NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – St. Louis Blues
NHL Free Agents & Trade Candidates – St. Louis Blues
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 10, 2020
Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 10, 2020
More speculation over Alex Pietrangelo’s future plus some suggested blueline trade targets for the Canucks in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.
WHAT WILL PIETRANGELO DO?
THE SCORE: John Matisz recently examined the questions swirling around St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo. The 30-year-old defenseman could be the best player potentially available in this year’s unrestricted free agent market.
St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo (Photo via NHL Images).
The Blues’ limited salary-cap space means they must shed a salary or two if they intend to re-sign Pietrangelo. That could involve buying out the final year of Alex Steen’s contract ($5.75-million annual average value) and trading goaltender Jake Allen ($4.35 million). Re-signing him could be expensive, as Nashville Predators’ captain Roman Josi’s eight-year, $72.5-million contract could be used as a benchmark. Given Petrangelo’s age, a seven-or-eight year deal would be an overpayment.
If Pietrangelo goes to market, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets could be among his possible destinations. The Leafs need a right-side defenseman, but they’ve already got half their payroll tied up in a small group of players. The Golden Knights and Jets require a true No.1 defenseman.
STLTODAY.COM: In a recent live chat, Jim Thomas suggested the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Boston Bruins are among the Stanley Cup contenders with sufficient salary-cap space to take a run at signing Pietrangelo. He dismissed a suggestion from one reader proposing the Blues trade away Jaden Schwartz and Ivan Barbeshev because it wouldn’t free up sufficient dollars to re-sign the captain.
Even with a flat or lower salary-cap, Thomas doubts the market for Pietrangelo will be that depressed. “Boston, Colorado, Calgary, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal all have sufficient cap room to make a run at Pietrangelo.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot of clubs will have sufficient salary-cap space to make serious offers for Pietrangelo on the open market. Toronto and Vegas aren’t among them. The Leafs have nearly $77 million invested in 16 players for 2020-21, while the Golden Knights have over $73 million tied up in 15 players. Unless they dump some salary, they can’t afford Pietrangelo, who could see a long-term deal worth around $9 million annually. Even if a flat cap forced him to accept $7.5 to $8 million per season, that’s still too expensive for cap-strapped clubs like Toronto and Vegas.
The Bruins appear keen to re-sign Torey Krug, who’d be more affordable than Pietrangelo. The Flames have $64.5 million committed to 13 players, but most reports out of Calgary suggest they won’t pursue a big-ticket free agent. While the Wild ($65.2 million in 17 players) have the room, GM Bill Guerin could be reluctant to saddle himself with another big-money contract when Ryan Suter and Zach Parise already take up so much of his club’s cap space.
The Canadiens and Panthers could afford Pietrangelo, but he might not be keen to go to those markets. The Habs usually have difficulty attracting top free-agent talent, while the Panthers could shed salary if they miss the playoffs again. The Jets have room (nearly $66 million invested in 13 players), but Pietrangelo is likely too rich for their blood.
The Avalanche and Stars have the cap space, but they’re also stocked with good young blueliners. The Avs already have Cale Makar as their first-pairing right-side defenseman, while John Klingberg fills that role for the Stars.
Pietrangelo will attract plenty of interest if he becomes available, probably from several of the aforementioned clubs, and he’s going to get a lucrative deal. Finding the right fit on the roster and payroll, however, could be challenging.
POSSIBLE CANUCKS’ BLUELINE TRADE TARGETS
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Harman Dayal recently proposed several trade targets to rebuild the Vancouver Canuck’s blueliner. With Chris Tanev likely to depart via free agency and Troy Stecher facing an uncertain future as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, they must address the right side of their defense corps.
Dayal proposes realistic options such as Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar, Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak, Washington’s Nick Jensen, and Buffalo’s Henri Jokiharju. He also suggested left-side rearguards like Edmonton’s Caleb Jones or St. Louis’ Vince Dunn if suitable right-side blueliners can’t be found.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With nearly $64 million invested in 14 players next season, and with Tanev, Stecher, Jacob Markstrom, Tyler Toffoli, Jake Virtanen, and Tyler Motte to be re-signed or replaced, the Canucks don’t have the cap room to suitably address their blueline needs via free agency. Going the trade route for young, affordable options is the best bet.
