NHL Rumor Mill – April 4, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 4, 2024

The latest on Sam Reinhart and some suggested offseason trade targets for the Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

REINHART UNCONCERNS AS FREE AGENCY LOOMS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Sam Reinhart isn’t concerned about his lack of a contract extension with the Florida Panthers

The 28-year-old winger is completing a three-year deal with an average annual value of $6.5 million. He’s enjoyed a career season in his contract year with 52 goals and a team-leading 87 points. 

Reinhart said the lack of a new contract isn’t an issue. He claimed he has a positive relationship with the club and general manager Bill Zito. Reinhart insisted he’s “very comfortable” with the ongoing situation as he’s focused on the end of this season and the upcoming playoffs. 

I’ve got all the confidence it’s going to work out,” said Reinhart. “I’m very comfortable with where it is.” 

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

Zito told LeBrun that he believes the two sides will get a deal done and praised Reinhart’s performance this season. “Sometimes the contracts take time. That’s not necessarily a bad thing”, he said. “I believe we will find the right contract for Sam and the Panthers.” 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart will be the top player in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent class. He will draw plenty of interest if he hits the open market on July 1. 

Reinhart and Zito seem keen to get a contract extension done. The more he scores the more expensive he’ll be to re-sign. Still, he’s in a good situation with the Panthers, a club that has gained respectability by becoming one of the top 10 teams in the league. 

The Panthers have a projected cap space of over $20 million for 2024-25 with 13 active roster players under contract. They must also re-sign restricted free agent Anton Lundell while key defenseman Brandon Montour is UFA-eligible on July 1. 

It’ll be interesting to see how this situation shakes out. There was speculation earlier this season of Reinhart getting $8.5 million per season on his next contract. His 52-goal season raises his asking price. He’ll get over $10 million annually on the free-agent market. With Florida lacking a state tax, he might accept just under $9.5 million per season to stay with the Panthers. 

SUGGESTED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE CANADIENS

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Marco D’Amico proposed three trade options for the Canadiens in their offseason pursuit of a young scoring forward. He noted they have “an overabundance of defensemen, some cap space and a haul of draft picks over the next two drafts” to draw on for trade bait. 

Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras tops D’Amico’s list, believing the 23-year-old winger could be traded this summer. Following a difficult third season with the Ducks, a change in scenery might be in order for Zegras. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: D’Amico observed that the Canadiens have been confirmed to be monitoring Zegras. He also noted that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has refused to entertain a trade. Nevertheless, he believes that the winger could be in play this summer. 

Verbeek could listen to offers for Zegras this summer but he’ll be an expensive acquisition. The Ducks GM could insist on the Canadiens’ 2024 first-rounder and top prospect Lane Hutson being part of the deal. 

Zegras is signed for two more seasons. The Ducks aren’t facing any pressure to trade him. Verbeek can set a high asking price and wait to see if someone will meet it. He won’t have any problem with a healthy and motivated Zegras as part of his roster for next season. 

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas could become available this summer. The Hurricanes have several key players eligible for UFA and RFA status this summer with Necas in the latter category. They’re unlikely to sign them all. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas could become a trade candidate if the Hurricanes attempt to retain pending UFAs like Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. He won’t be as expensive to acquire as Zegras but it could cost the Habs a first-rounder or one of their promising defense prospects as part of the return. 

Necas is also close to UFA eligibility. The Canadiens will want to ensure they can sign him to an extension before making this deal. 

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson is the least proven on D’Amico’s list but has plenty of potential. The Jackets already have a plethora of young talent coming in and another top-five pick likely this season. 

D’Amico noted that an argument could be made to pursue Patrik Laine given his poor 2023-24 season. However, his $8.7 million cap hit and the baggage that has followed him would make him an expensive risk. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnson had a 40-point rookie season in 2022-23 but struggled with consistency before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in February. He could rebound well playing for Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. However, Johnson seems the least likely target for the Habs. GM Kent Hughes will likely prefer an established scorer in their mid-twenties.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2024

The relationship between Evander Kane and the Oilers hits a rough patch, re-signing Sam Reinhart is getting expensive for the Panthers, and the latest on the Devils in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HAS EVANDER KANE WORN OUT HIS WELCOME IN EDMONTON?

OILERS NATION: Michael Mazzei believes the relationship between Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers has hit a rough patch. The 32-year-old winger started the season strong but has just 15 points in his last 36 games and no goals in his last 18 contests.

