NHL Headlines & Rumors – September 9, 2024

by | Sep 9, 2024

NHL Headlines & Rumors – September 9, 2024

What the future could hold for signing bonuses in player contracts, an update on NHL CBA talks, and more in NHL Headlines & Rumors.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a shortened edition published early because I’m taking a personal day. Normal updates will resume on Tuesday, Sep 10.

TORONTO STAR: Dave Feschuk examines why players are signing contracts with hefty signing bonuses.

One reason is they make the contract “essentially buyout proof”. Another is based on “the time value of money,” meaning getting the money upfront is worth more than money later. Most importantly, they offer protection for the player in case of a lockout, ensuring they’ll get the bulk of that season’s earnings in one lump sum.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

Players who live in the United States but play for Canadian teams traditionally enjoy substantial tax savings on signing bonuses, paying a rate of 15 percent. However, a dispute between Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and the Canada Revenue Agency could change that.

If Tavares loses his case, he’ll owe $6.8 million in back taxes plus interest. Plenty of players and agents along with the Canadian NHL franchises, are monitoring this situation closely.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the ruling goes against Tavares it could make it difficult for Canadian teams to attract unrestricted free agents.

ESPN: Greg Wyshynski reports NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh said there haven’t been any major discussions yet with the NHL regarding the collective bargaining agreement. The CBA will expire in two years (Sep. 15, 2026) unless the two sides agree to extend or update the deal.

“We’ll be talking to players about the agreement coming down the road and how we lay the foundation for that agreement,” said Walsh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two sides have plenty of time to work out a new agreement. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently sounded upbeat about the relationship between the league and the PA.

This could also be Commissioner Gary Bettman’s last round of collective bargaining. Now 72, Bettman presided over three lockouts, including the one that killed the entire 2004-05 season, leading to the current salary cap system.

However, there’s been labor peace since the last lockout ended on Jan. 6. 2013. With league coffers swelling, Bettman will likely want the next round of collective bargaining to go as smoothly as possible. Whether that’s possible remains to be seen.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael DeRosa cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculating that Radko Gudas could become the next captain of the Anaheim Ducks. The 34-year-old defenseman is a 13-season NHL veteran.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks haven’t had a team captain since Ryan Getzlaf retired in 2022. Their alternate captains last season were Cam Fowler, Mason McTavish and Troy Terry.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj could be an inspiration to the club’s rookies. Entering his third NHL season, the 23-year-old Xhekaj was never selected in the OHL or NHL drafts but made the Canadiens after being invited to their rookie camp in 2021.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski noted several clubs, like the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres, might need to shore up their depth between the pipes this season.

Kingerski wondered if this might provide the Penguins with a trade opportunity, suggesting Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic as possible options. He also mused over whether a rival GM might pry away prospect Joel Blomqvist from the Penguins for the right price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry’s surfaced in the rumor mill over the past couple of seasons but Kingerski admits his trade value is low. His contract and inconsistent play are significant obstacles.

If Blomqvist has a good camp and preseason, Nedeljkovic could become a trade option. He’s starting a two-year contract with a cap-friendly annual cap hit of $2.5 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 7, 2024

by | Sep 7, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 7, 2024

The latest on Sidney Crosby’s contract talks with the Penguins, the Ducks are discussing a trade with Cam Fowler, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast episode, Elliotte Friedman believes the Pittsburgh Penguins have made “a bunch of different offers” to team captain Sidney Crosby. He thinks the 37-year-old center is weighing whether he’ll be able to handle if the retooling Penguins miss the playoffs again while he’s still on top of his game.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Friedman still thinks Crosby will re-sign with the Penguins but believes the future Hall-of-Famer wanted to take his time to decide.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby and the Penguins could announce an agreement by the opening day of training camp. Nevertheless, the closer we get to camp without an extension for Crosby, the more speculation about his future in Pittsburgh.

