NHL Rumor Mill – October 7, 2022

by | Oct 7, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 7, 2022

Are the Senators closing in on a new contract with Alex DeBrincat? How will the Rangers free up salary-cap space for the coming season? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ARE THE SENATORS CLOSE TO SIGNING DEBRINCAT?

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes took to Twitter on Oct. 5 reporting he’s been told the Ottawa Senators are actively working to sign Alex DeBrincat. “Situation remains fluid”, he said.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators acquired DeBrincat this summer from the Chicago Blackhawks. A two-time 40-goal scorer, the 24-year-old winger is in the final season of his contract with an average annual value of $6.4 million.

DeBrincat earns $9 million this season in actual salary, which is what it’ll cost the Sens to qualify his rights. He will also be a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility next July.

With New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal recently signing an eight-year contract worth an AAV of $9.15 million, DeBrincat could get something between $9 million and $9.5 million. However, his camp could prefer waiting to see how this season plays out. Another 40-goal campaign could push DeBrincat into the $10 million AAV range.

The Senators have $60.9 million invested in 11 players for 2023-24. A new deal for DeBrincat will take a big bite out of their $22 million in cap space.

HOW WILL THE RANGERS FREE UP SALARY-CAP SPACE?

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple wondered if there are any ways the New York Rangers can give themselves extra cap room now. They have just over $1 million in projected space to start the season.

They could attempt to acquire the contract of a player on permanent long-term injury reserve such as the Vancouver Canucks’ Micheal Ferland or the Arizona Coyotes’ Andrew Ladd. However, they can only exceed the cap by the equivalent of the sidelined player’s AAV. Doing so also means the Rangers won’t be able to accrue salary-cap space throughout the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staple doesn’t see the Rangers going this route at the present time. They don’t have a need to add that much cap space right now unless they’re about to acquire someone via trade and that player’s cap hit fits within the LTIR amount. He concludes it’s too complicated right now.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2022

by | Oct 6, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2022

Some trade predictions for the coming season plus the latest on Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I underwent surgery on Oct. 5 to repair damaged tendons in my left hand. It was similar to the procedure I had in February. As a result, it could take a little longer to post my daily updates over the next few days. Please bear with me. As always, I appreciate your support.

TRADE PREDICTIONS FOR 2022-23

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli included some trade forecasts among his 32 bold predictions for the coming NHL season.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli predicts the Chicago Blackhawks will trade Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, where he will sign a long-term contract extension. He’ll reunite with former Blackhawks linemate Artemi Panarin to chase a fourth Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The New York Post’s Larry Brooks has suggested the Rangers should pursue Kane as a playoff rental at the trade deadline. I’m not dismissing that possibility but I doubt they’ll sign him to a long-term extension unless he accepts a massive pay cut from his current $10.5 million annual average value.

The Rangers already have $65.1 million invested in just 11 players for 2023-24. Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller and Filip Chytil will be due for new contracts as they become restricted free agents next summer.

Another prediction is the Detroit Red Wings moving Dylan Larkin before the March 3 trade deadline. He’s eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July and carries a no-trade clause for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings and Larkin were reportedly holding contract extension talks over the summer. The Michigan native hopes to stay put and management probably feels the same. As always, these things will hinge on dollars and term but I can see the two sides reaching an agreement.

Seravalli also expects the Ottawa Senators will acquire Jakob Chychrun before the New Year. They’ve shown the most interest with the Los Angeles Kings also in the mix.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sticking point has been the Coyotes’ rumored asking price. It’s believed they seek at least a first-round pick and a good young NHL player or a top prospect as part of the return. Unless they come down from that, Chychrun won’t be going anywhere.

In other predictions, Seravalli foresees Vancouver Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau becoming the first head coach to be fired, Kyle Dubas parting ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs as general manager after his contract expires, and the Vegas Golden Knights making Kelly McCrimmon the first GM to be fired this season.