Kane voiced displeasure over his reduced ice time and was a healthy scratch in a recent game with the Ottawa Senators. Mazzei cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggesting there’s a disconnect between Kane and the Oilers’ front office over the state of things.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli thinks Kane’s act is wearing thin in Edmonton, suggesting it may be something the Oilers end up having to address before his contract is up in two years. He added that there’s nothing imminent in terms of the club trying to move off his contract.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the Oilers will need Kane to ratchet up his game when the playoffs start next month. If not, he speculates they might approach the winger in the offseason to see if it makes sense to move him elsewhere.

Proteau points out that Kane carries an average annual value of $5.125 million. He also carries a full no-movement clause to the end of next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane could still be feeling the aftereffects of that horrific wrist injury he suffered last season. However, he seemed to return to form during the first half of this season.

Unless Kane’s battling an undisclosed injury, he must step up over the remainder of this season and the playoffs. As Proteau points out, they’re not getting their money’s worth from him lately.

Kane’s history of wearing out his welcome with the Jets, Sabres and Sharks will make it difficult for the Oilers to move his contract this summer if he’s open to another trade.

REINHART GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE PANTHERS TO RE-SIGN

TSN: In Tuesday’s edition of “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger speculated Sam Reinhart’s career season could make it difficult for the Florida Panthers to sign him to a new contract.

Reinhart is completing a three-year contract with an AAV of $6.5 million. The 28-year-old winger can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He recently reached the 50-goal plateau (51) this season for the first time and also reached a career-high in points with 85 and counting.

Dreger said negotiations haven’t started yet but there is good dialogue between them. He believes it will be expensive fro the Panthers to re-sign Reinhart, pointing to what William Nylander got from the Toronto Maple Leafs (eight years, $92 million) and Elias Pettersson recently signed with the Vancouver Canucks (eight years. $92.8 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dreger believes the Panthers will take a run at signing Reinhart. However, he wondered how many big-number contracts they could comfortably afford.

The Panthers already have Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky with AAVs of $10 million, Matthew Tkachuk at $9.5 million (and doesn’t that look like a steal now) and Aaron Ekblad earning $7.5 million annually through 2024-25.

Reinhart might be willing to leave some money on the table to stay in Florida. However, I now doubt he’ll accept less than Tkachuk’s $9.5 million.

LATEST ON THE DEVILS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated which areas of his roster he hopes to build up for next season.

Finding a starting goaltender remains his priority. He attempted to acquire Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames and inquired into the availability of Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros.

Asked if Flames GM Craig Conroy should expect to hear from him again this summer, Fitzgerald replied with a chuckle, “Not just Craig.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fitzgerald said following the March 8 trade deadline he’ll be going “big-game hunting” for a goaltender in this summer’s trade market. He acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens but sees Allen sharing the net in a 1A, 1B system.

Besides Markstrom and Saros, Fitzgerald could also target Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins or John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks.

Fitzgerald will also look for a full-time head coach after firing Lindy Ruff on March 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During Thursday’s “Insider Trading”, LeBrun said interim coach Travis Green is a serious candidate to take over the role full-time. However, he thinks Fitzgerald will probably still consider other candidates.

The Devils GM is happy with the amount of skill on his roster. However, he’d like to add more physicality on the wing.

They lost Miles Wood last summer to free agency. Earlier this year, they lost Michael McLeod after he was among five players charged with sexual assault in London, Ontario stemming from an alleged incident when they were members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart reach the 50-goal plateau, Nathan MacKinnon sets an Avalanche scoring record and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin reaches another goal-scoring milestone. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jakob Chychrun scored twice while Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists each for the 30-36-4 Senators. Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the Oilers (42-23-4), who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is the seventh player in Oilers’ history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of 50-goal seasons, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored twice to reach that milestone as his club downed the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Brandon Montour picked up three assists for the Panthers (46-20-5) as they snapped a four-game losing skid to sit third in the overall standings with 97 points. Bobby Brink scored for the 36-27-9 Flyers, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart joins Pavel Bure as the only two players in Panthers history with 50-goal seasons. He and Hyman are eight goals behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the race for the Richard Trophy.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as his Colorado Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonathan Drouin scored twice, including the winner in overtime as the Avalanche improved to 46-20-5 to hold first place in the Central Division (97 points) and move into fourth in the overall standings. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists for the 30-30-10 Penguins, who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to set the Avalanche single-season points record (122). He needs 18 points to break Peter Stastny’s all-time franchise record of 139 points. The Avalanche center sits one point behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. MacKinnon also extended his home points streak to 34 games and his overall points streak to 18 games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals as his club blanked the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 27-save shutout for the Capitals (35-26-9) as they moved one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points. The Jets (44-22-5)have lost three straight and remain in third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin eclipsed the 25-goal plateau to join Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr as the only players in NHL history to accomplish that feat 18 times. Speaking of the Capitals, they honored winger T.J. Oshie in a pregame ceremony for recently reaching the 1,000 career regular-season game plateau.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 32-save performance from Frederik Andersen in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei scored for the 45-20-7 Hurricanes (97 points) as they sit one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers and one point behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Joseph Woll kicked out 41 shots for the Leafs (40-21-9) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

