NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2022

by | Oct 5, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 5, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: trying to guess what Auston Matthews’ next contract will look like plus the latest on Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi and Arizona Coyotes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.

HOW COULD A RISING SALARY CAP AFFECT MATTHEWS’ NEXT CONTRACT?

SPORTSNET: Rory Boylen looked at how the projected rise of the salary cap to $88 million by 2024-25 could affect the Toronto Maple Leafs’ efforts to re-sign Auston Matthews. The 25-year-old center is signed through 2023-24 and carries an average annual value of $11.64 million.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Boylen examined several scenarios regarding Matthews signing for a certain percentage of the Leafs’ cap payroll up to the maximum of 20 percent as managed by the collective bargaining agreement.

If Matthews signs an extension for five or eight years next season at 20 percent of $83.5 million, Boylen projects the Leafs star will earn an AAV of $16.7 million. If he waits until he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2024, (when the cap could be $88 million) he could get an AAV of $17.6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t a trade or a free agent rumor but it’s definitely something to keep in mind as Matthews approaches the end of his current contract, especially if he decides to wait until July 1, 2024, to sign his new deal.

Matthews is going to be very expensive to sign. I doubt he’ll accept a “hometown discount” to stay with the Leafs. He’s already a two-time Richard Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading goal scorer, winner of the 2022 Hart Memorial Trophy and the first player in a decade to tally 60 goals in a season. He’s in his playing prime and will remain among the league’s elite superstars when he signs his next contract.

That means Matthews is going to get top dollar, either from the Leafs or another club if he tests the market.

LATEST ON PULJUJARVI AND GOSTISBEHERE

THE ATHLETIC: Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the emergence of young winger Dylan Holloway could spell the end of Jesse Puljujarvi’s tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, “whether that’s next week or next year.”

Puljujarvi’s been on the trade block for some time and likely would’ve been moved by now if the market hadn’t gone soft. Oilers general manager Ken Holland has been resistant thus far to trading him for futures.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ limited salary-cap space could force Holland to accept futures for Puljujarvi if injuries strike the lineup later in the season and he needs cap room to call up players from the minors. The 24-year-old winger carries a $3 million cap hit for this season.

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan believes Shayne Gostisbehere could be traded this season by the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes if he plays as well this season as he did in 2021-22. The 29-year-old defenseman played his way onto the Coyotes’ top defense pairing, finishing with 51 points in 82 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere would be more affordable than teammate Jakob Chychrun, who’s been a fixture in the rumor mill since the middle of last season. He could be a solid addition for a playoff contender seeking additional production from the blueline.

Gostisbehere’s contract will also make him attractive. Slated to become a UFA next summer, he carries a $4.5 million cap hit. However, he’s earning $3.25 million in actual salary, of which $2.25 million has already been paid by the Coyotes as a signing bonus.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

by | Oct 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 4, 2022

Recaps of Monday’s noteworthy preseason games, Flames coach praises Jonathan Huberdeau, Senators goalie Cam Talbot sidelined, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: Roman Josi scored two goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over SC Bern in the NHL Global Series Challenge in Switzerland on Monday.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway collected a hat trick to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks 7-2. Warren Foegele tallied twice and Zach Hyman had a three-point game.

The Carolina Hurricanes thumped the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-1. Martin Necas led the way with two goals and two assists while Derick Brassard and Brent Burns each collected three points. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce left the game with a lower-body injury.

William Nylander and Alex Kerfoot each scored two goals as the Toronto Maple Leafs romped to a 5-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek kicked out 24 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 1-0. Tomas Tatar tallied the only goal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Casey DeSmith picked up the win with a 36-save performance.

Colorado Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Avs goalie Pavel Francouz made 38 stops.

Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves as the Calgary Flames downed the Seattle Kraken 4-1.

HEADLINES

CALGARY SUN: Flames head coach Darryl Sutter had high praise for Jonathan Huberdeau. He called the 29-year-old left winger “probably the best passer that this team has had in maybe ever.” Sutter compared his playmaking to that of Hall-of-Famer Denis Savard. Huberdeau was acquired from the Florida Panthers in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That also seemed like a bit of a shot against Johnny Gaudreau, who departed the Flames in July for the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent. Gaudreau sits fifth on the Flames’ all-time assist list with 399.