LATEST ON PIERRE-OLIVIER JOSEPH

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel reports the Penguins to have nine NHL defensemen and can’t afford to keep them all. Pierre-Olivier Joseph appears the most likely to be moved as he’s reportedly being shopped. He’s now waiver eligible meaning a rival club could snap him up if the Penguins attempt to send him to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe wouldn’t be surprised if Joseph is traded. He claims general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke isn’t enamored with the 23-year-old blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So far there’s no indication the Penguins are close to trading Joseph. Unless they package him with a draft pick, an interested team could be merely waiting until he goes on waivers and then gets him for nothing.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2022

by | Oct 5, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: trying to guess what Auston Matthews’ next contract will look like plus the latest on Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi and Arizona Coyotes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

HOW COULD A RISING SALARY CAP AFFECT MATTHEWS’ NEXT CONTRACT?

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen looked at how the projected rise of the salary cap to $88 million by 2024-25 could affect the Toronto Maple Leafs’ efforts to re-sign Auston Matthews. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2023-24 and carries an average annual value of $11.64 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Boylen examined several scenarios regarding Matthews signing for a certain percentage of the Leafs’ cap payroll up to the maximum of 20 percent as managed by the collective bargaining agreement.

If Matthews signs an extension for five or eight years next season at 20 percent of $83.5 million, Boylen projects the Leafs star will earn an AAV of $16.7 million. If he waits until he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2024, (when the cap could be $88 million) he could get an AAV of $17.6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t a trade or a free agent rumor but it’s definitely something to keep in mind as Matthews approaches the end of his current contract, especially if he decides to wait until July 1, 2024, to sign his new deal.

Matthews is going to be very expensive to sign. I doubt he’ll accept a “hometown discount” to stay with the Leafs. He’s already a two-time Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, winner of the 2022 Hart Memorial Trophy and the first player in a decade to tally 60 goals in a season. He’s in his playing prime and will remain among the league’s elite superstars when he signs his next contract.

That means Matthews is going to get top dollar, either from the Leafs or another club if he tests the market.

LATEST ON PULJUJARVI AND GOSTISBEHERE

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the emergence of young winger Dylan Holloway could spell the end of Jesse Puljujarvi’s tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, “whether that’s next week or next year.”

Puljujarvi’s been on the trade block for some time and likely would’ve been moved by now if the market hadn’t gone soft. Oilers general manager Ken Holland has been resistant thus far to trading him for futures.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ limited salary-cap space could force Holland to accept futures for Puljujarvi if injuries strike the lineup later in the season and he needs cap room to call up players from the minors. The 24-year-old winger carries a $3 million cap hit for this season.

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan believes Shayne Gostisbehere could be traded this season by the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes if he plays as well this season as he did in 2021-22. The 29-year-old defenseman played his way onto the Coyotes’ top defense pairing, finishing with 51 points in 82 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere would be more affordable than teammate Jakob Chychrun, who’s been a fixture in the rumor mill since the middle of last season. He could be a solid addition for a playoff contender seeking additional production from the blueline.

Gostisbehere’s contract will also make him attractive. Slated to become a UFA next summer, he carries a $4.5 million cap hit. However, he’s earning $3.25 million in actual salary, of which $2.25 million has already been paid by the Coyotes as a signing bonus.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2022

by | Oct 4, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2022

Could the Stars trade Jason Robertson or lose him to an offer sheet? What’s the latest on Jakob Chychrun and Jesse Puljujarvi? Are the Canucks and Penguins considering moves? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON ROBERTSON

THE ATHLETIC: While the contract standoff continues between the Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson, Saad Yousef doesn’t believe the 23-year-old winger will receive an offer sheet or be traded.

The Stars can afford to sign him to an average annual value of between $7 million and $8 million. Robertson’s camp could be seeking something comparable to the $9 million AAV being earned by Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.

Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson (NHL Images)

Yousef points out that only three teams (Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres) have sufficient salary-cap space to sign Robertson to a lucrative offer sheet. The compensation of two first-round picks, a second and a third would be sacrificing a lot for those rebuilding teams.

