 33-year-old winger as he clearly doesn’t have a future in Montreal.

Dadonov was a healthy scratch during their 7-4 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and didn’t practice or play with the club against Minnesota on Tuesday. Cowan points out the Russian winger has no points in eight games and carries a cap hit of $5 million for this season, though he’ll earn $6.5 million in actual salary.

TVA SPORTS: Marc-Andre Perreault reports Dadonov’s absence was due to a non-COVID-related illness.

Perreault also spoke with Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes during last night’s game against the Wild. Hughes told him Dadonov’s agent called him on Friday to discuss his client’s situation, something he understood as a former agent himself. Perreault reported Dadonov met with Hughes on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dadonov hasn’t really done much this season to earn more playing time with the Canadiens. As Cowan pointed out, his performance combined with his contract makes him tough to move at this stage of the season. The Habs will have to retain part of his cap hit if they want to do that right now.

Slafkovsky has made steady improvement thus far but the Canadiens will soon have to reach a decision with the 18-year-old winger. He’s played seven games and can only play two more before the Canadiens can send him down to Laval if they want to push the start of his entry-level contract ahead to next season. That would be the easiest way to address the issue but Basu doesn’t believe that would be the right decision.

They could put Dadonov, Drouin or Hoffman on waivers and demote one of them, though that means they’ll only get $1.125 million in cap relief by doing so. Those three have been disappointing thus far with a grand total of four points between them. Finding a taker for one of them in the trade market is a daunting challenge.

UPDATE ON FORMENTON’S CONTRACT TALKS WITH THE SENATORS

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there hasn’t been much progress in contract talks between the Ottawa Senators and Alex Formenton. He claimed the Senators “have reasons for slow-playing this situation”. However, they have until Dec. 1 to sign Formenton or else he becomes unavailable to play the remainder of this season.

Dreger said some believe a trade is more likely. He also suggested, “Europe, long term, could be an option as well”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Formenton is a 23-year-old winger who completed his entry-level contract last season. He’s a restricted free agent lacking arbitration rights who showed promise last season with 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games.

It’s been radio silence from the Senators and Formenton’s camp on this situation. That’s sparked speculation that he could be one of the players involved in the sexual assault allegations leveled against members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team. Formenton didn’t attend training camp and hasn’t made any statements or conducted any interviews.

Whatever the reason behind the stalemate, the clock is ticking regarding his playing status in the NHL for this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

by | Nov 1, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

The Leafs’ shaky start to this season is a growing concern to their followers. Could it lead to changes in the front office, behind the bench or to the roster? Read on for the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the Maple Leafs 4-4-2 start to this season isn’t something to be taken lightly. He feels the club is heading toward an implosion that could lead to big changes depending on their upcoming performances against the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

Simmons puts the blame squarely on the performance of the Leafs players, especially during their losses to three of the worst teams in the league in Arizona, San Jose and Anaheim. He singled out core players Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander for not playing up to expectations.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Simmons acknowledged the Leafs have a banged-up defense corps. Nevertheless, he believes their best players must improve while their worst need to get better. He also criticizes general manager Kyle Dubas for not providing head coach Sheldon Keefe with a roster suitable for success.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of the Leafs defenders point out that they were 4-4-2 at the same point in 2021-22 and wound up with a franchise-best 115-point season. Others, however, point to the poor performance of their best players as one of the more concerning issues compared to this time last season.

The Leafs have questionable goaltending and a defense that when healthy isn’t deep enough to make them a serious Stanley Cup contender. Nevertheless, they have sufficient talent to be playing better than they currently are even with an injury-riddled blueline.

Maybe they’ll snap out of their current doldrums and turn things around during that upcoming stretch of games mentioned by Simmons. If they don’t, however, this situation could lead to a coaching change or a roster shakeup.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle suggests the Leafs could need a trade to snap out of their current tailspin. He reminds us that Dubas has had some success with in-season trades, pointing to the acquisitions of Jake Muzzin, Jack Campbell, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano. With Muzzin on long-term injury reserve, it frees up a large chunk of his $5.6 million cap hit to put toward acquisitions.

Mirtle suggested Dubas could shop some of his underperforming players to free up more cap space. Justin Holl ($2 million), Pierre Engvall ($2.25 million), Alex Kerfoot ($3.5 million) or Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1 million) could be trade candidates, with bigger names perhaps becoming available if the losing continues.

Given the Leafs need to address their puck-moving issues among their defensemen, Mirtle suggested Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun or Anaheim’s John Klingberg as possible options. Others included Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, New Jersey’s Damon Severson or Arizona’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs were reportedly interested in acquiring Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes but didn’t want to part with a draft pick. He wound up shipped last Friday to the Vancouver Canucks.

That indicates Dubas is looking around for help in the trade market. Finding a suitable return will be difficult at this point in the season given how many clubs have limited salary-cap space but it’s not impossible. However, it could require some creativity on his part, including parting with a quality draft pick or a promising prospect.

Mirtle acknowledged Chychrun’s injury history well as the Coyotes’ high asking price. Klingberg could be a more affordable option in terms of return and perhaps the Ducks would retain some of his $7 million cap hit for the right offer. However, Jamie Drysdale’s potentially season-ending shoulder injury could force the Ducks to hang onto Klingberg for a while.

Gostisbehere could be a possibility as he won’t cost nearly as much as Chychrun to get from the Coyotes. I don’t see the Blue Jackets parting with Gavrikov given his solid all-around play and value to their blueline. The Devils are off to a terrific start and aren’t under any pressure right now to move Severson.

THE JEFF MAREK SHOW (stick tap to NHL Watcher): Elliotte Friedman believes Auston Matthews will sign a contract extension with the Maple Leafs. He doesn’t necessarily believe it’ll be a long-term deal.

Friedman is concerned about things going off the rails. He doesn’t believe the 24-year-old center is currently unhappy but felt the Leafs have to “constantly take his temperature”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The earliest Matthews can sign with the Leafs is July 1, 2023. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent a year later. It’s interesting that Friedman believes he’d sign a short-term extension. Perhaps it would be a three-year deal taking him up to age 30.

Of course, as Friedman also points out, it will depend on whether Matthews is happy with the direction of the Leafs. If things do go off the rails, he could decide to test the market on July 1, 2024.