NHL Rumor Mill – August 12, 2023

by | Aug 12, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 12, 2023

Check out the latest on the Canucks, Sharks and Panthers in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

CANUCKS NEED TO SHED SALARY AFTER SIGNING SUTER

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston believes the Vancouver Canucks need to make a cost-cutting trade as their signing of Pius Suter on Friday pushes them above the $83.5 million salary for this season by around $1 million.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers (NHL Images).

Johnston observes that the Canucks have a glut of wingers for the coming season. Even if Tanner Pearson were a healthy scratch, there’s little room for Nils Hoglander, Conor Garland, Brock Boeser and Vasily Podkolzin.

Garland and Boeser have been mentioned as trade candidates in the past but their contracts have proven difficult to move. The Canucks could be reluctant to part with young forwards like Hoglander and Podkolzin.

Johnston considers Tyler Myers as the obvious trade candidate. The 33-year-old defenseman is in the final season of his contract. While he carries a $6 million cap hit, he’ll earn $1 million in actual salary for the season once the Canucks pay his $5 million signing bonus in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston pointed out that there was talk last month claiming the Canucks had a deal lined up with the San Jose Sharks. With the Sharks trading away Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins last Sunday, they could be in the market for short-term blueline depth.

The Sharks only carry $3.9 million in cap room but they might be open to acquiring Myers if the Canucks agree to retain half of his cap hit for the season. That’s assuming, of course, that they aren’t on Myers’ 10-team no-trade list.

Speaking of the Sharks…

SHARKS IN THE MARKET FOR A DEFENSEMAN

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng believes the San Jose Sharks are in the market for some offense from their defense. He cited PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reporting they had some interest in Matt Dumba before the free-agent blueliner signed with the Arizona Coyotes.

Peng observes that the pickings are slim in the free-agent market. Ethan Bear is still available but won’t return to action until December as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Alex Edler, 37, could retire and hasn’t played on the power-play in four years.

Other UFA options include Simon Benoit, Nick Holden and Scott Harrington. Peng also noted the pickings aren’t much better in the trade market. He cited general manager Mike Grier will look at possible choices within his system during training camp and preseason play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Grier could be forced into the trade market or watching the waiver wire if his internal options for an offensive-minded rearguard fail to pan out.

LATEST ON THE PANTHERS

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards believes the Panthers are likely done trying to bolster their roster via free agency. Like Peng, he points out the lack of remaining talent in this summer’s market.

Richards speculates that the Panthers might be interested in Patrick Kane when he’s recovered from offseason hip surgery and is ready to return to action later this season. That will depend on whether the 34-year-old winger sees them as a fit.

If the Panthers make any further additions it could be via professional tryout offers during training camp. If Aaron Ekblad or Brandon Montour start the season on long-term injury reserve, it could open the door to adding someone like center Paul Stastny if he’s still available.










NHL Rumor Mill – August 9, 2023

by | Aug 9, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – August 9, 2023

Check out the latest on the Flames’ Noah Hanifin and the Sharks’ Kevin Labanc in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

UPDATE ON NOAH HANIFIN

THE ATHLETIC: Julian McKenzie wonders if the Calgary Flames will attempt to capitalize on Noah Hanifin’s trade value now that Erik Karlsson is off the market. The 26-year-old defenseman is in the final season of his contract and has reportedly informed the Flames he’s not interested in an extension.

Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin (NHL Images).

McKenzie had previously suggested the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers as possible trade destinations for Hanifin. At one point in late June, there was speculation suggesting the Sabres and Flames had emerged as primary suitors.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported Hanifin wants to continue his playing career in the United States. Of the clubs previously mentioned, the Sabres and Predators are the only ones now with sufficient cap space to absorb his $4.95 million cap hit. McKenzie also noted the Detroit Red Wings also have cap space if they were interested in the Flames blueliner.

McKenzie speculates the Flames would likely want a return involving younger players who can help their roster right away. Draft picks also wouldn’t hurt as they need to improve their prospect pipeline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are pressed against the $83.5 million salary cap for this season so they can’t afford to retain part of Hanifin’s cap hit. Perhaps they might consider a dollar-in, dollar-out scenario if it nets them a quality player in his mid-twenties.

Hanifin would provide a boost to the respective bluelines of the Sabres, Red Wings and Predators. However, there’s no certainty that they’re interested in making a significant offseason trade. They could be willing to wait and see how the season progresses before making any major upgrades.

LATEST ON KEVIN LABANC

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Max Miller recently mused over Kevin Labanc’s trade value. The 27-year-old San Jose Sharks winger is slated to become a UFA next summer and is likely to be shopped before this season’s trade deadline.