The Sabres would have to offer up over $10.5 million AAV because they lack the required compensation as the Vegas Golden Knights own their 2023 third-round pick. The Stars would also have the opportunity to match any offer sheet.

Yousef acknowledged the Stars could trade Robertson but there are few NHL clubs right now that can afford to pay him a better contract. There’s also no indication that contract talks between the two sides have gone that sour.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The longer this drags on and the more playing time Robertson misses, the worse it’ll be for his performance this season. In turn, it could hamper the Stars’ playoff hopes. Yousef also points out that the two sides have until Dec. 1 to hammer out a new contract or he’ll become ineligible to play the remainder of this season.

UPDATE ON CHYCHRUN AND PULJUJARVI

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi remain in the trade market. However, he doesn’t see anything on the front burner for either player right now.

The Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators stand out for Seravalli in the Chychrun saga. While the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to the Coyotes blueliner, it doesn’t appear either club has their sights set on acquiring him.

As for Puljujarvi, Seravalli doesn’t know if teams are going to get a lot of value out of a player earning $3 million on a one-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, no real change for either player. Chychrun will stay in Arizona until a rival club like the Kings or Senators step up to meet the Coyotes’ asking price. Puljujarvi will have to improve this season to bolster his trade value but that could also make him more valuable to the Oilers.

CANUCKS AND PENGUINS COULD BE PLANNING SOME MOVES

DAILY FACEOFF: Seravalli also reported the Vancouver Canucks have been attempting to trade the contract of Micheal Ferland to a team that has already had injuries or is already using long-term injury reserve and could use a boost.

Ferland has a $3.5 million AAV but is earning $2.75 million in actual cash. A potential problem, however, is his contract isn’t insured, meaning whoever picks it up would have to pay the full $2.75 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ferland, 30, is permanently sidelined due to concussion issues. His contract will expire at the end of this season.

Seravalli also reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have informed the other 31 NHL teams that Pierre-Olivier Joseph is available via trade. They have nine defensemen under NHL contracts and risk losing one of them to waivers. Seravalli wonders if they’ll keep Joseph or risk losing Chad Ruhwedel or Mark Friedman to waivers.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2022

by | Oct 3, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we examine speculation linking the Blue Jackets and Oilers to Jakob Chychrun plus we take a look at the potential difficulties facing the Rangers in re-signing Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller.

LATEST CHYCHRUN SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports the Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams rumored to be interested in acquiring Jakob Chychrun leading up to the 2022 NHL Draft in July. They had a glaring need for top-four defensemen and the Arizona Coyotes were said to be fielding offers for the 24-year-old blueliners.

The Jackets denied any substantive interest in Chychrun other than an informal call about the asking price months beforehand. Reports indicated the Coyotes sought a first-round pick, a young proven NHL player and a top prospect.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

It was rumored Chychrun rejected a deal to Columbus despite lacking no-trade protection as he wants to be dealt to a playoff contender. Portzline speculates perhaps the Jackets didn’t want to acquire a player who didn’t want to go to Columbus.

Portzline noted that TSN’s Darren Dreger last week included Columbus among his potential destinations for Chychrun. However, he pointed out the Jackets need a right-side defenseman whereas Chychrun (who has an injury history) has played most of his career on the left side. He also indicated the Jackets have promising defenders such as David Jiricek and Corson Ceulemans in their prospect pipeline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe the Jackets become interested in Chychrun if they’re unable to re-sign left-side defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Otherwise, they could set their sights on a natural right-side top-four blueliner should any become available in this season’s trade market.

Jonathan Willis noted that Dreger also mentioned the Edmonton Oilers among his list of potential suitors for Chychrun. He indicated colleague Daniel Nugent-Bowman learned from a team source that the Oilers checked with the Coyotes but (like so many other teams) were put off by the high asking price.

Willis doesn’t see any interested clubs being dissuaded by Chychrun’s injury history given his puck-moving skills and affordable $4.6 million average annual value through 2024-25. The Oilers’ limited cap space, however, would be difficult to squeeze his contract within their cap payroll.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Willis believes the return to the Coyotes would be too costly for the Oilers now and in the future. He also doesn’t see the Coyotes getting a single blue-chip piece in the deal. For those reasons, I don’t see Chychrun getting traded to the Oilers.

