NHL Rumor Mill – October 14, 2023

by | Oct 14, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 14, 2023

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at the latest on the Canucks’ Conor Garland, the Senators’ Shane Pinto and the Sharks’ Kevin Labanc as well as how the Canadiens could help the Blue Jackets alleviate their blueline logjam.

COULD THE PREDATORS BE A DESTINATION FOR GARLAND?

SPORTSNET (via NHL Watcher): During Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman wondered if the Nashville Predators might be a trade destination for Conor Garland. The 27-year-old winger was recently given permission by the Vancouver Canucks to speak with other clubs about a trade.

Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland (NHL Images).

Friedman isn’t saying that it’s going to happen. However, he noted that they have the cap space to absorb Garland’s $4.95 million average annual salary. They’re also looking for a player who would fit with general manager Barry Trotz and head coach Andrew Brunette.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators have $7.9 million in projected cap space so they can certainly take on Garland’s cap hit through 2025-26. The question is whether they see Garland as a fit and what sort of return the Canucks would want. He does play an aggressive two-way game that would be favored by Trotz and Brunette.

The Canucks want to shed salary so they probably won’t want a player in return, especially if they didn’t have to retain any portion of Garland’s cap hit. Still, they won’t just give him away as they’ll want something decent in return.

UPDATE ON PINTO

TSN: cited the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reporting Shane Pinto has left Ottawa and returned home to Franklin Square, NY. The unsigned center cited there’s been too much attention on him in Ottawa right now and he wants to focus on his training.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pinto’s decision also suggests there’s no progress in contract talks between his representatives and Senators management. General manager Pierre Dorion is reportedly attempting to clear some cap room for Pinto by shopping forward Mathieu Joseph and defenseman Erik Brannstrom.

THE LATEST ON LABANC

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Max Miller noted that the San Jose Sharks scratched Kevin Labanc from their opening-night lineup on Oct. 12. He wondered if this is the beginning of the end of the 27-year-old winger’s tenure with the Sharks.

Since signing his four-year contract in October 2020, Labanc hasn’t produced to the level the Sharks expected of him. He’s been the frequent subject of trade rumors but Miller believes his $4.725 million cap hit is the reason why he hasn’t been moved yet.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Labanc is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Barring a trade, this is going to be his last season in San Jose.

The Sharks might be able to trade Labanc (who lacks no-trade protection) during this season if they retain part of his cap hit. Otherwise, they might have to wait until the March 8 trade deadline when most of his actual salary will have been paid out.

COULD THE CANADIENS BE A FIT FOR A BLUE JACKETS DEFENSEMAN?

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: That’s what Marco D’Amico suggested earlier this week following a recent report by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli claiming the Columbus Blue Jackets were looking to trade one of their blueliners. They have a logjam on defense and need to make some room on the right side.

Seravalli suggested Jake Bean, Andrew Peeke and Adam Boqvist as potential trade options. D’Amico suggested the Canadiens target Boqvist, noting that they have the cap space to take on his $2.6 million cap hit. He pointed out that the Habs have “waiver-exempt prospects, draft picks and NHL-ready forwards” to dangle as trade bait.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe the Blue Jackets and Canadiens have discussed this possibility. We’ll find out in due course if that’s the case. The Habs might have other options in mind.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 13, 2023

by | Oct 13, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 13, 2023

Musing over whether the Oilers would pursue Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark plus the latest on the Flames’ Elias Lindholm, the Senators’ Shane Pinto, and the Hurricanes’ defense corps in today’s NHL Rumor Roundup.

COULD THE OILERS PURSUE BRUINS GOALIE LINUS ULLMARK?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: That’s the question Jimmy Murphy pondered after watching the Edmonton Oilers get blown out 8-1 by the Vancouver Canucks in their season opener on Wednesday.

Murphy cited an NHL executive source saying a few more games like that from Oilers goalies Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner will force general manager Ken Holland into the trade market seeking a more permanent solution between the pipes. The source claimed they had heard the Oilers expressed interest in Bruins netminders Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman over the summer.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).