I don’t know If those targets suggested by Dayal would be available, but they provide a template for the type of rearguard the Canucks could pursue following this season.
NHL Rumor Mill – May 9, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – May 9, 2020
Possible free-agent targets for the Red Wings and Devils in today’s NHL rumor mill.
POSSIBLE RED WINGS UFA TARGETS
THE DETROIT NEWS: Ted Kulfan believes a potential dip in next season’s salary cap could prove beneficial to the financially secure Red Wings. They have only $46.2 million invested in 11 players for 2020-21.
Torey Krug could be an interesting free-agent target for the Detroit Red Wings or New Jersey Devils (Photo via NHL Images).
While a good chunk of the Wings’ cap space will be used to re-sign restricted free-agent forwards Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Robby Fabbri, Kulfan believes they’ll still be in a good position to take advantage of this summer’s unrestricted free agent market.
“Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis), Livonia’s Torey Krug (Michigan State/Boston) and Tyson Barrie (Toronto), forwards Taylor Hall (Arizona) and Mike Hoffman (Florida), and goalies Robin Lehner (Vegas) and Braden Holtby (Washington)” are among the notables who could be available at season’s end.
Kulfan admits some of those players could end up re-signing with their current clubs. Some, however, will hit the open market and the Wings could be among the teams that benefit. They need to bolster their defense and goaltending.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wings general manager Steve Yzerman could target Pietrangelo, Krug, Lehner, or Holtby if they hit the open market. Convincing one of them to sign with a rebuilding club that finished this season with the league’s worst record, however, will likely take more than waving lots of dollars at them.
Their preference could be to sign with playoff contenders. Yzerman will have to sell them on his vision for the future and how long he believes it’ll take to achieve it.
POSSIBLE DEVILS UFA BLUELINE TARGETS
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Corey Masisak recently examined some UFA targets to improve the New Jersey Devils’ defense corps. Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug topped the list.
Other clubs could give Pietrangelo a better chance to compete for the Stanley Cup. There’s some question if Krug would be as effective with another club as he’s been with the Boston Bruins.
Other options include Toronto’s Tyson Barrie, Calgary’s T.J. Brodie or Travis Hamonic, or bringing back Sami Vatanen.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like the Wings, the Devils have plenty of salary-cap room ($55.2 million invested in 13 players) to make a competitive bid for a top-four free-agent defenseman. However, they’re also a rebuilding team that still hasn’t decide who their full-time general manager will be.
Whoever’s sitting in that role following this season will have to be a good salesman to land one of this summer’s better UFA rearguards.
NHL Rumor Mill – May 5, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – May 5, 2020
Check out the latest Maple Leafs and Red Wings speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.
MAPLE LEAFS
SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Luke Fox was asked how much it could cost the Toronto Maple Leafs to re-sign Morgan Rielly when the defenseman’s contract expires in 2022. A good comparable is the Arizona Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s eight-year, $66-million deal. Fox also suggested paying attention to whatever Boston Bruins blueliner Torey Krug gets in the coming off-season.
How much could it cost the Toronto Maple Leafs to re-sign Morgan Rielly? (Photo via NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fox acknowledged the fallout from the pandemic could affect the salary cap by 2022, which could impact what Rielly’s next contract looks like. Then again, perhaps league revenue rebounds by that point. Given Rielly’s value to the Leafs, don’t be surprised if his agent seeks top dollar. It’s worth noting the Leafs have over $55 million invested in just seven players for 2022-23.
Asked about a suggestion in The Athletic in which the Leafs trade goaltender Frederik Andersen and sign Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray or Vegas’ Robin Lehner, Fox isn’t sold on either guy as an upgrade over Andersen. He doesn’t expect Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas to break up his current goalie tandem in the off-season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed. I expect the Leafs will return with their Andersen-Jack Campbell tandem next season. Their performances will determine their long-term futures in Toronto. Murray, by the way, is a restricted free agent. The Leafs will have to trade for him or sign him to an offer sheet.
