NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2020

by | Jun 23, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – June 23, 2020

​A listing of this year’s top UFA forwards and the latest on the Leafs in today’s NHL rumor mill.

TOP FORWARDS IN THIS YEAR’S UFA MARKET

THE SCORE: Arizona Coyotes winger Taylor Hall, Florida Panthers winger Mike Hoffman, and Vancouver Canucks winger Tyler Toffoli sit atop Josh Gold-Smith’s recent ranking of this year’s top NHL unrestricted free agent forwards. Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov and Nashville Predators winger Mikael Granlund round out the top five.

Arizona Coyotes winger Taylor Hall (Photo via NHL Images).

Washington Capitals winger Ilya Kovalchuk, Colorado Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestikov, Edmonton Oilers winger Tyler Ennis, Predators winger Craig Smith, and Coyotes center Carl Soderberg complete the top-10.

Other notables include Minnesota Wild forward Alex Galchenyuk, Florida Panthers center Erik Haula, New York Islanders center Derick Brassard, Buffalo Sabres winger Wayne Simmonds, and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can quibble over some of Gold-Smith’s rankings, but it’s clear this isn’t a great year for UFA forward talent.

Hall is the best of the bunch. Hoffman and Dadonov are reliable scorers while Toffoli is the best two-way forward. Granlund struggled through most of his tenure with the Predators, but his play improved after Peter Laviolette was replaced as head coach with John Hynes. A solid playoff tournament performance could boost his stock.

It’s pretty much buyer beware for most of the rest. They either haven’t panned out (Galchenyuk), were hampered by injuries (Haula), or are on the downside of their careers (Kovalchuk, Brassard, Simmonds, Spezza).

LATEST LEAFS SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Luke Fox was asked for the Toronto Maple Leafs likely blueline targets in the off-season. Given their limited salary-cap space, he doesn’t expect they’ll land Alex Pietrangelo, suggesting instead Travis Hamonic, Chris Tanev, Sami Vatanen, or Radko Gudas as more viable options.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap constraints will also hamper efforts to sign the others. Cap Friendly indicates they have over $76.9 million invested in 16 players. Some cost-cutting would have to be made to pursue them.

Turning to the trade market, Fox pointed out Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas tends to deal for players with term remaining on their contracts. High-end right-hand shots include Minnesota’s Matt Dumba, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, Columbus’ David Savard, Carolina’s Brett Pesce, Buffalo’s Colin Miller, Edmonton’s Adam Larsson, and Anaheim’s Josh Manson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t see Dumba, Pesce, Larsson, or Manson getting moved. Ristolainen or Miller could be available, but it depends on whether the Sabres will trade with a hated division rival like the Leafs. Savard might be a trade option if Dubas offered up a decent scoring forward like Kasperi Kapanen.

Regarding Frederik Andersen’s contract status, Fox feels that they should kick it down the road. Andersen becomes a UFA next summer. He also expects defenseman Travis Dermott and winger Ilya Mikheyev will receive bridge deals.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 2, 2020

by | Jun 2, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – June 2, 2020

​Check out some recent Blues and Sabres speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON THE BLUES

STLTODAY.COM: During a recent live chat with Blues fans, Jim Thomas was asked if he sees them re-signing Alex Pietrangelo following their recent contract signings. The reader suggested they could let him walk and use the money to re-sign restricted free agent Vince Dunn. Thomas doesn’t rule out the possibility. He also raised the notion that perhaps Pietrangelo doesn’t want to be in St. Louis, but doesn’t think that’s the case.

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo (Photo via NHL Images)

Pietrangelo could test the free-agent market following this season to see what offers are out there. Thomas notes there will be several teams, such as the Colorado Avalanche, with much more salary-cap space even with the reduced revenue from the pandemic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As I’ve pointed out before, the Blues have limited salary cap space (over $79 million invested in 20 players for 2020-21, according to Cap Friendly) for next season. They must shed some considerable salary if they intend to re-sign Pietrangelo and Dunn.

Asked if center Tyler Bozak might have some trade value, Thomas believes he does, citing his all-around play and his work with younger players. While he’s got just one year left on his contract, he’s 34 and carries an annual average value of $5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bozak also has a 10-team no-trade clause. If he’s willing to waive it, the Blues might have to pick up part of his cap hit or include a significant sweetener to move him.

COULD THE SABRES SHOP RISTOLAINEN?

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently weighed in on potential off-season moves by the Buffalo Sabres after missing the playoffs for the ninth straight year.

