NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 02/05/2019

February 05, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 02/05/2019 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Feb 05, 2019 03:40 pm

In our second installment of the rumor rundown for Tuesday, there are rumors about Ilya Kovalchuk’s willingness to accept a trade out of LA and the Jets unwillingness to move one of their better prospects. The Panthers may be making a move for one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and the Oilers are bound to make a move or two with a returning defenseman just days away from the joining the roster.  Finally, what does the signing of Auston Matthews mean for the Maple Leafs moving forward?

Ilya Kovalchuk Willing to Waive No-Move Clause

With so many players potentially on the move out of Los Angeles, many eyes are on Ilya Kovalchuk who has not had the kind of year he would have liked since joining the Kings in the offseason. Reports from The Fourth Period is that Kovalchuk is willing to waive his NMC for the right situation.

Ilya Kovalchuk is willing to waive his NMC for the right situation. Kings will likely have to retain some salary. There are teams interested. https://t.co/hBSce7l20u

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) February 5, 2019

To make the deal the Kings will likely have to retain some salary but there are teams interested. Kovalchuk owns a full no-movement clause as part of his three-year contract with the Kings. He’ll have control over where he goes and this might not be the easiest move to facilitate if you consider he might be picky, the Kings will have to eat some of his $6.25 million annual salary cap hit and some teams might be shy about taking on multiple years at his age.

Kovalchuk has 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 42 games on the season, to date. After new coach Willie Desjardins took over the bench in LA, Kovalchuk has been a shadow of the player that started the season.

Jets Won’t Move Roslovic

Despite rumors that the Jets are going to be heavy players at this year’s trade deadline and that their first-round pick is in play, Bob McKenzie of TSN said on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290 that the team will absolutely not move Jack Roslovic.

Jack Roslovic, Winnipeg Jets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

McKenzie says that teams are calling about him because the team is not always playing him up the lineup where maybe he deserves to be. But McKenzie has said, “And the Jets are like, ‘No, no, no. We’re not going to do that.’ At least that’s my understanding so far, is that that’s been a non-starter for them.”

Oilers Have Six Days to Become Cap Compliant

The Edmonton Oilers have sent Andrej Sekera down to AHL for conditioning which means the Oilers have about six days to shed salary so they can bring him back up to the main roster. Sekera has a no-movement clause, so Oilers can only keep him in AHL for a finite period unless Sekera agrees to stay down longer.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrej Sekera (2) and Carolina Hurricanes center Eric Staal (12) during the NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena.

What this means is that the Oilers will need to make some moves over the next couple days, the most likely of which will be waiving a defenseman. If not a waiver, it is possible the Oilers look at trading a player like Matt Benning if a trade for Alex Petrovic or Brandon Manning can’t be facilitated.

Panthers Pursuing Sergei Bobrovsky?

Sean O’Leary of the Score is citing a report by the New York Post’s Larry Brooks claiming the Florida Panthers are interested in acquiring Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The idea is that they’d actually like to move to acquire him prior to the trade deadline on Feb 25. and have first crack at trying to sign him to an eight-year contract extension.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Derick Brassard, who the Panthers acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, would be a piece going back the other way.  It would also be interesting to see if the Panthers would try to move one of their goaltenders in the trade as well since sending Bobrovsky out would leave the Blue Jackets without a starter during their playoff push.

That said, the Blue Jackets are on a bit of losing streak and with each consecutive loss, the team is potentially looking at making changes knowing that they stand to lose their two biggest players for nothing during the summer.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs and Other RFA’s?

With the Toronto Maple Leafs having signed their young superstar Auston Matthews to a huge contract on Tuesday, questions will immediately move to what’s next for the club. Knowing that the team will not be inking Mitch Marner to a new deal during the season, the decisions surrounding the club will be about what final moves to make as they head towards the postseason.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: @MapleLeafs to hold news conference today at 4pm et to discuss Auston Matthews' new contract extension.

Watch it LIVE on TSN4, the #TSN App and TSN Direct – https://t.co/laCDdgu8bY #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/q6akomLGQJ

— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) February 5, 2019

The Maple Leafs will hold a news conference today to discuss Matthews new contract and there will certainly be some questions about Marner and others like Jake Gardiner, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnson. Matthews deal will carry an annual average value of $11.634MM, and be paid almost entirely in signing bonuses. How does that affect other RFA’s going into the summer? These signing bonuses may be the talk of the offseason.