Fox doesn’t see the Leafs acquiring another LTIR contract to free up cap space to pursue St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. However, he thinks Dubas could attempt to acquire a defenseman via trade. “Paying Ryan Kesler or Marian Hossa to not play hockey won’t help Toronto land Petro. Paying Kesler might, in theory, help Dubas acquire a Josh Manson plus a draft pick from Anaheim in exchange for Kasperi Kapanen.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas and his staff surprised observers with their wheeling and dealing last summer to free up sufficient cap space to re-sign Mitch Marner. We can’t rule out a scenario like that mentioned by Fox to bring in a defenseman, although that might not be necessary with yesterday’s signing of Mikko Lehtonen. Speaking of which…
NBC SPORTS: James O’Brien believes the addition of Lehtonen could bring some intrigue to the Leafs defense corps. On paper, his addition creates a log-jam of left-handed defensemen. O’Brien wonders if the Leafs could trade someone like Travis Dermott to balance things out on the right side.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehtonen said he’s comfortable playing either side. If he adjusts well on the right side with the Leafs, they won’t have to trade someone like Dermott for a right-handed defender.
RED WINGS
DETROIT FREE PRESS: Helene St. James examined potential free-agent options to bolster the Red Wings’ defense corps. The best of the bunch is St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo, but he’d probably prefer going somewhere more competitive if he doesn’t re-sign with the Blues. It might not be possible to lure Michigan native Torey Krug away from the Boston Bruins.
Other options include Toronto’s Tyson Barrie, Carolina’s Sami Vatanen, Tampa Bay’s Kevin Shattenkirk, and Calgary’s TJ Brodie.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly indicates the Red Wings have over $46.2 million invested in 11 players for 2020-21. A good chunk of that cap room will be invested in re-signing key players like Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha.
Provided ownership is willing to spend toward the cap ceiling, they should have enough to make a competitive offer to one of those UFAs in the offseason. Nevertheless, the rebuilding Wings might have to overpay to entice one of those blueliners to join them.
NHL Rumor Mill – May 1, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – May 1, 2020
Check out the latest speculation on Taylor Hall, Alex Pietrangelo, and Tyson Barrie in today’s NHL rumor mill.
CAN THE OILERS AFFORD TO BRING BACK HALL?
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Allan Mitchell and Jonathan Willis debate whether the Edmonton Oilers should attempt to bring back Taylor Hall via free agency in the off-season.
Can the Edmonton Oilers afford to bring back Taylor Hall? (Photo via NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Even if they wanted to bring back Hall, assuming he’s willing to return to Edmonton, they can’t afford it. As per Cap Friendly, the Oilers have over $72 million invested in 16 players for 2020-21.
Mitchell and Willis suggest trading Kris Russell, buying out James Neal, and signing Ethan Bear and Andreas Athanasiou to affordable short-term deals. In theory, that would free up enough to sign Hall to a deal worth over $8 million annually.
Trading Russell, however, isn’t a certainty. It would make sense to dump Neal if there are compliance buyouts this off-season, but everything I’ve read and heard about that of late indicates the owners are cool to that notion.
If so, the Oilers will have to use the normal buyout route. It will free up over $3.8 million in annual cap room, but also leave over $1.9 million in annual dead cap space over the next six years.
More importantly, signing Hall for over $8 million annually would see the Oilers invest nearly $30 million in long-term cap space in him, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl. Given the potential effect of the pandemic upon league revenue and the salary cap for the next several years, it’s probably not a good idea to tie up so much money in just three guys.
WILL THE AVALANCHE TARGET HALL OR PIETRANGELO?
THE DENVER POST: In a recent mailbag segment, Mike Chambers was asked about the Colorado Avalanche pursuing Taylor Hall or St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo via the off-season free-agent market. Chamber claims they aren’t interested in either player.
“The Avs will continue to build from their prospects, not free agency. They love their top-six forwards and don’t have room for another right-shot defenseman, with Connor Timmins set to come up and join Cale Makar and Erik Johnson on the right side.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chambers suggested talk of the Avs looking at Hall or Pietrangelo was based on speculation from other media types. General manager Joe Sakic reportedly expressed some interest in Hall before he was traded last December by the New Jersey Devils to the Arizona Coyotes. The Avs’ cap space for next season (over $59 million invested in 10 players) also stokes that conjecture.
