NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2024

by | Jul 17, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: An update on Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba and winger Kaapo Kakko and suggested trade destinations for Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty and Predators goalie Yaroslav Askarov.

UPDATE ON JACOB TROUBA AND KAAPO KAKKO

THE ATHLETIC: Arthur Staple reports it doesn’t appear the New York Rangers will trade or buy out Jacob Trouba this summer.

The 30-year-old defenseman was the subject of trade speculation linking him to the Detroit Red Wings last month. However, league sources claim there was never anything close to a deal with the Wings.

Trading or buying out Trouba now would leave the Rangers in the market for a right-shot defenseman behind Adam Fox and Braden Schneider who kills penalties and can handle an occasional increase in playing time.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

Staple indicated there was at least one conversation between Trouba and Rangers general manager Chris Drury. There may have been some fence-mending by the Rangers regarding those trade rumors but Trouba is a pro who won’t put his emotions over the good of the team.

However, Staple believes it’s nearly certain that Trouba will be traded next summer. He has a 15-team no-trade list, will have a year left on his contract, and his wife’s medical residency will be completed by then.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The silence we’ve heard in the rumor mill about Trouba since July 1 led most of us to conclude he won’t be traded or bought out this summer. Drury’s attempt to trade him before July 1 was to free up cap space to make one or two signings in the free-agent market. With that market picked clean, there’s no reason to move Trouba now.

Staple felt if the Rangers make a move this summer it would involve Kaapo Kakko. The 23-year-old winger signed a one-year, $2.4 million contract last month but was still considered a trade candidate.

However, there have been no offers that interested Drury or other teams. Staple believes Kakko could also be back if the Rangers don’t want to sell low and find another top-nine forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury could bring Kakko back and hope he has a breakout performance like Alexis Lafreniere last season. If he doesn’t, the Rangers GM could bundle the young winger with a draft pick for an established forward by the March trade deadline. Maybe he tries to bring back Frank Vatrano.

SUGGESTED TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR MCGROARTY AND ASKAROV

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon proposed some trade destinations for Winnipeg Jets prospect winger Rutger McGroarty and promising Nashville Predators goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.

McGroarty, 20, recently surfaced in the rumor mill amid reports he and the Jets disagree about the course of his development. Meanwhile, trade speculation about the 22-year-old Askarov has increased after the Predators signed Juuse Saros to a contract extension and signed veteran backup Scott Wedgewood.

Dixon suggested the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Calgary Flames as potential trade partners for McGroarty.

The Canadiens are flush with defensemen they could use to add McGroarty to their rebuilding roster. The Flames are also rebuilding and could use a promising young winger. The Wild could use a winger with his enticing profile, while the Bruins are a contending team that could use an affordable injection of youth into their roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dixon observed the Canadiens and Wild were linked to McGroarty during the NHL draft.

Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes could use a promising young goaltender like Askarov. Dixon also suggested the New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks could benefit from landing both players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dixon suggested the Jackets offer up Kent Johnson for Askarov, a pitch that could tempt the Predators. Askarov and Pyotr Kochetkov could give the Hurricanes a reliable goalie tandem for years.

Between the Devils and Sharks, the latter could be better positioned to pursue both players. They’re carrying two first-round picks in next year’s draft, a deeper prospect pool and a lot more salary-cap space.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2024

by | Jul 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 13, 2024

The latest on the Rangers attempt to trade Jacob Trouba, Predators GM Barry Trotz weighs in on teams like his in “no-tax” states, and the latest signings in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS’ Stefen Rosner cited former New York Rangers general manager Neil Smith saying team captain Jacob Trouba blocked a trade to the Detroit Red Wings when he learned that’s where the Rangers wanted to trade him.

