NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

by | Nov 1, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 1, 2022

The Leafs’ shaky start to this season is a growing concern to their followers. Could it lead to changes in the front office, behind the bench or to the roster? Read on for the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons believes the Maple Leafs 4-4-2 start to this season isn’t something to be taken lightly. He feels the club is heading toward an implosion that could lead to big changes depending on their upcoming performances against the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights.

Simmons puts the blame squarely on the performance of the Leafs players, especially during their losses to three of the worst teams in the league in Arizona, San Jose and Anaheim. He singled out core players Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander for not playing up to expectations.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Simmons acknowledged the Leafs have a banged-up defense corps. Nevertheless, he believes their best players must improve while their worst need to get better. He also criticizes general manager Kyle Dubas for not providing head coach Sheldon Keefe with a roster suitable for success.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of the Leafs defenders point out that they were 4-4-2 at the same point in 2021-22 and wound up with a franchise-best 115-point season. Others, however, point to the poor performance of their best players as one of the more concerning issues compared to this time last season.

The Leafs have questionable goaltending and a defense that when healthy isn’t deep enough to make them a serious Stanley Cup contender. Nevertheless, they have sufficient talent to be playing better than they currently are even with an injury-riddled blueline.

Maybe they’ll snap out of their current doldrums and turn things around during that upcoming stretch of games mentioned by Simmons. If they don’t, however, this situation could lead to a coaching change or a roster shakeup.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle suggests the Leafs could need a trade to snap out of their current tailspin. He reminds us that Dubas has had some success with in-season trades, pointing to the acquisitions of Jake Muzzin, Jack Campbell, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mark Giordano. With Muzzin on long-term injury reserve, it frees up a large chunk of his $5.6 million cap hit to put toward acquisitions.

Mirtle suggested Dubas could shop some of his underperforming players to free up more cap space. Justin Holl ($2 million), Pierre Engvall ($2.25 million), Alex Kerfoot ($3.5 million) or Nicolas Aube-Kubel ($1 million) could be trade candidates, with bigger names perhaps becoming available if the losing continues.

Given the Leafs need to address their puck-moving issues among their defensemen, Mirtle suggested Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun or Anaheim’s John Klingberg as possible options. Others included Columbus’ Vladislav Gavrikov, New Jersey’s Damon Severson or Arizona’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs were reportedly interested in acquiring Ethan Bear from the Carolina Hurricanes but didn’t want to part with a draft pick. He wound up shipped last Friday to the Vancouver Canucks.

That indicates Dubas is looking around for help in the trade market. Finding a suitable return will be difficult at this point in the season given how many clubs have limited salary-cap space but it’s not impossible. However, it could require some creativity on his part, including parting with a quality draft pick or a promising prospect.

Mirtle acknowledged Chychrun’s injury history well as the Coyotes’ high asking price. Klingberg could be a more affordable option in terms of return and perhaps the Ducks would retain some of his $7 million cap hit for the right offer. However, Jamie Drysdale’s potentially season-ending shoulder injury could force the Ducks to hang onto Klingberg for a while.

Gostisbehere could be a possibility as he won’t cost nearly as much as Chychrun to get from the Coyotes. I don’t see the Blue Jackets parting with Gavrikov given his solid all-around play and value to their blueline. The Devils are off to a terrific start and aren’t under any pressure right now to move Severson.

THE JEFF MAREK SHOW (stick tap to NHL Watcher): Elliotte Friedman believes Auston Matthews will sign a contract extension with the Maple Leafs. He doesn’t necessarily believe it’ll be a long-term deal.

Friedman is concerned about things going off the rails. He doesn’t believe the 24-year-old center is currently unhappy but felt the Leafs have to “constantly take his temperature”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The earliest Matthews can sign with the Leafs is July 1, 2023. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent a year later. It’s interesting that Friedman believes he’d sign a short-term extension. Perhaps it would be a three-year deal taking him up to age 30.