By Jim Parsons on Feb 05, 2019 12:52 pm

In today’s rumor rundown, Brent Seabrook has come out and squashed rumors he was asked to waive his no-move clause while Alex Chiasson of the Edmonton Oilers has told everyone he’d like to stay with the team. The Arizona Coyotes are not looking at the rental market but the New York Islanders might be in a major way. Finally, if the Senators move Matt Duchene or Mark Stone, TSN’s panel has some idea as to what the team would look for in return.

Seabrook Hasn’t Been Asked to Waive No-Movement Clause

After Elliotte Friedman reported the Chicago Blackhawks had approached defenseman Brent Seabrook and asked if he would waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a trade, Seabrook himself has said he has no idea where that report is coming from and that he has not been asked by the organization.

Brent Seabrook says he has not been approached by the #Blackhawks to waive his no movement clause.

"It's news to me… I don't know where the reports are coming from." pic.twitter.com/8ymPFcTXjU

— Eric Lear (@BHTVeric) February 4, 2019

Friedman reported that after being approached, Seabrook said no to the request. Clearly, there is more going on here than meets the eye because Friedman is often not wrong or known for so badly misreporting the correct information.

Coyotes Not Looking at Rentals

Sports Journalist for AZ Sports, Matt Layman tweeted that Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka said last week, “We’re not looking at the rental market as strongly as maybe other teams are.” Chayka added that he’s having a lot of discussions looking at the short-term and long-term.

Considering the Coyotes are still in the conversation for playoffs, it wouldn’t surprise people to see them consider adding a piece or two to help their cause.

Alex Chiasson Wants to Stick With Edmonton

Despite the recent struggles for the Edmonton Oilers, there is some good news. Forward Alex Chiasson has said e’d like to stay with the team after this season if they’ll consider re-signing him.

Edmonton Oilers right wing Alex Chiasson and Connor McDavid (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

Chiasson signed to a one-year minimum salary contract after successfully making the team on a professional tryout. This season he has 17 goals in 43 games and he told Rob Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun that he hopes that contract comes with the Oilers.

What he wants on an extension will be the real determining factor as to whether or not the Oilers consider it versus trading him at the deadline. The Oilers have to happy with his production but at the same time wonder if his inconsistency over his NHL career means he shouldn’t be offered much of a raise of his current salary.

What will also be interesting to watch is how the team handles a possible Chiasson extension without a long-term GM in the fold.

Possible Returns for the Senators

Frank Seravalli of TSN discussed what the Senators might be looking at in return if they decided to trade either Matt Duchene and/or Mark Stone. The package coming back has to start with a first-round pick plus something else.

Mark Stone (61) speaks with center Matt Duchene (Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports)

Craig Button suggested there are a few teams that might be interested in such a trade and named some examples. If the Senators are targeting these teams, Button suggested a few targets the Sens will have their eyes on. From the Winnipeg Jets, they might want Jack Roslovic or Kristian Vesalainen while they’d go after Eeli Tolvanen and Dante Fabbro from the Nashville Predators. If they were looking to the Calgary Flames, it would be Dillon Dube and Juuso Valimaki and from the Vegas Golden Knights, it would be Erik Brannstrom and Shea Theodore.

As it stands right now, Duchene’s camp met for an extended period of time and when asked after the meetings where things were at, Duchene responded, “If I had a gut feeling I’d probably go with it right now but at this point, we’re not at that point.”

Islanders to Be Aggressive

When asked about the position the New York Islanders might take heading into this year’s trade deadline, Pierre LeBrun said Winnipeg’s TSN 1290, “I think he’s going to try to add.” LeBrun continued, “They’re going to be aggressive. They’ve got cap room. They’re a great story. They’ve got probably the coach of the year in Barry Trotz.”

LeBrun thinks that not only will they add before the deadline on Feb 25. the team will be major players in the offseason.

By Jim Parsons on Feb 04, 2019 03:44 pm

Only 21 days remain until the Feb. 25 NHL Trade Deadline. It might feel like three weeks is a lot of time, but it really isn’t if you consider that some of the players being moved will only be moved if they haven’t made it known what their intentions are or are playing with a team that won’t be making the postseason. Those facts may not be known yet and putting together a winning trade takes time.

In our fourth look at the Top 10 trade options potentially available in this year’s marketplace, we see that some names are still on our list, news names have been added and some names that were removed, have been added back on.