Smith said the Rangers asked Trouba for his 15-team no-trade list before his no-movement clause changed to a modified no-trade clause on July 1. As per his contract, the Trouba camp refused until July 1. When they did submit the list, Detroit was part of it because it had already been leaked to the media that the Rangers were talking about a trade with the Red Wings.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

That leaves Rangers management facing what Smith calls some “muddy waters” with their most important player, their team captain. He believes they’ll have to make Trouba feel wanted again.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was clumsily handled by Rangers management but it did provide some intrigue to this summer’s trade market. That deal with Detroit was dead once it got leaked to the press. It seems that way based on all we’ve learned since late June.

Some Rangers supporters still blame Trouba for “putting himself above the team” by invoking his no-trade clause to block the deal to Detroit. However, he did nothing wrong by abiding by the terms of his contract.

The Rangers know which teams aren’t on Trouba’s “no-trade” list. They could attempt to move him to one of those clubs this summer, or before next year’s trade deadline, or at some point next summer. His $8 million cap hit will make that difficult to pull off, but it’s not impossible.

In the meantime, both sides will have to deal with the fallout from this situation. It’ll be interesting to see how this shakes out and what effect (if any) it has on the Rangers in 2024-25.

THE SCORE: Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz acknowledged that his team has an advantage playing in a state that doesn’t levy a state tax.

“It is an advantage because your dollar goes a little bit further,” he told TSN’s Overdrive on Wednesday. “There’s no question”.

The Predators made headlines this summer by signing unrestricted free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. Along with the Predators, the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken also have the advantage of playing where there is no state tax.

Four of the last five Stanley Cup champions were from “no-tax” states. The Lightning won in 2020 and 2021, the Golden Knights in 2023 and the Panthers in 2024.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those clubs have played in “no-tax” states for years. It’s only been recently that three of them enjoyed championship success. Some observers believe this gives those teams an unfair advantage that should be addressed in the next round of collective bargaining. 

The lack of a state tax does help those teams retain their best players and add players via free agency. However,  it does not guarantee success. How management invests that money in building and maintaining a contender remains the determining factor.

The Predators have declined since reaching the 2017 Stanley Cup Final and winning the Presidents’ Trophy the following season. Their previous management was not renowned for making big splashes in the free-agent pool like those that Trotz just made. It remains to be seen how those moves pan out.

As for the Stars, they have had their share of ups and downs since their Stanley Cup victory 25 years ago. The Kraken have only existed since 2021-22 and are still trying to build themselves into a contender.

The Panthers were a laughingstock for over two decades until they finally brought in stable ownership and management. The Lightning endured some ownership and management turmoil following their first Stanley Cup in 2004, including a rebuilding phase directly responsible for their consecutive championships.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights’ habit of swinging big trades for elite talent left them with a depleted prospect pipeline that could prove costly in the long run.

The salary cap eventually catches up with these clubs.

Limited cap space forced the Lightning to make cost-cutting moves that drained their roster depth, including the recent departure of Stamkos and trading away Mikhail Sergachev.

The Golden Knights recently lost Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, Michael Amadio, and Logan Thompson due to cap constraints while the Panthers had to bid farewell to defenseman Brandon Montour.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders also signed forward Liam Foudy to a one-year, two-way contract.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets avoided arbitration with goaltender Jet Greaves, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $812,500.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Greaves is the fourth who filed for salary arbitration to sign with his club before his arbitration hearing was scheduled. The other three were Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser, San Jose Sharks blueliner Ty Emberson and Blue Jackets rearguard Jake Christiansen.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2024

by | Jul 12, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 12, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at some of the notable trade and free agent rumors facing some Eastern Conference teams.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently examined the lingering offseason questions for each team in the Eastern Conference.

He wondered if the Carolina Hurricanes would sign Martin Necas to a new contract or trade the 25-year-old forward. Given Jake Guentzel’s departure, the Hurricanes could circle back and attempt to mend fences with Necas.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports emerged this spring claiming Necas was unhappy with his role as a third-line winger, preferring a move to center and taking on more responsibilities. His filing for salary arbitration last Friday adds some intrigue to his situation.