Ullmark carries a modified no-trade clause and might be reluctant about moving to Edmonton. Murphy also pointed out that both clubs have limited cap space this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s way too early to start pondering whether Holland will hit the panic button and go shopping for a more reliable starting goalie. Yes, the Oilers’ season-opener was awful but it wasn’t just on their goalies. The whole club looked flatter than pancakes for that contest.

I expect Campbell and/or Skinner will improve in the coming weeks. If they don’t, Holland could end up having to shop for help. As for Ullmark, I don’t see the Bruins parting with him unless their season goes off the rails.

FLAMES ARE NO CLOSE TO AN EXTENSION WITH LINDHOLM

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports dialogue continues between the Calgary Flames and Elias Lindholm regarding a new contract for the 28-year-old center. While there’s been no line in the sand from either side, they’re nowhere close yet on a number that works for both sides.

LeBrun speculates the Flames may be looking at Mark Scheifele’s seven-year extension worth $8.5 million annually with the Winnipeg Jets as a possible comparable.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is probably going to go on all season. The Flames can point to Scheifele’s contract but Lindholm’s camp believes his two-way play is worth more. Most pundits believe it’s probably going to cost over $9 million for the Flames to get him under contract.

SENATORS STILL TRYING TO FREE UP CAP SPACE FOR PINTO

TSN: Darren Dreger reports Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is still working the phones trying to move a player to free up sufficient cap room to re-sign restricted free agent Shane Pinto.

Dorion has been trying to move Mathieu Joseph. Dreger also said he’s had conversations about moving defenseman Erik Brannstrom.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is what happens when you invest $5 million in an unrestricted free-agent winger like Vladimir Tarasenko without first ensuring you’ve got sufficient cap space to re-sign a key restricted free agent such as Pinto.

The Senators seemed to be counting on Pinto accepting a bargain-basement deal given his lack of leverage coming off his entry-level contract. Instead, the Pinto camp has dug in its heels and shows no sign of budging.

Dorion is left scrambling to move a salaried player in a season where most clubs are also pressed for cap space. Many teams can’t afford Joseph’s $2.95 million cap hit or Brannstrom’s $2 million. Those who could will want something else attached like a draft pick or a quality prospect.

NO MOVES COMING FOR HURRICANES BLUELINE

THE ATHLETIC: Cory Lavalette reported on Wednesday that Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said his club is not actively trying to shop a defenseman. However, he said it’s his job to listen if a club comes calling.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pending UFA defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei were frequent topics of trade chatter during the offseason. The Hurricanes’ blueline depth entering this season also prompted speculation that one of them could be used as a trade chip to land a scoring winger.

Much will depend on the Hurricanes’ performance and where they are in the standings leading up to the March 8 trade deadline.

WHY ARE TEAMS HOARDING GOALTENDERS?

TSN: Chris Johnston noted several teams, such as the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks are carrying three goaltenders on their respective rosters this season. He thinks a lot of those teams are trying to hold back one of their veteran goalies rather than risk losing them to waivers.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 11, 2023

by | Oct 11, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 11, 2023

Conor Garland receives permission from the Canucks to talk trade with other clubs, the Blue Jackets are shopping a defenseman, and the latest on Elias Lindholm and Shane Pinto in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CANUCKS GIVE GARLAND PERMISSION TO SEEK A TRADE

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks have given winger Conor Garland permission to speak with other clubs about a potential trade.

Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland (NHL Images).

Friedman’s colleague Iain MacIntyre reported Garland, 27, recently changed agents. Neither the winger nor Canucks management denied the report. Garland declined to get into specifics when speaking to reporters yesterday, claiming it was the focus of his new agent.

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston indicates a source informed him that Garland has been open to a trade for at least a year. He also cited Friedman claiming that Judd Moldaver, the winger’s new agent, is “aggressively calling around” to find teams that would be a good fit for his new client.

Johnston also noted that Garland frequently surfaced in trade rumors last season. He added that Canucks GM Patrik Allvin and president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford have explored moving the winger since 2021-22.

TSN: Chris Johnston pointed out that Garland still has three years left on his contract with an average annual value of just under $5 million ($4.95 million). He said the Canucks know they’ll have to retain some salary to get a deal done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman also noted in his weekly “32 Thoughts” column that a recent injury to defenseman Carson Soucy has the Canucks “peeking at defense options.” Perhaps they can find a suitable blueliner (preferably an experienced right-shot rearguard) using Garland as trade bait.