Cam Fowler’s tenure with the Anaheim Ducks could come to an end. Friedman reports the 32-year-old defenseman is engaged in discussions regarding trade options with Ducks management. He believes at some point they’ll have to start taking some ice time away from Fowler to allow their younger blueliners to develop.

Fowler has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million with a four-team trade list. Friedman indicates the veteran rearguard could consider more teams as trade destinations. He also adds that it’s been a “positive working relationship” between the two sides.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It doesn’t sound like the Ducks are rushing to trade Fowler. Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile to determine where he sees himself and where they feel he fits in their future roster.

Fowler will become an unrestricted free agent in July 2026. He’ll likely no longer fit into the Ducks’ long-term plans by then. Attempting to trade him this season would enable interested clubs to have him on their roster for two postseason runs. The Ducks could also use their cap space to retain part of Fowler’s cap hit if it’ll sweeten the return.

Friedman speculated the St. Louis Blues might’ve been one of the teams interested in Fowler. However, he doesn’t think they have the room to acquire him now.

Speaking of the Ducks, Friedman believes they’ve been working with goaltender John Gibson to find him a new home. “That’s just been going on longer,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson first surfaced in the media rumor mill two years ago and has continued since. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade list.

The Ducks’ unwillingness to retain salary is believed to be why Gibson hasn’t been moved. The recent decline in his performance is another factor but that can be chalked up in part to the quality of the team in front of him during that time.

Friedman reported the Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to be discussing a contract extension with Jake McCabe. The 31-year-old defenseman is in the final season of his contract with an AAV of $4 million with a modified no-trade clause. Half of that cap hit is carried by his former club, the Chicago Blackhawks.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 6, 2024

by | Sep 6, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 6, 2024

An update on the notable remaining restricted free agents in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox provides an update on the notable remaining restricted free agents.

Fox noted a recent rumor claiming goaltender Jeremy Swayman seeks $10 million annually from the Boston Bruins drew skepticism. Another report claimed the Bruins offered the 25-year-old netminder a lowball $6.2 million average annual value for four seasons.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

The Bruins training camp opens on Sept. 18. They possess $8.6 million in cap space. Meanwhile, Swayman was participating in captain’s skates with his teammates this week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The AAV on Swayman’s new contract will likely be between $7 million and $8 million, depending on the length of the deal. It could be anywhere between four and eight years.

Fox cited an Aug. 28 report by Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff claiming the Red Wings are close to a deal with defenseman Moritz Seider. Meanwhile, some observers wonder how Seth Jarvis’ new contract with the Carolina Hurricanes affected Lucas Raymond’s negotiations with the Wings. Both wingers had comparable stats last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seider could get an eight-year deal worth between $8 million and $8.5 million. Jarvis is getting an AAV of $7.9 million (though the deferred salary actually reduces the annual cap hit to $7.42 million. Raymond’s negotiations have likely reached the point where it’s late in the game to introduce the concept of deferred payments into the discussions.

Nothing new to report on Thomas Harley’s negotiations with the Dallas Stars. Fox theorizes that the 23-year-old defenseman’s agent could be waiting to see what Seider gets with the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If so, the Stars aren’t going to meet that demand given their $6.2 million in cap space.

Fox cited NHL Network Radio’s Dave McCarthy claiming some teams would be willing to sign Cole Perfetti to a two-year offer sheet with an AAV of $4.5 million. However, the Jets would surely match that offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have over $5.7 million in cap space with only Perfetti to sign among their active roster players.

According to a recent report by The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta, the New Jersey Devils aren’t close to a new contract with forward Dawson Mercer. However, discussions continue between the two sides.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils have nearly $5 million in cap space. Mercer’s coming off his entry-level contract so he lacks leverage here. He could end up with a bridge deal worth between $3.5 million and $4 million annually.

Nothing new on Peyton Krebs’ contract talks with the Buffalo Sabres. Fox speculates the 23-year-old center will either get a short-term “prove-it” deal but isn’t ruling out a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo Hockey Now’s Jason Moser believes Krebs’ limited options could leave him no choice but to accept his qualifying offer ($874,125). The Sabres could explore trade options but Moser believes the return would be minimal.

