Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part Two) – March 20, 2022

by | Mar 20, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup (Part Two) – March 20, 2022

Check out the latest on the Avalanche, Hurricanes, Islanders, Coyotes and Rangers in Part Two of the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

THE DENVER POST: Mike Chambers wonders what Plan B will be for the Colorado Avalanche after failing to acquire Claude Giroux yesterday. He suggested the Anaheim Ducks’ Rickard Rakell, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Max Domi and the Ottawa Senators’ Nick Paul as potential rental options.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh suggested the Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp, Arizona Coyotes Phil Kessel and Montreal Canadiens’ Artturi Lehkonen among his list of possible Avalanche trade targets.

Anaheim Ducks winger Rickard Rakell (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic could stand pat after acquiring Josh Manson and Nico Sturm last week. However, I don’t think he’s done scouring the market. One of those aforementioned forwards could end up with the Avs by tomorrow’s 3 PM ET deadline.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Chip Alexander mused over whether Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell will be active in the trade market before tomorrow’s deadline, especially when Eastern rivals such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers have already made moves to bolster their rosters. He wondered if they might be interested in a forward like the Ducks’ Rickard Rakell, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Dominik Kubalik or the Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes GM Don Waddell has a recent history of making moves at the trade deadline. In 2020, he acquired center Vincent Trocheck and defenseman Brady Skjei. I wouldn’t rule out Waddell swinging a deal before tomorrow’s deadline.

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz cites sources suggesting there’s a good possibility the New York Islanders won’t move pending unrestricted free agents such as Zdeno Chara, Zach Parise, Andy Greene and Cal Clutterbuck. Recent speculation also suggests Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov and defenseman Scott Mayfield could stay put.

One source didn’t rule out Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello attempting to acquire Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun either at the deadline or during the offseason. Doing so could mean shipping out a forward such as Andrew Beauvillier or Josh Bailey in a separate deal and using the savings to improve the blue line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lamoriello is the most secretive GM in the NHL. He’s been known to cancel potential deals that get leaked to the media. He could stand pat, make a minor move or surprise us all with a blockbuster. Your guess is as good as mine.

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan noted recent reports suggesting the Arizona Coyotes could move pending UFA goalie Karel Vejmelka. However, he feels the Coyotes could get him under contract.

The Coyotes still seek a king’s ransom for Jakob Chychrun but there are limited resources and few playoff hopefuls willing to make that move. The Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins were considered among the suitors but the latter is out now that they’ve acquired Hampus Lindholm. With Chychrun signed beyond this season, the Coyotes can revisit this in the offseason.

The Coyotes haven’t found any takers for winger Phil Kessel, who sought a trade to a contender earlier in the season. Morgan also doubts the Coyotes will part with forward Christian Fischer. He wondered if there might be any interest in sidelined pending free agents Johan Larsson and Jay Beagle. Both players are set to return to full practice on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’d expect a Chychrun deal to go down in the offseason when teams have more resources and cap space they’re willing to invest in a major move. Kessel could draw some interest provided the Coyotes retain half of his $6.8 million cap hit.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks doesn’t see the Rangers trading goaltender Alexandar Georgiev at the trade deadline unless they bring in a suitable backup to replace him. He suggested the Detroit Red Wings’ Thomas Greiss as an option.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 5, 2022

by | Mar 5, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – March 5, 2022

​What moves could the Leafs, Avalanche, Red Wings and Oilers make before the trade deadline? Check out the latest in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LEAFS

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox reports Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has made adding a defenseman his priority before the March 21 trade deadline. What type of blueliner and how much he’ll cost will depend upon the healthy of sidelined rearguard Jake Muzzin, whose $5.625 million cap hit is currently on long-term injury reserve. If Muzzin is out for the regular season with concussion symptoms, one imagines Dubas will seek a comparable left-shot defenseman.

TORONTO STAR: Mark Zwolinski examined what Dubas could part with to bolster his roster before the trade deadline. The Leafs GM isn’t afraid to trade draft picks and he’s got his first-, second-and seventh-round picks in this year’s draft. He might be willing to part with his first-rounder for a defenseman like Dallas’ John Klingberg, Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun or Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm (NHL Images).

Other trade chips could include a defenseman such as Justin Holl, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren or Travis Dermott. Pending restricted free agent forward Pierre Engvall is another possibility. Minor leaguers Joshua Ho-Sang and Alex Steeves and prospects Matt Knies, Nick Abruzzese and Topi Niemela could interest other clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas has shown a willingness in the recent past to swing big deals with seemingly limited cap room. I don’t dismiss the possibility of him pulling another rabbit out of his hat again.

I wouldn’t expect to see Klingberg, Chychrun or Lindholm joining the Leafs by deadline day. The Stars aren’t sellers as they’re battling for a Western Conference wild-card berth. The Coyotes’ asking price for Chychrun is likely too expensive for the Leafs while the Ducks are reportedly trying to re-sign Lindholm.

