NHL Rumor Mill – July 20, 2024

by | Jul 20, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 20, 2024

Check out the latest on some of this summer’s notable restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox and Rory Boylen recently looked at where things stand with 12 of this summer’s notable remaining restricted free agents. Here are some of the more notable ones:

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman didn’t file for salary arbitration. Some observers wonder why the Bruins didn’t already have a “hush-hush handshake deal” with the Swayman camp in place before trading Linus Ullmark to Ottawa last month.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have over $8.6 million in cap space for 2024-25 with the 25-year-old Swayman the only active roster playing to be signed. He’s two years away from UFA eligibility.

Swayman will get signed, it’s just a question of for how long and how much. The two sides could agree to a long-term contract or a two-year deal. The average annual value could be between $6.5 million and $7.5 million.

The Carolina Hurricanes hold the hammer in contract talks with Seth Jarvis. The 22-year-old winger is coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights.

General manager Eric Tulsky could go for a short-term bridge deal or attempt to lock up Jarvis to an eight-year deal. His camp could seek a long-term deal worth over 8.35 million annually.

Tulsky isn’t worried about someone signing Jarvis to an offer sheet, pointing out they have the cap space to match.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Terminating Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract gives the Hurricanes $13.9 million in cap space. That’s more than enough to match an offer sheet for Jarvis.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, Martin Necas has been the subject of trade speculation since their playoff elimination in May. The New Jersey Devils, Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames were believed to be monitoring the 25-year-old winger’s situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox and Boylen considered Necas most likely to be traded when this list was published on July 17. Since then, GM Tulsky said he’s not closing the door on a potential deal but it’s looking more likely Necas will remain with the Hurricanes.

Tulsky pointed out that teams have a lot less flexibility than they did a month ago, making it harder to do deals in the trade market. In other words, the clubs interested in Necas lack sufficient cap space to acquire him.

Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti had an inconsistent 2023-24 performance but still finished fifth among their leading scorers. The departures of Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan could lead to a fresh start for the 22-year-old forward under new head coach Scott Arniel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press observed the Jets tend to sign players like Perfetti to bridge contracts. However, there is precedence for a long-term deal, citing Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.

In that case, his camp could seek an average annual value between the $5 million AAV that Anton Lundell received from the Florida Panthers and the $6.25 million the Los Angeles Kings are paying Quinton Byfield.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko filed for arbitration on July 5. With Patrik Laine facing a doubtful future in Columbus, the 23-year-old Marchenko could get a nice raise.

The Rangers and Ryan Lindgren remain in contract negotiations despite the latter filing for arbitration. A one-year deal for the 25-year-old defenseman could cost $3.6 million. A longer deal will cost more due to the cost of his UFA years.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 19, 2024

by | Jul 19, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 19, 2024

Are more changes coming for the Hurricanes after Evgeny Kuznetsov’s departure? What’s the latest Patrik Laine speculation? Could Oilers RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg become offer-sheet targets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

MORE CHANGES COMING FOR THE HURRICANES?

TSN: Terminating Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract earlier this week was the latest significant offseason change to the Carolina Hurricanes roster. They also endured the departures of Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, and Stefan Noesen.

Kuznetsov’s contract termination also freed up $3.9 million, giving the Hurricanes over $13.8 million in cap space. They have 21 of their 23 active roster players under contract for 2024-25 with restricted free agents Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis still to sign.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Necas has been the subject of trade speculation following recent reports of his unhappiness with his role as a third-line winger. The 25-year-old forward also filed for salary arbitration on July 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas and Jarvis will seek significant raises but the Hurricanes have the room to accommodate those new contracts. They could also have sufficient space remaining to make other moves.

Necas’ situation remains uncertain. There’s been no speculation linking him to other clubs for the last couple of weeks but that doesn’t mean the Hurricanes aren’t getting any offers. Interested teams could also be waiting to see what his next contract looks like. However, they could be reluctant to part ways with Necas following the loss of Guentzel, Teravainen and Kuznetsov.

LATEST ON PATRIK LAINE

TSN MONTREAL 690: Columbus Blue Jackets beat writer Aaron Portzline recently discussed the type of return the club could seek as they attempt to trade Patrik Laine.

The 26-year-old winger recently requested a trade but remains in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. The Blue Jackets can still move him but neither they nor other teams can speak directly to him while he remains in the program.

Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell believes teams are interested in Laine but they’re waiting to speak with him first. Portzline speculates they might not seek a roster player because of their recent offseason additions. They could instead prefer a return of picks and prospects. Portzline also thinks they must retain part of Laine’s $8.7 million cap hit in the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine’s contract remains the biggest sticking point once he’s released from the assistance program. He’s signed through 2025-26 and carries a 10-team no-trade list. Interested parties could ask the Jackets to retain up to half of his cap hit to facilitate a deal.

NO OFFER SHEETS LIKELY FOR HOLLWAY AND BROBERG

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins recently weighed in on speculation suggesting Oilers RFAs Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg could become offer-sheet targets by rival clubs.

Leavins noted that offer sheets are a rarely used tactic by NHL GMs, pointing out that players who sign them usually seek a change. That’s unlikely for Holloway and Broberg after they were in regular rotation with the Oilers during Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg received praise for their performances during this postseason. They have bright futures in Edmonton and should receive bigger roles with the Oilers starting this season. It’s doubtful they’re keen to leave a serious Stanley Cup contender.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2024

by | Jul 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2024

The Hurricanes terminate Evgeny Kuznetsov’s contract and re-sign Jack Drury, the Stanley Cup champion Panthers’ roster will look different this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes announced Wednesday they placed center Evgeny Kuznetsov on unconditional waivers before terminating his contract.

Kuznetsov, 32, had a year remaining on his deal with an average annual value of $7.8 million divided between the Hurricanes and his former club, the Washington Capitals. This will free up $3.9 million from the salary cap payrolls of both clubs for 2024-25.

Former Carolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL Images).

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said both sides agreed this was the best course of action for the player and the team. Kuznetsov will reportedly return to Russia to sign a contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg.

The Hurricanes acquire Kuznetsov at the March trade deadline for a third-round pick. He had seven points in 20 regular-season games and six points in 10 playoff contests with his new club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kuznetsov’s performance has been erratic since his career-best 83-point effort in 2017-18 when he helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup. A bounce-back 78-point production in 2021-22 was followed by 55 points in 2022-23 and 24 points in 63 games last season split between the Capitals and Hurricanes.

In 743 regular-season games, Kuznetsov had 173 goals and 575 points along with 33 goals and 73 points in 97 postseason contests.

PuckPedia indicates Kuznetsov gets to keep the $2 million signing bonus he received on July 1. However, he’s walking away from the $6 million in salary he was slated to earn this season.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes avoided salary arbitration with forward Jack Drury to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.725 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have $13.8 million in cap space for 2024-25. They still have to sign restricted free agents Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis but have more wiggle room to do so with Kuznetsov off their books.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The 2023-24 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will have a different-looking roster for next season.

Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Kevin Stenlund, Anthony Stolarz, and Ryan Lomberg departed via free agency. Kyle Okposo is expected to retire and Nick Cousins, Josh Mahura and Steven Lorentz weren’t offered new contracts.

They were replaced by more affordable depth players like Jaycob Megna, Nate Schmidt, A.J. Greer, MacKenzie Entwistle, Jesper and Adam Boqvist, Tomas Nosek, Tomas Nosek, Rasmus Asplund, and Chris Driedger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ roster underwent considerable change this summer. It’ll be interesting to see how well they adjust this season.

THE SCORE: Shane Pinto revealed the details behind his 41-game suspension last season for violating the NHL’s gambling rules.

The 23-year-old center explained proxy betting was behind the suspension, having his friends place bets for him in the United States while he was in Canada. There is no evidence Pinto bet on NHL games.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames, the city of Calgary and the province of Alberta will officially begin construction on Monday of a new $926 million Event Centre. It will include a new 18,000-seat arena for the Flames.

Construction is expected to be completed before the 2027-28 NHL season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Dan Hinote was named associate head coach of the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate. Hinote, 47, spent six of his nine NHL seasons with the Avalanche. He spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators. Hinote was also a former assistant coach and scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 16, 2024

by | Jul 16, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 16, 2024

Which teams remain due for a big move this summer? Will Evgeny Kuznetsov bolt for the KHL? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ARE THERE MORE MOVES TO COME FOR THE JETS, AVALANCHE, GOLDEN KNIGHTS AND PANTHERS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jim Parson believes the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers still have some work to do in his offseason.

Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty isn’t interested in signing with the club and wants a trade. Meanwhile, there is talk winger Nikolaj Ehlers could be on his way out.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McGroarty and Ehlers have recently surfaced in the rumor mill. However, Winnipeg doesn’t have to move either player this summer. McGroarty’s NHL rights still belong to the Jets while Ehlers has one year remaining on his contract. They could trade one or both this summer or at some point in the lead-up to the March trade deadline.

The Avalanche have 19 of their 23 active roster spots filled for 2024-25 but don’t have much cap room. Uncertainty hangs over sidelined captain Gabriel Landeskog and suspended winger Valeri Nichushkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Landeskog hopes to return to action after missing the last two seasons recovering from knee surgeries. He carries an annual salary-cap hit of $7 million. They were able to garner cap relief the last two years by placing Landeskog on long-term injury reserve.

Nichshukin, meanwhile, has a $6.125 million cap hit. He’s in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and is suspended until mid-November. The Avs can place him on long-term injury reserve to start the season but they must be cap-compliant when his suspension ends.

The Avalanche faces a cost-cutting move if Landeskog returns to action and Nichushkin comes back in November. They don’t have to do it now but are over the $88 million cap ceiling by $1.33 million with four active roster spots to fill. They can remain over the cap by 10 percent until their season opener in October.

The Golden Knights appear to be reeling from the departures of Logan Thompson, Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez, Chandler Stephenson and Anthony Mantha. They’ve been quiet thus far but Parsons reminds us that this is a cutthroat and ruthless organization that will do anything to improve their situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like the Avalanche, a lack of cap space is hampering the Golden Knights’ efforts to bolster their roster. It’s what led to the departures of those players. They’re above the cap by over $3.6 million but have relief for the coming season with goalie Robin Lehner and his $5 million cap hit on LTIR. They have room to add three more contracts to reach the maximum of 50 but they already have a full active roster of 23.

The Golden Knights could make a splash in the trade pool. However, they could be content to start the season with their current roster and see how things unfold.

Parson also noted the Panthers aren’t the same team that won’t the Stanley Cup last month, losing Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Anthony Stolarz and Ryan Lomberg to free agency. There’s ongoing speculation they could trade long-time defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ Bill Zito is among the more aggressive NHL general managers. However, he only has a little over $766K in cap space for 2024-25 with 22 of his 23 active roster spots filled.

Zito could trade Ekblad and his $7.5 million cap hit but doing so would blow a big hole in their blueline that will be difficult to fill. He could be stuck with affordable depth moves for now.

COULD KUZNETSOV RETURN TO THE KHL?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sammi Silber cited a report out of Russia claiming Evgeny Kuznetsov planned to leave the Carolina Hurricanes and sign a four-year contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg.

Kuznetsov has one year remaining with Carolina. The report claimed he’d head to SKA St. Petersburg after he works with the Hurricanes to terminate his NHL contract.

Shumi Babayev, a player agent and Kuznetsov’s friend downplayed the report. He said there was interest in the 32-year-old center from several KHL clubs. However, he added it is too early to definitively say he’s heading back to Russia.

Silber noted that terminating Kuznetsov’s contract would remove his NHL cap hit from the books of the Hurricanes and his former club, the Washington Capitals. The Hurricanes carry half of his $7.8 million cap hit and the Capitals the other half.

A buyout is also possible once the Hurricanes’ contract arbitration hearings are settled. That would count as two-thirds of the remaining value over twice the remaining term for both teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes and Capitals would likely prefer a contract termination over a buyout. Kuznetsov’s performance has steadily declined over the last two seasons.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 15, 2024

by | Jul 15, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 15, 2024

Check out the latest on Hurricanes winger Martin Necas and Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE ATHLETIC: Cory Lavalette reports all signs pointed to Martin Necas getting traded this summer. The 25-year-old Carolina Hurricanes winger is a restricted free agent who filed for salary arbitration on July 5.

The Hurricanes shopped Necas before and after the 2024 NHL Draft, getting into deep discussions with the Columbus Blue Jackets before talks fell apart.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Lavalette believes it’s more likely Necas will return with the Hurricanes for 2024-25. Most NHL clubs have done their heavy offseason lifting. There’s a path for the two sides to a one-year deal between $5.5 million and $6.5 million via negotiation or arbitration.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We can’t rule out the possibility of a trade once Necas has a contract for this season. Interested clubs could be waiting to see how that shakes out.

