Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 13, 2023

by | Aug 13, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 13, 2023

Check out the recent speculation on Patrick Kane and Evgeny Kuznetsov as well as the latest on the Flames, Hurricanes and Jets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Stephen Whyno recently listed some notable storylines to watch during the final weeks of the 2023 NHL offseason.

While Patrick Kane continues to rehab from his June 1 hip resurfacing procedure, there are rumors linking the 34-year-old free-agent winger to his hometown Buffalo Sabres. They’re a young club on the rise that could use a player with his Stanley Cup experience.

Free agent winger Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was reported last month that Kane’s agent indicated his client should be ready to return to action in December. By that point, the future Hall of Famer will evaluate the clubs that are interested in him and pick the one he believes has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup this season.

The Sabres could be one of those teams if they finally achieve their long-anticipated breakthrough as a playoff club. However, much will depend on what their needs will be by that point. Goaltending remains a big question mark as is their blueline depth despite the offseason additions of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton.

Whyno also believes the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets will be worth monitoring in the weeks leading up to training camp.

Flames center Elias Lindholm is entering the final year of his contract. GM Craig Conroy has already traded Tyler Toffoli and could do the same with Lindholm if unable to re-sign the 28-year-old center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that Conroy has been in discussions with the Lindholm camp about a multi-year contract worth between $8 million and $9 million annually. Depending on the source, those talks are ongoing or they’ve gone quiet for now.

Carolina Hurricanes GM Don Waddell cited that his club’s limited cap space has made it difficult to improve his roster. He’ll continue talking to different teams and free agents. Whyno speculated he could look to move Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei to clear his blueline logjam. Both have a year remaining on their respective contracts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce has featured more prominently in trade rumors than Skjei this summer. Back in June, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported the Hurricanes could move the 28-year-old Pesce if they’re unable to hammer out a new contract with him. Perhaps he becomes trade bait to add another scoring forward.

The Winnipeg Jets have yet to move goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele. Both players are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer. Whyno doesn’t expect either player will be in Winnipeg for much longer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report out of Winnipeg last month explained that the reason why Hellebuyck is still with the Jets is because the trade market for goaltenders had dried up. Meanwhile, there’s been no word about Scheifele’s status in recent weeks. Both players could start the season with the Jets and end up getting traded at some point before the March trade deadline.

Evgeny Kuznetsov is the subject of trade rumors for the second time in three years. He saw a 23-point drop in his production last season to 55 points. The 31-year-old winger is signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $7.8 million.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan indicated he had a few discussions during the draft, suggesting they might or might not carry forward into this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacLellan was reportedly in talks with the Nashville Predators regarding Kuznetsov earlier this summer but nothing came of it Predators GM Barry Trotz coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018, during which Kuznetsov had a career-best 83 points and led the Caps in playoff scoring with 32 points.

As I’ve frequently noted, the combination of Kuznetsov’s inconsistent play in recent years and his hefty cap hit makes him difficult to move in this summer’s trade market, especially with a flattened salary cap.

It could take a dollar-for-dollar swap, the Capitals retaining up to half of his cap hit, or a three-team swap that spreads his AAV around to move Kuznetsov this season. They might have better luck next summer if his performance improves. That’s when the cap is projected to rise by at least $4 million for 2024-25.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 11, 2023

by | Aug 11, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 11, 2023

What are the Hurricanes’ plans going forward this season? What’s the latest on the Bruins’ goaltending? Are any more big moves coming for the Penguins? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HURRICANES FACING MORE QUESTIONS

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: Bryant Baucom believes the Hurricanes front office still has some questions to address regarding their roster.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

Baucom thinks their biggest need remains a scoring forward but those are virtually non-existent in the free-agent market. They also have limited cap room to make a significant UFA addition.

General manager Don Waddell must decide if he’s shopping Brett Pesce and/or Brady Skjei. Both defensemen are slated to become UFAs next July. Young forward Jack Drury requested a trade prior to last season and put in a lackluster performance with the Hurricanes and their AHL affiliate in Chicago.

Baucom also wondered how big the list of Hurricanes untouchables is and how much urgency management has to add another scorer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Much will depend on the Hurricanes’ performance over the course of the upcoming season. They could become more active in the trade market if their scoring fails to improve.