Of course, as Friedman also points out, it will depend on whether Matthews is happy with the direction of the Leafs. If things do go off the rails, he could decide to test the market on July 1, 2024.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2022

by | Oct 31, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 31, 2022

Would a coaching change or trade help the Leafs? What’s the latest on the Sharks following last week’s report claiming management is willing to entertain offers for most of their players? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO IMPROVE THE LEAFS?

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox wonders if a big trade or a coaching change can reverse the fortunes of the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs. They are 4-4-2 in October, including losses to rebuilding or struggling clubs like the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe (NHL.com).

Head coach Sheldon Keefe seems to be running out of options to motivate his players. Fox blamed general manager Kyle Dubas for not providing Keefe with a better supporting cast for his core talent. He believes the Leafs as currently constructed should reach the playoffs but won’t scare anybody when they get there.

Fox also noted the Leafs lack “gritty, hard role players”. He pointed out they used to have such players in Nazem Kadri, Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Ilya Lyubushkin and Mason Marchment but all were cut loose “due to economics or an inability to fit the vision.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some, including Leafs like Mitch Marner, pointed out they got off to a worse start last season and ended up with a franchise-record 115 points. That’s as may be but, as The Athletic’s James Mirtle pointed out, there are more Leafs performing poorly compared to the same time last season.

If the Leafs don’t turn it around in November there could be some changes coming. The most immediate could be replacing Keefe as head coach since they lack the cap space and available assets to make a significant trade that will reverse their fortunes. I agree with Fox that Dubas failed to provide the necessary assets to maintain a balanced roster. However, at this point, it seems like they might benefit from someone else behind the bench.

I’m not sure if adding gritty, hard role players is the answer. The Leafs still failed to win a playoff round with Kadri, Hyman, Brown, Lyubushkin and Marchment, though the latter barely saw enough playing time to make a difference during his short tenure in Toronto. Finding reliable goaltending and defensive depth might be better options.

LATEST ON THE SHARKS

THE ATHLETIC: Corey Masisak recently reported the San Jose Sharks players are shrugging off a report on Thursday by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun claiming GM Mike Grier is willing to entertain offers for almost everyone on the roster except perhaps for Tomas Hertl.

Masisak pointed out LeBrun didn’t say Grier intends to trade certain players. He also cited Sharks coach David Quinn saying every general manager around the league is probably talking to each other to gauge where they are at this point in the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Masisak doubts the trade speculation will go away despite the struggling Sharks’ recent wins. He also pointed out he’s got three veterans in Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic carrying hefty contracts with no-movement clauses.

It may be a little early for Grier to start shopping players. He could be willing to listen to offers but it doesn’t mean he’s about to tear it all down and start a complete rebuild.

Nevertheless, Grier will likely become a seller if the Sharks are well out of playoff contention when the calendar flips to 2023. He will likely start shopping pending UFAs like James Reimer and Nick Bonino and perhaps test the trade market on pending RFA winger Timo Meier.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 27, 2022

by | Oct 27, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 27, 2022

More speculation on Jakob Chychrun, the latest on Ethan Bear and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON JAKOB CHYCHRUN

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman reports Jakob Chychrun remains a couple of weeks away from rejoining the Arizona Coyotes. Teams that are interested in acquiring him will want to see if he’ll be immediately impactful.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

The New York Islanders could be a suitor. However, Friedman wonders if it would make sense for them to part with draft picks right now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see Chychrun as a fit with the Islanders because I don’t see their defense as an issue. They’re middle of the pack (16th) in shots-against per game (31.7), their penalty-killing is at 100 percent as of last night’s action and they have the sixth-best goals-against per game (2.57). Granted, their goaltending plays a big part in those last two stats but I don’t believe they need to bolster their blueline.

Scoring, however, is another matter. They’re 19th overall in goals-per-game (3.14) while their 12.5 power-play percentage ranks 25th overall.

Chychrun’s offense from the blueline could help but what they really need is a scoring forward. General manager Lou Lamoriello reportedly tried to acquire J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks and came up short trying to sign Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri during the offseason.

GOPHNX.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan was asked why the Arizona Coyotes haven’t traded Chychrun yet. Put simply, it’s because they haven’t received an offer that would bring requisite value. He also thinks interested clubs want to see him play before committing assets in a trade.