Given their cap constraints and those of most teams this season, the Canucks would have to retain part of Garland’s annual cap hit to make this work. They could attempt to get a third team involved to broker a deal and spread the cap hit around. Perhaps a “dollar-in, dollar-out” deal is possible.

Garland’s aggressive two-way style of play will draw some interest around the league. Nevertheless, finding a suitable trade partner this early in the season could be difficult, given the salary-cap issues around the league. It might take a few weeks for something to shake out. It could also drag on toward the March 8 trade deadline when some clubs will have accrued enough cap space to make this happen.

BLUE JACKETS INTERESTED IN TRADING A DEFENSEMAN

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports the Columbus Blue Jackets have spoken to teams in recent days about trading a defenseman off their roster. He said that they’re telling teams they want more flexibility at that position.

Seravalli indicated the Blue Jackets are “open to different possibilities as they weigh value.” He speculated the candidates could be Adam Boqvist, Jake Bean or (to a lesser extent) Andrew Peeke.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets want to move a defenseman. The Canuck have given permission for Conor Garland’s agent to talk trade with other teams. Could there be a fit?

Maybe for right-shot blueliners like Boqvist or Peeke. The Jackets only have just over $3 million in cap space but Boqvist has a $2.6 million cap hit and Peeke’s is $2.75 million. Nevertheless, they could want the Canucks to retain a bit of Garland’s salary in the deal.

It probably won’t happen since the Jackets have a fair bit of depth on their wings while Boqvist or Peeke might not adequately suit the Canucks’ blue-line needs. Still, it doesn’t hurt to speculate a little.

UPDATES ON ELIAS LINDHOLM AND SHANE PINTO

SPORTNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman speculated that the Calgary Flames could use Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele’s new contract as a comparable in their negotiations with Elias Lindholm. Scheifele will earn an average annual value of $8.5 million on a seven-year contract starting next season.

However, it’s believed Lindholm is in the $9 million range. The Flames have also reopened talks with pending UFA defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm is nearly two years younger than Scheifele and plays a two-way game. I doubt the Flames can sign him to a similar deal.

Friedman also pointed out that Shane Pinto’s salary-cap hit will increase this season for each day that he’s not signed by the Ottawa Senators. He cited William Nylander’s situation in 2018 where his AAV for 2018-19 was $10.277 million while the AAV for the remaining seasons was $6.96 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I bring this up because “Pengy” recently asked if that was still a thing (well-remembered, Pengy!). The longer Pinto goes unsigned between now and the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents, the more his AAV will be for this season.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2023

by | Oct 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 6, 2023

Check out the latest on Leafs forward William Nylander, Sharks center Logan Couture and Senators center Shane Pinto in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD NYLANDER HIT THE TRADE BLOCK?

NHL NETWORK: Steve Konroyd recently expressed his belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs will trade William Nylander at some point during this season. He doesn’t think the Leafs can afford to re-sign the 27-year-old forward, who could seek close to $10 million annually on his next contract.

Mike Rupp agreed with Konroyd, saying that Nylander has been underpaid for years. He believes there will be teams knocking on the door, including the Anaheim Ducks.

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel reports Nylander told his agent that he’s willing to negotiate with the Leafs during this season. However, he doesn’t want to hear about the status of those talks until the two sides have a deal in place.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Siegel thinks that this suggests Nylander has a clear number in mind for his next contract and won’t contemplate a deal unless the Leafs get there. General manager Brad Treliving could contemplate moving Nylander if a deal isn’t in place by the March 8 trade deadline.

However, Siegel doubts Treliving will peddle Nylander. He points out that clubs trying to win the Stanley Cup typically don’t trade away their best players even at the risk of their departure as free agents following the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could trade Nylander if this season goes off the rails by the trade deadline. Otherwise, I agree with Siegel that they’ll hang onto him for the playoffs if they feel they have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

If Nylander does hit the trade block perhaps the Ducks will have some interest. I agree with Rupp that he’d be a good fit in Anaheim given the experience and skills he’d bring to their rebuilding roster. They’d also have the cap space to sign him.