Speaking of the Flames, they claimed forward Radim Zohorna off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators goaltending depth suffered a blow as Cam Talbot will be sidelined five-to-seven weeks with a suspected broken rib. The 35-year-old netminder suffered the injury during a recent practice. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion claimed goalie Magnus Hellberg off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talbot was supposed to share the goaltending duties with Anton Forsberg for this season. Hellberg has just five games of NHL experience since 2013-14.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets released winger James Neal from his professional tryout contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 35-year-old Neal has 269 goals and 559 points in 869 career NHL games. However, he saw limited playing time over the past two seasons and missed 15 games in 2021-22 with an upper-body injury. This could be the end of his NHL career if no other club takes an interest in him.

GOPHNX.COM: Nick Schmaltz is among three Arizona Coyotes players listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Speaking of the Coyotes, ARIZONA SPORTS reports they’ve hired Kurtis Foster and Jeff Shantz as player development coaches.

CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Sunday’s preseason game against the Avalanche.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Seattle Kraken signed winger Daniel Sprong to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

ESPN.COM: The NHL is debuting digitally enhance dasherboards (DEDs) this season. It is a digital replacement of camera-visible arena dasherboard ads within local, national and international NHL game broadcasts. It will allow broadcasts to erase ads on all boards visible to TV cameras and replace them with their own advertisements.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move is part of the NHL’s push to expand its revenue streams. In an interview with Sports Business Journal, league commissioner Gary Bettman said the potential revenue growth from DEDs will be in the tens of millions and could reach hundreds of millions over time.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are donating all proceeds from ticket sales to their Thursday preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning to the ongoing Hurricane Ian relief efforts.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues announced they’re establishing a Hall of Fame to honor and pay tribute to the legends of the franchise. Eight former players – Al MacInnis, Bob Gassoff, Bob Plager, Barclay Plager, Brian Sutter, Brett Hull, Bernie Federko and Chris Pronger – will be automatically inducted.

THE GLOBE & MAIL: Several years after Hockey Canada drew on player registration fees to set up a fund to cover sexual assault claims and other lawsuits, it channeled a significant portion of those fees into a second multi-million dollar fund for similar purposes. Hockey Canada did not disclose this fund during testimony before a Parliamentary committee this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much longer will this Hockey Canada shit show roll on before its’ leadership is finally brought to account? How much more toxic does the culture have to get? How many more people have to be hurt? How much more money must be poured into secret accounts to cover the legal costs of lawsuits? How much more damage must be done to an organization supposedly dedicated to growing the game of hockey in Canada? How much more trust must be eroded? What more does it take?










NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2022

by | Oct 3, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2022

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we examine speculation linking the Blue Jackets and Oilers to Jakob Chychrun plus we take a look at the potential difficulties facing the Rangers in re-signing Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller.

LATEST CHYCHRUN SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports the Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams rumored to be interested in acquiring Jakob Chychrun leading up to the 2022 NHL Draft in July. They had a glaring need for top-four defensemen and the Arizona Coyotes were said to be fielding offers for the 24-year-old blueliners.

The Jackets denied any substantive interest in Chychrun other than an informal call about the asking price months beforehand. Reports indicated the Coyotes sought a first-round pick, a young proven NHL player and a top prospect.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

It was rumored Chychrun rejected a deal to Columbus despite lacking no-trade protection as he wants to be dealt to a playoff contender. Portzline speculates perhaps the Jackets didn’t want to acquire a player who didn’t want to go to Columbus.

Portzline noted that TSN’s Darren Dreger last week included Columbus among his potential destinations for Chychrun. However, he pointed out the Jackets need a right-side defenseman whereas Chychrun (who has an injury history) has played most of his career on the left side. He also indicated the Jackets have promising defenders such as David Jiricek and Corson Ceulemans in their prospect pipeline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe the Jackets become interested in Chychrun if they’re unable to re-sign left-side defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Otherwise, they could set their sights on a natural right-side top-four blueliner should any become available in this season’s trade market.