As was explained when the first list was put together, we expect, from week to week, the names will change and so, as we go, we’ll name the player, then update you on what’s happening in respect to their status on the trade board:

1. Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets:

After telling the Blue Jackets he was unwilling to sign or negotiate an extension during the season, the Blue Jackets are now officially in a tough spot when it comes to deciding how to handle the contract of forward Artemi Panarin. The team doesn’t want to lose their best offensive weapon before a playoff run but they can’t afford to lose him in free agency for no return.

Adding Panarin might have the Blackhawks on his short-list of teams he’ll sign with over the summer. (Photo: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

Bob McKenzie recently said on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290 that Panarin has his list of where he wants to end up down to a handful of teams and that as he decides what he wants to do in the summer, “He’s going to go through, I think, a rather exhaustive process once the season is over and he gets into that shopping period before free agency.” Columbus was not mentioned in McKenzie’s list so expect he’ll get traded before Feb. 25.

2. Derick Brassard, Florida Panthers:

Now a Florida Panther, Derick Brassard might not want to unpack his bags just yet. The consensus is that Florida picked him up from Pittsburgh, not with the intention to use him, but to flip his contract. It appears the long-term plan for the Panthers is to free up space to chase Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and that Brassard is just a middle man in that long-term goal.

3. Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers:

Mats Zuccarello has been on fire in the last seven games with 13 points and with the increase in production, he’s making himself a much more attractive option to some teams in a trade. The latest is that there might be interest by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Mats Zuccarello led the way for the Rangers in 2016-17. (Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports)

It’s hard to know if the Penguins have the pieces to make a trade the Rangers might like but it’s guaranteed the Pens won’t be the only team interest now that Zuccarello is playing so well.

The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to be interested but the change in management and the odds growing smaller the Oilers will make the playoffs may have taken them out of the running.

4. Matt Duchene, Ottawa Senators:

While other names have taken more of the spotlight this week, Matt Duchene certainly hasn’t removed himself from our top five and is still very much in play before the trade deadline date of Feb. 25.

Our own Josh Bell wrote earlier today, “As information leaks out, it seems less likely that the 28-year-old will be traded away from the Senators.” Ownership has now set a cap of $8 million per season on Duchene’s contract and that has to mean he’s out the door knowing he can get more in free agency.

Duchene is currently having a great season, with 21 goals and 48 points in 43 games.

5. Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers:

The Flyers are on a hot streak right now but that doesn’t change the organizational plans for a player like Wayne Simmonds. Unless Simmonds turns to the team and says, ‘I think we have something here and I’d like to stay. I’ll take a discount to do so’, he’s gone. That the Flyers are playing well only helps their positional strength in terms of a trade.

Wayne Simmonds has never shied away from the physical side of the game. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Simmonds is the exact type of forward many teams are looking for as a rental. The Bruins, Maple Leafs, Penguins and Lightning may all be teams that have some interest.

Best of the Rest

6. Micheal Ferland, Carolina Hurricanes:

Ferland is still a popular name to discuss when talking trades. It is expected he’ll be shipped off before the deadline but the key for the Carolina Hurricanes is getting the best possible return.

7. Jet’s First-Round Pick

The Winnipeg Jets are one of a few teams willing to trade their first-round draft pick in 2019 to improve their roster. The Predators are another team. Winnipeg did something similar last year when they acquired Paul Stastny.

8. Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators

Does Mark Stone want to stay in Ottawa? Probably. Will the Senators pay him what he’s worth? Maybe not.  Will the lure of free agency be hard to ignore? Certainly.

9. Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings

After moving Jake Muzzin, there is lots of noise coming out of LA that the Kings aren’t done. One of the names mentioned as a potential piece to be moved is Alec Martinez.

10. Jakob Silfverberg – Anaheim Ducks

As the Ducks try to work out an extension with forward Jakob Silfverberg, there is a good chance that if a deal isn’t struck, he could be traded before the trade deadline. Silfverberg would be a popular man among NHL teams looking for a productive and skilled forward who could be a rental, but also an asset any team might look to extend on a contract.

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By Jim Parsons on Feb 04, 2019 12:56 pm

In today’s rumor rundown, there is news on the Ducks talks with forward Jakob Silfverberg, where Artemin Panarin might land in unrestricted free agency, if Derick Brassard will be traded again and if Mats Zuccarello and the Pittsburgh Penguins are a fit.

