NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2020

by | Apr 22, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2020

Check out the recent speculation on the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Toronto Maple Leafs in today’s NHL rumor mill.

DOES GOSTISBEHERE HAVE A FUTURE WITH THE FLYERS?

NBC SPORTS: Examining the Philadelphia Flyers’ long-term needs last week, James O’Brien noted Shayne Gostisbehere surfaced in trade rumors this season. He pointed out the 26-year-old defenseman was hampered by injuries this season. He doesn’t feel they should sell low on a player who can generate offense, is reasonably young, and carries a generally cheap annual average value ($4.5 million) through 2022-23.

 

Does Shayne Gostisbehere still have a future with the Philadelphia Flyers? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Flyers have over $69.5 million invested in 13 players for 2020-21. They have enough to re-sign restricted free agents like Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, Philippe Myers, and Robert Hagg, and should have sufficient space to re-sign or replace unrestricted free agent goalie Brian Elliott. If they want to add to their lineup, however, they’ll have to make a cost-cutting trade. The preference could be to get a player of decent value for Gostisbehere, but they could sell low and use the cap savings to pursue another player via a separate trade or free agency.

WHICH GOLDEN KNIGHTS UFAS MIGHT DEPART AFTER THIS SEASON?

THE ATHLETIC (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED): Jesse Granger recently examined which Vegas Golden Knights’ free agents will stay or go. He believes keeping UFA goalie Robin Lehner will mean moving a big piece of their lineup because they cannot afford to invest $13-$14 million in Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury. Granger predicts UFA forward Ryan Reaves could re-sign for one more year at $1.5 million. The emergence of Nicolas Roy could make Tomas Nosek expendable. It might be time to move on from Deryk Engelland and Jon Merrill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless the Golden Knights pull a swerve and trade Fleury, they’ll bid adieu to Lehner following this season, whenever that might be. If Reaves is discussing a two-year extension, perhaps it’ll be for $1.5 million annually.

LATEST LEAFS SPECULATION.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox addresses some Toronto Maple Leafs speculation in a recent mailbag segment. He doubts the Leafs can land St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo via free agency. He noted the Leafs prefer dealing for players with term left on their contracts, suggesting Anaheim’s Josh Manson, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, and Minnesota’s Matt Dumba as possible trade targets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Pietrangelo were willing to sign with the Leafs, they cannot afford him. It’s believed it could cost over $9 million annually to sign him. Assuming a flat cap for next season, the Leafs have nearly $77 million invested in 16 players for next season. Unless they shed significant salary, they won’t have sufficient cap space to invest in Pietrangelo.

As for Manson, Ristolainen, and Dumba, the asking price for each will likely be a top-six scorer, preferably a center. That’s what the Ducks, Sabres, and Wild need. And no, I don’t believe Alexander Kerfoot will address that need.

Fox believes Andreas Johnsson could be the player Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would be most comfortable trading, but he doesn’t consider him the one most likely to be moved. He feels Kerfoot or Kasperi Kapanen would be more enticing to GMs with defensemen they’re willing to trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnsson’s sophomore slump and injured right knee hurt his trade value. It could take parting with Kapanen or Kerfoot to land that top-four blueliner the Leafs desperately need after this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2020

by | Apr 21, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 21, 2020

More speculation over destinations for Dustin Byfuglien and the latest on Alex Pietrangelo in today’s NHL rumor mill.

MORE SUGGESTED DESTINATIONS FOR BYFUGLIEN

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes teams will line up to bid for Dustin Byfuglien if he decides to resume his NHL playing career. The 35-year-old’s contract with the Winnipeg Jets was recently terminated, making him an unrestricted free agent. Despite Byfuglien’s age and recent health issues, Simmons considers him a team-changer and a game-changer with his versatility and physical presence.

SPORTSNET: Chris Johnston thinks at least 20 teams would be in on the conversation if Byfuglien decides to play next season. Mark Spector also feels there’s a big marketplace for Byfuglien, but doesn’t believe he’ll return to action. He also raises questions about the blueliner’s conditioning after not playing in a year.

