NHL Rumor Mill – November 10, 2022

by | Nov 10, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 10, 2022

Growing speculation over the futures of Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko with the Blues plus a look at what the Oilers could do to replace the sidelined Evander Kane in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE BLUES SHOP O’REILLY AND TARASENKO BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE?

STLTODAY.COM: Jeff Gordon suggests a retooling of the Blues roster could come sooner than later if they continue to flounder in the standings. With Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou are the new foundations of the franchise, general manager Doug Armstrong could consider parting with center Ryan O’Reilly and winger Vladimir Tarasenko for draft picks and prospects. Both are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images).

Gordon feels Tarasenko seems more likely to test the market given the past signals from his camp. Armstrong could ask him to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade.

O’Reilly would be tougher to part with given his leadership value and his positive effect on the roster since his arrival. However, he turns 32 this season and appears to be slowing down. Nevertheless, he’d attract interest from postseason contenders.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford also believes there will be interest in Tarasenko and O’Reilly if they hit the trade block. However, it will likely be greater closer to the March 3 trade deadline than in November, when it’s difficult for contending teams to fit in players carrying $7.5 million cap hits.

Rutherford speculates Armstrong could be looking at smaller deals for more immediate help. He might be able to pull one off in the coming weeks.

SPORTSNET: Regarding a possible trade of O’Reilly, Ken Wiebe pointed out that Armstrong isn’t afraid of making difficult decisions when it comes to team captains on expiring contracts. He let Alex Pietrangelo walk in 2020 and did the same with David Backes four years earlier.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun suggested O’Reilly would look good centering the Colorado Avalanche’s second line. He also suggested Vancouver’s Bo Horvat and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews as other candidates for that role with the Avs if they become available in the trade market.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Adrian Dater mused about a possible reunion of O’Reilly and the Avalanche. He began his career in Colorado in 2009-10 and spent six seasons there before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of the two, Tarasenko is the most likely to be traded by the Blues before March 3. He requested a trade in July 2021 over his unhappiness with the team doctors’ treatment of his injured shoulder. While he’s still with the Blues, there was a report this summer claiming he never rescinded that request.

I would’ve considered trading O’Reilly to be unlikely entering this season. Now, I’m not so sure. His struggles this season are one reason behind the Blues’ difficulties. That could dissuade Armstrong from signing him to an extension.

Unlike Tarasenko, O’Reilly lacks no-trade protection so the Blues GM can ship him anywhere, though I daresay if it comes to that he’ll ask his captain where he’d prefer to go. Maybe O’Reilly would welcome a return to the Avalanche. Then again, he could favor another destination.

HOW WILL THE OILERS REPLACE EVANDER KANE?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples wonders if the Oilers will use Evander Kane’s cap hit to add another top-six forward with Kane returning just before the playoffs. The 31-year-old winger is on long-term injury reserve for the next three-to-four months recovering from wrist surgery.

“Yes, those are the rules, “ writes Staples. “Tampa Bay did it. It may well develop in that direction for the Oilers.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, it could. Kane’s average annual value is $5.125 million. According to Cap Friendly, the Oilers have $4.76 million in projected trade deadline cap space. However, they just ensure they can become cap compliant whenever Kane returns to action.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 6, 2022

by | Nov 6, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – November 6, 2022

Will the Sharks sign or trade Timo Meier? What’s the latest on Bo Horvat’s contract talks? Could injuries force the Leafs into the trade market for a goaltender? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

WHAT WILL THE SHARKS DO WITH MEIER?

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Duhatschek recently wondered if Timo Meier will become trade bait at some point in this season. The 26-year-old winger enjoyed a career-best 35-goal, 76-point performance in 2021-22. He’s slated to become a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights and will be a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

San Jose Sharks winger Timo Meier (NHL Images)

Meier is earning an average annual value of $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary for this season. That’s how much it’ll cost the Sharks to qualify his rights unless the two sides agree to a new contract with a salary-cap hit.

The Sharks could attempt to shop Meier before the March 3 trade deadline if unable to re-sign him before then. However, his backloaded contract could turn him into a rental player if the acquiring club can’t afford the $10 million qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The question, as Duhatschek observes, is whether Meier can be considered a $10 million per season player. Another season with 76-or-more points could make that case, though there are players who had over 100 points last season (Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau) who agreed to deals worth around $9.5 million.

Duhatschek believes Meier will be an intriguing player in the trade market if the Sharks decide to move him before the deadline. He would draw considerable interest but that $10 million qualifier could dampen that enthusiasm and perhaps hurt his trade value to the Sharks.