Jonathan Willis noted that Dreger also mentioned the Edmonton Oilers among his list of potential suitors for Chychrun. He indicated colleague Daniel Nugent-Bowman learned from a team source that the Oilers checked with the Coyotes but (like so many other teams) were put off by the high asking price.

Willis doesn’t see any interested clubs being dissuaded by Chychrun’s injury history given his puck-moving skills and affordable $4.6 million average annual value through 2024-25. The Oilers’ limited cap space, however, would be difficult to squeeze his contract within their cap payroll.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Willis believes the return to the Coyotes would be too costly for the Oilers now and in the future. He also doesn’t see the Coyotes getting a single blue-chip piece in the deal. For those reasons, I don’t see Chychrun getting traded to the Oilers.

RE-SIGNING LAFRENIERE AND MILLER COULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reported last week that the Rangers face some tricky contract issues to solve before the significant projected salary-cap increases kick in starting in 2024-25. The cap will only rise by $1 million to $83.5 million for 2023-24 with Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller due for new contracts next summer. Brooks indicates the Rangers will have $65.1 million invested in just 11 players for next season

Lafreniere and Miller will be coming off their entry-level contracts. Brooks pointed out Noah Dobson signed a three-year bridge deal with the New York Islanders worth an average annual value of $4 million this summer. Assuming Lafreniere and Miller agreed to similar deals, it would leave the Rangers with just $10.4 million to fill the other nine positions on the roster.

Brooks reports the Rangers are believed to have reached out to the agents who represent Lafreniere and Miller. However, it’s unclear if talks are ongoing or if they’ve been deferred to next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This story isn’t a rumor but it will be interesting to see how the Rangers handle this situation next summer. It’s also worth noting that Filip Chytil is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Perhaps this situation leads to Chytil getting shopped. Maybe they make a cost-cutting trade. It could also lead or the departures of depth forwards Ryan Reaves and Sammy Blais via the unrestricted free agent market.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2022

by | Oct 1, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2022

Are the Oilers in the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes? Is Blues defenseman Torey Krug a trade candidate? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET’s Mark Spector took to Twitter on Friday to report the Edmonton Oilers are “NOT in on any Jakob Chychrun talks at this time.”

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Spector indicated that Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway are non-starters as prospects heading to Arizona as part of any trade return. He also said that a package of Jesse Puljujarvi and a first-round pick was not enough for the Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun carries a $4.6 million average annual value through 2024-25. The Oilers can’t afford the 24-year-old Coyotes defenseman unless they included a salaried player in the return to Arizona or make a separate cost-cutting deal.

The Oilers are sitting above the $82.5 million salary cap this season by over $7.5 million. They’ll get over $6.3 million in cap relief with Oscar Klefbom and Mike Smith on long-term injury reserve but could face icing a 21-man roster to be cap compliant for the start of the season unless they can clear another contract from their books.

STLTODAY.COM: Jim Thomas reports Blues defenseman Torey Krug was mentioned in trade rumors as this summer’s free-agent period approached. “It’s not certain if there was any substance to this,” writes Thomas. “Was his name just being floated, or was general manager Doug Armstrong actively trying to move him?”

Krug, however, brushed off the rumors. “When you have a full no-trade clause, you don’t worry about it too much,” he said. The 31-year-old blueliner is in the third year of a seven-year contract with an annual cap hit of $6.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Armstrong was looking at moving Krug it doesn’t sound like he approached him about it. The rearguard’s full no-trade gives him complete control over his situation.

It doesn’t necessarily mean Krug can’t be traded. There have been instances where players with such clauses agree to waive them to go to specific teams. We don’t know what he might do if he was asked to waive his clause but it’s evidently not a scenario that’s causing him any sleepless nights.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2022

by | Sep 30, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – September 30, 2022

Several clubs are reportedly interested in Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, the Panthers goalie situation could be worth monitoring plus the latest on the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CHYCHRUN SPECULATION

TSN: Darren Dreger reports interest in Jakob Chychrun by several clubs is growing as the regular season approaches. The 24-year-old defenseman recently confirmed he requested a trade from the Arizona Coyotes.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun (NHL Images).