Rory Boylen suggests the Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, and Florida Panthers as possible destinations. Considering Byfuglien walked away from $14 million over the final two years of his contract, money might not be an issue in signing him.

Speculation persists over Dustin Byfuglien’s future (Photo via NHL Images).

Boylen believes Byfuglien would be a solid fit among the Leafs’ top-four defensemen on a value contract. However, they’d still have to move out a player like Alex Kerfoot to free up sufficient cap space.

Playing in his home state of Minnesota could be enticing to Byfuglien. The Wild were rumored to be shopping Matt Dumba before the trade deadline. Boylen suggests they could sign Byfuglien and acquired some tasty assets for Dumba.

The Panthers need help on defense and could shake things up again this summer. Byfuglien also has a history with Panthers general manager Dale Tallen and head coach Joel Quenneville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the rumblings right now suggest Byfuglien’s playing career is over. Until he makes it official, he’ll continue to surface in the rumor mill. Maybe some general managers have already attempted to contact his agent to make inquiries about his future.

LATEST ON PIETRANGELO

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo intends to explore all his options regarding his future after this season. The 30-year-old defenseman is considered the top player in this year’s unrestricted free agent market. He indicated his preference is to find a long-term deal. Pietrangelo didn’t rule out re-signing with the Blues, indicating the goal is to work out something with general manager Doug Armstrong.

NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien examined how the Blues can afford to re-sign Pietrangelo and restricted free agent rearguard Vince Dunn. With over $79.4 million invested in 20 players for 2020-21, the Blues must shed salary to retain both defensemen.

If the league works out a compliance buyout this summer for cap-strapped clubs, O’Brien suggests Alexander Steen ($5.75 million annual average value) as a candidate. They could also attempt to trade Steen or Tyler Bozak ($5 million AAV) to a budget team, or shop goaltender Jake Allen ($4.35 million) to a club seeking help between the pipes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Should the salary cap remain at $81.5 million, the Blues will either have to free up cap room to re-sign Pietrangelo and Dunn or risk at least losing Pietrangelo to free agency. Dunn is coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights, so Armstrong would use that leverage to ink the blueliner to an affordable short-term budget deal.

There was some suggestion of pending UFAs like Pietrangelo accepting one- or two-year deals this summer in hope of the market improving down the road in the wake of the pandemic. His comments, however, suggest he’s not interested in short-term options.

It’s also been suggested Pietrangelo could seek over $9 million annually. The downturn in the league’s revenue and the potential effect upon next season’s cap could force him into perhaps accepting less than that ($8 million AAV?) on a long-term deal.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 20, 2020

by | Apr 20, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 20, 2020

Recent speculation on the Canadiens, Penguins, and Panthers in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WILL THE CANADIENS RE-SIGN TATAR?

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Pat Hickey believes re-signing Tomas Tatar, Brendan Gallagher, and Phillip Danault should be an off-season priority for the Canadiens. The linemates are all eligible next summer to become unrestricted free agents. Tatar was quick to credit Gallagher and Danault for the success he’s enjoyed since joining the Canadiens in 2018. He turns 30 in December, which could affect the type of contract offer he gets from the Habs.

TVA SPORTS: If the Canadiens decide to trade Tatar, Jean-Charle Lajoie doubts he’d fetch much of a return. He cites sources claiming the winger didn’t attract much interest before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

Will the Montreal Canadiens re-sign or trade Tomas Tatar? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps the reason Tatar didn’t draw much interest before the deadline was Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin’s reluctance to trade him? Regardless, if Bergevin were to shop the 29-year-old winger, he’ll probably have to package him with a draft pick to get a quality return.

Bergevin could re-sign Tatar, but I agree it won’t be an expensive long-term deal. I can see him getting a four-year deal with an annual average value of around $5.5 million.

MURRAY OR JARRY FOR THE PENGUINS?