Fox believes Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nicholas Robertson has three options: sign his qualifying offer, let his agent Pat Brisson negotiate an offer sheet or an extension, or withhold his services and await a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun last night reported Robertson still wants to be traded. He’s reportedly training at home and waiting for a resolution but the process isn’t moving as fast as his camp was hoping for. LeBrun noted that the youngster lacks leverage in this situation.

That lack of leverage prompted The Athletic’s James Mirtle to join those observers who believe it doesn’t make sense for Robertson’s career to sideline himself at this point. He thinks the youngster should sign his qualifying offer, play for the Leafs this season, and establish himself as a roster regular. That would give him arbitration rights next summer and improve his value in the trade market if he still wants to be moved.

Nothing new to report on Nashville Predators forward Philip Tomasino and Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev. Both are in the same position as Robertson.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2024

by | Sep 4, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we examine the fallout from Leon Draisaitl’s expensive new contract with the Oilers and its effect on Mitch Marner’s negotiations with the Leafs plus the latest on free-agent winger Max Pacioretty.

FALLOUT FROM THE DRAISAITL CONTRACT

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cites Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli predicting it’s now a “100 percent shot that Connor McDavid signs with the Edmonton Oilers” following the club’s re-signing Leon Drasaitl on Tuesday.

Draisaitl, 28, inked an eight-year, $112 million contract extension with a league-leading $14 million average annual value beginning on July 1, 2025.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

“There is no way that Leon is signing if there is a chance that Connor is not,” Seravalli said.

Meanwhile, Jim Matheson speculates it could cost the Oilers the league maximum of 20 percent of their overall salary cap to re-sign McDavid. If the cap is $100 million when his new contract begins, his average annual value would be $20 million.

Matheson also thinks emerging blueline star Evan Bouchard’s next contract could be at least $10 million annually.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski examined the winners and losers of Draisaitl’s new contract. The losers include those who generated rumors suggesting the Oilers star could spurn Edmonton in favor of signing with the Boston Bruins or the San Jose Sharks (the latter based on team owner Hasso Plattner being German like Draisaitl.)

Wyshynski also thinks the league loses because two of its biggest stars will play in a smaller, remote market rather than a big-city market like New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Toronto or Los Angeles.

However, Wyshynski makes the counterpoint that having Draisaitl and McDavid on the same roster makes Edmonton a glamour franchise and more meaningful to the league than having them lead two different franchises.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be shocking if McDavid doesn’t re-sign with Draisaitl inked to a long-term extension. The earliest the Oilers can sign their captain is next July and he’ll likely regain his place as the NHL’s highest-paid player.

The rumors about Draisaitl going to Boston or San Jose were wishful thinking at best.

Edmonton could indeed become a glamour franchise with Draisaitl and McDavid there for the long haul. However, the bloom could come off that rose if they lack the cap room to maintain a Stanley Cup contender around them.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the Maple Leafs are unaffected by Draisaitl’s new deal with the Oilers and continues to play the waiting game with Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old right winger will be the top player in next summer’s unrestricted free-agent market with Draisaitl no longer available.

The Leafs intend to see how Marner performs under new head coach Craig Berube this season, especially in the playoffs. Meanwhile, he must also decide if he wants to stay in Toronto.

Marner carries a $10.9 million AAV for this season. Simmons suggests his new contract could come in between that and below the $14 million Draisaitl will make on his deal. He could earn more by staying in Toronto as the Leafs are known for overpaying players.

LATEST ON MAX PACIORETTY

TSN: Chris Johnston reported earlier this week that the Maple Leafs are among the teams interested in Max Pacioretty.

The 35-year-old free-agent winger suffered a twice-torn Achilles tendon in 2022-23 that threatened to end his career. However, he returned to action midway through last season with the Washington Capitals, netting 23 points in 47 games.

