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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

by | Jul 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

Kyle Dubas talks about his biggest mistake as Leafs GM, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour talks about the recent departure of several key players, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: In a new book by The Athletic’s Craig Custance, Kyle Dubas talked about his biggest mistake while general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The book is entitled “The Franchise: The Business Of Building Winning Teams.”

“The biggest mistake I think I’ve made in my whole time there has been not taking care of the three incumbent contracts,” said Dubas, referring to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander coming off their entry-level deals. He felt they should’ve been signed to contract extensions on July 1 as they entered the final year of those ELCs.

Dubas also lamented not getting those contracts done before signing John Tavares as an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

The article noted complications arose getting those three under contract. An unnamed team threatened to sign Nylander to an offer sheet, driving up his price and resulting in his two-month absence early in 2018-19. Marner, meanwhile, staged a brief training camp holdout in September 2019 before signing his deal. Matthews signed his contract midway through the 2018-19 campaign.

Dubas was criticized for his handling of those negotiations, and for signing Tavares to a seven-year deal in 2018 with an annual cap hit of $11 million. However, Darryl Belfry, who worked in the Leafs’ front office at that time, defended the former Leafs GM by pointing out how COVID-19 resulted in several years with a flattened salary cap.

“Kyle would never say it, but I will,” said Belfry. “You have a world shut down, it’s a flat cap for multiple years and you’re stuck holding the bag on a projection. You didn’t miscalculate, it was an act of nature that beat you.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I credit Dubas for admitting his mistake with his handling of those contracts for Matthews, Marner and Nylander. Belfry is also correct for pointing out how the flattened cap adversely affected the Leafs following those signings. No one could have predicted a global pandemic and its effects on the salary cap.

Nevertheless, I maintain that the Tavares signing was Dubas’ biggest mistake as Leafs GM. I said it when the rumors emerged leading up to the signing and I maintained that position afterward. They invested $11 million on a player they didn’t need.

Even if COVID hadn’t happened and the salary cap kept rising, the Tavares contract still would’ve been a drag on the Leafs’ cap payroll, hampering efforts to address the important roster needs.

The Leafs were the third-highest-scoring team in 2017-18 but needed to shore up their goaltending and defense, especially the right side of their blueline. The investment in Tavares should’ve been used to address those issues.

If no immediate solutions were available, they could’ve invested some of that $11 million in affordable short-term fixes while keeping the rest to use when better long-term options became available through trades or free agency.

THE SCORE: Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said it was difficult watching several key players depart as free agents earlier this month. Trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel, defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen were among the notables who signed elsewhere.

Brind’Amour signed a contract extension in May. Since then, general manager Don Waddell stepped down and was replaced by Eric Tulsky. Meanwhile, trade rumors swirl about winger Martin Necas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes replaced those departed players with blueliners Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker and forwards such as Jack Roslovic and William Carrier. Still, the effects of that roster turnover will be felt next season, especially on the blueline where Skjei and Pesce were their second pairing.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning avoided arbitration with recently acquired defenseman J.J. Moser, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.38 million.

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Ty Emberson to a one-year, $950K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser and Emberson were among 14 players who filed for salary arbitration on July 5. That number shrank to 11 with blueliner Jake Christiansen inking a one-year, $775K deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

The arbitration period begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 4.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club signed Tij Iginla to an entry-level contract. Iginla was their first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2024 draft. Tij is the son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year ELC. He was their first-round pick (15th overall) in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla, Brandsegg-Nygard and San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson (11th overall) signed their ELCs this week, bringing the total thus far to 14.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andrey Tarasenko, father of NHL winger Vladimir Tarasenko, died suddenly in Russia at age 56. Andrey was the developmental coach and trainer for KHL club HC Siber.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Tarasenko family and HC Siber.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

by | Jul 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 9, 2024

A look at the most interesting salary arbitration cases, the Capitals make a notable front-office change, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon looked at some of the more interesting potential salary arbitration cases worth watching. Fourteen players filed for arbitration by the July 5 deadline. There were no club-elected arbitration cases.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

Topping the list is Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas. The 25-year-old has featured prominently in the rumor mill as reports emerged about his unhappiness skating as a third-line winger. There’s also been a management change as Eric Tulsky took over as general manager from Don Waddell.

