NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2023

by | Aug 19, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 19, 2023

Should the Jets pursue Jonathan Toews? Are there potential trade targets at center for the Oilers? What’s the latest on Shane Pinto’s contract talks? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE JETS PURSUE JONATHAN TOEWS?

WINNIPEG SUN: Paul Friesen pointed out the Jets are a question mark at center after trading Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings in June. He mused over whether they should consider attempting to sign Jonathan Toews.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews (NHL Images).

An unrestricted free agent who spent his entire 15-season NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks, the 35-year-old Toews is taking some time away from hockey for health reasons. If he regains his health and can play again, Friesen wondered if the Jets could convince the Winnipeg native to return home to finish his career.

Friesen acknowledged the odds are long and that Toews’ best years are behind him. Nevertheless, he thinks the future Hall-of-Famer could still fill a role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets need more immediate help at center. They could look into it if Toews decides to stage a comeback but they could have their issues at center addressed by then.

POTENTIAL TRADE DEADLINE TARGETS FOR THE OILERS

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell recently looked at possible targets at the trade deadline for the Edmonton Oilers to bolster their depth at center as they continue playing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together.

Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique is close to an ideal candidate. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and carries a cap hit of $5.825 million. That cap hit could be problematic but not insurmountable. He has strong puck possession numbers against all opponents.

Jason Dickinson of the Chicago Blackhawks could be another ideal topic. He played 35 percent of his five-on-five time last season against elite opponents and performed well overall.

Mitchell believes the Calgary Flames’ Elias Lindholm would be the perfect fit. However, the intense rivalry between the Oilers and Flames makes that move impossible.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We don’t know how things will pan out at center for the Oilers this season. If the issue remains a problem by the trade deadline they could go shopping for help.

The Oilers could have competition for Henrique in the trade market as he’s still a well-known commodity. They could have better luck with someone such as Dickinson.

LATEST ON PINTO’S CONTRACT

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Earlier this week, Steve Warne examined the complicated contract situation of Shane Pinto. The 22-year-old Ottawa Senators center is a restricted free agent having completed his entry-level contract.

Warne noted the Senators have limited cap space following the additions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Joonas Korpisalo and Zack MacEwen and the re-signing of Travis Hamonic. Management must get creative and shed salary to free up cap space to re-sign Pinto.

How much salary to shed depends on a number of factors, including Pinto’s worth to the Senators now and over the next three years, as well as how much he wants and for how long.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have around $772K in cap space to work with. Pinto’s base salary on his previous contract was $925K. Last season was his true NHL rookie campaign, scoring 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games.

Pinto’s in line for a substantial raise. If the Senators were to ink him to a short-term deal worth around $2.5 million, they would have to shed that much in order to sign him and be cap compliant when the regular season starts in October.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2023

by | Aug 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2023

Bruins center David Krejci retires, Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov has died and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar makes the cover of NHL 24. Details on these and other stories in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: David Krejci announced his retirement after 16 NHL seasons, all of them spent with the Bruins. The 37-year-old center tallied 231 goals and 555 assists for 786 points in 1,032 regular-season games along with 43 goals and 85 assists for 120 points in 160 playoff games.

Boston Bruins center David Krejci announced his retirement (NHL Images).

Krejci helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and reach the Cup Final in 2013 and 2019. Last season, he played a key role in the Bruins setting the NHL’s single-season records for wins with 65 and points with 135.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A talented and sometimes underrated two-way center, Krejci sits fifth among the Bruins’ all-time leaders for games played and assists and is ninth in total points.

Krejci’s retirement was expected, following the lead of teammate Patrice Bergeron who called it a career last month. His departure has heightened speculation over how the Bruins will address their lack of top-six forward depth that started when Bergeron retired. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov passed away yesterday in Munich, Germany. He was 21.

A promising young Russian winger, Amirov was chosen 15th overall by the Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor soon afterward and was receiving treatment in Munich.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A promising life and hockey career cut short far too soon. My condolences to Amirov’s family, friends, former teammates and the Leafs organization.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: EA Sports named Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar as the cover athlete for its NHL 24 videogame. He’s the third Avalanche player to grace the cover, joining Peter Forsberg (NHL 98) and Joe Sakic (NHL 2004).

OTTAWA SUN: The sale of the Senators to billionaire Michael Andlauer is nearly completion. He could take over control of the franchise by September.

A co-owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Andlauer is expected to have sold his 10 percent share of that franchise before he officially takes over the Senators. If not, that stake will be placed in trust until he has completed its sale.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has ruled in favor of the Flyers and the NHL regarding a 2022 contract agreement with Russian goaltender Ivan Fedotov.

Fedotov signed with the Flyers last year but was conscripted into the Russian military soon afterward. The Flyers tolled his contract forward to this season but the goalie recently signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow following the completion of his military service.