Another reader pointed out Chychrun’s 10-team no-trade clause kicks in after this season. Morgan acknowledged it could make it difficult to move the blueliner to clubs with more tradeable assets. However, he feels the Coyotes will attempt to move him before the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rival general managers could be counting on that in the hope that Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong will lower his asking price by then.

UPDATE ON ETHAN BEAR

Friedman also followed up on his weekend report regarding the Carolina Hurricanes looking at moving Ethan Bear. Two sources told him the 25-year-old defenseman made a trade request during the summer. The Vancouver Canucks have shown real interest. So did the Washington Capitals around the draft. The Toronto Maple Leafs could also be poking around.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman reiterates that the Hurricanes still see Bear as a legitimate NHL defenseman. They’re not willing to retain any portion of his $2.2 million salary for this season to facilitate a trade. He could end up on waivers and he’d be willing to report to their AHL affiliate to get in some playing time.

Washington Hockey Now’s Sammi Silber doesn’t see the Capitals revisiting their earlier interest in Bear. They’ve now got Erik Gustafsson on their blueliner with Matt Irwin as their seventh defenseman plus several options they can recall from the minors if necessary.

LATEST ON THE SABRES AND CANUCKS

With blueliners Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju sidelined by injuries, Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could be examining the trade market to see what’s available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So far, they’re relying on call-ups Lawrence Pilut and Kale Clague. That could change if Samuelsson and/or Jokiharju are out longer than anticipated.

Friedman also doubts the Vancouver Canucks are in a hurry to replace head coach Bruce Boudreau. Part of the reason is financial as they still paying former coach Travis Green $2.75 million for this season. Boudreau’s salary pushes that to over $4 million.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 23, 2022

by | Oct 23, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 23, 2022

The Jakob Chychrun trade speculations keep rolling along, Hurricanes defenseman Ethan Bear could be on the move plus the latest on the Bruins in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup

THE LATEST ON JAKOB CHYCHRUN

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reports the Arizona Coyotes management wants to trade Jakob Chychrun, who has asked to be moved to a contender. However, their asking price for the 24-year-old defenseman remains high.

“It’s essentially the equivalent of two first-round picks, plus. So, that would be a combination of prospects, picks and players as well,” said Marek. He indicates Chychrun remains sidelined as he continues to rehab from offseason wrist surgery but is expected to make his season debut in a couple of weeks.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Rumors have linked Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators for some time. However, Marek said they don’t want to part with “Shane Pinto or Ridley Greig or Jake Sanderson or anyone like that.” He wonders if another club deep in promising talent, like the Los Angeles Kings, could become more involved.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch claims the Senators, Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks and the Columbus Blue Jackets are believed to have spoken to Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong about Chychrun.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin considers the Senators and Kings as the favorites to land Chychrun. He believes the Leafs are in the hunt while the Panthers and Vancouver Canucks are long shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I know some of you are growing weary of the constant Chychrun rumors. However, this is the way it typically goes in the early-season trade market in the salary-cap era. Too few players are available and too many teams have limited salary-cap space to make any significant moves.

That means whatever notable player becomes a trade candidate will be the focus of endless conjecture. Chychrun is the biggest name available because he’s asked to be traded and the Coyotes are trying to accommodate him. Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane occasionally surfaces in the rumor mill. That’s because of pundits speculating over his future and not because of anything Kane or Blackhawks management has done.

Chychrun will continue to dominate media trade gossip until he’s finally moved or other players of note become available or teams accrue sufficient cap space to start wheeling and dealing.

As for potential trade destinations, none of those listed should come as any surprise to those of you who frequent this site. Only the Senators and Ducks have sufficient cap space and depth in tradeable assets to acquire him and they don’t appear willing to meet the Coyotes’ asking price.

It will take some creativity on the part of those cap-strapped clubs to acquire Chychrun. It’ll have to be dollar-in, dollar-out or a three-team deal that spreads his cap hit around. I don’t see the Coyotes agreeing to the latter as they probably won’t want $2.3 million in dead cap space on their books through 2024-25, which is the final season of his contract.