Johnston thinks Pacioretty is in a position to sign a contract with a team rather than a professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty has also been linked to the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

by | Sep 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 4, 2024

The Blue Jackets and Flames to hold candlelight vigils for the Gaudreau brothers, plus the latest on Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, Torey Krug, Thatcher Demko, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames announced they will hold candlelight vigils on Wednesday evening to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Goudreau after the brothers were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

The Flames ceremony will be at 8 pm MT/10 pm ET at the west stairs of the Scotiabank Saddledome. The club will stream the candlelight vigil on the Flames website, app, and the team’s social media channels.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau (NHL Images).

The Blue Jackets vigil will be held outside Nationwide Arena starting at 7:30 pm ET/5:30 pm MT.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Cole Caufield will start wearing jersey number 13 in honor of Johnny Gaudreau, who wore the same number for most of his NHL career.

Caufield, 23, called Gaudreau his hero on an Instagram post following the winger’s death last Thursday. On Tuesday, Caufield issued another Instagram post explaining the number change, praising Gaudreau as an inspiration and trailblazer for smaller players with dreams of playing in the NHL.

The Canadiens winger was Gaudreau’s teammate on Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

TSN: Donations continue to pour in to support Matthew Gaudreau’s widow Madeline, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, due in December. A GoFundMe set up by Madeline’s sister raised more than $560K as of 7 pm ET on Tuesday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Leon Draisaitl said it was difficult to imagine himself wearing a different jersey or walking away from the Oilers. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old superstar signed an eight-year, $112 million contract extension.

Draisaitl said he saw himself as an Oiler for life. He stated that he felt at home in Edmonton, believes the club is building something special and wants to be part of it.

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes Draisaitl’s new contract ensures the Oilers can keep their Stanley Cup window open. He expects this improves the club’s odds of signing team captain Connor McDavid, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026.

Nugent-Bowman pointed out the Oilers are the oldest team in the NHL with little draft capital and a depleted prospect pool. He considers it imperative that they win the Stanley Cup with their current group before they reach what he calls “Pittsburgh Penguins territory.”

He also noted the expected high cost of re-signing McDavid and emerging star Evan Bouchard would put the Oilers among the teams with top-heavy rosters forced to fill out its roster depth with young prospects or inexpensive veterans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was expensive to re-sign Draisaitl and it will be costly to keep McDavid and Bouchard in the fold. That’s the cost of being in “win-now” mode when many of your best players are in their late twenties and early thirties.

The Oilers are betting they can win the Cup or at least remain a serious contender during the first half of Draisaitl’s new contract (and McDavid’s, too) before age inevitably takes its toll on their veteran roster.

A rising salary cap in the coming years should help the Oilers offset some of the big salary-cap crunch coming their way. Like the Penguins, however, management will eventually find it challenging to maintain a Cup contender as age and injuries catch up with their expensive stars.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins captain Brad Marchand revealed he underwent three surgeries during the offseason to address nagging injuries that plagued him throughout last season.

Marchand, 36, said he played through a torn elbow tendon through most of last season. He also underwent groin and abdominal surgeries to repair a sports hernia that he suffered late in the season.

The Bruins captain indicated the surgeries limited his offseason training. He’s hoping to be ready for the start of his club’s training camp on Sep. 18 or shortly thereafter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would explain the decline in Marchand’s production last season. Nevertheless, he finished with 29 goals and 67 points in 82 games.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Torey Krug will miss the upcoming 2024-25 season due to surgery on his left ankle.

Krug, 33, was diagnosed with pre-arthritic changes in the ankle earlier this summer. He was attempting to rehabilitate the ankle through non-surgical means.

The Blues could turn to Nick Leddy or Ryan Suter joining their top-four defense.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also open up an opportunity for a younger blueliner to move up in the pecking order on their defense corps.

THE PROVINCE: CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal reported yesterday that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has resumed skating and working out on the ice.