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen raised the possibility he could be traded if management decides to make sweeping changes. However, general manager Jason Botterill and head coach Ralph Krueger both spoke highly of the 25-year-old blueline. Botterill called him a core player while Krueger said he’s “a centerpiece,” adding he wants to coach Ristolainen next season.

Fox believes Botterill doesn’t need to move Ristolainen to remodel the roster. Considering the poor return the Sabres GM received in the Ryan O’Reilly trade two years ago, he could be forced to think hard here. Fox pointed out the Sabres will have sufficient salary-cap space that they won’t need to buy out Kyle Okposo or give up on Jeff Skinner after one bad season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are allowed to make trades now, but Fox considers it unlikely they’ll do so until the playoffs are over. Ristolainen frequently featured in Sabres’ trade chatter this season. Perhaps the reason he’s still a Sabre is that Botterill and Krueger think so highly of him. Then again, it could be because Botterill didn’t get a suitable offer.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2020

by | May 24, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – May 24, 2020

​Check out the latest on the Detroit Red Wings in today’s NHL rumor mill.

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan reports the Detroit Red Wings season may be over, but general manager Steve Yzerman faces a busy off-season.

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman (Photo via NHL.com).

One of his first decisions will be whether to pick up the option year in head coach Jeff Blashill’s contract or find a new bench boss. Gerard Gallant and Lane Lambert (former Yzerman teammates) could be among the candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gallant won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year for guiding the Vegas Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup in their expansion season. He could become the front-runner if the job becomes available.

In addition to deciding which of his free agents to re-sign, Khan speculates Yzerman could look to this year’s unrestricted free agent market for affordable second- and third-tier talent on short-term deals as stop-gap measures during the roster rebuild. He believes the Wings need a winger with scoring ability, a pair of defensemen, and a backup goaltender.

Khan also anticipates Yzerman will make low-risk value trades similar to his acquisitions of Robby Fabbri and Brendan Perlini.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Fabbri acquisition worked out well, but Perlini struggled throughout this season and probably won’t be back. Nevertheless, Yzerman will likely keep his eye open for once-promising players struggling with other clubs who could benefit from a fresh start elsewhere.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Ted Kulfan recently posted a three-part series examining potential UFA targets to address the Red Wings’ roster needs.

He doubts Arizona Coyotes winger Taylor Hall or Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby will be interested in joining a rebuilding clubs like the Wings. He also expects the St. Louis Blues will re-sign Alex Pietrangelo while Michigan native Torey Krug could be re-signed by the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some pundits suggested Krug might be willing to return home if he can’t sign with the Bruins. While we shouldn’t rule it out, I think he’d prefer playing for a contender.

Kulfan’s list of proposed forward options includes Colorado’s Vladislav Namestnikov, Florida’s Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Hoffman, or Erik Haula, Nashville’s Mikael Granlund, Vegas’ Tomas Nosek, or the New York Rangers’ Jesper Fast.

Blueline possibilities could include Toronto’s Tyson Barrie, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, Washington’s Brenden Dillon, or the New York Islanders’ Andy Greene.

Goaltending targets could include Vegas’ Robin Lehner, but the term and price would have to be worked on). Others include Dallas’ Anton Khudobin, the Islanders’ Thomas Greiss, and Calgary’s Cam Talbot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Wings have over $46.2 million invested in 11 players. Once Yzerman re-signs key free agents like Fabbri, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Anthony Mantha, he’ll have plenty of cap room to bring in a couple of quality veteran free agents on short-term deals.

With the salary cap remaining around $81.5 million and several clubs looking to pinch pennies, that could work in Yzerman’s favor. If he sticks to affordable short-term options, he’ll have plenty to choose from once the notable names are snapped up.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 18, 2020

by | May 18, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – May 18, 2020

Check out the recent Blues speculation plus the latest on Max Domi in today’s NHL rumor mill.

LATEST ON THE BLUES

STLTODAY.COM: In a recent live chat with Blues fans, Jim Thomas was asked about the possibility of team captain Alex Pietrangelo accepting a one-year bridge deal with the Blues in hopes of securing a better deal next season if NHL revenues improve.

Could Alex Pietrangelo accept a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues? (Photo via NHL Images)

Thomas didn’t dismiss the possibility but pointed out it could take longer for league revenue to improve in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He also indicated other clubs possess sufficient salary-cap space under a flat cap to take a run at signing Pietrangelo in the off-season.

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Jeremy Rutherford was asked about the possibility of compliance buyouts of Alexander Steen or Tyler Bozak to free up salary-cap space to re-sign Pietrangelo. He doubts that’s an option, citing there’s a belief the league has no plans to implement compliance buyouts in the off-season. The Blues would have to go the normal buyout route, which won’t free up sufficient cap room for Pietrangelo’s new deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo’s status is going to dominate the rumor mill as we get closer to whenever this season officially comes to an end. The Blues have over $79.4 million invested in 20 players, with Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn as their notable free agents.