Dallas Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists each to double up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Miro Heiskanen snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period and Joel Oettinger made 26 saves for the Stars (44-19-6) as they hold second place in the Central Division with 97 points and sixth place in the overall standings. Clayton Keller tallied his 30th goal of the season for the 29-37-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season that Keller has reached the 30-goal plateau.

An overtime goal by Anthony Cirelli lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Duclair and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning (39-25-7) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 85 points. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the 24-43-4 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning were without defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point as they’re day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Duclair has fit in well with the Lightning since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline. He has five goals and nine points in his seven games with the Bolts.

The New Jersey Devils got a 36-save shutout from Kaapo Kahkonen to defeat the New York Islanders 4-0. Timo Meier and Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist each as the Devils improved to 35-33-4 (74 points) to sit five points behind the Capitals for that final Eastern wildcard. Islanders captain Anders Lee was ejected in the second period for a knee-on-knee hit to Devils captain Nico Hischier, who left the game but returned for the third period. The 30-26-15 Isles (75 points) are four points back of the Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for the 34-33-5 Sabres. Jonathan Huberdeau replied for the 33-32-5 Flames.

The Montreal Canadiens erupted for four first-period goals as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-6-2). Alex Newhook scored twice and Kaiden Guhle had a goal and two assists for the 26-32-12 Canadiens. Jordan Eberle scored for the 28-29-13 Kraken.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 17, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 17, 2024

A look at some of the notable players in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market and more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

REINHART, GUENTZEL, STAMKOS AMONG THIS SUMMER’S NOTABLE UFA CLASS

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox recently listed the latest rumors and reports regarding the top players in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart tops this list. He is due for a significant raise over his average annual value of $6.5 million. With the 28-year-old Reinhart poised to score 50 goals this season, the Panthers intend to take a serious run at extending his contract.

The lack of a state tax gives the Panthers a chance at re-signing Reinhart if he accepts a little less than teammates Aleksander Barkov ($10 million) and Matthew Tkachuk ($9.5 million). He’ll draw lots of interest if he goes to market but he “absolutely” wants to stay put.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think the two sides will get it done. Discussions have reportedly been ongoing between the Panthers and the Reinhart camp. I can see him getting $8.5 million annually on a long-term deal.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel will be in high demand if he tests the market on July 1. Fox suggested Patrik Laine’s contract ($8.7 million AAV) would be a suitable comparable for the 29-year-old Guentzel with the Hurricanes or another team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes could re-sign Guentzel if he becomes a good fit and wants to stay. With a projected $30.7 million in cap space for next season and 13 roster players under contract, there’s room to keep him. That could mean letting Teuvo Teravainen depart via free agency or trading restricted free-agent winger Martin Necas.

Elias Lindholm’s low production since joining the Vancouver Canucks and their recent re-signing of Elias Pettersson suggests Lindholm is a pure rental player this season. Fox noted that the 28-year-old two-way center’s stock is in decline but a strong performance in the postseason should bolster his value.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm was linked to the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers before the Canucks acquired him from the Calgary Flames. He’s seeing third-line center duty in Vancouver right now but there could be teams willing to bet that his performance will rebound in a top-six role.

The Vegas Golden Knights have several high-profile UFAs and can’t afford to keep them all. However, there’s mutual interest between Vegas management and defenseman Noah Hanifin regarding an extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could mean bidding farewell to 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault. There haven’t been any contract talks between management and the 33-year-old winger.

Speaking of Marchessault, he said that the value of his next contract is motivating his performance this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchessault is making an AAV of $5 million as he finishes a six-year contract. Given his age, he likely won’t get any offers over four years but he could seek around $7 million annually on a three or four-year deal. He seems destined to hit the open market.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos raised eyebrows last September when he voiced his disappointment over the lack of contract extension talks last summer. He might have to accept a pay cut if he hopes to finish his career with the only team he’s played for in his 16-year NHL career. The Lightning have over $75 million invested in next season’s payroll.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 34-year-old Bolts captain is earning an AAV of $8.5 million, considered below market value when he signed his current deal in 2016. He could accept another pay cut but could draw the line at anything under $6 million annually.