Recent rumors had the Hurricanes talking with the Winnipeg Jets about a possible swap of Necas for winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $6 million. Nothing’s materialized yet and there’s been no further speculation.

The best opportunity to move Necas may have passed. PuckPedia indicates that 18 clubs have less than $7 million in projected cap space. If any teams interested in Necas are among that group, they won’t have much room to take on his new contract and have enough to finish filling out their rosters unless it’s a dollar-in, dollar-out scenario.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell remains hopeful of finding a trade partner for Patrik Laine. The 26-year-old winger requested a trade last month following a difficult season with the Jackets.

Laine is still in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. The Jackets can trade him while he’s still in the program. However, neither they nor another team can speak directly to him. Waddell indicated interested clubs want to talk to Laine before making trade offers.

Portzline thinks the prime time to move Laine has passed but Waddell remains optimistic. He noted the lack of depth in the free-agent market could have clubs with cap room seeking scoring forwards to look into the trade market. The Jackets GM said he knows some teams remain interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking with Laine once he exits the player assistance program is the easy part. Moving him could be challenging. He carries an average annual value of $8.7 million through 2025-26 and a 10-team no-trade list. Laine’s injury history hampered his production, affecting his trade values. Interested clubs could also want the Jackets to retain part of his AAV.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2024

by | Jul 12, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at some of the notable trade and free agent rumors facing some Eastern Conference teams.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently examined the lingering offseason questions for each team in the Eastern Conference.

He wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes would sign Martin Necas to a new contract or trade the 25-year-old forward. Given Jake Guentzel’s departure, the Hurricanes could circle back and attempt to mend fences with Necas.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports emerged this spring claiming Necas was unhappy with his role as a third-line winger, preferring a move to center and taking on more responsibilities. His filing for salary arbitration last Friday adds some intrigue to his situation.

Necas was linked to the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Utah Hockey Club and Vancouver Canucks at one point or another. So far, there’s no indication he’s on the verge of getting traded.

Dixon also wondered who would become the next head coach of the Blue Jackets. It appeared former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan was the favorite. However, he still has a year on his contract with the Kings and the two clubs couldn’t work out an agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft and former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason appear to be the frontrunners.

The Montreal Canadiens still must address their need to add another scoring forward. However, they could still find a way to do so during this offseason. Dixon pointed out that they carry a glut of promising young defensemen who represent possible trade chips.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has been involved in notable summer trades over the last two years. He acquired Sean Monahan from Calgary in Aug. 2022 and was part of the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last August.

The Canadiens also have plenty of draft picks to draw on for trade bait. They have two first-round picks, two second-rounders, three third-round selections, and two fourth-rounders in next year’s draft and two fourth-rounders in 2026.

Dixon noted the New York Rangers’ attempt to trade defenseman Jacob Trouba and his efforts to block that move. The 30-year-old Rangers captain doesn’t want to uproot his family but GM Chris Drury could prefer moving his $8 million cap hit, which runs through 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed Drury initially tried to move Trouba before the start of free agency on July 1 to clear room to sign a UFA or two. Dixon suggested Drury could now prefer peddling him to free up space to re-sign RFA defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider this summer, and to re-sign Igor Shesterkin before his UFA eligibility next July.

Trouba now has a 15-team no-trade list. The problem is many of the teams not on that list could lack the cap space, trade assets or both to acquire him.

Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost was a frequent subject of trade chatter last season. Dixon wondered if another club might circle back with the dust having settled in the free-agent market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frost hasn’t been mentioned much in the rumor mill. That doesn’t mean he won’t be traded this summer. He’s had back-to-back 40-plus point seasons and carries a reasonable $2.1 million cap hit for this season.

Sidney Crosby’s contract extension remains the offseason story for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report earlier this week claimed the two sides are getting closer to an agreement. As Dixon noted, however, the chatter won’t stop until Crosby finally puts pen to paper.

Speculation over Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has died away. Dixon pointed out the 27-year-old winger has full control over his future with his no-movement clause and expects he’ll still be with the Leafs when training camp opens in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That seems to be the case. It will then become a question of whether they’ll sign Marner to a contract extension or risk losing him next summer to free agency.