NHL Rumor Mill – July 27, 2022
NHL Rumor Mill – July 27, 2022
Could the Canucks trade J.T. Miller to the Islanders for a top-four, right-side defenseman? Could Matthew Tkachuk’s new deal affect the Sharks’ contract talks with Timo Meier? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill.
J.T. MILLER FOR NOAH DOBSON?
THE PROVINCE: Ben Kuzma mused over whether the New York Islanders might offer up defenseman Noah Dobson to the Vancouver Canucks as part of a package for J.T. Miller. He pointed out the Canucks’ former management had an interest in the 22-year-old Dobson stretching back to his junior days.
Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller (NHL Images).
The Islanders have $11 million in cap space. Dobson is a restricted free agent whose 51-point performance last season could put him in line for a raise comparable to that of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin’s two-year contract.
Dahlin will earn $5.8 million in actual salary this coming season and $7.2 million in 2023-24. That could prove too expensive for the Isles if Dobson seeks a similar deal, especially with Mathew Barzal due for a new contract next summer.
Miller, 29, is in the final season of his contract with an affordable $5.25 million cap hit. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and could cost $8 million annually on his next contract.
There were reports during the draft that the Islanders had an interest in Miller. However, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford denied having any trade discussions about him with the Isles.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks seem reluctant to part with Miller. His agent recently said there’s a pathway toward his client signing a long-term extension but I daresay it’s a very expensive one.
Dobson, 22, would have to be part of the Canucks’ asking price if the Islanders were interested in Miller. The Summerside, PEI native would bring some much-needed skilled depth to the right side of their blueline.
Whether Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is willing to part with Dobson, however, is another matter. Recent reports suggest he could be kicking tires on UFA center Nazem Kadri.
WILL TKACHUK’S NEW DEAL AFFECT MEIER’S CONTRACT TALKS?
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka musing over what effect Matthew Tkachuk’s new deal with the Florida Panthers will have on the Sharks’ contract talks with Timo Meier.
Tkachuk, 24, signed an eight-year, $76 million contract with the Panthers on Friday. Pashelka observed the former Flames winger has 285 points since 2018-19 while the 25-year-old Meier had 222. He wondered if Tkachuk’s new deal would serve as a blueprint for the Sharks winger if he has a “monster year” in the coming NHL season, perhaps earning $1 million less per season than Tkachuk’s $9.5 million average annual value.
Meier is entering the final season of a four-year deal with an AAV of $6 million but an actual salary of $10 million, which is what it’ll cost the Sharks to qualify his rights. If the two sides fail to work out a suitable contract extension, Peng wondered if Meier might fetch a return comparable to what the Flames got from the Panthers for Tkachuk.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meier’s future in San Jose will depend upon whether he buys into the club’s direction under new general manager Mike Grier. If the club is engaging in a long rebuild, he could be reluctant to ink a long-term deal, forcing Grier to peddle him in the trade market.
Meier is a skilled offensive winger but doesn’t play the same physical style as Tkachuk. He could bolster his stock with a career-best performance in this coming season, raising the cost of signing him but also boosting his value in the trade market. Still, I doubt he’d land two players comparable to Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.