RE-SIGNING LAFRENIERE AND MILLER COULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reported last week that the Rangers face some tricky contract issues to solve before the significant projected salary-cap increases kick in starting in 2024-25. The cap will only rise by $1 million to $83.5 million for 2023-24 with Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller due for new contracts next summer. Brooks indicates the Rangers will have $65.1 million invested in just 11 players for next season

Lafreniere and Miller will be coming off their entry-level contracts. Brooks pointed out Noah Dobson signed a three-year bridge deal with the New York Islanders worth an average annual value of $4 million this summer. Assuming Lafreniere and Miller agreed to similar deals, it would leave the Rangers with just $10.4 million to fill the other nine positions on the roster.

Brooks reports the Rangers are believed to have reached out to the agents who represent Lafreniere and Miller. However, it’s unclear if talks are ongoing or if they’ve been deferred to next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This story isn’t a rumor but it will be interesting to see how the Rangers handle this situation next summer. It’s also worth noting that Filip Chytil is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Perhaps this situation leads to Chytil getting shopped. Maybe they make a cost-cutting trade. It could also lead or the departures of depth forwards Ryan Reaves and Sammy Blais via the unrestricted free agent market.










Sunday NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2022

by | Oct 2, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Mill – October 2, 2022

In today’s Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: a projected big increase in the salary cap could affect some current contract talks, Travis Sanheim could draw some interest in the trade market, and the latest on the Coyotes’ goaltending.

A RISING SALARY CAP COULD AFFECT CURRENT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Matt Porter noted that a recent NHL memo projected the salary cap could rise by $10 million over the next four seasons. The cap could rise by $1 million next season to $83.5 million, rising to between $87.5 million and $88 million in 2024-25 and reaching $92 million by 2025-26.

He suggested that the anticipated increase could affect current contracts negotiations such as those involving the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Dallas Stars’ Jason Robertson.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Porter wondered if Pastrnak’s representatives could seek an eight-year contract extension worth $11.1 million or if Robertson’s camp might ask for an eight-year deal based on a projected cap of $92 million or even $100 million.

It’s not far-fetched to assume the prospect of a big rise in the salary cap will affect contract talks. It will definitely factor into next summer’s unrestricted free agent market.

Superstars slated to become UFAs within the next three years are going to see big raises. Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon will become the NHL’s highest-paid player starting next season at $12.6 million annually after signing an eight-year contract extension last month. I doubt he’ll be holding that honor for long.

COULD SANHEIM BECOME A TRADE CANDIDATE?

SPORTSNET: In a recent episode of their “32 Thoughts” podcast, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman discussed the possibility of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim becoming available in the trade market.

Marek observed that Sanheim is in the final year of his contract. He suggested the 26-year-old rearguard might look good alongside Quinn Hughes on the Vancouver Canucks blueline. Friedman speculated there will be plenty of rumors regarding the Flyers if they get off to a rough start to this season. He believes Sanheim would draw plenty of interest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim carries a $4.675 million cap hit for this season but will earn $5.3 million in actual salary. He lacks no-trade protection and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The Canucks are above the cap for this season by $2.75 million. However, they will become cap compliant once they place permanently sidelined winger Micheal Ferland and his $3.5 million cap hit on long-term injury reserve.

That won’t leave enough space to acquire Sanheim. The Canucks would have to ship out some additional salary in the deal, make a separate cost-cutting deal, or ask the Flyers to retain up to half of his cap hit.

LATEST ON THE COYOTES:

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that the Arizona Coyotes intend to get newly-acquired goaltender Jonas Johansson a good look in the club’s final preseason games. General manager Bill Armstrong will continue to watch the goalie trade market and waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes claimed Johansson off waivers last week from the Colorado Avalanche. They are still seeking a reliable backup for starter Karel Vejmelka.