Some Leafs followers believe Dubas needs to improve his goaltending. That’s as maybe but the reality is there aren’t many quality goalies available that would be an improvement over the current tandem of Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. Marc-Andre Fleury seems to be leaning toward finishing the season with the Chicago Blackhawks while there’s no indication the New York Islanders are shopping Semyon Varlamov. The rest of them are career backups or past-their-prime starters.

AVALANCHE

THE DENVER POST: Mark Chambers lists Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux, San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski, Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Colin Miller as five potential trade targets for the Colorado Avalanche.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh and Scott Wheeler list prospect defenseman Justin Barron, the Avalanche’s 2023 first-round pick and prospect forward Oskar Olausson among the potential trade chips general manager Joe Sakic could dangle. Others include defenseman Sean Behrens and their 2023 second-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux is the main guy the Avs have been linked to in the rumor mill. Everything depends on whether he’ll waive his no-movement clause to go to Colorado. The Flyers will likely seek a first-rounder, a top prospect and a young player in return.

Hertl could also be an option though he and the Sharks are reportedly engaged in contract extension talks. The Stars are in the thick of the Western wild-card chase so they’re not shopping Pavelski, who’d like to stay in Dallas after this season.

The Canucks aren’t parting with Miller unless someone makes a substantial offer that involves young NHL players. Colin Miller, on the other hand, would be an affordable pickup for the Avs once he returns from his undisclosed injury.

RED WINGS

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli added Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina to his list of trade targets at No. 12. He said Wings GM Steve Yzerman hasn’t tipped his hand but there’s a sense around the league that the 22-year-old winger could benefit from a change of scenery.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen wonders if there will be much of a trade market for Wings backup Thomas Greiss. Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan doesn’t seem to like his choices in the trade market. Darcy Kuemper’s improved play takes the Colorado Avalanche out of the goalie market. The Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild could be interested in Marc-Andre Fleury but some believe he wants to finish this season with the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sixth-overall pick in 2018, Zadina hasn’t blossomed into the scorer he was projected to become. He’s still young enough to get his career back on track and reach his full potential, which could prove enticing to clubs looking for promising scorers.

OILERS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reports the Oilers are seeking a dollar-in, dollar-out trade and seek a veteran, big right-shot rental defenseman. He pointed out Oilers winger Josh Archibald is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, suggesting shopping him and his $1.5 million cap hit to an American team.

Archibald has resumed skating with the Oilers after his COVID-related heart-muscle condition cleared up. He also remains unvaccinated, making it difficult for the Oilers to keep him due to Canada-US border restrictions. Matheson acknowledged that could also make American clubs leery of acquiring Archibald.

 

 










NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2022

by | Jan 28, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – January 28, 2022

The Canucks’ new management faces some big decisions by the trade deadline, updates on Carey Price and Jake DeBrusk, and the latest Red Wings speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

CANUCKS NEW GENERAL MANAGER FACING BIG DECISIONS

SPORTSNET: Iain MacIntyre reports Patrik Allvin, the new general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, faces some big decisions over the next couple of months leading up to the March 21 trade deadline.

Teams have been calling about center J.T. Miller, who’s signed to a bargain contract running through 2022-23. The Canucks aren’t under pressure to move him now but the offers might be better for him at this year’s trade deadline compared to next year’s.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun believes the Canucks need to restock their prospect pipeline. He thinks they would listen if a club offered up three or four prospects or three or four assets. Whether they get that offer remains to be seen.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

Winger Brock Boeser is owed a $7.5 million qualifying offer after this season. If the Canucks are uncomfortable with that, do they attempt to trade him at the deadline, wait until the offseason or attempt to re-sign him for a lower annual average value?

Backup goalie Jaroslav Halak will soon trigger $1.5 million in bonus money. The Canucks will have to carry that overage into next season when he could be playing with another club. They could try to move him at the trade deadline, but he carries a no-movement clause. Winger Tyler Motte is also slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and could also draw interest from contenders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see the Canucks becoming sellers unless they fall out of playoff contention by March. They could get solid offers for Miller or Boeser at the trade deadline but they aren’t under pressure to move either guy by that point.

Moving Miller would be understandable given his age and UFA eligibility next summer but Boeser’s only 24 and considered to be part of their long-term plans. Moving him would likely be an offseason decision if they’re unable to work out a suitable contract.

They could find a team capable of absorbing Halak’s bonus clause. However, his no-movement is a serious sticking point. Still, he could waive it if a contender shows interest.