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel recently wondered if the Penguins are due for yet another change of the goaltending guard. Three years after leaving long-time starter Marc-Andre Fleury unprotected in the expansion draft, the Pens could face another crucial goaltending decision.

Starter Matt Murray and backup Tristan Jarry are restricted free agents this off-season with arbitration rights. Murray won two Stanley Cup for the Penguins, but he’s been hampered by injuries and outplayed by Jarry for most of this season. Vensel believes they can afford to keep both in the short term, but he still mused about management perhaps trading one of them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have over $68.5 million invested in 15 players. They can re-sign both to one-year contracts and take another season evaluating their performances before making a long-term investment in one of them, but it could cost a combined $9 million to do so, leaving little room to re-sign or replace their other free agents. Unless they shed salary elsewhere, they could be forced to trade Murray or Jarry before next season.

COULD THE PANTHERS MOVE BARKOV?

NEW YORK POST: In a recent mailbag segment, Larry Brooks was asked about the possibility of the Florida Panthers trading Aleksander Barkov and what it might take for the Rangers to acquire him. Brooks points out Barkov is signed through 2022 with a no-move clause that kicks in following this season and a modified no-trade in 2021-22. However, if Barkov were willing to waive it and the Panthers shopped him, Brooks considers Adam Fox and Kaapo Kakko, along with players carrying no-trade clauses ( Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider) as untouchables for the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s media chatter suggesting Panthers ownership could implement cost-cutting measures if the club fails to reach the playoffs this season. That could be as simple as letting Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov depart via free agency following this season, or shopping defenseman Mike Matheson.

I doubt they’ll trade Barkov, but that could depend upon how much of a roster shake-up ownership wants if they don’t qualify for the playoffs. If they take a bolder step by moving Barkov, the asking price will be expensive. Barkov’s among the top two-way centers in the game. The Panthers would want at least a high-quality young NHL player, a first-round pick, and a top prospect in return.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 19, 2020

by | Apr 19, 2020

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 19, 2020

Recent Red Wings, Avalanche, and Devils speculation in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.

RED WINGS OFF-SEASON NEEDS

MLIVE.COM: In a series of articles last week, Ansar Khan examined the roster needs of the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings. He believes they’ll require a top-six forward if they don’t win the draft lottery and land top prospect Alexis Lafreniere in this year’s draft.  Theyll also need a pair of free-agent defensemen and a backup goaltender.

Could the Detroit Red Wings sign Michigan native Torey Krug if he tests the UFA market? (Photo via NHL Images)

Khan listed the top free agents available at each position this summer. Forwards include Arizona’s Taylor Hall and Florida’s Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo, Boston’s Torey Krug, and Toronto’s Tyson Barrie are among the noteworthy defensemen, while goalies include Washington’s Braden Holtby, Vega’s Robin Lehner, and Vancouver Jacob Markstrom.

Asked in a recent mailbag if the Red Wings will buy out any players this off-season, Khan doubted they’ll go that route. He felt the Wings don’t want a player’s contract on the books for additional years, even at a reduced rate. Under normal buyout rules, most buyouts count as two-thirds the remaining value of the contract over twice the remaining term.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With over $46.2 million invested in 11 players, the Wings have sufficient cap space to re-sign key players like Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri, and have enough left to land one or two quality free agents. The problem, however, is enticing them to join a rebuilding roster that’s several years from playoff contention.

We also don’t know if general manager Steve Yzerman is keen to invest big bucks in big-ticket UFAs to accelerate the rebuild. I don’t doubt he’ll try to bring in some short-term veteran help, but I can’t see him overspending to do so.

Maybe Yzerman tries to land Lehner or Markstrom, but he could find some decent backup options in Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss, or Anton Khudobin. There’s been some media talk suggesting Krug, a Michigan native, could sign with the Wings, but I believe he’ll re-sign with the Bruins. Perhaps the Wings GM can add a UFA blueliner like Justin Schultz or Sami Vatanen.