Pietrangelo will be an expensive re-signing. Assuming he accepts a “hometown discount” of between $7.5 million to $8 million on a one-year deal, general manager Doug Armstrong must shed salary to accommodate his new contract. If contract buyouts aren’t on the table, they’ll have to shed two or three players to find sufficient room for Pietrangelo and Dunn. That won’t be easy and could weaken their depth elsewhere in the lineup.

Last fall’s acquisition of Justin Faulk and the recent re-signing of Marco Scandella suggests Armstrong is preparing for Pietrangelo’s departure. Nevertheless, I’m not ruling out the possibility the Blues GM will find a way to keep his captain in the fold.

Rutherford was also asked if Blues defenseman Vince Dunn could become expendable given the left-side defensemen (such as Scott Perunovich) coming up in their system. He was also asked if Dunn could become targeted for an offer sheet.

Rutherford doesn’t consider Dunn expendable, citing his skating ability, top-four potential, youth (23), defensive skills, and affordability. He doesn’t reject the possibility of an offer sheet. However, he pointed out a flat cap for next season means teams will have less money to spend, making an offer sheet less likely.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Pietrangelo walks, re-signing Dunn is a no-brainer. Armstrong will still have to cut some salary elsewhere, but nowhere near as much as he would for Pietrangelo. If the captain is re-signed, finding sufficient room for Dunn’s new contract could be challenging. 

UPDATE ON DOMI

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels recently acknowledged recent rumors suggesting Max Domi could be a trade candidate. Nevertheless, he feels there are plenty of reasons why the Montreal Canadiens will retain the 25-year-old forward.

The trade rumblings about Domi arose from his restricted free agent status (with arbitration rights) and the decline in his production this season. Engels said he never heard from anyone that the Canadiens were considering trading him.

Engels cited Domi’s love of playing in Montreal, his speed and offensive skills, and what he could do in the playoffs. With the NHL considering a return to play with a 24-team format, the Canadiens could get a chance to evaluate Domi under playoff conditions this season. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Even without the possibility of the Canadiens being in a 24-team playoff format this summer, I still feel the Canadiens will re-sign Domi. While his stats are down this season, he’s not the only Hab to struggle a bit this season.

Much of that trade chatter seemed to come from some in the Montreal media dreaming of Domi being used as a trade chip to acquire a top-pairing, left-side defenseman. If the league returns with that enlarged postseason format and Domi performs well, I expect he and the Canadiens will work out a new contract later this summer. 










NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2020

by | May 15, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2020

The latest on the Leafs, Jets, and Devils in today’s NHL rumor mill.

COULD THE MAPLE LEAFS PURSUE MORE LTIR CONTRACTS?

TSN: Frank Seravalli expects the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire more players on long-term injury reserve. Under the NHL CBA, a player under a contract whose career is cut short by injury but doesn’t retire can be placed on LTIR. That allows a team sitting at the cap maximum to exceed it by an amount equal to the player’s annual average value.

Could the Toronto Maple Leafs try to acquire a potential LTIR player like Chicago’s Brent Seabrook? (Photo via NHL Images)

The Leafs previously acquired the contracts of all-but-retired players like Nathan Horton and David Clarkson to give themselves more salary-cap wiggle room. With both players coming off the books at the end of this season, Seravalli believes Leafs management will be on the hunt for more LTIR contracts.

His suggested targets include Anaheim’s Ryan Kesler, Ottawa’s Marian Gaborik, Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg, Arizona’s Marian Hossa, and Chicago’s Brent Seabrook. Others could include Vancouver’s Micheal Ferland and Chicago’s Andrew Shaw.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman doubts the Leafs are eager to go the LTIR route again. “They knew they were starting last year without Travis Dermott and Zach Hyman. It wasn’t an easy dance for them — or Vegas — last season.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I anticipate this loophole could be closed in the next collective bargaining agreement. Meanwhile, there’s nothing within the CBA preventing the Leafs (or anyone else) from doing this again. Several LTIR contracts (including those of Gaborik and Hossa) were traded in recent years to cap-strapped clubs seeking some payroll flexibility. Bear in mind it remains to be seen if Kesler, Seabrook, Ferland, and Shaw become permanent LTIR players. They haven’t ruled out returning to play next season. 

Friedman raises a good point about the difficulty the Leafs faced to pull this off this season. It could become more complicated if their roster starts next season healthier than they were at the start of 2019-20.  