Other notable cases that could be worth monitoring include New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning blueliner J.J. Moser, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser’s could be interesting because he was recently acquired from the Utah Hockey Club. The Lightning sees him as a replacement for Mikhail Sergachev, who was swapped for Moser, prospect center Conor Geekie, and two draft picks.

The Bolts won’t pay Moser as much as Sergachev ($8.5 million annually) but the 24-year-old Swiss blueliner will seek a significant raise coming off his entry-level contract.

Most of these cases are settled well before their scheduled arbitration hearings between July 20 and Aug. 4. Sometimes, one or two end up going before an arbitrator. 

TSN: The Washington Capitals named Chris Patrick as their new general manager while long-time GM Brian MacLellan remains as president of hockey operations. Patrick, 48, has worked in various roles with the Capitals, spending the past three seasons as assistant GM.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates this follows a recent trend around the league where an established general manager moves upstairs and cedes day-to-day operations. MacLellan will still maintain oversight over any significant roster decisions. He’d served as GM since 2014 and helped them win their first Stanley Cup in 2018.

MacLellan improved the Capitals roster in recent weeks, swapping goalie Darcy Kuemper for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, acquiring defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators, winger Andrew Mangiapane from the Calgary Flames, and netminder Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights. He also signed top-four defenseman Matt Roy.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin discussed the “Seattle Incident” during the 2023 playoffs with a Russian interviewer. His comments were made before he was placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on May 14 and suspended for six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nichushkin left the Avalanche during their 2023 first-round series with the Seattle Kraken after a team doctor discovered an intoxicated woman in the winger’s Seattle hotel room, and called an ambulance to take her to a hospital. The club did not acknowledge the police report or indicate if Nichushkin was punished. The league indicated it was satisfied with how the situation was handled.

Nichushkin said he was receiving treatments for a shoulder injury at the time that required injections. He claimed he wasn’t scheduled to play for the remainder of the series against the Kraken, saying he hung out with some friends that night and then flew back to Denver. Nichushkin stated the girl in his hotel room had nothing to do with him. He also said the team told him not to comment about the incident at the time, something he now claims was a mistake.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Nichushkin faces any repercussions for these comments.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club re-signed forward Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.65 million.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Former Flyers goaltender Carter Hart could sign with a KHL team. He is among five players charged in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault case and is currently awaiting trial. The Flyers opted not to qualify Hart’s rights on July 1, making him an unrestricted free agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube is among those five players. He signed a one-year contract with KHL club HC Dinamo Minsk. The report stated it’s unclear if extraneous circumstances allowed Dube to leave Canada before facing trial.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres signed 2024 first-round pick Konsta Helenius to a three-year entry-level contract. The 18-year-old center was chosen 14th overall.

KUKLA’S KORNER: The Dallas Stars entered into a seven-year agreement with A Parent Media Co. Inc. (APMC) to stream all their regional games free of charge. Starting this season, the games will be broadcast on the newly formed VICTORY+, a free direct-to-consumer streaming service created for fans by APMC with the Dallas Stars.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes named Doug Warf their new team president. He will oversee the club’s business operations and the operation of PNC Arena. He succeeds Don Waddell, who recently stepped down to join the Columbus Blue Jackets.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 7, 2024

by | Jul 7, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 7, 2024

The Hurricanes are said to be interested in Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers plus an update on Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

HURRICANES REPORTEDLY PURSUING NIKOLAJ EHLERS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner reported on Friday that the Carolina Hurricanes were “pushing heavily” on Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. He believes it makes a lot of sense after the Hurricanes were forced to trade pending free agent Jake Guentzel to Tampa Bay last week.