After adding Dmitry Orlov this summer as well as affordable depth defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Caleb Jones, the Hurricanes could peddle Pesce or Skjei before the start of the season. They could also retain them until the trade deadline nears in order to land a scoring forward. Perhaps they’ll hang onto both as “own rentals” for the season.

Drury would be a tempting trade chip for clubs that become sellers this season. On his own, he probably won’t fetch the scoring forward the Hurricanes seek. Bundled with Pesce or Skjei or with a first-round pick, however, it could be a different story.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS GOALTENDERS

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss recently explained why the Bruins are keeping their goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman intact. He pointed out that they’ll need strong goaltending this season to reach the playoffs after losing several key players elsewhere from the lineup to free agency and retirement.

Beyond this season is another story. The combined cap hits of Ullmark and Swayman for 2023-24 is $8.475 million. However, a strong performance by Swayman could vault him into the $5 million average annual value range. That could mean trading Ullmark to free up his $5 million cap hit next summer when he has only a year left on his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winner of the 2023 Vezina Trophy, Ullmark will also have a 15-team no-trade list for 2024-25. It could hamper efforts to move him but wouldn’t make it impossible. Whether he or Swayman get moved next summer will depend on their respective performances this season.

NO OTHER BIG MOVES PLANNED FOR THE PENGUINS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Following the Pittsburgh Penguins’ acquisition of Erik Karlsson, Nick Horwat cited general manager Kyle Dubas telling reporters that he’s likely done making big moves this summer. Dubas mentioned he could bring in some players on professional tryout offers.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated the Penguins GM might look into signing free-agent winger Tomas Tatar but Horwat considers that to be unlikely. While Tatar could be seen as an obvious replacement for sidelined winger Jake Guentzel, he’s only expected to miss the first five games of the regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I guess that also spikes that silly rumor flying around on social media claiming Dubas was going to sign 51-year-old Jaromir Jagr to a one-year, $1 million contract to return to the Penguins.

Jagr will be playing hockey this season but not in the NHL. He’s reportedly committed to spending another season in Czechia with the Kladno Knights, the club that he also owns.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 26, 2023

by | Jul 26, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 26, 2023

How will the Bruins replace Patrice Bergeron? What’s the latest on Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce? Which members of the Kings could become trade candidates? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HOW WILL THE BRUINS REPLACE BERGERON?

NBC SPORTS: Nick Goss believes the Boston Bruins face an enormous challenge attempting to replace Patrice Bergeron, who announced his retirement on Tuesday.

If they go with internal options, Goss speculates Charlie Coyle will take over centering the first line between Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. That will leave Pavel Zacha as their second-line center, assuming David Krejci follows Bergeron into retirement.

Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).

Trade targets could include Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets and Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames. Goss considers Lindholm the better fit given his all-around skill set plus the 28-year-old Flames center is two years younger than Scheifele.

BOSTON HERALD: Steve Conroy also considers Lindholm and Scheifele as the most likely trade targets should the Bruins go that route to replace Bergeron. He shares Goss’ view that Lindholm would be the better fit.

Conroy also looked at which Bruins could become trade chips to bring in someone like Lindholm or Scheifele.

He wondered if they might bite the bullet and break up their goalie tandem by shopping Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman. He also mused whether Jake DeBrusk has a long-term future in Boston after this season. Like DeBrusk, defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort are slated to become unrestricted free agents next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are said to be trying to convince Lindholm to sign a contract extension while the Jets are hoping to do the same with Scheifele. One or both could become available in this summer’s trade market if they reject new contract offers from their current clubs.

Swayman would be the easiest to move as Ullmark has a 16-team no-trade list. Like Swayman, DeBrusk and Grzelcyk lack no-trade protection while Forbort has a three-team no-trade list.

A package of Swayman and DeBrusk could be quite tempting to the Flames or Jets. The Bruins could prefer moving one or the other packaged with Grzelcyk or Forbort and a draft pick. Whether that’s enough to land Lindholm or Scheifele is another matter, especially if other clubs with better trade assets get into the bidding.

IS BRETT PESCE OFF THE TRADE MARKET?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ann Kimmel noted the rumors that linked the Nashville Predators to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. Given the Hurricanes’ recent signing of Tony DeAngelo, she wonders if that means Pesce is off the table.

Kimmel observed that the Hurricanes were among the clubs interested in San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson. Acquiring him would’ve meant making a cost-cutting trade, which in part fueled trade speculation that Pesce could become a trade candidate.