However, the Avs must re-sign or replace such notables as Ryan Graves, Andre Burakovsky, Nikita Zadorov, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Valeri Nichushkin. Even if Sakic re-signs them all to affordable contracts, he probably won’t have enough to target a big-ticket UFA. He must also ensure sufficient long-term cap room to re-sign Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar next summer. If Sakic decides to add to his roster, I think it’ll be via the trade market rather than free agency.
WHERE COULD BARRIE END UP?
SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Luke Fox was asked where he thought Tyson Barrie will end up playing next season. The 28-year-old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end and isn’t expected to be re-signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s believed Barrie has some interest in going home to British Columbia, but Fox doubts he’s a fit with the Vancouver Canucks when they’ve already got an elite power-play quarterback in Quinn Hughes. He suggests “Detroit, Chicago, New Jersey, and Los Angeles make for interesting fits on paper,” but thinks Winnipeg would be a more compelling destination.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Fox pointed out, Barrie would have to be willing to play for a rebuilding club to join the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Devils, or Kings. The Jets, however, remain a playoff contender loaded with scoring forwards who could further benefit from Barrie’s offensive skills from the blueline. With Dustin Byfuglien off their books, perhaps Barrie would be an enticing, more affordable option.
NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2020
NHL Rumor Mill – April 25, 2020
More Alex Pietrangelo conjecture plus some recent Devils speculation in today’s NHL rumor mill.
THE LATEST ON PIETRANGELO
STLTODAY.COM: In his latest Q&A live chat with his readers, Jim Thomas was asked how the St. Louis Blues could free up sufficient salary-cap room to re-sign team captain Alex Pietrangelo, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. He feels the most likely scenario is trading goaltender Jake Allen and buying out the final season of veteran forward Alexander Steen’s contract.
What can the St. Louis Blues do to free up salary-cap space to re-sign Alex Pietrangelo? (Photo via NHL Images)
Thomas doesn’t consider buying out Justin Faulk as an option, in part because it would be more costly to the Blues for much longer than buying out Steen or Tyler Bozak. He also speculated the re-signing of Marco Scandella means at least two players must come off the current roster to re-sign Pietrangelo and doesn’t see Jaden Schwartz being moved in a cost-cutting deal.
If Pietrangelo wants the biggest possible deal, Thomas speculates the blueliner could move on. Despite the possibility of a flat cap next season, he feels there will be enough teams willing to pay big bucks for Pietrangelo. Thomas doubts the Toronto Maple Leafs will be among them, as they have over $76.9 million invested in next season’s cap payroll.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo wants to stay in St. Louis and the Blues want to keep him, but he also wants to be paid what he considers fair market value. Reports throughout this season suggest that’s over $9 million annually.
If he’s unwilling to come down from that or the Blues can’t free up sufficient cap room, he’ll be playing elsewhere next season. Unless the Leafs shed a considerable amount of salary, he won’t be coming to Toronto.
DEVILS
NORTHJERSEY.COM: Abbey Mastracco believes the New Jersey Devils could attempt to bring in a short-term veteran winger or two to bridge the gap until those in their farm system are ready to join the roster.
THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): In a recent mailbag segment, Corey Masisak suggested the Devils could attempt to add an impact defenseman in the off-season. He thinks they’ll try to do that via the trade route, like the New York Rangers last summer when they acquired Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets. If they shop one of their first-round picks, Masisak felt it could be for that impact blueliner or a first-line winger.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs are two cap-strapped clubs the Devils could target in the trade market. The Lightning might be forced to part with winger Alex Killorn or Ondrej Palat to re-sign Mikhail Sergachev. Leafs wingers Kaspari Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson could be available, but Toronto would have to include something else if they want the Devils’ third first-rounder.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Killorn and Palat have no-trade protection and probably won’t waive it to join a rebuilding club. Kapanen and Johnsson lack such protection and would be more viable trade options.