NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2023

by | May 15, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 15, 2023

What next for the Oilers after their postseason elimination? Which clubs might become trade destinations for Connor Hellebuyck? Who could the Avalanche target for their second-line center position? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE OILERS?

ESPN.COM: Ryan S. Clark looked at the Edmonton Oilers’ offseason priorities now that they’re eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

They have less than $3 million in salary-cap space with defenseman Evan Bouchard due for a new contract. He became a top-pairing option skating alongside trade-deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm and quarterbacked the league’s top power play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Edmonton media is still doing their playoff postmortems so there hasn’t been much from them yet regarding the Oilers’ potential offseason plans. I daresay we’ll be hearing more about that in the coming days.

Bouchard came to life when paired with Ekholm. He’s coming off his entry-level contract so Oilers general manager Ken Holland could use his leverage to force the young defenseman into accepting an affordable short-term bridge deal with the promise of a bigger pay raise down the road. That’ll depend, of course, on how much salary Holland can free up this summer.

Forwards Klim Kostin and Ryan McLeod are also slated to become restricted free agents this summer. Meanwhile, trade deadline pickups Nick Bjugstad, Mattias Janmark and Derek Ryan are slated to become unrestricted free agents.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kostin and McLeod should be affordable re-signings. However, they also have arbitration rights which could complicate things. Bjugstad, Janmark and Ryan shouldn’t be expensive to retain but there isn’t sufficient cap space to keep them all unless they accept pay cuts. Maybe one of them gets re-signed while the others hit the open market.

The Oilers’ cap space has occasionally surfaced in the rumor mill as pundits speculated over which players could become cost-cutting candidates. Kailer Yamamoto ($3.1 million through next season), Warren Foegele ($2.75 million), Cody Ceci ($3.25 million through 2024-25) and Brett Kulak ($2.75 million through 2025-26) have come up as trade options. We could find out in the next several weeks whether any of them hit the trade block.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

SUGGESTED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR HELLEBUYCK

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks speculated that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will likely be available this summer. The soon-to-be 30-year-old netminder is a year away from UFA status and unlikely to sign an extension after seven seasons with the Jets.

There could be a bidding war for Hellebuyck. He thinks the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings could be interested.

Brooks believes the New Jersey Devils’ priority should be acquiring a franchise goalie such as Hellebuyck. He proposed offering up winger Jesper Bratt in a package that also draws on depth within their system.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils can absorb Hellebuyck’s $6.1 million salary for next season and still have plenty of cap space to re-sign Timo Meier to a hefty raise, especially if they follow Brooks’ advice and peddle Bratt.

Hellebuyck lacks no-trade protection so there’s no problem for the Jets to send him to New Jersey if they get a tempting offer from the Devils. However, the question then becomes whether he wants to stick around beyond next season or test the market where he’s sure to get a lucrative long-term deal worth far more than his current contract.

Bratt as the centerpiece of a package offer could interest the Jets. However, he’s also a restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off back-to-back 73-point performances with the Devils. The 24-year-old winger is also a year away from UFA eligibility and will seek a big raise over the $5.45 million he earned this summer. That could prove too much of a headache for the Jets to take on.

SOME PROPOSED SECOND-LINE CENTER TARGETS FOR THE AVALANCHE

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: In a recent mailbag segment, Evan Rawal was asked if he sees any potential trade targets that might work to solve the Avalanche’s second-line center issue.

Rawal mentioned Philadelphia’s Kevin Hayes, Calgary’s Elias Lindholm, Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov, Arizona’s Nick Schmaltz, Winnipeg’s Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mark Scheifele, Anaheim’s Adam Henrique and Columbus’ Jack Roslovic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rawal looked at the pros and cons of each center. I’ll just throw in my two cents here.

Hayes and Kuznetsov carry average annual values exceeding $7 million. Unless their clubs are willing to retain some salary, they won’t fit for the cap-strapped Avalanche. Scheifele at $6.125 million for next season is also a tight squeeze.

Schmaltz ($5.85 million) is younger and more affordable but his injury history is a red flag. Dubois, meanwhile is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer. He’ll probably become too expensive for the Avs in both return and salary.

Henrique ($5.85 million) is 33 and his best seasons are behind him. Roslovic, 26, carries an affordable $4 million but his production is inconsistent and there are concerns over his defensive game.