However, the Ducks could be on Nylander’s 10-team no-trade list for this season. It’s also possible that they don’t want to invest big money in expensive talent at this stage of their rebuild. If they are interested, they might prefer waiting for free agency on July 1 rather than giving up draft picks and promising young players to acquire him in a trade.

ARE COUTURE’S DAYS NUMBERED IN SAN JOSE?

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently said he thinks that San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture could become a prime trade candidate.

He doesn’t think teams will be enamored with the 34-year-old center’s contract. However, he pointed out that the Sharks retained salary on Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns to facilitate trading those players.

Seravalli pointed out that the Sharks have one salary retention slot left. He thinks they could try to leverage that in order to generate trade interest in Couture.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couture is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8 million and a three-team trade list. The Sharks almost certainly must retain a healthy chunk of his cap hit if they wish to move him.

Sharks GM Mike Grier recently said he’d be willing to entertain offers for Couture if he wanted to be traded. So far, there’s no indication that he wants out. We’ll see what happens as the season progresses.

THE LATEST ON THE PINTO SAGA

TSN: With the Ducks signing Jamie Drysdale on Thursday, Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto remains the last notable unsigned restricted free agent.

Chris Johnston reports the Senators continue working with Pinto’s agent to try and get a deal done before the upcoming start of the regular season. He noted that the 22-year-old center is two years away from arbitration eligibility. That makes it difficult to value what could be a second year in the deal, making a player less inclined to sign a one-year contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing uncertainty over Josh Norris’ health for this season also puts more urgency on the Senators to get Pinto under contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2023

by | Oct 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2023

Recapping Wednesday’s preseason action, the salary cap is projected to rise significantly in 2024-25, plus some notable injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PRESEASON GAMES RECAP

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists to thump the Calgary Flames 7-2. Connor Brown tallied twice for the Oilers while Dan Vladar made 35 saves for the Flames.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flames announced that forward Kevin Rooney suffered what is considered to be a long-term upper-body injury in practice earlier this week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-3. Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli’s first-ever NHL preseason goal was also the winning goal while teammate Patrik Laine collected his fourth goal of this preseason. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 28 shots for the Sabres.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Ondrej Palat picked up three assists for the Devils. Adam Fox and Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers.

The Detroit Red Wings nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 with James Reimer making 21 saves for the win. Simon Edvinsson and Daniel Sprong scored for the Wings while Xavier Ouellet tallied for the Penguins. Former Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 stops against his former team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Red Wings announced that they had released forward Artem Anisimov from his professional tryout.

Seattle Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen scored the winning goal to down the Vancouver Canucks 2-1.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: League Commissioner Gary Bettman made his preliminary projection for next season’s salary cap following yesterday’s Board of Governors meeting. With revenues up and stable team ownerships, he anticipates the cap could rise to between $87 million and $88 million for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is $83.5 million for this season. It has been flattened since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season because of the players’ $1 billion escrow debt to the owners as a result of the premature end of the 2019-20 season due to the start of the COVID pandemic. Bettman indicated there is $50 million of escrow debt remaining and it is expected to be paid off by the end of this season.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris suffered another setback in his efforts to return to action from the shoulder surgery that prematurely ended his 2022-23 season. Head coach D.J. Smith remains hopeful that Norris, who’s been practicing with his teammates for the past eight days, will be able to play in the Senators’ final preseason game on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Senators center Shane Pinto remains out of training camp as his agent and Senators general manager Pierre Dorion continue to negotiate a new contract. The two sides have reportedly made progress in recent days. There’s talk around the league that the 22-year-old Pinto could accept a two-year deal with an average annual value of $2.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators now have $1.7 million in cap space after four players, including Jacob Bernard-Docker and Egor Sokolov, cleared waivers yesterday and were sent to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Nevertheless, they’ll still have to shed more salary to get Pinto under contract and be cap-compliant when their season opens next week.