Ducks and Silfverberg Still Working on Extension

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Anaheim Ducks and Jakob Silfverberg are still working to get a deal done to have the forward remain with the organization. One of the better and young offensive weapons on the Ducks team, Silverberg will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Ducks right wing Jakob Silfverberg (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

If the Ducks cannot get a deal done before the trade deadline, it is expected Silfverberg will be added to the list of available forwards for rent and that plenty of teams will be interested.

Plenty of Teams Still Interested in Brassard

It is assumed the trade that sent center Derick Brassard to Florida is not the last time Brassard will be moved this season. The Panthers are likely to flip Brassard to one of a handful of other teams and Sportsnet’s John Shannon believes there are as many as six teams on the Panthers’ radar.

Derick Brassard #19, Ottawa Senators – February 3, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks, and Columbus Blue Jackets were among the other teams with the Blue Jackets seen as the likely favorite. He has a history with that organization and might be willing to sign an extension there once the season comes to an end.

Penguins Have Interest in Zuccarello

Now that they have moved Brassard out, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have shown some interest in Rangers winger Mats Zuccarello. After starting the season off in a less-than-stellar fashion, Zuccarello is playing extremely well now picking up 13 points in his last seven games.

Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers, Mar. 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

A pending unrestricted free agent, Zuccarello’s name has come up in trade talks all season and his recent production is certainly boosting his trade value around the NHL. The question is whether or not the Penguins have the prospect pool to make that trade work. The Rangers would also likely have to retain some salary and with the way Zuccarello has played, should they not want to, another team would take Zuccarello at his cap hit without the need for salary assistance.

Nicklas Kronwall to Stay in Detroit?

When of the players potentially rumored to be leaving Detroit was veteran defenseman Niklas Kronwall. That has potentially changed.

Niklas Kronwall #55, Detroit Red Wings – December 18, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports (video link) that if Kronwall says he doesn’t want to leave Detroit, the Red Wings will likely not move him and instead try to re-sign him to a one-year extension. At 38 years old it wouldn’t shock people if Kronwall called it a career, but he’s also averaging nearly 20 minutes per game.

Any new deal would likely include a significant pay cut from his current $4.75 million salary per season.

Panarin Hasn’t Decided on Where He Wants to Play

Despite talk that Artemi Panarin will not be a Columbus Blue Jackets forward next season, TSN’s Bob McKenzie doesn’t believe this means Panarin knows where he wants to end up.

Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets, Feb. 22, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

McKenzie was a guest on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290 and when asked if Panarin had a location he was likely to end up in, McKenzie responded, “Actually, you know what – I don’t think he does.” He added, “But I think the places he wants to go are multiple. He’s going to go through, I think, a rather exhaustive process once the season is over and he gets into that shopping period before free agency.”

McKenzie believes Panarin is eyeing the Florida-based teams, the New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks. Wherever he lands, McKenzie also believes that Panarin’s next contract may be in that John Tavares range of seven years and $88 million.

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By Jim Parsons on Feb 03, 2019 10:00 am

In today’s rumor rundown, there is a ton of news out of the Headlines Segment from Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday. The panel covered everything from Brent Seabrook being asked to consider a trade to the specifics on an Auston Matthews deal to Taylor Hall potentially being traded by this year’s deadline.

Seabrook Asked to Waive No-Move Clause

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday during the Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that Brent Seabrook has been asked to waive his no-move clause. To this point, Seabrook has said no.

Brent Seabrook, Chicago Blackhawks, Nov. 9, 2017 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

While Seabrook doesn’t want to leave the Blackhawks, the organization may still look around and see what interest is out there. Even if he were to change his mind and waive, he’s certainly not an inexpensive addition for a club. SearbookHe’s got six years remaining on a $6.875 million deal per season and he’s not exactly crushing it in terms of production. That said, he is on pace to do better than last year’s totals.

Maple Leafs Eyeing Five or Six-Year Deal for Auston Matthews

During the same segment, the panel reported that talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews have intensified and that a five or six-year deal is where the two parties look like they are going to land.

Eight year brings the annual salary far too high for the Leafs. Friedman reported that the annual salary won’t reach that of Connor McDavid’s $12.5 million per season but it could be close.

DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 11: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his second period goal during an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on October 11, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

Chris Johnston reports that the number on a five-year deal might come in around $11 million and on a six-year deal, will be closer to $12 million per season. Nick Kypreos said that once that deal gets done, the Leafs will aggressively pursue a deal with Mitch Marner.

