Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 25, 2023
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 25, 2023
Are the Kings close to acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois? Are the Jets getting much interest in Mark Scheifele? Are the Predators trying to move up in the draft? What’s the latest on the Capitals? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
KINGS CLOSING IN ON DUBOIS?
THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens speculates the Los Angeles Kings trading Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday could be positioning themselves toward a big move. He noted that the rumblings linking the Kings to Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois are heating up.
Stephens pointed out the Kings have around $9 million in salary-cap space for 2023-24. With Dubois reportedly seeking an average annual value (AAV) of $9 million on his next contract, it would be a tight squeeze unless they shed more salary.
Winger Gabriel Vilardi could become a cost-cutting candidate. Like Dubois, he’s a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights. Promising Quinton Byfield would interest the Jets but Kings general manager Rob Blake has been resistant to cut ties on the 20-year-old center.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carter Brooks reports a number of league and front-office sources claim the Jets and Kings are deep in trade talks. One executive believes a deal between the two clubs is “nearly inevitable.”
Brooks pointed out that Dubois and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the two Jets most likely to be traded by the upcoming NHL Draft (June 28-29). Byfield, Vilardi and promising defenseman Brandt Clarke could be players of interest for the Jets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks also cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claiming the Dubois camp has whittled down their list of potential trade destinations from 5-6 teams to just two. The Kings and the Montreal Canadiens have been oft-mentioned as possible landing spots for Dubois. Of late, much of the chatter involves the Kings.
If the Kings acquire Dubois I believe there has to be a salaried player heading to Winnipeg in the deal to free up sufficient cap space. Vilardi is currently a restricted free agent so moving him doesn’t free up any cap space for the Kings. Byfield is entering the final season of his entry-level contract with a cap hit of over $894K.
If not, the Kings will have to make a separate trade with another club to free up cap space for Dubois if they intend to ink him to a deal with an AAV of $9 million.
LITTLE INTEREST IN SCHEIFELE?
THE ATHLETIC: Like teammates Hellebuyck, Dubois and Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.
Like them, Scheifele could also be on the move this summer. However, it appears the Jets aren’t getting as many offers as they anticipated for the 30-year-old center even though he’s coming off a career-high 42-goal performance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Inconsistency was an issue for Scheifele in recent years which could be dampening his value in the trade market.
PREDATORS ATTEMPTING TO MOVE UP IN THE DRAFT
THE TENNESSEAN: Paul Skrbina reports incoming Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz is “trying like hell to get a, say, top four or top-five pick.” He acknowledged the difficulty of landing one in the trade market. However, he’s said he’s trying to make the teams holding those picks uncomfortable by making a lot of offers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I applaud Trotz’s willingness to aggressively pursue a top-five pick. However, teams with those selections usually guard them like crown jewels. The Predators, meanwhile, hold the No. 15 selection in this year’s draft. Trotz will have to bundle that with some really enticing trade bait if he hopes to land one of those top-five selections.
LATEST ON THE CAPITALS
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber reports the Washington Capitals might hold off on trading Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha. They reportedly made both forwards available in the trade market.
Silber cited The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun indicating that Mantha hasn’t drawn much interest in the trade market while Kuznetsov remains a long shot to be dealt.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s not surprising given the poor performances of both forwards this season plus their respective contracts. Mantha has a year remaining with an AAV of $5.7 million while Kuznetsov has two years left with an annual cap hit of $7.8 million.
The Capitals are also exploring ways to move up from eighth overall in this year’s first-round draft order. It’s believed they have serious interest in Russian prospect winger Matvei Michkov.