With the DeAngelo signing, the Hurricanes now appear out of the bidding for Karlsson, meaning they don’t need to shed salary to free up cap space for the Sharks blueliner. That means they can afford to retain Pesce for at least this season before his UFA eligibility next July.

As for the Predators, Kimmel believes they’re likely to stick with their current blueline corps considering they’ve invested $30 million in defensemen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes could peddle Pesce if they’re looking at adding another scoring forward to their lineup. However, they’re now bumping up against the $83.5 million salary cap. Swapping Pesce and his $4.025 million cap hit for a scorer would have to be a dollar-in, dollar-out transaction.

POTENTIAL KINGS TRADE CANDIDATES

LA HOCKEY NOW: Austin Stanovic recently looked at several Los Angeles Kings players that they “wouldn’t necessarily be shopping if they dipped into the trade market.” However, he thinks they would be willing to move them without much fuss this season.

Trevor Moore, Viktor Arvidsson and Matt Roy could be moved because of their contracts or young players potentially stepping up and taking their spots on the roster. Young players with something to prove such as Arthur Kaliyev, Jaret Anderson-Dolan, and Tobias Bjornfot could also become trade chips as they attempt to prove they deserve a spot on the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Much will depend on where the Kings are in the standings and what their roster needs are as they approach the trade deadline. Arvidsson and Roy surfaced in last season’s rumor mill near the trade deadline. Their names could pop up again whenever management decides to go shopping this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 18, 2023

by | Jul 18, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 18, 2023

What’s the latest on the Hurricanes? Could they move Brett Pesce? What would it take for the Islanders to sign Vladimir Tarasenko? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE HURRICANES

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke Decock reports the Carolina Hurricanes had a busy start to July but rumors have died down since then. Their last addition was signing winger Brendan Lemieux on July 11 and things could remain unchanged.

The Hurricanes had a proposed deal in place with the Philadelphia Flyers to reacquire defenseman Tony DeAngelo but it was blocked over salary-cap circumvention concerns. It was placed on the back burner after the Hurricanes signed free-agent blueliner Dmitry Orlov. DeAngelo has since become a free agent after being bought out last week by the Flyers but the Hurricanes have not spoken with his agent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think we can rule out the possibility of DeAngelo coming back to the Hurricanes.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (NHL Images).

They’ve been linked to Vladimir Tarasenko but their interest in the unrestricted free-agent winger has cooled. They continue to monitor Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson but their limited cap space would make it difficult to acquire the San Jose Sharks defenseman unless they make another trade first.

The Hurricanes are also working on finalizing an eight-year contract extension for center Sebastian Aho. They face decisions on winger Teuvo Teravainen and defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, who are a year away from UFA eligibility.

Decock considers it unlikely or prudent that the Canes will go into 2023-24 with those three still in limbo. Nevertheless, general manager Don Waddell is not yet facing any time pressure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquiring Karlsson would likely mean parting ways with a defenseman, most likely a right-side defender like Pesce. Speaking of whom…

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman listed five clubs that could or should be interested in Brett Pesce if the Hurricanes opt to trade the 28-year-old blueliner. They include the Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce carries a $4.025 million cap hit for 2023-24 plus a list of 15 preferred trade destinations. At least one of the aforementioned clubs could be on that list.

Assuming Pesce would accept a trade to those five teams, salary-cap constraints hamper the Leafs, Stars, and Oilers. They’d have to shed salary in a cost-cutting deal to free up room for him. The Hurricanes could be reluctant to take on a player in return if they’re trying clear space for another move.

The Sabres have the cap room but it could get tricky if they want to keep Pesce beyond this season. They must ensure they’ll have sufficient room once they get Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power signed to their long-term extensions. They also recently signed Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton, leaving them with eight defensemen on one-way NHL contracts. Power is on his entry-level contract which is a two-way deal but he’s not going to be buried in the minors following his solid rookie performance last season.

Meanwhile, the Predators have the cap space and the depth in tradeable assets. First-year GM Barry Trotz has shown a willingness to make bold moves. Perhaps he’ll pursue Pesce if the opportunity presents itself.

CAN THE ISLANDERS AFFORD TARASENKO?

NEW YORK POST: Ethan Sears noted the Islanders’ ongoing search for a scoring winger, pointing out Vladimir Tarasenko is still available in the free-agent market.

Signing the 31-year-old winger, however, would mean having to free up some cap room. He reportedly rejected offers between $5.5 million and $6 million before changing agents.