UPDATES ON PRICE AND DEBRUSK

TVA SPORTS: Kent Hughes, the new general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, acknowledged the importance of Carey Price to the organization, calling him “untouchable”. However, he needs to get more answers about the 34-year-old goaltender’s health before determining what comes next in terms of his future. The option of a contract buyout doesn’t appear to be in his plans. “I can’t answer that right now, but I don’t think so,” said Hughes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lot of suggestions about the Canadiens perhaps shopping Price at the trade deadline after Hughes was hired last week. It’s not going to happen. He carries a hefty $10.5 million annual average value through 2025-26 plus a full no-movement clause and he remains sidelined recovering from offseason knee surgery.

Buying him out would count as $10.8 million against the Canadiens cap next season, followed by three seasons of $9.08 million annually before dropping to $583K annually for the remaining four seasons of the buyout. So yeah, I also don’t think this is an option.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa reports there’s no trade imminent for Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk. His inconsistent play means the Bruins won’t get top assets in return. A trade might not help him smooth out the peaks and valleys in his game.

DeBrusk’s contract is also an issue. He’s a restricted free agent this summer due for a $4.41 million qualifying offer. The Bruins are unlikely to meet that QO but that would make him an unrestricted free agent this summer. They must find a team willing to qualify DeBrusk or at least take the risk of negotiating a new contract. Otherwise, acquiring him would be like trading for a rental player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins GM Don Sweeney reportedly sought a player of equal value. Given Shinzawa’s assessment, DeBrusk could end up spending the rest of this season in Boston. Still, we shouldn’t rule out the Bruins finding a taker by the trade deadline but it’s doubtful they’ll get equal value.

LATEST ON THE RED WINGS

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan was asked about which players the Detroit Red Wings could realistically move at the trade deadline for draft picks during a recent mailbag segment.

The Red Wings gave up a second-round draft pick for Nick Leddy. Khan doubts they can get a similar return but feels they’ll take what they can get for a player they aren’t going to re-sign. Forward Vladislav Namestnikov is having a good season and would draw interest if the Wings decide not to re-sign him. They could re-sign defenseman Marc Staal for another season for his leadership.

Khan speculated they could attempt to move Thomas Greiss but there usually isn’t a big market for goaltenders at the trade deadline. He doesn’t expect Troy Stecher, Danny DeKeyser, Sam Gagner and Carter Rowney will attract much interest.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2021

by | Dec 29, 2021

NHL Rumor Mill – December 29, 2021

​A look at several proposed Bruins trade targets plus some Red Wings speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy recently looked at some possible trade targets for the Bruins. He suggested Arizona Coyotes winger (and former Bruin) Phil Kessel as an option to replace Jake DeBrusk if they can trade the latter. The 34-year-old Kessel’s put up decent stats on a horrible Coyotes club and could provide the Bruins with middle-six scoring they need.

Arizona Coyotes winger Phil Kessel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kessel for DeBrusk: who says no? Probably Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong. He’ll likely want a draft pick and prospect for Kessel, and that pick could be a second-rounder if you want him to absorb a healthy chunk of the Coyotes’ share ($6.8 million) of Kessel’s $8 million cap hit. That’s assuming the Bruins are on the winger’s eight-team trade list or that he’s willing to add them to that list.

Other options included pending other pending unrestricted free agents such as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Bryan Rust, Seattle Kraken’s Mark Giordano, San Jose Sharks Tomas Hertl and Dallas Stars’ Joe Pavelski.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see the Penguins parting with Rust as long as they remain in playoff contention. They’ll likely keep him as an “own rental” if unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the March 21 trade deadline.

Giordano’s situation is an interesting one. The Kraken named him their first captain in franchise history and undoubtedly hope to re-sign him, but the 37-year-old defenseman isn’t getting any younger and his opportunities to play for a Stanley Cup contender are dwindling. He has a list of 19 preferred trade destinations.

The Sharks and Stars are just a handful of points outside of a Western Conference wild-card berth. They’ll retain Hertl and Pavelski if they should vault back into postseason berths.

Moving either guy won’t be easy as they each have three-team trade lists. Perhaps they could be convinced to widen those lists if their respective teams asked them to do so.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Max Bultman was asked about possible moves by the Detroit Red Wings before this year’s trade deadline.

He doesn’t see the Wings parting with Tyler Bertuzzi even though he’s a year away from UFA status and missed several games because of his vaccination status. He doesn’t see any team parting with draft picks and prospects for a player like Bertuzzi who would miss a bunch of games in Canada this season.

Bultman suggested seeing what they could get for pending UFAs like Nick Leddy, Vladislav Namestnikov or Thomas Greiss if the Wings become sellers. If they’re buyers, he proposed a “fairly-young, change-of-scenery candidate like Boston’s Jake DeBrusk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that Bultman is merely speculating here and isn’t saying the Wings will consider trading Bertuzzi, Leddy, Namestnikov or Greiss or pursuing DeBrusk. Still, it’ll be interesting to see what GM Steve Yzerman has up his sleeve at this season’s deadline after swinging the biggest trade of the day at last season’s deadline.