Labanc’s value has diminished enough that Sharks general manager Mike Grier might be willing to retain part of his $4.725 million cap hit to facilitate a trade. Miller believes the Sharks must move him soon or risk his value plummeting further.

It was rumored last month that the Sharks may have had a deal in place with the Vancouver Canucks swapping Labanc for defenseman Tyler Myers. Miller speculates the holdup could be Myers being owed a $5 million signing bonus on Sept. 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’ll find out soon enough if the rumored Labanc-for-Myers trade comes to fruition. If it doesn’t, the Sharks might end up having to start the season with Labanc on the roster and hope that he can play well enough to draw some interest before the trade deadline.










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.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 9, 2023

by | Jul 9, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – July 9, 2023

Are the Devils interested in John Gibson? What’s the latest on Vladimir Tarasenko? Who could the Islanders target in the trade market? Could the Canucks ship Tyler Myers to the Sharks? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

DEVIL INTERESTED IN GIBSON

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports sources tell him the New Jersey Devils are “sniffing around” Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson. He noted that the Devils are weighing whether their current tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid can carry them to the Stanley Cup in a division that features the New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a 10-team no-trade clause. His stats have suffered over the past three seasons with the rebuilding Ducks but could improve on a talented team like the Devils.

The Devils currently have over $5.6 million in cap space with 19 active roster players under contract. They would have to convince the Ducks to retain part of Gibson’s cap hit, send a contract or two to Anaheim as part of the return, or make a cost-cutting deal or two with another club to free up the cap payroll to acquire him.

THE LATEST ON TARASENKO

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports Vladimir Tarasenko had a multi-year contract worth an AAV of $5.5 million in place with the Carolina Hurricanes before rejecting it (and other offers) and changing agents.

Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

Tarasenko wanted to remain with the New York Rangers but it was never a realistic possibility. The club didn’t extend the 31-year-old winger a single offer and he wasn’t going to stay with them on a cheap one-year contract.

Brooks believes offers will still be there for Tarasenko. He doesn’t think the Hurricanes will drop out. The Ottawa Senators will be major players once they’ve found a trade partner for Alex DeBrincat. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello could be interested if he doesn’t land DeBrincat.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps Tarasenko is waiting for the outcome of the Senators trading DeBrincat to see how it will affect the offers he’s getting.

WHICH SCORERS COULD THE ISLANDERS PURSUE IN THE TRADE MARKET?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner was asked by a reader which top-six scorer would be a good fit with the New York Islanders if they can’t land Ottawa’s Alex DeBrincat. He suggested Toronto’s William Nylander, Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny and Anaheim’s Adam Henrique.

The Leafs could end up peddling Nylander rather than risk losing him next summer to free agency. He reportedly seeks an average annual value of $10 million.

Konecny has two seasons left on his contract with an AAV of $5.5 million. However, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has reported the Flyers would need to receive an offer that blows them away. Rosner doubts the Islanders have the prospects to make that pitch.

There was talk near the March 2023 trade deadline that Henrique was available before he was sidelined by an injury. Despite his age, he’s still good for around 20 goals and 40 points. A UFA at season’s end, the Ducks might wish to try and move him near the March 2024 trade deadline.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Fantucchio noted the Boston Bruins will need centers if Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire. He suggested the Isles package Jean-Gabriel Pageau and RFA winger Oliver Wahlstrom to the Bruins for winger Jake DeBrusk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lamoriello has been trying to add scoring to his roster since last summer. He acquired Bo Horvat midway through last season but still needs a goal-scoring winger.

It’s rumored that Lamoriello has an interest in DeBrincat but the Detroit Red Wings are considered the front-runners to acquire the Senators winger.

He knows Nylander from his days as Leafs GM so he could pursue the 27-year-old winger if he ends up on the trade block. However, I don’t know how keen Lamoriello would be to pay him $10 million annually.

Konecny seems unavailable at this time though that might change as the season progresses. Even so, the Flyers will set a steep asking price. Henrique seems the most likely to be traded but I agree with Rosner that he might not be available until later in the season.

The Bruins will certainly be in need of centers if Bergeron and Krejci depart. However, I think they’d want more than Fantucchio’s proposed package for DeBrusk, preferably a younger and more affordable center.

UPDATE ON MYERS

DONNIE & DHALI: Rick Dhaliwal recently spoke to player agent J.P. Barry regarding a rumor that the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks have a possible deal on the table that would send defenseman Tyler Myers to the Sharks.