Per the IIHF ruling, Fedotov violated its transfer regulations and faces a four-month suspension from international games. CSKA Moscow faces an immediate one-year ban on international transfers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per the report, it’s unlikely Fedotov will be joining the Flyers for the coming season. CSKA Moscow stated on its website that it expects the 26-year-old netminder to play for them this fall.

The Fedotov situation seems fishy given his stated intention to play for the Flyers last year following the completion of his contract with CSKA Moscow. It’s suspected that the club’s ownership pulled strings with the Russian government to prevent his move to the NHL.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid topped Matt Larkin’s fantasy hockey top 300 rankings for 2023-24. McDavid’s teammate Leon Draisaitl, Avalanche forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes round out his top five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link to see the complete list.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 2, 2023

by | Aug 2, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 2, 2023

The latest Leafs speculation, an update on Tyler Myers and some cost-cutting trade candidates for the Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

THE ATHLETIC: In his latest mailbag segment, Arpon Basu was asked to predict which players the Montreal Canadiens might target in the 2024 class of free agents. He proposed Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

If the Canadiens decide to be active in next summer’s unrestricted free-agent market, Basu believes they would target a winger to complete their top-six forward lines. He thinks they would have sufficient cap space to pursue Nylander, whose current contract extension talks with the Leafs reportedly aren’t going well.

Nylander will be 28 next summer and has been a consistent scorer for the Leafs, even in the playoffs. Basu speculated it would cost $10 million annually on a contract carrying him into his mid-thirties.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bear in mind that Basu was merely responding to a reader’s question and he’s not reporting the Canadiens will pursue Nylander on the open market next summer. Depending on the course of their rebuild and the performance of young players such as Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, they might not be in the market for a big-name UFA by that time.

Still, this gives us all something else to banter about during these dog days of the NHL offseason other than when and where Erik Karlsson will be traded.

Meanwhile, Basu’s colleague Joshua Kloke looked at some bargain-bin free agents for the Leafs to consider. They included Jonathan Toews, Zach Aston-Reese, Jesse Puljujarvi, Sam Gagner, Derick Brassard, Ethan Bear and Scott Harrington.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews is likely retiring while Puljujarvi underwent double hip surgery and probably won’t be available for some time. The rest could be dirt-cheap signings for the Leafs or other NHL clubs looking for affordable options to boost their rosters for 2023-24.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: David Alter recently examined how the Leafs can slide under the salary cap before their season opens in October.

One option is demoting waiver-exempt players such as Nick Robertson and Pontus Homberg. They could also do the same with Matthew Knies though they’d likely prefer retaining someone who performed well during the playoffs. Another would be placing Maxime Lajoie or Dylan Gambrell on waivers.

DO THE CANUCKS HAVE A DEAL IN PLACE TO TRADE TYLER MYERS?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Harman Dayal was asked about rumors claiming the Vancouver Canucks already have a trade in place for Tyler Myers but are waiting to announce it after his signing bonus is paid next month.

Dayal recalled Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting in late June that the Canucks had a deal on the table to send Myers to the San Jose Sharks. This was denied by Canucks GM Patrik Allvin as well as Myer’s agent, J.P. Barry. Seravalli clarified that the deal would’ve sent Myers to the Sharks for winger Kevin Labanc.

Myers’ future feels like a “wait-and-see” scenario for several reasons. One is the Sharks’ efforts to trade defenseman Erik Karlsson. The Canucks might also prefer seeing how their other right-shot blueliners fare during training camp. Myers’ 10-team no-trade clause also complicates things.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Myers’ situation could be resolved before the end of September. We’ll know by that point if the Canucks indeed to move him or not.

POSSIBLE COST-CUTTING OPTIONS FOR THE SENATORS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: With the Senators signing Vladimir Tarasenko last week, they need to shed salary in order to re-sign restricted free-agent center Shane Pinto.

Ryan Hyndman listed five potential cost-cutting trade candidates. The most obvious is forward Mathieu Joseph as clearing his $3 million cap hit from their books provides the room needed to re-sign Pinto.

Other options include defenseman Erik Brannstrom, winger Drake Batherson, blueliner Artem Zub, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think it will be Joseph but they might end up having to package him with a sweetener to get it done.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2023

by | Aug 2, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2023

The latest contract signings and arbitration updates, Vladimir Tarasenko happy to join the Senators, the Kraken removes BookTok content over comments made toward Alex Wennberg and his wife, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was awarded a one-year contract worth $3.47 million following his arbitration hearing on Sunday. Swayman had sought $4.8 million while the Bruins countered with $2 million.