Recent reports speculated Demko, 28, could miss training camp and the start of the Canucks’ season as he continued to rehab an offseason medical procedure tied to his playoff-ending knee injury this spring.

Canucks training camp opens on Sep. 19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko could still miss some or all of training camp. Nevertheless, Dhaliwal’s report is the first positive news about the goalie’s condition in weeks.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Flames have invited free-agent defenseman Tyson Barrie to training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to invite former Florida Panthers forward Steven Lorentz to camp on a PTO.

RG.ORG: Vladimir Bure, father of former NHL players Pavel and Valeri Bure, passed away in Miami at age 73 on Tuesday. He was the former conditioning coach of the New Jersey Devils and won two Stanley Cups with them in 2000 and 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Bure family and the Devils organization.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 3, 2024

by | Sep 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 3, 2024

​Could the Oilers attempt to get Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to accept deferred payments on their next contracts? Could that also be an option for the Devils and Dawson Mercer? Would it make sense for the Flyers to pursue Nicholas Robertson? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jim Parsons wondered if the Edmonton Oilers will follow the Carolina Hurricanes’ lead and attempt to use deferred payments with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to lower their cap hits.

The Hurricanes recently signed forward Seth Jarvis to an eight-year, $63.2 million contract in which Jarvis will defer part of his annual salary to the end of the contract. Instead of an annual cap hit of $7.9 million, it’ll be $7.42 million.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Draisaitl is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July and could receive an eight-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $14 million from the Oilers. McDavid is eligible for UFA status in July 2026. 

Parsons believes the Oilers could free up considerable cap space if both players agree to defer part of their salaries. He cited a hypothetical scenario by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli in which Draisaitl agreed to defer $33.6 million of his contract to be paid out over 40 years following the completion of the deal.

Draisaitl would receive $80 million over the eight years of his contract in that scenario, lowering the AAV to $10 million. If McDavid’s deal was similarly structured, it could mean almost a combined $10 million annually not counting against the Oilers cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The deferred payment option has been part of the NHL CBA since 2005 but it’s rarely used because players prefer getting paid as much salary upfront as possible. Nevertheless, the Jarvis contract could result in more teams attempting to sign expensive talent to similar deals.

Deferred payments could help the Oilers lower the AAV on new contracts for Draisaitl and McDavid. That would make it possible for the club to put the cap savings toward maintaining a Stanley Cup contender by improving the roster depth.

Selling it that way to both players could be a convincing strategy. However, Seravalli also indicated that it’s uncertain how much of a salary-cap discount the league will allow before this blurs the line of salary-cap circumvention. A 40-year deferral could test those boundaries.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols also wondered if the Devils might attempt to go the same route in their negotiations with restricted free-agent winger Dawson Mercer.

The Devils have just over $4.9 million in cap space for 2024-25. That’s enough to sign the 22-year-old Mercer to a short-term deal worth less than 4 million annually but not enough to lock him up to a long-term contract unless he agrees to defer salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Contract talks between Mercer and the Devils probably advanced too far to toss deferred payments into the equation. Nichols suggests it might be a better option for Luke Hughes. The 21-year-old Devils defenseman becomes an RFA next July.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey believes acquiring winger Nicholas Robertson from the Toronto Maple Leafs would make sense for the Flyers.

Robertson, 22, has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs. Bailey thinks Robertson’s youth and skills could make him a good fit for the rebuilding Flyers. He was also a former teammate with Flyers Cam York and Bobby Brink on Team USA’s U20 squad.

Bailey acknowledged the Leafs’ asking price could be an obstacle along with finding a suitable role with the Flyers. However, Robertson is younger and cheaper than most of the current Flyers’ wingers and could become a top-six forward with more playing time in Philadelphia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs general manager Brad Treliving insists he’s not trading Robertson and believes the young winger has a great opportunity to elevate his game this season in Toronto. There’s no indication that the Flyers are kicking tires on Robertson. Still, we can’t dismiss that possibility though it’s likely a remote one.