Matt Duchene has improved his stock this season with the Dallas Stars. The 33-year-old center could have more suitors this time around.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duchene was bought out by the Nashville Predators last summer as a cost-cutting measure after his production dropped from 86 points in 2022-23 to 56 points last season. Signed to a one-year, $3 million contract by the Stars, he has 58 points in 67 games. He’ll be receiving buyout payments for the next five seasons so perhaps he’d be willing to sign a three-year deal with the Stars for around $4 million annually.

Defenseman Brett Pesce could price himself away from the Carolina Hurricanes, who have several other players on expiring contracts. Fox believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could be among the suitors if the 29-year-old Pesce goes to market on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pesce’s current AAV is $4.025 million. It could cost the Leafs (or anyone else) over $6 million annually to sign him.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 2, 2024

The four All-Star Game rosters are set, the three stars and rookie of the month for January are revealed, the latest on Sam Reinhart’s contract situation and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The four teams are set for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game following the player draft by team captains Auston Matthews and singer Justin Bieber, Nathan MacKinnon and singer Tate McRae, Jack and Quinn Hughes with singer Michael Buble, and Connor McDavid with actor Will Arnett.

Among the notable picks:

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

The hometown Toronto Maple Leafs all-stars will be playing on Team Matthews as he and assistant captain Morgan Rielly used their first two picks to select William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

Team Hughes used the first overall pick to select Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league in scoring with 85 points.

Team MacKinnon chose Pittsburgh Penguins captain (and MacKinnon’s fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia native) Sidney Crosby with their first pick.

Team McDavid selected Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand was the last pick of the draft as he joined Team MacKinnon. Well, he wasn’t chosen by that team. Each of the final four players – Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano (Team Hughes), New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck (Team Matthews), San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl (Team McDavid) and Bjorkstrand – were assigned to their respective teams.

NHL.COM: Speaking of MacKinnon, he’s the league’s first star for January 2024. Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner is the second star with Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson the third star.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber was named the Rookie of the Month for January 2024.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said his contract talks with the club are going well and he has no problem with the process taking more time. “I’ve got no issues with them being ongoing. They certainly don’t either,” said Reinhart, going on to say the main focus of both sides right now is winning the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Both sides have expressed a willingness to get a deal done stretching back to last fall.

Reinhart has already set a career high this season with 37 goals and with 62 points is on pace to exceed his career-best of 80 points. He’s due for a big raise on his next contract. The 28-year-old is earning an average annual value of $6.5 million and could earn between $9 million and $10 million annually on his next deal.

With over $28 million in projected cap space for 2024-25, the Panthers can afford to re-sign Reinhart. It will put a big dent into their remaining cap space and could complicate efforts to re-sign pending UFA defensemen Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling as well as restricted free agent Anton Lundell.

THE TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs great Dave Keon believes current Leafs stars Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander will probably reach the top of the list among the club’s all-time scoring leaders. “And unless they win a Cup, that will be their legacy,” he said.

What is the object of this exercise? At the start of the year when you gather in training camp, the object of the exercise is to win the Stanley Cup,” said Keon. “If you have all of these players putting up great numbers and you’ve won one playoff series in eight or nine years, and you haven’t even played for the Stanley Cup, then you have to take a look in the mirror.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Keon is speaking some harsh truth here. One of the greatest two-way forwards in NHL history, he won four Stanley Cups in six seasons with the Leafs between 1961-62 and 1966-67 and won the 1967 Conn Smythe Trophy.

Yes, the league and the game have changed since Keon’s heyday 60 years ago. Matthews, Marner and Nylander aren’t to blame for their club’s inability to build up a solid supporting cast around them. Nevertheless, they’re the foundation on which the club’s success depends. So far, they’ve struggled to meet those postseason expectations.

CALGARY SUN: Elias Lindholm posted a heartfelt message on his Instagram account to Flames fans following his trade to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. “Thank you Calgary and thank you C of Red for these five and a half years,” he wrote.

It’s been truly amazing to represent this organization and play in front of you all. You guys have been nothing but incredible to me and my family. We’re so grateful for our time in Calgary and it will always have a special place in our hearts. All the best, it’s been an honor.”

TSN: The sexual assault case involving five players from Canada’s 2018 World Junior team will be before a court in London, Ontario starting on Monday.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube, New Jersey Devils forward Michael McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote and unsigned Ottawa Senators winger Alex Formenton (who played in Switzerland this season) are each charged with one count of sexual assault. The five are on indefinite leaves of absence from their teams.