Lindholm ($4.8 million) could be the best fit cap-wise if he’s available. However, that could change depending on who the Flames hire as their new general manager and head coach.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2023

by | May 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2023

The Wild could be parting ways with some notable players, an update on the Coyotes’ Nick Schmaltz and a look at the Flyers’ plans for the free-agent market in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILD FACE TOUGH DECISIONS REGARDING SEVERAL PLAYERS

TWINCITIES.COM: Dane Mizutani believes the Minnesota Wild’s upcoming salary-cap crunch for next season means they may have to part ways with five players this summer. Matt Dumba, Gustav Nyquist, Ryan Reaves, Oskar Sundqvist and John Klingberg are unrestricted free agents but the Wild might not be able to re-sign them all.

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith, Michael Russo and Shayna Goldman looked at which players the Wild could re-sign and those they might part ways with. They also believe Dumba, Nyquist, Sundqvist and Klingberg won’t be back. They noted there’s mutual interest from the Wild and Reaves in his return but the Wild must be careful not to overpay.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba (NHL Images)

They also speculate that defensemen Alex Goligoski and Calen Addison could become cost-cutting trade candidates. Goligoski was a frequent healthy scratch and might be willing to waive his no-movement clause to get traded somewhere he can play. It would free up $2 million for next season.

Addison was scratched after the Wild acquired Klingberg down the stretch and the playoffs. There’s a feeling they could be open to trading their top defense prospect following his inconsistent performance this season.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has said he’s not interested in moving on and is happy to finish the final season of his contract backing up Filip Gustavsson if need be. However, Smith, Russo and Goldman wondered if Fleury might change his mind if the Wild got an offer for him that he might find attractive.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dumba would love to remain with the Wild but both sides understand that’s not an option because of cap constraints. Reaves is 36 and knows his next contract is his last but he might have to accept a pay cut whether he signs with the Wild or another club.

Goligoski has only a year remaining on his contract with an affordable cap hit but he’s now 37 and his best years are behind him. There might not be much interest in him around the league unless the Wild includes a sweetener in the deal. His no-movement clause could complicate things.

Addison, on the other hand, could have value in the trade market. Despite his struggles this season, the 23-year-old blueliner still had 29 points in 63 games. He’s a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and would be an affordable signing for any club interested in acquiring him. Given the Wild’s cap crunch, they could seek a draft pick or prospect in return.

As for Fleury, he made it quite clear in his end-of-season interview that he’s tired of moving and will honor the final year of his contract with the Wild. He will finish next season in Minnesota.

WILL THE COYOTES TRADE SCHMALTZ?

GOPHNX.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan was asked if Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz could become a trade candidate this offseason.

He believes so, noting that Schmaltz’s trade value will never be greater than it is now. The 27-year-old center is unlikely to be a major piece of the puzzle when the Coyotes emerge from their rebuild. However, they’ll have to consider the effect moving him would have upon linemate Clayton Keller as the two had terrific on-ice chemistry.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schmaltz has three seasons remaining on his contract with a reasonable average annual value of $5.85 million. If the Coyotes shop him the ideal time is before July 1 when his 10-team no-trade clause kicks in.

When healthy, Schmaltz is a productive center who tallied a career-best 59 points last season and 58 points this season, each in 63 games. His injury history is a concern but he reportedly garnered interest from some playoff contenders leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

NO BIG FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS EXPECTED FOR THE FLYERS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Charlie O’Connor was asked if the Philadelphia Flyers would attempt to sign a top-line forward or defenseman via free agency.

O’Connor replied that we shouldn’t hold our breath. Interim general manager Daniel Briere and head coach John Tortorella made it clear that the goal for next season is to get younger, not to go spending in the free-agent market. If the Flyers do make forays into the UFA market, O’Connor believes it’ll be to bring in supporting players on short-term contracts.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2023

by | Apr 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 19, 2023

What moves should the Blues and Coyotes make this offseason? Is this Matt Dumba’s final season with the Wild? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT SHOULD THE BLUES DO THIS OFFSEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford recently made some suggestions regarding offseason moves for the St. Louis Blues.

One was trading Torey Krug or Nick Leddy if there’s any interest in them this summer provided they’re willing to waive their no-trade clauses. It would help the cap-strapped Blues and allow younger defensemen more playing time during the club’s roster retooling.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given their ages (32) and contract terms, that could be easier said than done. The oft-injured Krug carries an average annual value of $6.5 million through 2026-27 while Leddy’s is $4 million through 2025-26.

Leddy seems the easiest to move but that depends on whether there’s a market for him and if he’ll agree to be traded.