Necas was linked to the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Utah Hockey Club and Vancouver Canucks at one point or another. So far, there’s no indication he’s on the verge of getting traded.

Dixon also wondered who would become the next head coach of the Blue Jackets. It appeared former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan was the favorite. However, he still has a year on his contract with the Kings and the two clubs couldn’t work out an agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft and former Minnesota Wild coach Dean Evason appear to be the frontrunners.

The Montreal Canadiens still must address their need to add another scoring forward. However, they could still find a way to do so during this offseason. Dixon pointed out that they carry a glut of promising young defensemen who represent possible trade chips.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has been involved in notable summer trades over the last two years. He acquired Sean Monahan from Calgary in Aug. 2022 and was part of the three-team deal that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last August.

The Canadiens also have plenty of draft picks to draw on for trade bait. They have two first-round picks, two second-rounders, three third-round selections, and two fourth-rounders in next year’s draft and two fourth-rounders in 2026.

Dixon noted the New York Rangers’ attempt to trade defenseman Jacob Trouba and his efforts to block that move. The 30-year-old Rangers captain doesn’t want to uproot his family but GM Chris Drury could prefer moving his $8 million cap hit, which runs through 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed Drury initially tried to move Trouba before the start of free agency on July 1 to clear room to sign a UFA or two. Dixon suggested Drury could now prefer peddling him to free up space to re-sign RFA defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider this summer, and to re-sign Igor Shesterkin before his UFA eligibility next July.

Trouba now has a 15-team no-trade list. The problem is many of the teams not on that list could lack the cap space, trade assets or both to acquire him.

Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost was a frequent subject of trade chatter last season. Dixon wondered if another club might circle back with the dust having settled in the free-agent market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Frost hasn’t been mentioned much in the rumor mill. That doesn’t mean he won’t be traded this summer. He’s had back-to-back 40-plus point seasons and carries a reasonable $2.1 million cap hit for this season.

Sidney Crosby’s contract extension remains the offseason story for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report earlier this week claimed the two sides are getting closer to an agreement. As Dixon noted, however, the chatter won’t stop until Crosby finally puts pen to paper.

Speculation over Mitch Marner’s future with the Toronto Maple Leafs has died away. Dixon pointed out the 27-year-old winger has full control over his future with his no-movement clause and expects he’ll still be with the Leafs when training camp opens in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That seems to be the case. It will then become a question of whether they’ll sign Marner to a contract extension or risk losing him next summer to free agency.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 11, 2024

by | Jul 11, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 11, 2024

Check out the latest on the Rangers, Canadiens and Blue Jackets in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LOHUD.COM: Vincent Z. Mercogliano suggests the New York Rangers might not make any major moves this summer after all. All the top unrestricted free agents are now off the board and it’s difficult to find an impact trade as there don’t seem to be many players available.

A lot of eyes are on the Winnipeg Jets. They’re believed to be deep in talks to trade winger Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mercogliano also noted the Rangers had previous trade discussions with the Anaheim Ducks about winger Frank Vatrano. It’s believed the Ducks wanted to do more during this offseason. They could hang onto Vatrano and hope for higher bids at the trade deadline.

The Rangers will have access to a second contract buyout once Ryan Lindgren’s arbitration situation is resolved. However, they’re not expected to make use of it.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

They can also afford to keep Jacob Trouba on the roster despite the awkward fallout from general manager Chris Drury’s failed attempt to trade him to the Detroit Red Wings. It might be easier next summer to find a trade partner among those not on his no-trade list.

A source told Mercogliano that the Rangers aren’t thrilled with the trade offers they’ve received for winger Kaapo Kakko. They’d need an NHL-caliber player in return to fill the resulting hole in their lineup by trading Kakko.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury could surprise us by finding a team willing to take Trouba or Kakko off the Rangers’ hands for the right price. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be surprising if both players are still on their roster when their season begins in October.

TVA SPORTS: Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes will find slim pickings in this summer’s UFA market if he intends to go that route to add a scoring forward.

