Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 4, 2022
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – September 4, 2022
Could the Canadiens attempt to acquire Rangers defenseman Nils Lundkvist? Could the Oilers bring in Evan Rodrigues? What’s next for the Wild after trading Dmitry Kulikov? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico recently wondered if the Canadiens would attempt to acquire Nils Lundkvist. The New York Rangers are reportedly shopping the 22-year-old defenseman. He’s seeking more NHL playing time and could get it on the rebuilding Canadiens.
D’Amico reports the Canadiens had an interest in several Rangers prospects in the recent past. General manager Kent Hughes has indicated he’d like to bolster their depth on the right side of their defense corps.
The Rangers have limited salary-cap space and could use depth in prospect centers. Meanwhile, the Canadiens added centers Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan via recent trades and selected center Owen Beck in this year’s draft.
D’Amico speculates the Canadiens could be inclined to part with a prospect center such as Riley Kidney or Jan Mysak, along with a mid-round draft pick, to address their blueline needs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens executive vice-president, should know Lundkvist well. He was the Rangers general manager when the young defenseman was chosen in the first round (28th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Lundkvist could provide an additional measure of puck-moving skills to the right side of the Canadiens blueline. They might not be the only club interested in him. Rebuilding or retooling teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings or Vancouver Canucks could also come calling.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins believes the Oilers will bring another NHL forward into training camp. He anticipates it’ll be a right wing as they need to boost their depth at that position.
Leavins points out that Oilers GM Ken Holland has a history of only offering professional tryout offers to players who could make the team. He suggests Evan Rodrigues could be that guy.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rodrigues is coming off a career-best 43-point performance on a one-year, $1 million contract. He’s likely seeking a more lucrative deal but has probably found limited options.
He could go the PTO route but I wouldn’t be surprised if he lands a one-year deal worth between $1.5 million and $2 million before training camps open later this month.
THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo recently speculated that Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin could target cap-strapped teams desperate to shed salary. He recently freed up cap space by trading Dmitry Kulikov to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Russo indicated the Wild has $5.738 million in cap space now, freeing up space for internal additions such as Marco Rossi or Cale Addison. Guerin could wait and see how those two perform in training camp and preseason before going the trade route to further boost his roster.