NEW YORK POST: Winger Kyle Palmieri has rejoined the Islanders after missing the opening weeks of training camp with an undisclosed injury. It’s unclear if he’ll participate in the Isles’ final two preseason games but should be good to go for their season opener next week against the Buffalo Sabres.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund returned to practice yesterday after missing a week with an undisclosed injury. He’s expected to be in their lineup for their season opener next week, replacing sidelined captain Logan Couture (lower-body, week-to-week).

TSN: Los Angeles Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev will face a disciplinary hearing for kneeing Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo on Tuesday.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt operator of Bally Sports Arizona, wants out of its contract to broadcast Arizona Coyotes games. They made the request in the Southern Texas Bankruptcy Court on Wednesday. Both sides are awaiting the court’s decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another day, another crisis for the Coyotes. It’s too bad because they actually have a promising roster led by rising star Clayton Keller that could surprise some folks this season. Sadly, few sports fans in Arizona will be able to watch them unless the team can find a new broadcaster.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL coach Kevin Constantine has been suspended indefinitely as head coach of the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild for making derogatory remarks of a discriminatory nature.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2023

by | Oct 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – October 4, 2023

Check out the latest on Alexis Lafreniere, the Oilers’ goaltending, Patrick Kane, Marc-Andre Fleury, a couple of Leafs’ trade candidates and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stan Fischler and Stefen Rosner with a roundup of trade and free agent rumors this week. Among the notables:

Alexis Lafreniere’s struggles with the New York Rangers don’t seem to be letting up and it might be best for both sides to part ways soon. The 21-year-old former first-overall pick should still fetch plenty in a trade and he could be a good fit with the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers have tried playing Lafreniere on right wing during this preseason (and in previous seasons) but the results have been underwhelming. It’s still too early to hit the panic button as general manager Chris Drury could prefer seeing how he performs in the upcoming regular season.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images).

Nevertheless, Drury’s patience could run out if Lafreniere doesn’t improve as the coming campaign progresses. The Canadiens could be among the interested clubs though they’re going to give 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky as well as Rafael Harvey-Pinard plenty of looks as their middle-six left wingers. Still, Habs president of hockey ops Jeff Gorton could contact Drury if Lafreniere became available. Gorton drafted Lafreniere while serving as Rangers GM in 2020.

There will be clubs willing to bet on Lafreniere benefitting from a change of scenery and an opportunity to earn full-time second-line minutes in his natural position at left wing. However, his trade value for the Rangers will suffer if his play shows no sign of real improvement.

The onus is going to be on Stuart Skinner to backstop the Edmonton Oilers into the Stanley Cup Final. If he struggles this season, however, Oilers GM Ken Holland could be forced into the trade market. Jack Campbell cannot do the job full-time despite his $20 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner played well enough last season to become a finalist for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year but he wilted under the heat of playoff pressure. Meanwhile, Campbell struggled through his first season with the Oilers but played well spelling off Skinner in the postseason.

Campbell has solid stats in previous playoff competitions with a career 2.28 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. If he can wrest back the starter’s job this season, maybe he can carry them to the Final.

For now, the Oilers’ goalie situation remains a question mark. If Campbell and Skinner both struggle this season, Holland could have a difficult time finding a suitable short-term starter by the March trade deadline.

It’s possible Patrick Kane could end up with the Rangers this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t rule it out but their limited cap space will make it difficult to outbid other clubs.

Maybe Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois is thinking about Marc-Andre Fleury now that Andrei Vasilevskiy is sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury isn’t going anywhere. Even if he agreed to waive his no-movement clause, his $3.5 million cap hit is too expensive for the cap-strapped Lightning to absorb. The Wild have no reason to peddle Fleury. He’ll serve as Filip Gustavsson’s backup and mentor for the coming season.

The Athletic reportedly has Calle Jarnkrok or T.J. Brodie getting traded this season by the Toronto Maple Leafs to relieve their cap issues. The Anaheim Ducks are one reported destination.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brodie currently skates alongside Morgan Rielly on their top defense pairing so I doubt he gets shopped. Jarnkrok is their utility forward on their checking lines. He’d be the more likely trade option but the Leafs could consider other cost-cutting choices.

The Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks are supposedly talking.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wonder if Shane Pinto or Mathieu Joseph are the subjects of their conversations. The Senators are believed to be peddling Joseph to free up cap room to sign Pinto.