Sears believes Jean-Gabriel Pageau would be the logical cost-cutting trade candidate. Removing his $5 million cap hit from the Isles books wouldn’t leave a hole at center since Mathew Barzal could be moved back to that position.

Pageau’s skills as a two-way center and penalty killer give him value in the trade market. However, he has a 16-team no-trade list. Meanwhile, just 13 teams have $5 million in cap space, and that’s without accounting for their unsigned restricted free agents.

Moving Pageau alone might not be enough. Sears suggested waiving Ross Johnston and including Oliver Wahlstrom in any deal. If Zach Parise opts for retirement it would leave them with $6.4 million in cap room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t rule out anything when Isles GM Lou Lamoriello is concerned. He’s been chasing a scoring winger since last summer. Perhaps he can woo Tarasenko while finding a way to clear sufficient cap room. Still, it won’t be easy, especially if there are other suitors with more cap flexibility in the hunt.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2023

by | Jul 17, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2023

The latest on Erik Karlsson, three teams that should attempt to sign Evan Bouchard to an offer sheet, and three assets the Oilers could use to acquire Brett Pesce in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILL THE SHARKS BUCKLE ON KARLSSON?

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski believes the stalemate in the Penguins’ efforts to acquire Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks is less of an impasse and more of a bluff on the Sharks’ part. If Sharks general manager Mike Grier isn’t bluffing as he attempts to drive up the asking price on the 33-year-old defenseman, Kingerski believes he’ll buckle because the Sharks don’t have a strong position.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

Acquiring Karlsson carries risks such as his injury history,  his age, upsetting team chemistry and decreased production. Kingerski believes the Penguins don’t need Karlsson and neither do the Carolina Hurricanes, the other club reportedly a front-runner for the blueliner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, the Penguins and Hurricanes would like to acquire him but they aren’t going to sell the farm to get him. They can move on for 2023-24 without Karlsson on their respective rosters. The Sharks, on the other hand, have a greater need to move him and his hefty contract so they can start investing the freed-up cap space in rebuilding the roster.

With Karlsson under contract for four more years, the Sharks could attempt to wait a year or two in the hope of getting a better deal. However, Kingerski pointed out the Arizona Coyotes took the same position with Jakob Chychrun and wound up shipping him to Ottawa for less than the oft-quoted asking price of two first-round picks and a prospect or NHL player.

The Sharks are attempting to sell high with Karlsson, whose value will never be higher than it is right now. It will drop if he gets hurt or his production sags.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These are good points by Kingerski. The bottom line is the Sharks are never going to get “equal value” for Karlsson despite his 101-point performance this season that earned him his third Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. Grier is trying to generate a bidding war among the interested parties in the hope that they can get a return that is close to their best-case scenario.

Karlsson’s value remains high until his skates touch the ice for the Sharks’ opening game in 2023-24. That’s assuming he doesn’t suffer an injury in training camp or preseason play. The Sharks also don’t need questions about Karlsson’s future becoming an unwanted distraction during the coming season.

Grier knows this. He can stretch this situation throughout the summer but at some point, perhaps before training camp opens in September, I expect he’ll pull the trigger and accept the best offer.

THREE TEAMS THAT SHOULD SIGN EVAN BOUCHARD TO AN OFFER SHEET.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman considers Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard a prime target for an offer sheet. He’s due for a raise coming out of his entry-level contract but the Oilers have just $5.62 million in cap space for 2023-24 and center Ryan McLeod still to be re-signed.

Wegman believes the Oilers would be in a bind if a rival club offered Bouchard a five-year contract with an annual cap hit of $8.58 million. He suggested the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken make the attempt.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see the Sabres, Hurricanes and Kraken going this route. Wegman acknowledged that this tactic is rarely used. He pointed out that general managers could be reluctant to part with the compensatory draft picks or overpaying on a short-term contract or wishing to avoid a retaliatory offer from another club down the road.

For an offer sheet to happen, the player must be open to signing with another club. There’s no indication that Bouchard is willing to consider that option. If he is, no one seems to be knocking down his door to do so. One has to think it would’ve happened by now.