BACKUP GOALIE OPTIONS FOR THE JETS

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Ken Wiebe examined some backup goaltending targets for the Winnipeg Jets if they don’t re-sign pending free agent Laurent Brossoit. Trade targets could include St. Louis’ Jake Allen and Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk, while the UFA market includes the New York Islanders’ Thomas Greiss and San Jose’s Aaron Dell. New Jersey’s Cory Schneider could be a long-shot option if the Devils buy out the final two years of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues could move Allen in a cost-cutting deal to re-sign captain Alex Pietrangelo, but they won’t just give him away. Their asking price could be a good, young, affordable NHLer.

Dubnyk has a modified no-trade clause containing 19 preferred trade destinations. There’s no certainty the Jets would be on it.

In addition to Greiss and Dell, Cam Talbot and Anton Khudobin are also potentially available. All but Dell, however, could cost over $3 million annually each.

LATEST DEVILS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Corey Masisak was asked if the New Jersey Devils might go after a big-name free agent like St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo. While acknowledging the possibility, he considers the odds slim, suggesting it might not make sense to pay Pietrangelo huge money for a couple of seasons before the Devils are ready to become playoff contenders. He advocates pursuing a younger top-pairing blueliner in a trade. 

Asked if the Devils could shop one of their three first-round picks in this year’s draft, Masisak thinks it’s too early to tell. “I don’t think they would consider trading the Arizona pick or the Vancouver pick until we know if it’s being transferred in 2020 or is an unprotected 2021 choice,” he said. “The value of those picks changes depending on that information.”










NHL Rumor Mill – May 14, 2020

by | May 14, 2020

NHL Rumor Mill – May 14, 2020

The latest Flames and Oilers speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.

COULD FLAMES AFFORD PIETRANGELO?

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Eric Francis was asked if the Calgary Flames could sign Alex Pietrangelo if the St. Louis Blues captain hits the open market in the off-season.

While it’s not outside the realm of possibility, Francis believes it would be a hefty price tag to squeeze under a flat salary cap. It would also prevent the Flames from re-signing pending free agents such as T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, Erik Gustafsson, and Derek Forbort.

Could the Calgary Flames afford to sign Alex Pietrangelo? (Photo via NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Could the Flames sign Pietrangelo? Sure, anything’s possible. Can they afford him? Naaah!

The 30-year-old defenseman is completing a seven-year, $45.5-million contract with an annual average value of $6.5 million. He could command around $9 million annually as a UFA. Even if he accepted considerably less (say, $7.5 million AAV), the Flames lack the cap space to sign him and still have enough to fill out the rest of their defense corps.

Signing Pietrangelo would push their payroll to between $71.5 million and $73.5 million invested in 14 players, leaving little to flesh out the blueline, re-sign RFA Andrew Mangiapane, and re-sign or replace goaltender Cam Talbot. 

LATEST OILERS SPECULATION

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson reported limited salary-cap space could hamper Oilers GM Ken Holland’s efforts to sign players.

Re-signing defenseman Ethan Bear could be tricky. The Oilers would prefer a team-friendly six-year deal comparable to Oscar Klefbom’s $4.1-million annual average value, but they don’t have that much available. Matheson suspects Bear will get a two-year bridge deal between $2.2 and $3 million annually. Matheson also wondered if Holland might consider replacing Matt Benning with a more affordable Evan Bouchard ($894K). 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to Cap Friendly, the Oilers have over $71.3 million committed to 16 players for 2020-21. Unless they make a significant salary dump, like trading or buying out James Neal, they won’t be making any major off-season additions. 

Bear is completing his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. He’s proven himself as a top-four NHL defenseman but lacks leverage to command a big payday. A cost-effective, short-term bridge deal with the promise of a significant raise down the road appears the likely option. 

Matheson thinks Holland, “in a perfect world”, would try to trade Jesse Puljujarvi’s rights to the Florida Panthers for another right-winger and first-round draft pick like Owen Tippett. “But, that’s a trade for the 2020-2021 season. And it’s unlikely Holland would deal Puljujarvi’s rights at the 2020 draft unless it’s for a first-rounder because he’s has played 139 NHL games and he was the fourth overall pick in 2016.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In the real world, the Panthers won’t make that move. I don’t see many teams agreeing to part with a first-rounder for Puljujarvi. Maybe Holland calls a club with spare first-round picks in this year’s draft (hello there, Ottawa Senators), but I doubt they’ll be interested. 

He’d like to re-sign pending UFA forwards Riley Sheahan and Tyler Ennis to affordable short-term deals. His recent signing of Gaetan Haas could be insurance in case Sheahan decides to test the market.