NO PROGRESS IN HORVAT CONTRACT TALKS

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports “there’s been no moving of the needle whatsoever” in contract extension negotiations between the Vancouver Canucks and captain Bo Horvat.

The 27-year-old center is slated to become a UFA next summer and is earning an AAV of $5.5 million. Marek believes people are starting to get curious about whether the Canucks will decide if his future is in Vancouver or elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Plenty of time still exists for the two sides to hammer out an agreement before July 1. Unlike most of his teammates, Horvat’s been a reliable presence on the Canucks this season with a team-leading 10 goals.

However, the Canucks’ performance this season could also be a determining factor. If they’re out of playoff contention leading up to the trade deadline, management could decide that a shakeup of the club’s leadership is required. That could lead to Horvat getting shopped before March 3.

WILL THE LEAFS SHOP FOR A GOALTENDER?

THE ATHLETIC: With Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov sidelined by injuries, Jonas Siegel wondered if the Toronto Maple Leafs might consider shopping around for an experienced netminder as their third goalie. Current third-stringer Erik Kallgren is struggling to establish himself at the NHL level.

Siegel suggested the Vegas Golden Knights as a possible trade partner. Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have played well thus far while Laurent Brossoit is currently with their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Siegel notes the Leafs have some cap flexibility with Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve to acquire a third netminder. For now, they’ve signed Toronto Marlies netminder Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL contract to tandem with Kallgren. If he and Kallgren don’t pan out, they could consider claiming a goalie off waivers or going the trade route.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

by | Oct 30, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

Will the Red Wings sign Dylan Larkin or replace him with Bo Horvat? What’s the latest on the Canucks and Penguins? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WILL THE RED WINGS SIGN LARKIN?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Max Bultman was asked why the Detroit Red Wings hadn’t signed captain Dylan Larkin to a contract extension. The 26-year-old center is in the final season of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

Bultman was surprised that the Wings haven’t re-signed Larkin yet. He speculates that Mathew Barzal’s recent contract extension (with an average annual value of $9.15 million) could be affecting Larkin’s negotiations. Bultman wondered if the Wings captain would accept $9.5 million annually on a seven-year deal or perhaps something between $8.2 million to $8.3 million on an eight-year deal as the total dollars would still be around the same.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos suggested keeping an eye on the Red Wings should trade rumors start up on Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat later this season. He indicated Larkin was seeking a deal as high as Barzal’s and speculated Wings general manager Steve Yzerman could instead “choose to spend a good portion of that on Horvat.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin is earning an annual cap hit of $6.1 million on his current deal and has a full no-trade clause for this season. The Michigan native has indicated there’s nowhere else he’d rather play that in Detroit. With the Wings finally showing signs of improvement after years of rebuilding, he could stick around and lead this club to the next level.

Bultman is of the opinion that the Wings cannot afford to lose their leader in Larkin, fearing it would set their rebuild back for years. He also noted, however, that Yzerman has a history of taking negotiations with his stars down to the wire, having done so with Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay back in 2016.

Plenty of time remains for the two sides to work out an agreement. Nevertheless, Larkin could become the subject of growing trade speculation if he’s not re-signed leading up to the March 3 trade deadline, especially if the Wings are out of playoff contention by then.

As for Horvat, he’s also eligible for UFA status next summer and could become a trade candidate if the Canucks fail to improve over the course of this season. His contract talks reportedly stalled when he rejected what Kypreos called a lowball offer from management this summer.

Maybe Yzerman will pursue Horvat at the trade deadline if he can’t get Larkin under contract by then. However, I doubt he’ll waste trade assets on acquiring the Canucks captain unless Horvat is willing to sign a contract extension. He could wait and attempt to sign Horvat via free agency but the 27-year-old center could have other destinations in mind.

LATEST ON THE CANUCKS AND PENGUINS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks made it clear to some of their players that if changes were to be made it wouldn’t potentially be just the head coach. They told those players they’ve had two coaches with this group and it isn’t working so far. If anybody thinks they can sit back and wait for a coaching change, the changes might instead be with the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a point that has been raised by some other pundits as well. Having already done a coaching change last season, at some point you have to start making the players accountable as well.

As Friedman reported, those Canucks seemed to get the message as they won their last two games. It’ll be interesting to see if that message sticks as they attempt to dig themselves out of the current hole they dug for themselves.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Josh Yohe was asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins still intend to trade a defenseman. He doesn’t feel they’re urgently trying to make a move but doesn’t rule it out at some point.