Colton Parayko popped up in trade rumors this season but nothing materialized. It seems unlikely that the Blues will move him because they’d need to find a suitable replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Parayko also has a full no-trade clause. It was rumored that he’d only waive it for the Edmonton Oilers as his hometown is St. Albert, Alberta. If so, forget about moving him anytime soon.

Rutherford also suggested a contract buyout for Marco Scandella if they fail to move Krug or Leddy. He has one season left on his contract worth $3.275 million. A buyout would save them $2 million for 2023-24 and $1 million the following season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could be their best option if they can’t move Krug or Leddy or find a trade partner for Scandella.

WHAT WILL THE COYOTES DO THIS SUMMER?

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan recently looked at several questions facing the Arizona Coyotes this summer.

One of them was what this year’s draft will provide the Coyotes. They have 12 picks in this year’s draft, including two first-rounders, four in the third round, and two in each of rounds five and six. They also have a total of 47 picks over the next four drafts.

Morgan doesn’t expect they’ll trade either of this year’s first-rounders. However, they do have the pieces with their other picks to trade for a young prospect or existing NHL player.

There’s also the possibility of a trade on the draft floor. Morgan noted that Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz drew plenty of interest leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes could be a team to monitor as the opening day of the draft (June 28) approaches. General manager Bill Armstrong could look at packaging some of those picks (other than his 2023 first-rounders) for a young player who can help accelerate their rebuild.

Morgan speculated that Schmaltz might fetch them another first-rounder. It’s not a far-fetched suggestion given how often his name surfaced in the rumor mill before the trade deadline.

IS DUMBA’S TENURE WITH THE WILD DRAWING TO A CLOSE?

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Sarah McLellan reports this year’s playoffs could be the final leg of Matt Dumba’s 10 seasons with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With the Wild facing a salary-cap crunch this summer, he’s unlikely to be re-signed.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is probably Dumba’s final season with the Wild. His name frequently surfaced in trade rumors in the weeks leading up to the March 3 deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 25, 2023

by | Mar 25, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 25, 2023

Could Coyotes such as Clayton Keller or Nick Schmaltz follow Jakob Chychrun out of Arizona? How will the Red Wings fix their imbalanced blueline? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD MORE COYOTES REQUEST TRADES?

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan recently examined the Arizona Coyotes’ offseason plans. He wondered how many of their core players will want to spend their prime playing years with the rebuilding club.

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller (NHL Images).

That frustration drove Jakob Chychrun to request a trade, prompting Morgan to ponder if others such as Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse might do the same if the club “follows the same lather, rinse and repeat formula for the next two seasons”.

If the Coyotes stick to that program, Morgan wondered why they would keep a player such as Nick Schmaltz around. The 27-year-old forward won’t be in his prime when the rebuild is over, his trade value has never been higher and his salary significantly increases over the next three seasons.

Morgan mused over whether the Coyotes could get more assets by peddling Schmaltz and 26-year-old goaltender Karel Vejmelka. He also wondered if doing so would upset their other core players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be up to Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong and head coach Andre Tourigny to sell their younger stars like Keller on their program and keep them motivated to be part of it. If those guys lose faith over the next couple of years they could follow Chychrun’s example and ask to be traded.

Schmaltz and Vejmelka are in a different situation given their ages and where they could fit within their rebuild. That would explain why their names surfaced in the rumor mill leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. Armstrong could shop one or both this summer but, as Morgan observed, it comes with the risk of upsetting those younger core players.

I think it’s more likely Schmaltz and Vejmelka get traded than Keller and Crouse. That doesn’t mean that I believe Armstrong is going to trade those two older players this summer. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if they pop up in the trade speculation leading up to the NHL Draft on June 28-29.

HOW WILL THE RED WINGS ADDRESS ITS IMBALANCE BLUELINE?

THE ATHLETIC: Max Bultman wondered how the Detroit Red Wings intend to address their imbalanced blueline. Most of their defense prospects are left-handed shots. He anticipates general manager Steve Yzerman will make one or two additions to the right side of their defense corps.