Barry denied knowledge of such a deal for Myers, saying he’s not aware of anything connecting his client to the Sharks. “I can’t react every time because I think that’s the 13th team in two years that’s been connected to him,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barry went on to say that Myers loves Vancouver but he’s aware that the coming season will be his last with the Canucks given his UFA status next summer. He believes he’ll become a more interesting trade asset near the March trade deadline.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 5, 2023

by | Jul 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 5, 2023

The latest on William Nylander and Matt Murray, an update on Alex DeBrincat, and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS, NYLANDER REPORTEDLY FAR APART IN CONTRACT TALKS

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nick Barden cited TSN’s Chris Johnston’s recent report claiming contract extension talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander “aren’t going well.” The 27-year-old winger is a year away from unrestricted free-agent status and carries an average annual cap hit of just under $7 million on his current contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

Johnston said the two sides had “a lot of discussions” during the draft in Nashville but “see the world differently at this point in time.” He claimed that Nylander sees himself as a $10 million player based on his points but the Leafs are trying to get him at a lower number.

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby reminds us that Nylander and the Leafs played contract chicken during the first half of the 2018-19 season when he was a restricted free agent. The staring contest went down to the Dec. 1 deadline before the two sides agreed to his current deal.

Hornby notes that Nylander hit career highs this season with 40 goals and 87 points. The winger was also fourth in playoff scoring with 10 points despite seeing less ice time than Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is reportedly offering the Nylander camp an AAV of $9 million. Meanwhile, has to get a new contract hammered out for Matthews before next summer and keep an eye on a new deal for Marner before the summer of 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander’s previous contract standoff never sat well with some Leafs fans, who’ve used it as a cudgel against the winger whenever he hasn’t played up to their expectations. Another lengthy negotiation will likely prompt them to demand that Treliving trade him as soon as possible for the best potential return.

Treliving wasn’t the general manager during Nylander’s 2018 contract talks. However, he’s inherited limited cap room from his predecessor, who had no problem tossing cash around on Matthews, Marner and John Tavares.

Back then, the argument was Nylander wasn’t in the same class as his three high-profile teammates. Nevertheless, he has steadily improved since 2018-19 into a point-per-game player. He’s also garnered a reputation as a reliable playoff performer.

As Johnston said, Nylander made a reasonable argument that he’s a $10 million per season player. If the Leafs won’t pay him that much, other clubs will, especially if he hits the open market next summer with a salary cap expected to significantly jump following four seasons of stagnation.

I think the Leafs will open the vault for Matthews and Marner but not for Nylander. He could end up playing elsewhere in 2024-25 as a free agent unless the Leafs decide to trade him this summer. Either way, I expect he’ll shine with his new club to the consternation of his critics in Toronto.

LEAFS TRYING TO TRADE MURRAY

THE SCORE: Sean O’Leary cited Chris Johnston reporting the Leafs are trying to shed the final season of goaltender Matt Murray’s contract for salary-cap relief. He’s on their books for $4.6 million for 2023-24 before becoming a UFA next summer.

According to Johnston, the Leafs would prefer a trade. However, they might avail themselves of the second buyout window if a trade fails to materialize. Teams can use that second buyout window if they have a player who files for salary arbitration. Restricted free-agent goaltender Ilya Samsonov could opt to go that route. The filing deadline is 5 pm on July 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray’s injury history and 10-team no-trade clause could make a buyout more likely than a trade.

LATEST ON DEBRINCAT

SPORTSNET: Wayne Scanlan looked at three possible scenarios for Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat. The 25-year-old restricted free-agent winger reportedly prefers a trade to an American club but the Senators are having difficulty finding a suitable deal.

One outcome is DeBrincat returns to the Senators this season on an arbitration deal. However, the club has filed to take him to arbitration meaning the maximum award would be 15 percent less than what his qualifying offer ($9 million) would’ve been. They could attempt to move him later in the season near the trade deadline or keep him for a potential playoff run.

Another sees him signing a bridge deal with the Senators for two or three years. That would buy the Senators more time to find a suitable trade package while DeBrincat could become a UFA at 27 or 28 and cash in big on the open market.

The other, more likely outcome is a trade. That would depend on the Senators finding a return that helps them now while the DeBrincat camp find a contract they can live with, though perhaps not the long-term deal they recently envisioned.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It might be to DeBrincat’s advantage to accept a short-term deal to facilitate a trade. The cap is going to rise substantially for 2024-25 and 2025-26. He’d then be in a better position to find a more lucrative long-term deal either with his new team or on the open market.

Speaking of a trade, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders remain in the DeBrincat sweepstakes.

ARE THE SHARKS AND CANUCKS WORKING ON A MYERS-FOR-LABANC TRADE?

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks have a deal on the table involving Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers. It would see Myers head to San Jose straight up for winger Kevin Labanc.

So far, that deal has yet to materialize. Seravalli claimed the Canucks were exasperated that this offer has sat on the table for some time now.

