NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2023
NHL Rumor Mill – November 4, 2023
Does Nicklas Backstrom’s ongoing hip injury suggest the Red Wings should avoid Patrick Kane? What’s the latest on the Canadiens and Blue Jackets? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill
SHOULD THE RED WINGS PASS ON PATRICK KANE?
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff suggested that Nicklas Backstrom’s decision to step away from the Washington Capitals for health reasons should be taken as a note of caution if the Red Wings are seriously considering the pursuit of Patrick Kane.
Backstrom, 35, underwent a hip resurfacing procedure in 2022 but struggled to regain his form since returning to action in the middle of last season. Earlier this week, he announced that he was stepping away amid ongoing issues related to his hip.
Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).
Kane, 34, underwent a similar procedure in June and is expected to be ready to return to action by December. His camp is expected to begin fielding contract offers from interested clubs later this month. The Red Wings are rumored to be among those teams.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duff raises a good point, one that interested teams could keep in mind. Backstrom isn’t the only NHL player who underwent this procedure. Those who have, like Ed Jovanovski, Ryan Kesler, Carl Hagelin were never the same. Indeed, Kesler never played again.
Kane is hoping for better luck in his return to play. He’ll likely only get one-year offers from clubs as they’ll want to evaluate his performance before committing to anything long-term.
LATEST CANADIENS SPECULATION
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli believes Sean Monahan could be a good trade chip for the Montreal Canadiens if he remains healthy and maintains his current performance.
Seravalli noted Monahan had 17 points in 25 games last season before he was sidelined for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign. He believes a healthy Monahan, who recently turned 29, could have 20 goals by the time the March 8 trade deadline rolls around.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In 10 games this season, Monahan leads the Canadiens with six goals and sits second in points with nine. He also carries a very affordable $1.985 million on a one-year contract and lacks no-trade protection.
If Monahan remains healthy and productive the Canadiens could get a nice return for him by the trade deadline. That’s assuming they’re well out of playoff contention and he prices himself out of their market given his UFA status in July.
TSN: Darren Dreger noted the Canadiens continue to carry three goaltenders with Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau sharing the duties. They can’t risk trying to send Primeau to their AHL affiliate because they know he won’t clear waivers.
Dreger believes there’s a decision coming. That could include attempting to trade one of their goalies.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Primeau seems the most likely candidate. Despite his struggles to crack the Canadiens lineup, there are reportedly some teams that feel the 24-year-old needs a change of scenery to reach his potential.
BLUE JACKETS’ KENT JOHNSON CHANGES AGENTS
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman recently observed that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is now represented by CAA. He also noted that the 21-year-old forward is trying to find his way with the Jackets.
Friedman doesn’t think there’s any reason for Columbus fans to panic but he pointed out that CAA also represented former Blue Jackets Pierre-Luc Dubois and Seth Jones.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson was the Jackets’ first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract and had a 40-point performance in 79 games as a rookie in 2022-23.
I don’t think the Jackets plan to move Johnson as they see him as a key part of their rebuilding process. However, they didn’t want to part ways with Dubois or Jones but Friedman noted that both players wanted out of Columbus. Dubois was traded to Winnipeg in January 2021 while Jones was shipped to Chicago in July.
Johnson won’t have any leverage over the Jackets as he’ll lack arbitration rights next summer. Unless they become disenchanted with his play I expect he’ll get a short-term bridge deal with them.