The Bruins avoided arbitration with forward Trent Frederic as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $4.6 million contract with an average annual value of $2.3 million. Frederic was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Tuesday.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The new contracts for Swayman and Frederic leave the Bruins with less than $430K of salary cap space for 2023-24 with 22 players under contract. That will likely continue to stoke speculation of the Bruins perhaps making a cost-cutting trade to bolster their depth at center for the coming season.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers avoided an arbitration hearing on Tuesday with Ryan McLeod by signing the center to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.1 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers now have $3.5 million in cap space with restricted free-agent defenseman Evan Bouchard to sign. It could leave them with sufficient wiggle room to get him under contract on a short-term deal for around $3 million per season.

Bouchard, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. He could receive an offer sheet from another club but that seems a remote possibility at this stage given how many clubs lack sufficient cap space to go that route this summer.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Rangers avoided arbitration with minor-league defenseman Brandon Scanlin as the two sides agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per Cap Friendly, only two players remain on the arbitration schedule. Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry’s hearing is slated for today (Aug. 2) while Pittsburgh Penguins forward Drew O’Connor’s is on Aug. 4.

OTTAWA SUN: Vladimir Tarasenko said he is looking forward to playing with the Senators this season. He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the club last Thursday.

Speaking from his Florida home, the 31-year-old winger said he had several signing options in free agency. He was convinced the Senators were the right choice after speaking with general manager Pierre Dorion, head coach D.J. Smith and several Senators players.

“It’s an exciting young group of players,” said Tarasenko. “I spoke to guys before we signed and it sounds like guys want to win. We just decided that it was the best deal for one year for us.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated Tarasenko’s new agents called the club saying it would be a done deal if they included a full no-movement clause in his contract, which they did. That clause ensures Tarasenko cannot be demoted to the minors without his approval. He’ll also have total control over potential destinations if the Senators decide to move him before the March trade deadline.

ESPN.COM: The Seattle Kraken removed TikTok videos marketed to the hockey BookTok community. The move comes following statements by forward Alex Wennberg and his wife Felicia speaking out against what they called “vile comments” that sexualized and harassed him and his family for months.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche announced that Steve Konowalchuk has been named the Associate Head Coach of the Colorado Eagles, their AHL affiliate.

Former Avalanche forward Carl Soderberg announced his retirement at age 37. He played 597 games over nine NHL seasons (2012-13 to 2020-21) with the Avalanche, Boston Bruins, Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, netting 110 goals and 297 points along with 14 points in 45 career NHL playoff games.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 29, 2023

by | Jul 29, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 29, 2023

A look at five centers the Bruins could target to replace Patrice Bergeron, possible cost-cutting trade options for the Senators, and more speculation over whether the Blues will trade a defenseman in today’s NHL Rumor Mill

MORE TRADE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE BRUINS TO REPLACE BERGERON

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman listed five possible trade options for the Boston Bruins to replace recently-retired first-line center Patrice Bergeron.

Topping his list is Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames and Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve noted previous suggestions linking the Bruins to Lindholm and Scheifele. Lindholm is younger, more affordable and has better all-around skills than Scheifele. However, both players will be expensive to acquire right now, perhaps too expensive for the Bruins to acquire. Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy cited a source suggesting the Bruins would have to part with Jake DeBrusk as part of the return to land Lindholm.

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture (NHL Images)

Wegman also suggested San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture. He acknowledged a number of obstacles, such as the 34-year-old Couture’s age, expensive contract and three-team trade clause. Nevertheless, he remains productive and would be worth looking into.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It wouldn’t hurt to check but I don’t see Couture ending up in Boston. His contract is simply too complicated to move.

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov is available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Too many red flags around Kuznetsov right now with the biggest being his inconsistent play and $7.8 million average annual value through 2024-25.

Wegman rounds out his list with Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak if the Bruins decide to replace Bergeron by committee along with Charlie Coyole and Pavel Zacha.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll admit anything’s possible and the Bruins could consider that option if there’s nothing more suitable available in the trade market.

However, I expect they’ll likely start the season with Coyle and Zacha and see how things shake out. If they need an upgrade at center, better options could become available near the March trade deadline.

HOW WILL THE SENATORS SHED CAP SPACE AFTER SIGNING TARASENKO

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch pointed out the Senators will have to make a cost-cutting trade after signing Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday to a one-year, $5 million contract. They have roughly $900K in cap room with restricted free agents Shane Pinto and Egor Sokolov to re-sign.

According to Garrioch, the most likely scenario sees the Senators shopping forward Mathieu Joseph before the regular season opens in October. He carries an AAV of $2.95 million through 2025-26.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Steve Warne also considers Joseph the most likely cost-cutting candidate, though he believes the Senators might have to include a sweetener in the deal.

Defenseman Erik Brannstrom ($2 million) is another option but the Senators might prefer retaining him given how many injuries they had on their blueline last season. Warne also speculated they could play hardball with Pinto and sign him to a one-year, $1 million contract and then ink him to a long-term in the new year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Better off to move Joseph than to deplete the blueline depth or get into a contract pissing contest with the promising Pinto.