WILL THE HURRICANES SHOP ETHAN BEAR?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to reach a decision soon regarding Ethan Bear. The 23-year-old defenseman has not yet suited up this season.

Bear wants to play but hasn’t been able to crack the Hurricanes roster. They’ve been shopping him and came close to a trade a couple of times. However, interested clubs want the Hurricanes to retain half of his $2.2 million salary for this season which they don’t want to do. The Canucks could be among the suitors.

Friedman believes the situation will be resolved soon. He believes a team will make an offer that the Hurricanes will find agreeable, or he gets into the lineup or ends up on waivers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear was considered a promising young puck-moving defenseman when he began his NHL career with the Edmonton Oilers but struggled to adjust with the Hurricanes after contracting COVID-19 last season. Perhaps a fresh start with a new club can help him get back on track.

ARE THE BRUINS SEEKING A RIGHT-SHOT DEFENSEMAN?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy believes the Bruins’ immediate focus will be shoring up the right side of their defense if they decide to explore the trade market. Charlie McAvoy is sidelined until December and Brandon Carlo is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have a right-shot defenseman they’re trying to move who might fit the bill for the Bruins…










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2022

by | Oct 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2022

Recaps of a busy Saturday featured a franchise-record hat trick for Joe Pavelski, Rasmus Dahlin extending his season-opening goal-scoring streak and a career milestone for Predators GM David Poile. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Joe Pavelski tallied a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Dallas Stars to a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Pavelski set a franchise record by eclipsing Brett Hull to become the oldest player to score a hat trick. Jake Oettinger kicked out 32 shots for the win.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pavelski is an ageless wonder, tying for the team points lead with seven. Meanwhile, Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3. Danton Heinen scored twice for the high-scoring Penguins, who have scored six goals in each of their four wins this season. Jack Roslovic had a goal and an assist for the Jackets.

The Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Dahlin extended his record-setting season-opening goal streak for defensemen to five games as his club rolled to a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Victor Olofsson scored twice and added an assist for the Sabres, who’ve won four of their first five games. The Canucks (0-4-2) played without Quinn Hughes as the defenseman is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jim Rutherford, the Canucks president of hockey operations, wasn’t pleased with his struggling club’s performance. In a post-game interview with Sportsnet, he refused to use the club’s early-season injuries as an excuse and called out his players to “play within a stronger structure”, adding the team’s problems started in training camp and carried over into this season.

An overtime goal by Taylor Hall lifted the Boston Bruins over the Minnesota Wild 4-3. Hall finished with three points while David Pastrnak and David Krejci each had two points for the Bruins. Marc-Andre Fleury made 39 saves for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins honored former captain Zdeno Chara in a pregame ceremony. Chara recently announced his retirement after 24 NHL seasons, 14 of those with the Bruins. The Wild, meanwhile, placed winger Jordan Greenway (upper body) on injured reserve before the game.

The New Jersey Devils got goals from Yegor Sherangovich and Dawson Mercer to hold off the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Kevin Labanc scored for the Sharks, who drop to 1-6-0 to start the season.

Goaltender Jordan Binnington had a 23-save shutout backstopping the St. Louis Blues over the Edmonton Oilers 2-0. Torey Krug and Justin Faulk were the goal scorers as the Blues have won their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews collected three assists and John Tavares scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Ilya Samsonov made 30 saves for the win while Wayne Simmonds collected an assist in his season debut.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets placed winger Nikolaj Ehlers on IR with an undisclosed injury suffered on Oct. 17.

Brady Tkachuk scored two goals and Shane Pinto extended his goal streak to four games as the Ottawa Senators tamed the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. It was a costly win for the Senators as Josh Norris left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury and will undergo an MRI.