McLeod also faces an additional charge of sexual assault for “being a party to the offence.” The alleged incident occurred in London on June 19, 2018, following a Hockey Canada event.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 9, 2024

The fallout from the Leafs re-signing William Nylander, an update on Oilers goalie Jack Campbell, and the latest on the Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

FALLOUT FROM THE NYLANDER SIGNING

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the work has just begun for Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving after signing William Nylander yesterday to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension.

On July 1, captain John Tavares and winger Mitch Marner will be eligible to sign contract extensions as they’ll both be in the final season of their current deals. Marner’s next contract will probably cost between $11.5 million annually and $13.25 million.

Treliving could also consider tweaking his roster by the March 8 trade deadline. Bolstering the defense remains a priority. He could also look at adding a depth forward.

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran also noted that T.J. Brodie, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Meanwhile, goaltender Ilya Samsonov continues to work on improving his game with the AHL Marlies.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski speculates Nylander’s new contract could come up in contract negotiations between the Vancouver Canucks and Elias Pettersson. The difference, however, is Nylander was slated to become a UFA on July 1 whereas Pettersson is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel could also benefit from Nylander’s new deal. They’re a little older but could make the case for seeking over $10 million annually on their new contracts.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will likely cost the Leafs more than Nylander’s $11.5 million and less than Auston Matthew’s $13.25 million AAV to get Marner under contract. He could come in between $12 million and $12.5 million on a long-term deal.

Tavares is playing well but the 33-year-old Leafs captain will have to accept a pay cut from his current $11 million AAV to stay in Toronto. How much of a cut will determine whether he has a future with the Leafs beyond July 1, 2025. It’ll have to go at least below $10 million for sure.

The Leafs can afford to re-sign Brodie, Bertuzzi and Domi but they won’t overpay to do so. It won’t be surprising if at least one of them ends up hitting the open market on July 1.

Pettersson is two years younger than Nylander and keeping pace with the Leafs winger in points. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up with a similar contract given his value to the surging Canucks.

Reinhart and Guentzel could get over $10 million annually on their next contracts with the salary cap rising by $4.2 million for 2024-25. Whether they get them from their current clubs remains to be seen.

WILL THE OILERS TRY TO MOVE CAMPBELL?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland intends to see if Jack Campbell can bounce back though there’s no real sign of it yet.

I’ll watch Jack Campbell, I’ll work the phones, I’ll watch our team and ultimately between now and the trade deadline, make some decisions with our staff as to what we think we need to do,” said Holland.

LeBrun speculates the Oilers GM could attempt to add a veteran goalie to be a 1B with Stuart Skinner or a more traditional backup. He thinks a goalie trade is possible but doesn’t see a likely scenario where they can move Campbell’s contract before the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun thinks it could cost the Oilers two first-round picks to convince a club to take on the remaining three years of Campbell’s contract. Unless the Oilers are willing to retain up to half of his $5 million average annual value, I don’t see him going anywhere by deadline day.

LATEST ON THE SENATORS

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan believes roster changes are inevitable for the struggling Ottawa Senators. With their playoff hopes fading away, management must decide who stays and who goes.

Scanlan wonders what effect the years of losing could have on defenseman Thomas Chabot and team captain Brady Tkachuk. He wondered if the new front office is as devout to sticking with the mantra of building with youth as their predecessors.

General manager Steve Staios has publicly said he wants to add a veteran or two. However, there is a theory that he could also attempt to shake things up by moving one or two of the young core players.

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes believes all eyes will be on Senators forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. Both are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Mendes also noted that Thomas Chabot’s no-trade clause kicks in on July 1. While it seems doubtful the Senators would trade their best defenseman, the new regime in charge isn’t beholden to anyone on this roster as they didn’t acquire any of them.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Staios is trying to juggle salary-cap space to make room for center Shane Pinto once he’s finished serving his 41-game suspension later this month. He’ll have to demote someone or make a cost-cutting trade.

Garrioch also reports Staios will find it difficult to add one or two veteran players at this time. Teams that have good character players prefer to keep them and those that are available come with a high asking price. A league executive also said those players prefer going to a playoff contender rather than Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch indicated Staios and his front office team aren’t ready to move core players like Chabot, Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson. We won’t see any of those guys being peddled by the trade deadline.

Nevertheless, Scanlan makes a good point about the effect that years of losing could have on some of those players, especially guys like Chabot and Tkachuk who’ve been there the longest. Perhaps one or two of them grow weary of this situation and request a trade in the offseason.

For now, Tarasenko and Kubalik appear to be the only notable Senators certain to be on the move by the deadline. We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.