NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2024
NHL Rumor Mill – April 17, 2024
What could the offseason hold for the Penguins and Sabres? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE PENGUINS?
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel listed nine pressing issues the Penguins must face after missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
Vensel doesn’t see head coach Mike Sullivan losing his job, especially as his most recent contract extension doesn’t begin until next season. However, his staff could undergo some changes, especially given the club’s struggles on the power play this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: ESPN.com’s Kristen Shilton believes the Penguins could consider a coaching change. Just because a coach has a contract extension doesn’t mean he can’t be replaced. Just ask Don Granato, the former bench boss of the Buffalo Sabres.
Team captain Sidney Crosby is expected to sign a contract extension, perhaps a two-year, team-friendly deal. Core players such as Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust aren’t going anywhere. Neither is Erik Karlsson, whose contract could prove unmovable even if management wanted to move him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has repeatedly said he wants to finish his career with the Penguins. It’s expected he’ll sign a two or three-year extension with an average annual value of $10 million.
Malkin, Letang, Rust and Karlsson have full no-trade protection. There were some idle musings among some pundits suggesting Karlsson might welcome a return to the Ottawa Senators but he quickly slapped down that notion last month.
Vensel doesn’t rule out Jake Guentzel returning to the Penguins as a free agent this summer. However, his smashing success with the Carolina Hurricanes could see him approach the UFA market with an open mind. The Penguins would have to shed some salary to bring him back.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas wanted to keep Guentzel he would’ve re-signed him instead of shipping him to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline. He’s not coming back.
Trade candidates include wingers Reilly Smith, Rickard Rakell, Lars Eller and Noel Acciari. Vensel doesn’t see anyone touching Ryan Graves’ contract this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Smith will draw the most interest in this summer’s trade market. It’s doubtful they’ll find many suitors for Rakell. His stats tumbled this season and he has four years left on his contract with an AAV of $5 million.
Vensel also wondered about goaltender Tristan Jarry’s future in Pittsburgh after Sullivan turned to backup Alex Nedeljkovic down the stretch.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another Penguin who had an inconsistent performance with lots of years remaining on a contract with a cap hit over $5 million. Good luck moving him.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE SABRES?
BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Jason Moser reports Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams will seek an experienced NHL coach to replace Don Granato, who was fired as their head coach on Tuesday.
Moser noted there are plenty of candidates available. They include Craig Berube, Todd McLellan, Jay Woodcroft, Dean Evason, D.J. Smith, Lane Lambert, Bruce Boudreau, Gerard Gallant and former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube could be the most sought-after coach, having guided the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019.
WGR 550: Howard Simon believes the Sabres also need to bolster their offense after their production declined this season as more emphasis was placed on improving their defensive play. They traded away center Casey Mittelstadt in March and brought in defenseman Bowen Byram.
Simon doesn’t see that offensive help coming via this summer’s free-agent market. He believes Adams must draw on his deep pool of young talent on his current roster and in his farm system along with draft picks to find more NHL scoring.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I concur with Simon. The Sabres defense is better and deeper now and their goaltending stabilized as this season went on. Adding an experienced scorer with leadership abilities could provide the boost they were missing this season.