Yohe acknowledged Pierre-Olivier Joseph has played well thus far and the Penguins don’t dislike him. However, he still believes they want to get Ty Smith into the roster at some point sooner rather than later, which would entail shipping out Joseph for perhaps a forward prospect.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 28, 2022

by | Oct 28, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 28, 2022

Could the Canucks’ struggles lead to Bo Horvat getting traded at some point this season? Are the Sharks ready to become sellers in this season’s trade market? Are the Sabres shopping for blueline help? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE CANUCKS SHOP HORVAT LATER THIS SEASON?

THE SCORE: With the Canucks stumbling from the gate and showing little sign of improvement, Josh Wegman weighed in on the factors behind their struggles. He also believes management has a major decision to make regarding captain Bo Horvat.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

The 27-year-old two-way center is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Wegman believes the Canucks will have to shop Horvat by the trade deadline if they haven’t signed him to a contract extension by then, assuming they haven’t reversed their fortunes at that point.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos wondered why the Canucks spent the majority of the offseason attempting to move J.T. Miller only to sign him before Horvat. He claims the consistent message he heard was the Canucks captain rejected a low-ball offer that wasn’t close to what other comparable centers are making.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Almost all the talk out of Vancouver during the summer was the expectation that Horvat would be re-signed sooner or later. However, there’s since been some talk of the Canucks shopping him if an agreement isn’t reached before the March 3 trade deadline. That chatter could start to increase if the Canucks haven’t dug themselves out of the hole they find themselves in over the coming weeks.

SHARKS COULD BECOME SELLERS BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports what he’s heard from other teams around the league is the San Jose Sharks have let it be known they’re willing to listen to offers for pretty much everyone on their roster except perhaps for Tomas Hertl.

LeBrun indicated it’s going to be difficult for first-year general manager Mike Grier to make the changes he wants with the roster full of players like Erik Karlsson carrying full no-movement clauses. However, that’s the route he wants to go over the next couple of seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have won just three of their first 10 games. Unless they reverse that skid soon their playoff hopes will be dashed by Christmas, setting them up to be sellers in the New Year.

Karlsson, Hertl and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are the three Sharks with full no-movement clauses while Logan Couture has a three-team trade list. They also carry hefty salaries for the next several years, making them difficult to move even without no-trade protection.

Grier will have better luck shopping pending UFAs like James Reimer and Nick Bonino. They have modified no-trade clauses but also carry affordable cap hits, making them easier to peddle to playoff contenders before the trade deadline.

Winger Timo Meier will draw plenty of interest if Grier is listening to offers. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and will be a year away from UFA eligibility in July. While he’s off to a slow start to this season, the 26-year-old netted a career-best 35 goals and 76 points last season. He could become the Sharks’ best trade chip if they’re unable to agree to a long-term contract.

SABRES SHOPPING FOR BLUELINE HELP

WGR550: Paul Hamilton reports Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is looking around for some blueline depth after confirmed defenseman Mattias Samuelsson will be sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury. He also indicated Henri Jokiharju is week-to-week after fracturing a bone under his nose.

Adams said he’s looking at all options across the league. However, he doesn’t want to make a move based on reactions or emotions.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps he’ll give the Carolina Hurricanes a call? They’re trying to move Ethan Bear and the Sabres have more than enough cap space to take on his $2.2 million cap hit for this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 25, 2022

by | Oct 25, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 25, 2022

Questions facing the Canucks and the Islanders as they stumble from the gate in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal pondered several options as to what Vancouver Canucks management will do to address the club’s poor start to this season.

One could be making an early-season trade. Those tend to be risky but Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford had success with such moves in his previous job as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau (NHL Images).

Dayal admits these Canucks face too many problems to be resolved with just one trade. While shopping Bo Horvat or Conor Garland for a top-four defenseman signed beyond this season sounds good in theory but if such an opportunity were available it would’ve happened by now.

Another option could be replacing Bruce Boudreau as head coach. During an interview with Hockey Night in Canada last Saturday, Rutherford indicated the club had a bad training camp, poor habits and a lack of structure. However, the Canucks are already paying former head coach Travis Green for this season and could be reluctant to add Boudreau to that list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are a mess. Granted, they’ve had defensive issues since last season but they look nothing like the club that staged an impressive second-half turnaround following Boudreau’s takeover.

Dayal got the impression from Rutherford’s HNiC interview that he’ll remain patient despite the issues he pointed out. However, he also felt Rutherford’s patience could only last so long.

Replacing Boudreau would be easier than making a trade with so many teams carrying little or no salary cap space to start this season. Boudreau was inherited by Rutherford, who could prefer bringing in his own guy if things don’t soon improve regardless of the financial implications.