LATEST SPECULATION REGARDING THE BLUES DEFENSE CORPS

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford was recently asked by a reader how the St. Louis Blues intend to address their logjam on the blueline. He noted that general manager Doug Armstrong has said he intends to start the season with eight defensemen on the roster, which means they could send Scott Perunovich to the minors as he’s the only one who’s waiver-exempt.

Rutherford wouldn’t be surprised if Armstrong attempts to pull off a trade before training camp. However, he noted the difficulty the Blues GM had in trying to trade Torey Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers as he invoked his no-trade clause to block that attempt. Armstrong would also likely have to sweeten the pot to move someone like Marco Scandella.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armstrong is in a mess of his own making with his top-four defensemen (Krug, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Nick Leddy) all carrying full no-trade clauses.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 28, 2023

by | Jul 28, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 28, 2023

Should the Bruins and Capitals keep an eye on Flames center Elias Lindholm? What’s the latest on Leafs winger William Nylander? How will the Senators free up cap space after signing Vladimir Tarasenko? Check it out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SHOULD THE BRUINS AND CAPITALS PURSUE ELIAS LINDHOLM?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Randy Sportak considers the Boston Bruins as a strong potential trade partner for the Calgary Flames, who must unload several of their 2024 potential unrestricted free agents.

He considers Noah Hanifin as the most obvious player to depart the Stampede City for Beantown but believes it makes more sense for the two clubs to discuss a swap of Elias Lindholm. The Bruins need a replacement for now-retired center Patrice Bergeron and the 28-year-old Lindholm could fit the bill with his two-way play.

Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm (NHL Images).

As for the potential return to the Flames, Sportak believes it would have to include more than just one player, draft pick or prospect. He suggested defenseman Mason Lohrei should be at the top of the list. Other prospect options include winger Fabian Lysell and center Matthew Poitras

Meanwhile, Sportak’s colleague Sammi Silber suggested the Washington Capitals should keep an eye on Lindholm. She cited his two-way play and leadership as enticing traits for a club seeking a reliable top-six center.

However, Silber noted that it would be difficult for the Capitals to land Lindholm. They have Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha as trade chips but they’re unlikely to be enough to pry Lindholm away from the Flames. The cost of his next contract and the Capitals’ future after the Alex Ovechkin era is over could make it tough to convince him to sign a long-term deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of the two teams the Bruins might have the best chance to land Lindholm, Nevertheless, it won’t be easy for either club to get him.

Unless they’re the only two clubs in the bidding, the Bruins and Capitals lack depth in sufficient trade bait to tempt the Flames. Other clubs with more tradeable assets could outbid them once the Flames put Lindholm on the trade block.

LATEST ON WILLIAM NYLANDER

TORONTO STAR: Damien Cox believes William Nylander is going to get between $10 million and $11 million annually on his next contract. It might be with the Leafs or with another club as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Cox considers it a fantasy to think that the 27-year-old winger is going to accept less money to stay in Toronto. He’s got all the leverage he needs with UFA eligibility approaching next summer.

The Leafs could try to trade Nylander but Cox doubts they’ll get value in any return given the state of the trade market under a flattened salary cap. Most teams can’t afford his current contract right now ($6.962 million cap hit) and none will want to acquire him without an agreement on a long-term extension.

Cox thinks the best course of action for the Leafs is to let Nylander play out his final season with them. They can use the money they would’ve invested in him on pursuing a top-flight goaltender or a top defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: More pundits are realizing that the Leafs won’t get anything close to equal value for Nylander if they trade him. That could change if another club gets desperate but it doesn’t appear as though anyone’s beating down the Leafs door willing to make that deal.

I was of the opinion that the Leafs should trade him. I felt that general manager Brad Treliving doesn’t want to go through another scenario watching a star depart as a free agent as he did in Calgary last summer with Johnny Gaudreau. Nylander’s uncertain future could also become an unnecessary distraction for the club.

Nevertheless, the Leafs are still a playoff contender hoping to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. Their chances of doing so are better with Nylander in the lineup unless a club steps up with an offer that would make them a better club. So far, that offer doesn’t seem to be out there.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE SENATORS AFTER SIGNING TARASENKO?

THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes wondered what the Ottawa Senators will do to free up salary-cap space after signing Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5 million contract. They’re bumping up against the $83.5 million salary cap with restricted free agent Shane Pinto to re-sign.

Mendes expects Pinto’s salary request will exceed the $900K that the Senators have to play with. He anticipates they’ll have to ship someone out. There aren’t many logical trade candidates and they won’t want to move a core player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps they attempt to move winger Mathieu Joseph ($2.95 million through 2024-25) or defenseman Erik Brannstrom ($2 million). They could also shop Dominik Kubalik but they recently acquired him from the Red Wings.