Dreger said the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the interested parties. However, there are salary-cap hurdles for some of those clubs to overcome.

The Coyotes have reportedly softened their asking price a bit but they still want a first-round pick and a prospect involved in all this. They still intend to be patient.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs and Oilers are currently sitting above the $82.5 million salary cap for the coming season. Meanwhile, the Kings and Blues have less than $1 million in cap room and the Blues Jackets less than $1.5 million.

Those clubs cannot afford Chychrun’s $4.6 million salary-cap hit unless it’s a one-for-one swap, a three-team trade to spread the cap hit around or those clubs make a cost-cutting deal to create cap space for him.

The Senators are the only team who can comfortably absorb Chychrun’s contract. They were reportedly interested in him during the offseason but nothing came of it due to the Coyotes’ high asking price. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently observed, Chychrun’s injury history could also be an issue as clubs could be unwilling to part with too much only to discover he could be damaged goods.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford included acquiring Chychrun among the Blues’ defensive options to address their already injury-depleted blueline. He observed the Blues are monitoring the situation but wondered if they can find a way to fit Chychrun within their limited cap constraints.

BALLY SPORTS MIDWEST’s Andy Strickland recently tweeted that there hasn’t been any serious dialogue between the Blues and Coyotes regarding Chychrun.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t rule out the possibility of Blues general manager Doug Armstrong swinging a deal for Chychrun. However, that move could come much later in the season depending on whether he can free up sufficient cap space.

MORE TIDBITS FROM TSN’S “INSIDER TRADING.”

Asked if a goaltender could become available in Florida, Pierre LeBrun doubts it’ll happen this season. However, their recent re-signing of Spencer Knight combined with Sergei Bobrovsky’s $10 million annual cap hit gives them the NHL’s highest-paid goalie tandem at $14.5 million.

One reason the Panthers signed Knight to a three-year extension now is they were concerned about losing him next summer to an offer sheet. LeBrun also pointed out that big contracts for veteran goalies like Bobrovsky rarely age well. He believes it’ll be interesting to see how this situation unfolds over the next two or three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Knight is the Panthers’ goalie of the future unless his career is adversely affected by injury or loss of confidence. That could set the stage for a Bobrovsky trade down the road.

Moving Bobrovsky won’t be easy. In addition to that hefty cap hit, he’s got a full no-movement clause through 2023-24 followed by a 16-team no-trade list after that for the final two years of his deal. The Panthers could be stuck with him unless they retain half of his cap hit or he ends up on permanent long-term injury reserve.

Dreger reports the Toronto Maple Leafs were calling around inquiring with other teams about defensemen in training camp on professional tryout offers. He believes they’re still trying to upgrade their blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There might not be as much concern on the Leafs’ part now that Rasmus Sandin is under contract. Still, they could keep an eye on defensemen released from their PTOs or monitor the waiver wire to see who becomes available.

Fitting in another one on an affordable deal could be tough. They’re already sitting over the cap and will have to get creative to get under the $82.5 million ceiling by the start of the upcoming season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

by | Sep 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 22, 2022

Kyle Dubas faces an uncertain future as Leafs GM plus the latest on Auston Matthews David Pastrnak, Jason Robertson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will not be receiving a contract extension this season. Michael Traikos speculates the decision could be a wait-and-see approach by his bosses after the Leafs failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs. He also suggested it could be because Dubas didn’t bring in a true No.1 goaltender or upgrade the defense during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas downplayed the notion that this could be a make-or-break season for him, but there’s really no other way to look at it. For most of the past four seasons, the Leafs were among the top teams during the regular season but never staged a deep playoff run. Another early playoff exit (or worse) probably spells the end of Dubas’ tenure as Leafs general manager.