The Wings might not want to go the traditional buyout route, but perhaps they’d consider a compliance buyout if the league and the PA agree to that rumored plan this summer. Frans Nielsen or Justin Abdelkader could be prime candidates.

WILL THE AVALANCHE RE-SIGN NAMESTNIKOV?

THE ATHLETIC: Ryan S. Clark recently wondered what the Colorado Avalanche should do with Vladislav Namestnikov. Acquired from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline, the versatile 27-year-old forward proved to be a solid addition before the schedule was paused.

Namestnikov’s an unrestricted free agent at season’s end completing a two-year deal worth $4 million annually. The Avs have over $24 million in salary-cap space, but also have several restricted free agents (include Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves, and Nikita Zadorov) to re-sign.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Namestnikov’s future with the Avs could be determined by whether the season resumes and how he performs if it does. He appeared to be a playoff rental player, but maybe that changes if he plays well and would accept an affordable short-term deal.

DEVILS NEED BLUELINE HELP

NORTHJERSEY.COM: Abbey Mastracco recently examined the New Jersey Devils’ pressing need for depth on their defense corps. She felt they need another rearguard or two or three on their blueline, especially on the left side.

Any upgrades could come via trades, as the Devils aren’t in a position to throw big money at free agents. They have plenty of currency in draft picks and salary-cap space. She doesn’t rule out signing a veteran free agent on a short-term contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils must first decide who their general manager will be before making significant off-season decisions. They have over $55.2 milliion committed to 13 players. They have three picks in the opening round of the 2020 NHL Draft, but two of those are conditional picks. They also have two fourth-round picks in this year’s draft, plus two third-rounders and two fifth-rounders in next year’s draft.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2020

by | Apr 18, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 18, 2020

Possible destinations for Dustin Byfuglien, a look at what’s next for the Jets, and recent Blues speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR BYFUGLIEN AND THE JETS?

THE SCORE: Matt Teague listed the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues as three potential free-agent destinations for Dustin Byfuglien if he continues his playing career following his contract termination with the Winnipeg Jets.

Will Dustin Byfuglien resume his NHL playing career? (Photo via NHL Images)

Byfuglien would provide additional right-side depth to the Canadiens blueline, joining Shea Weber and Jeff Petry. He would become the first-pairing right-side rearguard for the Leafs. If the Blues fail to re-sign Alex Pietrangelo, they could promote Colton Parayko to replace Pietrangelo on the top pairing and slot Byfuglien into the second-pairing spot.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Charlie Roumeliotis wondered if the Chicago Blackhawks would look into bringing back Byfuglien, who began his NHL career in Chicago and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2010. If he was willing to come back, they could perhaps sign the 35-year-old to an affordable one-year, bonus-laden deal. Roumeliotis points out Bufuglien might not be interested in playing again, but feels it might be worthwhile to look into it.

THE ATHLETIC: Before the Byfuglien contract termination, Ken Wiebe indicated such a move would free up $7.6 million in salary-cap space for the Jets next season. While he doesn’t expect Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to go on a spending spree, it will give him some options to address other roster issues. One could be re-signing defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who was acquired from the Ottawa Senators before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Another could be addressing their second-line center position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Byfuglien has hung up his skates, all this speculation will be for nothing. But until he publicly says his playing days are over, Big Buff will keep surfacing in the rumor mill.

If Byfuglien returns, it won’t be on an expensive long-term deal. As Roumeliotis suggested, it would be on a one-year deal with a low base salary and bonus clauses.

The salary cap for next season will also determine how much Byfuglien gets and which teams can sign him. Of the teams listed above, the Canadiens could easily afford him. The Blues, too, if Pietrangelo walks and they free up some additional cap room. The cap-strapped Leafs and Blackhawks, however, could find it difficult to fit him within their respective payrolls.

LATEST ON THE BLUES

STLTODAY.COM/THE ATHLETIC: Ben Frederickson and Jeremy Rutherford examined the St. Louis Blues’ options following the club’s recent re-signings of Sammy Blais, Marco Scandella, and MacKenzie MacEachern. With over $79 million invested in 20 players for 2020-21, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong must shed salary if they intend on re-signing defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn.