Washington Capitals forward Marcus Johansson broke a 3-3 tie to give his club a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Dmitry Orlov had three assists for the Capitals while Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and two assists.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the New York Islanders 5-3. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul each had a goal and an assist while Brian Elliott picked up his first win of the season with 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to the lineup for their next game on Tuesday. Islanders winger Josh Bailey was a healthy scratch.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators. This game was the 3,000th as a general manager for Nashville’s David Poile, becoming the first GM in NHL history to reach that milestone.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was a scary moment in the game when Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki was stretchered from the ice after an awkward collision with the boards. The team announced that Borowiecki was conscious and had full movement of his extremities but was transported to a hospital for further observation.

A third-period goal by Valeri Nichushkin proved to be the game-winner as the Colorado Avalanche held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Alexandar Georgiev made 33 stops for the Avalanche. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone each had two assists for the Golden Knights.

Tyler Toffoli’s overtime goal gave the Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Toffoli finished the night with two points while Jacob Markstrom got the win with 25 saves.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 22, 2022

by | Oct 22, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 22, 2022

Should the Leafs dangle Nick Robertson as trade bait for Jakob Chychrun? Could the Panthers pursue a replacement for the sidelined Aaron Ekblad in the trade market? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE LEAFS OFFER ROBERTSON TO THE COYOTES FOR CHYCRUN?

TORONTO SUN: Michael Traikos suggests the Maple Leafs should trade promising Nick Robertson to the Arizona Coyotes for Jakob Chychrun. The 21-year-old forward had an impressive season debut against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night with two goals, the second coming in overtime following his smart defensive play to thwart a Stars’ two-on-one scoring opportunity.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (NHL Images).

Traikos acknowledges Robertson’s potential as a top-six forward but believes the Leafs already possess enough depth in that department. They need to bolster their blueline and Chychrun would do that. He’s also 24 and carries an affordable $4.6 million cap hit through 2024-25.

Chychrun has asked to be traded to a contender and Traikos believes the Leafs could be at the top of the list, They have the pieces to get a deal done plus they’re in “win-now” mode.

With Chychrun close to returning from offseason wrist surgery, Traikos suggested the Leafs offer up a package of Robertson and their 2023 first-round pick as part of it. He also proposed including Alex Kerfoot and his $3.5 million cap hit in the deal to free up the necessary salary-cap space if sidelined defenseman Jake Muzzin returns to the lineup later this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Traikos makes a good point regarding the Leafs’ defense. If they were to pursue Chychrun, the Coyotes could agree to accept Robertson as part of the return. However, I don’t think they’ll want Kerfoot in the deal given his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

General manager Bill Armstrong reportedly seeks a return heavy with future assets like first-round picks, top prospects or good young NHL players like Robertson. Kerfoot doesn’t fit into any of those categories. Armstrong could agree to take him in the deal if the Leafs also include prospect Matthew Knies, which would be folly on the Leafs’ part.

WILL THE PANTHER SHOP FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR EKBLAD?

DAILY FACEOFF: During Friday’s “Ice Breakers” segment, Mike McKenna asked Frank Seravalli if the Florida Panthers are going to bring in some reinforcements on their blueliner with top defenseman Aaron Ekblad sidelined for several months.

Seravalli thinks the Panthers are shopping around but only for affordable temporary stopgaps. There are not many younger players available who could slide into their lineup.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Pierre-Olivier Joseph has come up in the rumor mill. Seravalli said he knows “a number of teams” have made offers for the 23-year-old blueliner but the Penguins weren’t or aren’t willing to move on from him.

Jakob Chychrun requested a trade from the Arizona Coyotes but Seravalli doesn’t see the Panthers pursuing the 24-year-old rearguard. They don’t have a lot of future assets to part with plus the cap-strapped club must ensure they have sufficient cap space when Ekblad returns to the lineup later this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers could bring in a defenseman like Chychrun on a dollar-in, dollar-out deal where they send a player with a comparable salary the other way. They could also attempt a three-team deal to spread around the cap hit of the incoming player.

Neither option, however, seems likely at this stage of the season. Like other cap-strapped clubs with a core player sidelined for weeks or months (like the Colorado Avalanche with captain Gabriel Landeskog on the shelf), the Panthers will have to gut it out until those players return.