The Sabres now have nine defensemen under NHL contract with their recent additions of Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton. They’re also negotiating lucrative long-term extensions for Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. I doubt they’re interested in adding another blueliner, especially one on an expensive deal via an offer sheet that could complicate efforts to re-sign Sandin and Power.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are reportedly quite interested in acquiring Erik Karlsson from San Jose. Should that fall through, they could go the offer-sheet route with Bouchard. However, I don’t think that’s something they want to entertain, especially after their tit-for-tat offer-sheet signing of Jesperi Kotkaniemi two years ago.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis has the cap space to make it happen but, as Wegman points out, a big chunk of it will be taken up re-sign blueliner Vince Dunn. Yes, they could free up room to pursue Bouchard if they wanted to, but why bother with that headache when less troublesome options could appear at some point?

WHAT WOULD IT COST THE OILERS TO ACQUIRE PESCE?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Michael DeRosa recently noted the rumor mill has linked the Edmonton Oilers to Brett Pesce. The Carolina Hurricanes are said to be open to moving the 28-year-old defenseman because of his expiring contract.

DeRosa looked at what it would cost the Oilers to acquire Pesce. He believes they would have to offer up their 2024 first-round pick, defenseman Cody Ceci and prospect Carter Savoie.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes don’t seem in any hurry to move Pesce, though that could change if they need to clear cap space to acquire Erik Karlsson. Otherwise, they could likely find better offers for Pesce from other clubs.

Pesce also has a 15-team trade list. If the Oilers aren’t part of that group it won’t matter what they offer up.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2023

by | Jun 21, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2023

The Devils contact the Jets about Connor Hellebuyck, updates on Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ryan O’Reilly, Brett Pesce and Kailer Yamamoto in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST FROM TSN’S “INSIDER TRADING”.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils are among the teams that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would be interested in a sign-and-trade.

LeBrun indicates the Devils have looked into it but what gives them pause is the amount of money the 30-year-old Hellebuyck would seek in his next contract. It’s believed he’d seek something comparable to the $9.5 million annual cap hit of Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. LeBrun believes the price would have to come down for the Devils to get more involved.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is a former Vezina Trophy winner who is a finalist this year for the award. Of course, he’s going to seek something comparable to Vasilevskiy, especially if he wins the Vezina again.

Bear in mind that Hellebuyck lacks no-trade protection. The Jets can send him to anyone willing to meet their asking price. However, they’ll get a better return if he’s willing to sign with whichever team he’s dealt to. That could be a limited number of possible destinations.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

Turning to Hellebuyck’s teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois, Darren Dreger reports there are more teams than the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings interested in the Jets center. The Kings have limited salary-cap space while the Canadiens have made it clear they’re willing to wait until Dubois becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “Dubois-to-Montreal” speculation hasn’t been as heated as it was a couple of weeks ago. That doesn’t mean a trade to the Canadiens isn’t possible. However, it appears they’ve made it clear that they’re comfortable with Dubois heading somewhere else if the Jets asking price is too high. The same applies to his contract.

LeBrun was asked whether there was a pathway for Ryan O’Reilly to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues near the trade deadline, O’Reilly sounded like he would be heading to free agency during his end-of-season interview perhaps because of the Leafs cap constraints.

However, new Leafs GM Brad Treliving has informed the O’Reilly camp that they’re interested in bringing him back. The 31-year-old center also hasn’t ruled out a possible return. However, he appears to be the top center in an otherwise weak UFA market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly isn’t the dominant two-way center he was when he lead the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, he’s still a very effective one when healthy and will draw plenty of interest from playoff contenders. The Leafs will face competition for his services.

UPDATES ON PESCE AND YAMAMOTO

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cited Yvon Pedneault of Le Journal de Montreal listing the Avalanche among the teams interested in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. The 28-year-old defenseman is a year away from UFA status. The Hurricanes hope to re-sign him but it’s believed they could trade him if a deal cannot be worked out.

Rawal doesn’t buy into it citing how much they’re already paying for defensemen with Bowen Byram and Devon Toews due for raises soon. He believes the only way this works is if they trade away one of their defensemen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Rawal that if the Avs pursue a defenseman this summer it’ll be a depth blueliner, not Pesce.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited TSN’s Chris Johnston and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believe there should be a market for Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto. Seravalli doesn’t believe they’ll get much of a return but won’t have to pay to move him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The objective here for the cap-strapped Oilers is shedding Yamamoto’s $3.1 million cap hit for 2023-24. If all they get back is a draft pick or prospect it’ll be worth it if the money can be put toward re-signing a key player or adding an upgrade.