Ehlers, 28, has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6 million. He’s rumored to be unwilling to sign an extension with the Jets. It was expected the Jets would try and move him at the 2024 NHL draft but they may have set too high of an asking price.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

Rosner suggested that the Jets could be hoping that clubs that missed out in free agency might start a bidding war for Ehlers. He thinks the Hurricanes could win that war if they offer up Martin Necas, but the Jets would have to include more than Ehlers in the deal as Necas has more value.

The New York Islanders were also rumored to be interested in Ehlers. Rosner speculates they still could be even after signing Anthony Duclair but wasn’t sure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff praised Ehlers following the draft, calling him an important piece of their lineup. We’ll soon find out if that’s the case. He won’t trade the winger simply for the sake of doing so and could prefer a younger player in return.

A one-for-one swap for Ehlers would make sense for the Hurricanes if there’s no contract resolution with Necas. The 25-year-old winger hasn’t generated much buzz lately in the rumor mill, leading some to suggest the Canes could reconsider trading him after losing Guentzel.

Necas filed for contract arbitration on Friday. That could be his way of setting a deadline to hammer out a new deal with the Hurricanes or another indicator that he has a short-term future in Carolina.

THE LATEST ON PATRIK LAINE

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports the Columbus Blue Jackets are still waiting for word that Patrik Laine has been cleared by the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to resume his playing career. The 26-year-old winger has been in the program since January.

The Jackets’ efforts to accommodate Laine’s trade request may have taken a big hit going this deep into the offseason. They can trade him while he’s in the program but GM Don Waddell said the clubs interested in Laine want to speak with him before making trade offers.

Teams that may have considered Laine probably already made moves to address their roster needs. The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly were among those teams and made an offer during the recent NHL Draft. They have over $11 million in cap space and plenty of room to take on Laine’s $8.7 million annual cap hit through 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine could still be traded this summer. However, as Portzline indicated, his cap hit and uncertainty over when he’ll be out of the player assistance program will make it difficult for the Blue Jackets to find a suitable trade partner.

The Hurricanes could be out of the bidding for Laine if they’re attempting to acquire Nikolaj Ehlers from the Winnipeg Jets. They carry sufficient cap room for Laine’s contract, but Necas, Seth Jarvis, and Jack Drury are seeking new contracts as restricted free agents. Jarvis alone could get a pay raise of over $5 million annually, which would eat up almost half of that cap room.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 7, 2024

by | Jul 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 7, 2024

The Sharks signed first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini while the Blackhawks inked second-overall pick Artyom Levshunov. Check out the latest today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks signed Macklin Celebrini to a three-year entry-level contract.

San Jose Sharks prospect Macklin Celebrini (NHL.com).

The 18-year-old Boston University center was selected first overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Draft. He decided to forego the rest of his college career and jump to the NHL shortly after participating in last week’s Sharks’ development camp.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks general manager Mike Grier was impressed by Celebrini’s on-ice play. However, his interview and dinner with the young center at the Draft Combine convinced him to select the young center first overall. Grier praised Celebrini’s maturity, drive, and passion to become a great player.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Ticket sales for the Sharks’ Oct. 31 game against the Chicago Blackhawks and sale of No. 71 jerseys are soaring following Celebrini’s signing. That game features Celebrini facing off against Connor Bedard, the 2023 first-overall pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini will need all of his maturity, strength, and passion for the game heading into his first NHL campaign. Like Bedard with the Blackhawks, he must deal with the pressure of being the foundation piece for a rebuilding club. How well he copes with that pressure and adapts to the NHL game will play a significant role in their rebuilding process.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Blackhawks, they signed Arytom Levshunov to an entry-level contract. The 18-year-old Michigan State defenseman was chosen second overall in this year’s draft.

NHL.COM: Celebrini and Levshunov are the latest 2024 NHL Draft class to sign entry-level contracts. Jett Luchanko (13th overall, Philadelphia Flyers) signed his ELC on July 6.

Adam Jiricek (16th overall, St. Louis Blues) was the first, signing his deal on July 2. Beckett Sennecke (third overall, Anaheim Ducks), Berkly Catton (eighth overall, Seattle Kraken), Zayne Parekh (ninth overall, Calgary Flames), Terik Parascak (17th overall, Washington Capitals), Stian Solberg (23rd overall, Anaheim Ducks), and Matvei Gridin (28th overall, Flames) signed theirs on July 5.