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com)

Speaking of the Leafs, Auston Matthews has two years remaining on his contract but that’s already sparking concern that he might depart Toronto as a free agent. Matthews told reporters he loves the city and considers it like home but won’t be entertaining any further questions about his contract. “There’s nothing that can be done for two more years,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: His critics will likely take him to task for not saying he would look forward to opening contract talks as soon as possible. However, he’s absolutely right that they can’t do anything about it now. The earliest Matthews and the Leafs can start contract extension discussions is July 1, 2023, so it’s pointless to badger him or Dubas about it during this season.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins GM Don Sweeney said he will continue to hold discussions with David Pastrnak’s representatives in hope of reaching an agreement on a contract extension. The 26-year-old right winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Pastrnak could start the coming season without an extension in place.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney was asked if Pastrnak might sign a team-friendly deal as some claim Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci did at Pastrnak’s age. He indicated that those players signed for what was market value at the time. Rising salaries during the course of their contracts made them seem like bargains over time.

In other words, Pastrnak’s camp will seek market value that could exceed $9.5 million annually based on his performance in the upcoming season. That could explain why the two sides haven’t reached an agreement on an extension yet.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Jason Robertson is expected to miss the start of the Stars’ training camp today. The 23-year-old winger was their leading goal scorer last season but remains an unsigned restricted free agent. GM Jim Nill said negotiations have been ongoing and he’s hoping an agreement can be reached as soon as possible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Stars have $6.3 million in cap space and could reportedly have $7-$8 million in salary-cap space for this season depending on their roster makeup. The Robertson camp could be angling for an expensive new deal but their client is coming off his entry-level contract.

Robertson’s only leverage is to refuse to report to training camp (and perhaps miss the start of the season) but that won’t do either side any good. The sooner Robertson’s in camp, the more effective he’ll be to their roster. The longer he holds out, the longer it’ll take for him to regain his form and that could hurt their production this season.

Speaking of the Stars, Ben Bishop’s front-office role will have to wait until next season. His career was ended by chronic knee injuries but he didn’t retire as he had a year remaining on his contract. The Stars traded that contract to the Buffalo Sabres in June to remove it from their books for this season. However, the league has informed the Stars it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to work for them while he’s still being paid by Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers raised the point that the NHL had no issue with permanently sidelined Chris Pronger working for their department of player safety while he was still under contract with the Arizona Coyotes.

Maybe the league realized its mistake with Pronger and didn’t want the Stars to repeat it with Bishop. Perhaps it’s a different story if a player is working for the department of player safety while still under contract with another club despite the potential for a conflict of interest.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres announced general manager Kevyn Adams has agreed to a multi-year contract extension. In a statement, team owner Terry Pegula praised Adams’ work over the past two seasons and believes the club is heading in the right direction.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams’ lack of management experience raised questions over his suitability for the job when he was hired two years ago. Over that time, however, he’s made some good selections in the draft (including promising defenseman Owen Power) and got a solid return from the Vegas Golden Knights (including Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs) in the Jack Eichel trade. The Sabres also showed promising signs of improvement last season.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning center Brayden Point is “fully healthy” after recovering from a torn quad muscle suffered during the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Copp is still recovering from off-season abdominal surgery and won’t be available until the start of the regular season. The versatile 28-year-old forward signed a five-year contract with the Red Wings in July.

THE ATHLETIC: Nicolas Hague isn’t expected to join his Vegas Golden Knights teammates when training camp opens for them today. The 23-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract. His agent, Murray Koontz, remains hopeful of getting a deal done with the Golden Knights but they’re not at that point yet.

CALGARY SUN: Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington (personal matter) and winger Andrew Mangiapane (undisclosed injury) will miss the start of training camp today.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed Adam Ruzicka to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $762K. It’s a two-way deal for this season and a one-way for 2023-24. Meanwhile, Brett Ritchie inked a one-year, $750K deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers restricted free agent Ryan McLeod remains without a contract but is expected to join his teammates for the start of training camp today. Management hopes to trade away some salary to clear up cap space to sign McLeod to a new deal.

The Oilers also announced defenseman Slater Koekkoek remains at home as he continues to work on improving his mental health.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders signed UFAs Cory Schneider and Nikita Soshnikov and RFA Parker Wotherspoon to one-year contracts.