Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 14, 2024
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – January 14, 2024
The latest on Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom and Penguins winger Jake Guentzel, an update on Corey Perry plus some Blackhawks and Senators speculation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
LATEST ON MARKSTROM AND GUENTZEL
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Calgary Flames aren’t commenting about recent trade rumors regarding Jacob Markstrom. He doesn’t believe they’ve approached the 33-year-old goaltender about a trade.
Friedman also noted that Markstrom has a full no-movement clause and the Flames have set a high bar in terms of what it would take to prompt them to approach the former Vezina Trophy finalist. It would have to be a massive return for the Flames or somewhere that Markstrom would want to go before they’d consider going to him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some observers feel the Flames should strike while Markstrom’s trade value is high to move out an aging, expensive asset to make room for promising netminder Dustin Wolf. Perhaps if the Flames were near the bottom of the standings they would consider it now. However, I don’t see them making that move now after climbing back into playoff contention.
Even if trading Markstrom were possible during the season, his cap hit ($6 million through 2025-26) would be difficult to move with so many teams carrying so little cap space. The Flames would have to do a dollar-for-dollar swap or retain up to half of his cap hit to make the deal work. It’s not impossible but it’s still not easy to pull off, especially as the Flames would want a significant return.
If the Flames want to move Markstrom or if he wants out, the best opportunity would be this summer when the salary cap is projected to rise by $4.2 million. His trade value would remain high if he continues playing well over the remainder of this season and they’d have an easier time moving his contract.
Friedman also reported there have been no determinations made yet regarding Jake Guentzel’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he thinks the biggest factor could be where the Penguins see themselves going in a few years.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Guentzel, 29, is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 unless he and the Penguins agree to a contract extension before then. His agent raised some eyebrows in a recent interview where he suggested contract talks could get difficult though he remains hopeful of working something out.
I don’t see the Penguins moving Guentzel while they’re jockeying for a playoff berth. That could change if they tumble down the standings but I think general manager Kyle Dubas will allow his current roster to prove itself as a playoff contender.
THE LATEST ON THE BLACKHAWKS
THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus recently looked at what could be in store for the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks in 2024.
They wondered if the Blackhawks would re-sign or trade forwards Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson and goaltender Petr Mrazek (SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was written before Foligno signed his two-year contract extension).
Powers followed up two days later by reporting general manager Kyle Davidson is considering re-signing or trading Dickinson and Mrazek. He’d like to keep them as he’ll have to go shopping for a two-way center and a starting goaltender if they should decide to leave. Powers has heard the Blackhawks would sign them to more than fair contracts provided they’re not seeking long-term deals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There could be interest in Dickinson and Mrazek in the trade market if those two don’t intend to re-sign. Mrazek, however, sounds like he’d prefer to stick around, crediting the move to Chicago with saving his career.
Davidson hinted he might not be as busy as a seller at this year’s trade deadline compared to last year’s. Part of the reason is they don’t have as much desirable trade bait this time around but also whether they have too many draft picks and need to start spacing out when their prospects turn pro.
Despite a recent rumor linking Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson to the Blackhawks, don’t expect them to sign the 25-year-old restricted free agent to an offer sheet. For that matter, don’t hold your breath waiting for them to pursue Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos, Florida’s Sam Reinhart, Toronto’s Tyler Bertuzzi or Carolina’s Teuvo Teravainen in this summer’s free-agent market.
Davidson is playing the long game with the rebuild with the blessing of team ownership. Maybe in 2025, he’ll be ready to spend to the salary cap. With so many of their high-end prospects due for new contracts in the coming years, most of their cap space will be spent internally.
UPDATE ON COREY PERRY
Elliotte Friedman also spoke about Corey Perry receiving permission from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to speak with other clubs. It’s believed interested teams are conducting due diligence while Perry is also doing the same with those clubs.
SENATORS STILL SHOPPING FOR VETERANS
Elliotte Friedman reports the Ottawa Senators continue to shop for “pros” who can help them with the overall play and direction of the club. The club has also made it clear that some “real untouchables” are on their roster. While the new front-office staff are trying to gauge the market value of their players, Friedman doesn’t think anything’s imminent.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those untouchables likely include captain Brady Tkachuk, center Tim Stutzle and defenseman Jake Sanderson.