Peng speculates the Sharks prefer waiting until Myers is paid his $5 million signing bonus on Sept. 1. After that, the Sharks would only have to pay him $1 million of his remaining actual salary, though the $6 million cap hit would count against their salary cap for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If that’s the case I expect the Sharks would’ve communicated that to the Canucks by now. The delay could also be due to the Sharks’ efforts to trade Erik Karlsson.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 28, 2023

by | May 28, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – May 28, 2023

The latest on the Hurricanes, the Flyers are willing to entertain offers for Carter Hart, and the possibility of the Blackhawks and Canucks swapping first-round picks in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

LATEST ON THE HURRICANES

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Luke DeCock believes the Carolina Hurricanes are running out of chances with their current group to win the Stanley Cup. After another disappointing postseason, they could have one final shot at it before difficult roster decisions must be made.

Core players such as Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen will need new contracts next summer, and Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin the year after that. Meanwhile, some changes could come this summer with Jesper Fast, Jordan Staal and goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images)

DeCock speculated Hurricanes management could decide to peddle Teravainen this summer if they’re unlikely to re-sign him. They could also perhaps sell high on Necas or Jack Drury, who both struggled in the postseason. There are also lingering questions regarding their overall roster toughness.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes have plenty of salary-cap space ($24.1 million) to retain players like Staal and Andersen on affordable short-term contracts. Meanwhile, they could go shopping for a scoring forward with size and grit via the trade or free-agent markets.

SPORTSNET: Ken Wiebe wonders if the Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets would become trade partners if the latter attempts to shake up their “core four” of goalie Connor Hellebuyck and forwards Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler.

Pyotr Kochetckov is the only Hurricanes goalie under contract for next season. Hellebuyck has one season left on his contract with a manageable $6.167 million cap hit. He’d unlikely be a long-term fit but that might not be a deterrent for a team in “win-now” mode.

Scheifele, meanwhile, doesn’t necessarily fit into the Hurricanes’ defensive-zone commitment. Nevertheless, perhaps Rod Brind’Amour could be the type of coach that inspires Scheifele to play a 200-foot game. The 29-year-old center will also be motivated as he’s also a year away from UFA status and will want to ensure his value remains high.

Wiebe listed Necas, Teravainen and Pesce as possible Hurricanes trade chips as well as top prospect Scott Morrow and their 2023 or 2024 first-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weibe isn’t saying that the Hurricanes and Jets are talking trade. He’s merely looking at which members of the Jets core might be available and of potential interest to the Canes. We’ll learn in the coming weeks whether these two clubs intend to have trade discussions.

We can’t rule out the possibility of the Hurricanes rolling the dice on stars with a year left on their contracts in their quest to win the Stanley Cup next season. Whether Carolina GM Don Waddell is prepared to go that route remains to be seen.

FLYERS COULD ENTERTAIN TRADE OFFERS FOR HART

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Chuck Bausman cited Flyers general manager Daniel Briere telling Philadelphia sports radio 94.1 WIP that he’s open to trading goaltender Carter Hart.

“Most likely, Carter will be our goalie for the future, but I’m not in a position to turn down anything,” said Briere. “I have to listen.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hart was considered among the rebuilding Flyers’ few untouchables so that’s a significant statement by Briere. However, he didn’t say that he is trading Hart but only indicated that he’s willing to entertain offers.

Those offers, however, will have to meet what will likely be Briere’s high asking price. He’s not going to just give him away. I daresay he’ll want at least a first-round pick and a top prospect in the deal.

Someone could step up and overpay to get Hart. However, I think he’ll be returning to the Flyers crease this fall.

COULD THE BLACKHAWKS AND CANUCKS COMBINE ON A DRAFT PICK TRADE?

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston recently took note of The Athletic’s Scott Powers indicating the Chicago Blackhawks would love to move up into the top-15 in this year’s draft order. In addition to the first-overall pick, they also hold the 19th overall pick.

Powers indicated the Blackhawks are willing to package second-round picks with the 19th overall pick. He suggested the Canucks as a trade partner as they hold the 11th overall selection.

Johnston cited one source suggesting the Blackhawks could land the Canucks pick based on the scenario laid out by Powers. Another source told Johnston that they might be willing to entertain that scenario if they can move a contract in the deal.

The Canucks would like to move Tyler Myers, who has a year left with a $6 million cap hit on his contract. Johnston, however, suggested winger Conor Garland ($4.95 million cap hit through 2025-26) might be more enticing to the Blackhawks because he’s six years younger than Myers and still in his prime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: To summarize: the Hawks move up to 11th overall plus they add a good roster player in Garland who has several years remaining on his contract. The Canucks drop down to 19th overall but add one or two second-rounders and clear nearly $5 million in cap space from their books.

That’s a very interesting trade scenario for those two clubs. It’ll be interesting to see if it comes to pass during the first round on June 28.