Everyone Wants First-Round Picks

Kypreos also detailed that the hot commodity out there in trade talks right now is the idea of acquiring a first-round pick. That said, he believes only the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators are interested in considering such a trade where they give up a first-rounder to get something of value.

Specifically, when it comes to the Predators, they are looking for at least one, if not two front-line players which almost guarantees that they’ll have to give up their first-rounder to get what they’re looking to get in a trade.

Oilers Taking Their Time

Johnston reports that while the Edmonton fan base waits to see who the Oilers select as the team’s new GM, the organization hasn’t even reached out to any potential candidates and will take their time. This could be, in part, because of the inability to speak with certain candidates based on their current employment, but also that the Oilers are simply doing a ton of research before reaching out to ensure they get this decision right.

Taylor Hall Isn’t Going Anywhere… Yet

Elliotte Friedman reported that there were some whispers that the New Jersey Devils might be taking stock of their current situation and wondering if they should move bigger pieces. When asked about Taylor Hall, GM Ray Shero said there was “zero chance” he’s moved by this year’s trade deadline.

Taylor Hall #9, New Jersey Devils, October 20, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Sportsnet later wrote a piece saying Hall would not be traded, but there was some confusion as to whether that meant ever or just this season. All that was officially reported was that it wouldn’t be by the deadline.

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By Jim Parsons on Feb 02, 2019 01:11 pm

In today’s NHL rumors, there is news the Winnipeg Jets are actively trying to move one of their forwards. There is also buzz around a potential change in attitude by the St. Louis Blues as they approach the trade deadline. Finally, the Florida Panthers moves this week have something to do with going after a much bigger fish.

Panthers Want Panarin

Bob McKenzie said on Friday afternoon when he appeared on Ottawa’s TSN 1200, he believes the trade between the Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, which saw Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann head to the Penguins in exchange for pending unrestricted free agents Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan, along with three draft picks, is the precursor to something bigger.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

“As for the Panthers, it’s pretty elementary,” noted McKenzie. “They got rid of contracts and they freed up cap space for next year – more than $4 million worth at this point. McKenzie believes Florida will flip what they acquired for more prospects and draft picks and explained:

“We think the reason they want to clear the financial decks a little bit is because Florida would be interested in both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky in unrestricted free agency. And in fact, they may try to use Brassard and some of the other things they’ve got in their cupboard to see if possibly they could entice Columbus to part with Panarin before the deadline, and maybe Florida can get a leg up on trying to sell Artemi Panarin on signing long term with the Panthers.”

It sounds like the Panthers want both Panarin and Bobrovsky but that Panarin is their primary target. That means fans should expect Derrick Brassard will be moved again right away.

Jets Looking to Move Nic Petan

Jason Bell and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press are reporting that according to their agents, the Winnipeg Jets are trying to trade forward Nic Petan. Petan has not played and the report writes, “Joe Oliver of KO Sports said Cheveldayoff told him the 23-year-old centre — a healthy scratch for 15 straight games and 25 of the Winnipeg’s last 27 — is being shopped in advance of the league’s Feb. 25 deadline.”

Nic Petan – Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers – November 17, 2016 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

It appears the Jets are unwilling to lose him for nothing which is why he’s yet to be placed on waivers but coach Paul Maurice has already said that the only way he gets into the lineup is by necessity like an injury to another player.

Blues May Not Be Sellers, But Swappers

The St. Louis Blues are still very much in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff hunt. As such, they may not be designated as obvious sellers anymore. Instead, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicated that GM Doug Armstrong’s preference at this time is to make more of a player for player swap.

Jay Bouwmeester, St. Louis Blues, January 6, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

If this is accurate, there may be a lot less action coming out of St. Louis than originally expected. If the Blues fall out of contention in the next two weeks, it’s certainly possible they go back to selling off pieces, otherwise they’ll be busy closer to the draft.

This means St. Louis needs to decide what to do with potential rentals like Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson, and Patrick Maroon who aren’t likely to return next season.

The Stars Are Looking for Scoring

With the Dallas Stars currently in a playoff spot team owner Tom Gaglardi told Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he expects GM Jim Nill to bring in some scoring depth over the next three weeks.

The Stars rank 29th in the league in scoring ahead of only Anaheim and Los Angeles and it’s a major area of weakness for the organization.

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