I’m not calling for the Canucks to fire Boudreau. It would be, as Dayal suggested, that they’re just not a good team. Still, that move could be the easiest route for Rutherford if he feels changes are needed fast.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the New York Islanders still have plenty of time this season to qualify for the playoffs but their disappointing start could lead to changes if they don’t reverse their fortunes.

If the Islanders’ performance doesn’t improve, Proteau wondered how many teams could start lining up to take players under contract beyond next season off GM Lou Lamoriello’s hands. He also pondered if Lamoriello might use some draft picks to acquire impact players or how long the Isles GM will continue to wait to make a significant move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lamoriello replaced Barry Trotz as head coach with Lane Lambert plus he tried and failed to land a scoring forward this summer to bolster the Isles’ anemic offense. Still, apart from acquiring defenseman Alexander Romanov, he mostly stuck with the same roster he had last season, betting they would bounce back from what was a difficult 2021-22 campaign.

So far, there’s no indication the Islanders are poised for a rebound performance this season. Like the Canucks, Lamoriello would also face a difficult time making a significant trade with so many clubs in salary-cap hell to start the season.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 12, 2022

by | Oct 12, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 12, 2022

Check out the latest on Patrick Kane, David Pastrnak, Jakob Chychrun, Bo Horvat and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PATRICK KANE

TSN: Pierre LeBrun believes there’s a “decent chance” the Chicago Blackhawks trade Patrick Kane by the March 3 deadline. He indicated that the 33-year-old winger wasn’t ready to have a conversation about a trade during the offseason. LeBrun believes Kane’s agent and Blackhawks management will circle back to that sometime in December or January and see where things stand.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

LeBrun noted Kane’s no-movement clause gives him full control over this situation. He suggested the New York Rangers and New York Islanders as “decent possibilities.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Rangers could be the most likely destination for Kane.

Assuming Kane accepts a trade to the Rangers or Islanders, both clubs lack sufficient cap space to acquire him. The Blackhawks will have to retain half of his $10.5 million cap hit for this season to make it work, and even then, it might take getting a third team involved to spread the remaining half of that cap hit around to make it palatable to the Blueshirts or Isles.

DAVID PASTRNAK

TSN: Darren Dreger reports there’s a strong appetite by Boston Bruins management and David Pastrnak’s camp to reach an agreement on a contract extension. The 26-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

However, Dreger suggests there’s no guarantee a deal can be made. He thinks the starting point could be something comparable to the eight-year contract ($10.5 million annual average value) that Jonathan Huberdeau signed this summer with the Calgary Flames, pointing out Pastrnak is younger than the 29-year-old Huberdeau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is probably going to get at least $10 million annually on his next contract. That’s the market value for a player of his skills. It’ll either come from the Bruins or another team next summer via free agency. And no, he won’t accept a hometown discount to stay in Boston.

JAKOB CHYCHRUN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Jakob Chychrun still hasn’t received clearance to resume practicing with his Arizona Coyotes teammates as he continues to recover from a wrist injury. He wonders if anyone is willing to trade for the 24-year-old defenseman before he’s fully healed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given the high asking price the Coyotes have set for Chychrun in the trade market, the answer appears to be “no.” Otherwise, he’d have been moved by now. Friedman said there’s definitely interest, noting the Ottawa Senators have been closely following this situation. However, I think those interested parties want to see how Chychrun plays once he returns to action before getting serious with trade offers.

BO HORVAT

Elliotte Friedman said a couple of sources used the word “stalemate” to describe Bo Horvat’s contract extension talks with the Vancouver Canucks. However, Friedman isn’t taking that too seriously, pointing out how the Canucks were reportedly unwilling to commit to an expensive long-term extension for J.T. Miller before they ultimately signed him last month.

Friedman used Sean Couturier ($7.75 million AAV) as a comparable for Horvat as well as for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. He thinks anyone who believes the AAV on Horvat’s next contract will start with a six “is in a Wizard-of-Oz-style dreamland.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed. Unless things really go downhill, I expect Horvat will be staying in Vancouver starting at something over $7 million annually.

No two contract negotiations are the same. Nevertheless, I don’t think the Canucks will risk letting their captain walk away next summer, especially if he has another solid performance this season.

TIDBITS FROM FRIEDMAN’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS”

The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue exploring waiver-exempt or waiver-cleared defensive depth due to three preseason injuries.

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin will keep an eye out for scoring help but will give his talented youth the opportunity to prove themselves.