TSN: The Winnipeg Jets acquired defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations. They also signed restricted free agents David Gustafsson and Logan Stanley to two-year contract extensions.

Gustafsson, 24, will earn an average annual value of $835K while Stanlhttps://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/top-remaining-free-agents-the-best-2024-ufas-still-on-the-boardey’s AAV is $1.25 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: No change on the top remaining unrestricted free agents listing.

Winger James van Riemsdyk, defenseman Ryan Suter, blueliner Tyson Barrie, and wingers Tyler Johnson and Max Pacioretty are the most notable still available. Others include winger Daniel Sprong and defenseman Oliver Kylington.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The market slowed following its initial frenzy of signings from July 1 and 2 heading into the July 4th American holiday weekend. There could be an uptick this week.

Many of these players could be waiting weeks for new contracts. Some will sign professional tryout offers hoping to secure jobs in training camp and preseason.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2024

by | Jul 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 6, 2024

Fourteen players file for salary arbitration, the latest on Valeri Nichushkin and Evan Bouchard, the Oilers make a cost-cutting trade with the Sabres, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHLPA.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas and New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren highlight the 14 players filing for salary arbitration by the 5 pm ET deadline on July 5.

Other notables include Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser, New York Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko, Detroit Red Wings forward Joe Veleno, and Hurricanes center Jack Drury.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

The deadline for club-elected arbitration is 5 pm ET on July 6. Salary arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players and teams usually file for arbitration to set a deadline to complete contract negotiations rather than have them drag on through the summer. Most cases are settled before the scheduled arbitration hearings. Nevertheless, a handful could go before an arbitrator.

Necas is the most talented player on this list. He’s been the subject of trade speculation for weeks because he’s reportedly unhappy with his role on the Hurricanes.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cited TSN’s Chris Johnston reporting the Avalanche aren’t trading Valeri Nichushkin while he’s in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. They’re hoping to rehabilitate the player and the person.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rawal cited a report last month claiming the Chicago Blackhawks kicked around the idea of making a trade for Nichushkin before rejecting the notion.

Players in the assistance program, like Nichushkin and Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine, can be traded. However, any clubs interested in these players would likely prefer to wait until they have emerged from the program to speak with them.

THE SCORE: cited The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reporting the Edmonton Oilers and Evan Bouchard are unlikely to start contract extension talks this summer. The 24-year-old defenseman is due to become a restricted free agent next July. His current annual cap hit is $3.9 million.

Oilers management is focused on extension talks with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Meanwhile, Bouchard wants to build on his strong 2023-24 performance.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s performance this season could double his money on his next contract. Another strong effort like last season’s could fetch him even more.

Draisaitl is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July and McDavid in July 2026. McDavid can’t sign an extension until next July but the two sides can discuss the framework of a deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Oilers traded center Ryan McLeod and minor league winger Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for prospect center Matthew Savoie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a cost-cutting move by the Oilers, who were sitting $2.5 million over the $88 million salary cap. Moving McLeod’s $2.1 million provides considerable cap relief. The Journal also noted the 24-year-old center lost out in the numbers game after the Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner. McLeod should be a solid addition as the Sabres’ third-line center.

Savoie, 20, was chosen ninth overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft. A promising center, he’s been hampered by injuries over the past two seasons but still has the potential to blossom as an NHL star.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Speaking of the Sabres, they signed Henri Jokiharju to a one-year, $3.1 million contract. The 25-year-old defenseman was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed winger Eeli Tolvanen to a two-year, $6.95 million contract. The average annual value is $3.475 million.

SPORTSNET: The Winnipeg Jets are reportedly working on a trade to acquire defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Carolina Hurricanes.

DAILY FACEOFF: James van Riemsdyk, Ryan Suter and Max Pacioretty remain the most notable players in the unrestricted free-agent market.