Where the Wings sit in the standings as the deadline approaches could determine what moves he makes. They’re currently holding the last wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. I doubt he’ll be a seller if they’re still in the position or higher in the standings by deadline day.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2021

by | May 4, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2021

The Oilers and Bruins clinch playoff berths, Connor McDavid gets closer to 100 points, the players of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored twice and set up two others as the Edmonton Oilers (64 points) clinched a playoff spot in the Scotia Central Division by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. McDavid has 31 goals and a league-leading 91 points on the season. The Oilers are eight points behind the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs. They’re the only two Canadian clubs to secure postseason berths thus far. Canucks forwards Brandon Sutter and Marc Michaelis missed the game with upper-body injuries.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has six games remaining to reach 100 points for the season.

Montreal Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield tallied his second straight overtime goal in a 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs. Nick Suzuki and Jeff Petry each collected three assists as the Canadiens (57 points) moved into a tie with the third-place Winnipeg Jets. Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 39th goal of the season while teammate Nick Foligno left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are getting closer to clinching a playoff spot. They’ve opened a 10-point lead over the fifth-place Calgary Flames.

The Jets, meanwhile, suffered their seventh straight defeat by dropping a 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Nikita Zaitsev tallied the game-winner for the Sens late in the third period. The Jets still hold third place with three more wins than the Canadiens. Ottawa defenseman Thomas Chabot left the game with an upper-body injury.

A 20-save shutout by Tukka Rask carried the Boston Bruins to a 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils to clinch a playoff spot in the MassMutual East Division. Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist as the Bruins moved into third place with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins join the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders in clinching the four playoff berths in the East.

The Capitals (71 points) regained first place in the division by dropping the New York Rangers 6-3 to end the latter’s playoffs hopes. A nagging lower-body injury forced Washington captain Alex Ovechkin from the game within the first minute. The Capitals are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins but hold a game in hand.

Capitals winger Tom Wilson could once again face supplemental discipline for punching Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head while Buchnevich was face down on the ice. When Blueshirts winger Artemi Panarin jumped on Wilson’s back to restrain him, the Capitals forward pulled Panarin to the ice by the hair, punched him and slammed him to the ice again. Wilson received a double minor and 10-minute misconduct while Panarin suffered a lower-body injury that could sideline him from his club’s remaining three games.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were upset 7-2 by the Philadelphia Flyers. Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Joel Farabee each collected three points for the Flyers. Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin collected an assist in his first game since suffering a lower-body injury on March 18. Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced defenseman Mike Matheson is week-to-week with a suspected facial injury.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the New York Islanders 4-2. Michael Houser made 34 saves for the win in his NHL debut while teammate Sam Reinhart scored two goals. Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov’s shutout streak ended at 248 minutes as his club slipped to fourth place with 67 points.

A hat trick by Sebastian Aho carried the Carolina Hurricanes over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2, eliminating the latter from playoff contention in the Discover Central Division. The Hurricanes extended their points streak to 11 games and sit atop the division with a league-leading 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have a good shot at winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history.

Aleksander Barkov’s overtime goal gave the Florida Panthers a 5-4 victory over the Dallas Stars. The Stars overcame a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame with Tyler Segun tallying the game-tying goal in his season debut following offseason hip surgery. The Panthers sit two points behind the Hurricanes with 75 points. The Stars playoff hopes took a hit as they sit four points behind the fourth-place Nashville Predators.

As for the Predators (60 points), Roman Josi’s overtime goal lifted them past the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. The Jackets forced the extra frame on a third-period hat trick by Emil Bernstrom.

Two goals within 26 seconds by Kirill Kaprizov and Jonas Brodin late in the third period powered the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 6-5. Nick Bonino scored twice and set up another for the Wild (70 points), who remain two points behind the Avalanche in the Honda West Division.

An overtime goal by Andre Burakovsky gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, eliminating the latter from playoff contention. Burakovsky, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen each had two points while Evander Kane scored twice for the Sharks. The Avalanche (72 points) are two behind the Golden Knights. Avs goalie Devan Dubnyk missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19 and is expected to miss the next two weeks.

Third-period goals by Robert Bortuzzo and Ryan O’Reilly gave the St. Louis Blues a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. St. Louis winger David Perron collected an assist for his 600th career point. The Blues (55 points) opened a five-point lead over the Arizona Coyotes for fourth place in the division.

The Coyotes’ playoff hopes grew dimmer as the Los Angeles Kings beat them 3-2. Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist to reach 999 career points. Teammate Jonathan Quick left the game after allowing two goals on 19 shots through two periods with an undisclosed injury.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Thomas Greiss, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and New York Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending May 2.










Red Wings Will Be Better, But Still Far From Good

by | Jan 6, 2021

Red Wings Will Be Better, But Still Far From Good