NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2020

by | Apr 22, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – April 22, 2020

Check out the recent speculation on the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Toronto Maple Leafs in today’s NHL rumor mill.

DOES GOSTISBEHERE HAVE A FUTURE WITH THE FLYERS?

NBC SPORTS: Examining the Philadelphia Flyers’ long-term needs last week, James O’Brien noted Shayne Gostisbehere surfaced in trade rumors this season. He pointed out the 26-year-old defenseman was hampered by injuries this season. He doesn’t feel they should sell low on a player who can generate offense, is reasonably young, and carries a generally cheap annual average value ($4.5 million) through 2022-23.

 

Does Shayne Gostisbehere still have a future with the Philadelphia Flyers? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Flyers have over $69.5 million invested in 13 players for 2020-21. They have enough to re-sign restricted free agents like Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, Philippe Myers, and Robert Hagg, and should have sufficient space to re-sign or replace unrestricted free agent goalie Brian Elliott. If they want to add to their lineup, however, they’ll have to make a cost-cutting trade. The preference could be to get a player of decent value for Gostisbehere, but they could sell low and use the cap savings to pursue another player via a separate trade or free agency.

WHICH GOLDEN KNIGHTS UFAS MIGHT DEPART AFTER THIS SEASON?

THE ATHLETIC (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED): Jesse Granger recently examined which Vegas Golden Knights’ free agents will stay or go. He believes keeping UFA goalie Robin Lehner will mean moving a big piece of their lineup because they cannot afford to invest $13-$14 million in Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury. Granger predicts UFA forward Ryan Reaves could re-sign for one more year at $1.5 million. The emergence of Nicolas Roy could make Tomas Nosek expendable. It might be time to move on from Deryk Engelland and Jon Merrill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Unless the Golden Knights pull a swerve and trade Fleury, they’ll bid adieu to Lehner following this season, whenever that might be. If Reaves is discussing a two-year extension, perhaps it’ll be for $1.5 million annually.

LATEST LEAFS SPECULATION.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox addresses some Toronto Maple Leafs speculation in a recent mailbag segment. He doubts the Leafs can land St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo via free agency. He noted the Leafs prefer dealing for players with term left on their contracts, suggesting Anaheim’s Josh Manson, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, and Minnesota’s Matt Dumba as possible trade targets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Pietrangelo were willing to sign with the Leafs, they cannot afford him. It’s believed it could cost over $9 million annually to sign him. Assuming a flat cap for next season, the Leafs have nearly $77 million invested in 16 players for next season. Unless they shed significant salary, they won’t have sufficient cap space to invest in Pietrangelo.

As for Manson, Ristolainen, and Dumba, the asking price for each will likely be a top-six scorer, preferably a center. That’s what the Ducks, Sabres, and Wild need. And no, I don’t believe Alexander Kerfoot will address that need.

Fox believes Andreas Johnsson could be the player Leafs GM Kyle Dubas would be most comfortable trading, but he doesn’t consider him the one most likely to be moved. He feels Kerfoot or Kasperi Kapanen would be more enticing to GMs with defensemen they’re willing to trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnsson’s sophomore slump and injured right knee hurt his trade value. It could take parting with Kapanen or Kerfoot to land that top-four blueliner the Leafs desperately need after this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2018

by | Jul 18, 2018

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 18, 2018

Coyotes owner looking to sell a portion of the franchise, an update on Tom Wilson plus the latest contract signings and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.

FORBES.COM: Mike Ozanian reports multiple sources claim Arizona Coyotes owner Andrew Barroway is looking to sell 49 percent of the franchise for an estimated $500 million. That figure includes “working capital to cover current losses as well as capital calls (money investors put into the team in subsequent years to cover operating losses).” Ozanian cites one source suggested the deal was “being presented would give the new investor a path towards control, if not immediate control” of the money-losing franchise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In Forbes’ annual evaluation of NHL franchises, the Coyotes were estimated to be worth $300 million last year. Ozanian said we should be skeptical if this deal is announced as $500 million as that’s not “a true sale price in the sense of an enterprise value.”

I’m doubtful Barroway will get $500 million for 49 percent of a franchise that’s been bleeding money for years. Then again, the Coyotes have proven to have more lives than a cat. Maybe he can find a new co-owner who can one day become majority owner. 

Contract negotiations are ongoing between the Washington Capitals and free-agent winger Tom Wilson (Photo via NHL Images)

  THE WASHINGTON POST: Contract negotiations between the Capitals and restricted free agent winger Tom Wilson are ongoing but his agent claims they’re not close yet to a deal. Wilson passed on salary arbitration so it’s unclear how long talks could drag on.

The Capitals have roughly $8.2 million in cap space. Some have estimated Wilson’s new deal could come in between $3.5 – $4.5 million per season.

SPORTSNET: The New York Rangers avoided salary arbitration with winger Jimmy Vesey as he agreed to a two-year contract. The Rangers also hired David Oliver and Greg Brown as assistant coaches.

SPECTOR’S NOTE:  As per Cap Friendly, Vesey’s deal is worth $4.55 million with an annual salary-cap hit of $2.275 million. 

NEWSDAY: The New York Islanders and defenseman Ryan Pulock have agreed to a two-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly reports the new deal is worth $4 million, with an annual average value of $2 million. 

NORTHJERSEY.COM: The New Jersey Devils re-signed forward Blake Coleman to a three-year contract worth an annual average value of $1.8 million and forward Stefan Noesen to a one-year, $1.725-million deal.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights and Tomas Nosek avoided arbitration as he agreed to a one-year, $963K contract.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes have hired Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach.

TVA SPORTS: After a decade in the NHL, free-agent forward Torrey Mitchell is joining Lausanne of the Swiss National League A.