The site suggested the three best remaining options are Daniel Sprong, Tyler Johnson and Alex Nylander.

Sprong had 18 goals and 43 points last season with the Detroit Red Wings despite averaging only 12 minutes of ice time per game. Johnson had 17 goals in 67 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and would’ve netted over 20 had he played a full 82 games. Nylander had 11 goals and 15 points in 28 games after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s not a heck of a lot left to choose from here. The best you can say is they’ll be affordable signings. Maybe one of them might thrive in a third-line role with the Canadiens on a one-year deal.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman cited The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reporting Jay Woodcroft and Dean Evason are among the finalists for the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head-coaching position.

Former Los Angeles Kings bench boss Todd McLellan was reportedly the first choice of Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell. However, he’s no longer in the running after contract negotiations fell through. McLellan still has another year remaining on his contract with the Kings, meaning the two teams would have to determine how much the Blue Jackets would pay. A source told Portzline the Jackets could circle back to McLellan.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2024

by | Jul 10, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2024

Check out the ongoing speculation that the Panthers might trade Aaron Ekblad, an update on Jacob Trouba, and nine possible offer-sheet candidates in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON EKBLAD AND TROUBA

TSN: Jay Onrait spoke with ESPN’s Emily Kaplan on Tuesday regarding speculation the Florida Panthers could trade Aaron Ekblad to free up some salary-cap space.

Kaplan said it will be difficult for the Panthers to maintain their roster despite being a destination franchise. Nevertheless, their front office isn’t afraid to make hard decisions. She can’t confirm that Ekblad’s on the trade block but wouldn’t be surprised if the Panthers explored that possibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ekblad trade rumors stretch back to June 2 when the Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons speculated they could move him to free up cap room to re-sign Brandon Montour, who has since signed with the Seattle Kraken.

Ekblad has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $7.5 million and a 12-team no-trade list for 2024-25.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

The Panthers are above the $88 million cap by over $933K. They can easily become cap-compliant before their season opener in October by demoting a lower-salaried player rather than moving a high-salaried core player like Ekblad. Montour’s departure could make the Panthers less likely to move him if they intend on staging a successful defense of their Stanley Cup title.

Onrait and Kaplan also discussed the recent trade rumors swirling around New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba. The Rangers reportedly had a deal on the table with the Detroit Red Wings. However, the 30-year-old defenseman didn’t want to do it with his wife still finishing her residency as a medical doctor.

Kaplan believes Trouba will be in the Rangers lineup when they start the season in October even though it was a really uncomfortable process over the last days and weeks. She noted Trouba used his no-trade protection in his contract to nix the deal with the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers general manager Chris Drury attempted an aggressive move to trade Trouba in the week leading up to the start of free agency. He hoped to shed most of his captain’s $8 million cap hit to Detroit to free up room for a foray or two into the UFA market.

Trouba used his no-trade protection to reject the deal as was his contractual right. He now has a 15-team no-trade list. Drury could peddle him to any club not on that list but it’s pointless to do so at this stage with all the top free-agent talent now gone from the market. Trouba isn’t moving unless Drury finds a return that improves the Rangers right away.

POSSIBLE OFFER SHEET CANDIDATES

SPORTSNET: Emily Sadler looked at nine restricted free agents who could become offer sheet targets this summer. She acknowledged the rarity of offer sheets, noting the last one occurred in 2021 when the Carolina Hurricanes successfully signed away Jesperi Kotkaniemi from the Montreal Canadiens.

The longer Jeremy Swayman goes without a new contract with the Boston Bruins sows another small seed of doubt about this deal and how soon it’ll get done.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Someone could pitch an offer sheet to Swayman but that depends on his willingness to sign one. The same goes for every restricted free agent. It’s pointless to attempt if they’re not interested.

Swayman knows he’s got the Bruins’ starting goalie sewn up. He loves being a Bruins and playing in Boston. He also opted not to go to arbitration when he had the chance. That should tell us all we need to know about his interest in an offer sheet.