Frederickson suggested shopping goaltender Jake Allen, or perhaps Armstrong makes an unexpected move. Rutherford also proposed trading Allen, buying out Alexander Steen, or making a series of smaller moves to free up sufficient cap space.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Blues intend to re-sign Pietrangelo and Dunn (and I believe they do), they must make a cost-cutting trade, buy out somebody, or both. I think Allen is the most logical trade option, while Steen could become a buyout candidate, especially if the league and PA agree to implement compliance buyouts this summer to help cap-strapped clubs affected by the pandemic shutdown.

Armstrong could surprise us by shopping expensive players lacking no-trade protection such as Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn or Colton Parayko. However, I doubt he’ll move those guys.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2020

by | Apr 17, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2020

Recent speculation on the Leafs, Senators, and Sharks in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LEAFS MOST LIKELY TO BE ON THE MOVE THIS OFF-SEASON

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle consider Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci as the most likely not to return with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both defensemen are unrestricted free agents who underwhelmed during their one-season tenures with the Leafs. They also considered forwards Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, and Alex Kerfoot among the Leafs’ likely trade chips as the club seeks to shed salary and bolster their blueline depth.

Don’t expect to see Tyson Barrie with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of Leafs Nation will agree Barrie and Ceci won’t be back. It just didn’t work out for either guy.

Kapanen, Johnsson, and Kerfoot frequently surfaced as trade candidates through this season. General manager Kyle Dubas didn’t have to move them during this campaign but could have no choice during the off-season.

The Leafs have over $76 million invested in 16 players. They desperately need to bolster their defense. Dubas surprised most observers with his slick moves last summer to free up sufficient cap room to re-sign Mitch Marner. Unless he’s got another trick or two up his sleeve, Kapanen, Johnsson, or Kerfoot could be shopped for a top-four defenseman.

COULD THE SENATORS WEAPONIZE THEIR CAP SPACE?

OTTAWA SUN: Ken Warren believes a flat or reduced salary cap for next season could work in favor of the rebuilding Senators as cap-strapped clubs attempt to shed salary in the off-season. The Sens only have around $41.9 million invested in next season’s cap payroll. They don’t need any more draft picks, but Warren believes they should listen if some promising prospects are packaged into the deal.

NBC SPORTS: Scott Charles believes the Senators should look for short-term players that other clubs no longer have the patience for, such as the New York Islanders’ Joshua Ho-Sang. Charles points out Anthony Duclair turned into a successful reclamation project for the Sens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators also have 13 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including three in the first round, four in the second, and two in the third. They also hold three second-rounders in next year’s draft.

Their first-rounders are off the table, but GM Pierre Dorion could offer up a couple of those other picks to take on a toxic short-term contract that’s packaged with prospects or young NHL-ready players, or perhaps a player who could accelerate the rebuild. He can even afford to acquire someone like Ho-Sang on an affordable contract that can be easily buried in the minors if that player doesn’t work out.

WILL THE SHARKS MAKE A BIG MOVE THIS OFF-SEASON?

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: During a recent interview long-time San Jose Sharks broadcaster Dan Rusanowsky told Brodie Brazil he believes the club needs to make a big change or two, partly for salary-cap reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s easy to see why Rusanowsky feels this way. Despite spending to the cap ceiling to ice a star-studded roster, the Sharks were among this season’s worst clubs.

Making a big cost-cutting change, however, won’t be easy. The Sharks have over $66.6 million tied up in 13 players for 2020-21. Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Brent Burns, and Martin Jones all have three-team trade lists, while Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic have full no-movement clauses.

Timo Meier ($6 million annually through 2022-23) lacks no-trade protection, but GM Doug Wilson could be reluctant to peddle the 23-year-old winger. Winger Tomas Hertl ($5.625 million AAV through 2021-22) also lacks no-trade protection for this season, but his long injury history could scare off potential suitors.