Free agent options could include the New Jersey Devils’ Damon Severson, the New York Islanders’ Scott Mayfield, Boston Bruins’ Connor Clifton or the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2023

by | Mar 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2023

The Sabres, Avalanche and Stars are the winners in Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are announced plus injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing skid with two third-period goals by Alex Tuch to hold off the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Dylan Cozens, Owen Power and JJ Peterka each had two points for the Sabres, who improved to 33-28-5 (71 points) to sit five points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (40-18-8) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 88 points.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and collected an assist in an 8-4 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Cale Makar collected three assists and Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists for the 37-22-6 Avalanche, who sit in third place in the Central Division with 80 points. Josh Anderson scored his 20th of the season for the 26-35-6 Canadiens, who’ve dropped seven in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehkonen left the game in the second period with a broken finger after being struck by a shot. He’s returning to Colorado for surgery. Canadiens forward Rem Pitlick left the game in the first period after going head-first into the boards. No update was provided on his status.

The Dallas Stars downed the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists while Miro Heiskanen had three assists for the Stars (37-17-3) as they hold first place in the Central Division with 87 points. Vince Dunn had collected two assists for the 37-23-7 Kraken as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Tyler Seguin remains sidelined recovering from a superficial cut to his leg. He could return to action within the next couple of weeks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are the three stars for the week ending March 12.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov’s absence is a big blow to the Hurricanes’ offense. He’s third among their scorers with 23 goals and 55 points in 64 games.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that Coyotes forward Christian Fischer is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There is no timeline yet for Nick Schmaltz’s return from a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno suffered a lower-body injury during Sunday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks have shut down rookie forward Cole Guttman for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Mark Jankowski to a one-year, $775K contract.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels reports a potential expansion of video review for high-sticking and over-the-glass calls was discussed during yesterday’s meeting of NHL general managers. There was also discussion about meeting with the NHL Players Association to potentially grandfather in cut-resistant equipment as mandatory.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oh, goody! More things to slow down the game.

NORTH STAR BETS: Chris Johnston reports NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly takes a dim view of three-team trades where a club acts as a broker to allow trades among cap-strapped teams. He said the league has never favored such trades but relented to them years ago because general managers lobbied to have retained-salary transactions in the collective bargaining agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe that was implemented in the updates to the CBA following the 2012-13 lockout. Former Leafs general manager Brian Burke was reportedly among those GMs at the time leading the charge for retained salary transactions to facilitate more movement in the trade market. I doubt we’ll see the league clamp down on that in the next round of collective bargaining.

Johnston also reported Daly didn’t sound as though there is any need to implement a rule that would prevent teams from sitting out players for “trade-related reasons” as we saw in the weeks leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility if it were to become a trend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly may have said the same thing to the general managers. Probably something along the lines of, “Don’t make it a habit, gentlemen, or else.”










NHL Rumor Mill – March 9, 2023

by | Mar 9, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 9, 2023

What could the future hold for Flyers winger Travis Konecny, Ducks goalie John Gibson and Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR KONECNY, GIBSON AND SCHMALTZ?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun looked ahead at what the offseason could hold for several notable NHL players, including Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny, Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson and Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz.

LeBrun believes the Flyers could entertain trade offers ahead of the June draft for Konecny, who has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. It doesn’t mean they’ll trade him but they could look at what his market value might be. LeBrun said he knew of at least one playoff contender that was planning to make an aggressive trade offer before Konecny go hurt.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Konecny could be the Flyers’ best trade chip this summer but that depends on what their plans are going forward. Are they continuing to “aggressively retool” or will they finally engage in a roster rebuild? If it’s the latter, he could fetch the type of return that could help them over the long term.

Turning to Gibson, LeBrun reports most teams still view the 30-year-old goalie as a difference maker. He’s halfway through his eight-year contract with a $6 million AAV and a 12-team no-trade clause. LeBrun believes Gibson could agree to a trade to a playoff contender. There wasn’t much interest in him at the trade deadline but LeBrun thinks some teams could contact the Ducks during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson’s contract (especially the annual cap hit) is a sticking point, especially given his less-than-stellar numbers in recent years, though in fairness those can be attributed in part to the depleted roster in front of him. I don’t doubt that some teams could come calling but they’ll either want the Ducks to retain half of that cap hit or take back a toxic contract in return.

The Arizona Coyotes weren’t able to move Nick Schmaltz despite his nearly point-per-game pace over the past couple of seasons and reasonable $5.85 million AAV. LeBrun believes it’s because the final three years of his contract are backloaded, meaning Schmaltz will earn $8.15 million in actual salary per season during that period. It could take a deep-pocketed team that likes the player to take him off the Coyotes’ hands.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schmaltz’s injury history is also a concern. He missed 43 regular-season games in 2018-19, nine playoff games in 2020, 19 games last season and 16 games this season.