His negotiations could take time but that’s common. Most RFA contract talks can take most of the summer before a resolution is reached. It’s doubtful there’s any real concern here.

The Canadiens could make a “revenge play” against the Hurricanes by targeting Seth Jarvis.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens could make that move if Marc Bergevin was still their general manager. His attempt at signing Sebastian Aho in 2019 prompted the retaliatory Kotkaniemi signing two years later. The current Habs management probably isn’t interested in going down that road.

Swimming in cap space, the Detroit Red Wings can match any offer for Moritz Seider and/or Lucas Raymond. Whether someone attempts to set the market for them is the bigger question.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s doubtful that any club will attempt it. That move will only succeed in pissing off every general manager around the league for setting the market value for comparable players.

A rival club could attempt to squeeze the cap-strapped Edmonton Oilers by pitching an offer sheet to Dylan Holloway or Philip Broberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Possible but unlikely. Holloway and Broberg are in the early stages of their NHL careers. They might not pan out as hoped.

Sadler also suggested Quinton Byfield of the Los Angeles Kings, Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets and Dawson Mercer of the New Jersey Devils. An offer sheet to any one of them could mess up their team’s plans to sign them to an affordable bridge contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Another possibility but only if the player is willing to entertain offer-sheet proposals. Those three might not be interested in such deals.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 5, 2024

by | Jul 5, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – July 5, 2024

Check out the recent Rangers and Sabres speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RANGERS STILL LACK CAP FLEXIBILITY AFTER FAILING TO TRADE TROUBA

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker suggests Rangers general manager Chris Drury could be looking at running it back next season with more of his roster’s core group than expected.

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba (NHL Images).

The Rangers have little salary-cap flexibility after failing to move Jacob Trouba in a cost-cutting trade. That was a touchy subject that played itself out in the media. It’s also left them with limited cap room and restricted free agents Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider to re-sign.

Meanwhile, winger Kaapo Kakko remains a Ranger after signing a one-year, team-friendly contract at his qualifying offer price of $2.4 million.

Despite acquiring winger Reilly Smith from Pittsburgh and signing forward Sam Carrick, the Rangers don’t look very different.

Walker noted any additional roster-shifting moves haven’t happened yet and might not occur this summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh observed Trouba became the subject of criticism among some Rangers fans for putting his family’s needs above the team’s.

Baugh defended Trouba for exercising his contractual rights by not providing his 15-team no-trade list a week before his no-movement clause became a modified no-trade clause on July 1. That may have prevented the Rangers from making moves but none of it falls on Trouba.

“The 30-year-old captain never once violated the deal he negotiated,” wrote Baugh. “He is exercising the rights in the contract to do what’s best for himself and his family, and that’s beyond acceptable”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s not Trouba’s fault that Drury painted himself into this corner. He reportedly had a deal in place to send the defenseman to the Detroit Red Wings before July 1. That might not be on the table anymore following the Wings’ recent forays in the free-agent market.

The Rangers GM could try to move Trouba to one of the teams not on his no-trade list. However, that could be difficult with many clubs using most of their cap space in the free-agent market.

Drury could try and peddle Kakko but he won’t provide much cap relief and there might not be much of a market for him.

ARE MORE MOVES IN STORE FOR THE SABRES?

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn observed Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams acquired winger Jason Zucker and signed free-agent checking-line forwards Sam Lafferty and Nicolas Aube-Kubel on July 1 However, he wonders if Adams has anything else up his sleeve.

The Sabres GM seemed open to adding a top-six forward but he doesn’t appear to consider it urgent. Fairburn expects they’ll have plenty of salary-cap space after re-signing Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Henri Jokiharju, Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams could see what’s available in the trade market later this summer or during training camp and preseason. It wouldn’t be surprising if he banks that cap space to use during the season, perhaps in the lead-up to the 2025 trade deadline.