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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 08/28/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
08/28/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Aug 27, 2020 01:30 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is talk that after getting penalized by the NHL, the Arizona Coyotes might be a target for some NHL teams. In St. Louis, Alex Pietrangelo says he’d like to stay with the Blues, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are unlikely to quality Evan Rodrigues who they picked up as part of the Kapseri Kapanen trade. Finally, what is the NHL planning to do in regard to potential players protests over social injustice issues?
Coyotes Dinged For Combine Violation, Teams to Target Them in Trade?
The NHL has handed down their punishment to the Arizona Coyotes for violating the league’s combine policy when it comes to testing players. After a hearing in which the Coyotes admitted to illegally testing players, the Coyotes will now have to forfeit a 2nd-round pick this year and 1st next year.
As per CapFriendly, the Coyotes are left without a 1st, 2nd or 3rd RD pick in the 2020 draft. They also do not have a 1st or 3rd in 2021 and if they re-sign Taylor Hall, they will not have a 1st or 2nd in 2021. This could mean they’ll be a target by NHL teams before the NHL Entry Draft as the other clubs know that Arizona will be trying to recoup some picks and may let some players go.
This may also include a team trading for Marrian Hossa’s rights to help alleviate some of the cap pressures that will be felt by teams this season.
Pietrangelo Wants to Re-Sign in St. Louis
According to Lou Korac of NHL.com, St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is not looking to leave the team in free agency and would like to re-sign with the organization. He said he hasn’t thought about negotiations too much since returning from the NHL bubble but notes that his legacy in St. Louis is still important to him.
Meanwhile, Blues’ GM Doug Armstrong has said the franchise would like to keep their captain. He noted, “I think the first phase is going to be to find out if we can find common ground with Alex, and if we do then go to work to move other pieces.” Armstrong basically said the ball is in Pietrangelo’s court. If the team can’t afford what he’s asking, there’s no point in moving forward to make other plans. Armstrong added:
“It is really an either-or that if we can’t find common ground with Alex, then there’s really no need to do anything. And if we can find common ground with Alex, then there’s a need to do a lot.”
It doesn’t sound like the defenseman is going to come cheap. He hinted that he’s prepared to create a legacy anywhere and that it’s not impossible to make an impact outside of St. Louis.
Maple Leafs Unlikely to Qualify Rodrigues
Luke Fox of Sportsnet writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs are not likely to qualify newly acquired 27-year old forward Evan Rodrigues after picking him up as part of the Kasperi Kapanen trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
To do so would require a $2 million qualifying offer and the Leafs are looking to clear salary cap space. That said, GM Kyle Dubas does plan on talking to his camp to see if another arrangement can be worked out.
Fox quotes Dubas who said:
Depth is something we really have to be careful about. That’s why it was important for us to have Rodrigues in the deal as well and begin to have a conversation with his representatives about the opportunity that may be here for him.”
NHL To Meet Today Regarding Possible Protests
According to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Don Fehr are set to continue discussions today regarding any potential delay or postponements if and once players start to protest or walkout of playoff games.
It happened in the NBA on Wednesday when players refused to play games and all of the scheduled match-ups for Wednesday and Thursday were postponed. The NHL did not postpone games and there are some players who are upset about it.
The NHL has said players are free to express themselves in any way they feel they need to over the social injustice issues but that, at this point, they do not see postponing games as part of their league-wide plan. It’s unlikely that will changes seeing as the NBA voted to resume the playoffs after Wednesday’s pause.
The post NHL Rumors: Coyotes, Blues, Maple Leafs, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Aug 26, 2020 01:55 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news out of St. Louis that Vladimir Tarasenko will require further surgery and will miss significant time. Mike Green has officially announced his retirement despite saying he’s healthy enough to keep playing and Corey Crawford discusses his future in Chicago. Finally, how much more is Kyle Dubas planning to do after making a trade to send Kasperi Kapanen to the Penguins?
Dubas Suggests Leafs Aren’t Done Making Moves
Kyle Dubas spoke to the media after he made a trade to land a first-round pick, a prospect and more for Kasperi Kapanen and pieces. When asked about whether or not he might flip the pick, he said:
“We are open to keeping the pick, but in the spot that we are in with our team right now, we are also open to moving it if the right deal came along for someone that could help us now.”
It was also reported by Pierre LeBrun that the first-round pick was of critical importance to Dubas when he made the trade to send Kapanen out. LeBrun notes that Dubas had potential interest from the likes of New Jersey, Nashville, Anaheim, Minnesota, Chicago and Carolina, Edmonton and Montreal. None of them were willing to deal their first-round pick to make the trade work.
James Mirtle of The Athletic notes that Dubas isn’t even close to being done in terms of making moves. He names Frederik Andersen, Alexander Kerfoot, Pierre Engval, and Andreas Johnsson as pieces that could still be moved.
Mirtle writes:
So while the Leafs makeover may not touch the main core this offseason, it won’t play favourites with anyone outside of that group. Dubas is open for business here and not feeling particularly sentimental. He also now has $3.5 million in cap space to offer any of the teams feeling squeezed by the NHL’s pandemic-induced flat cap.
Tarasenko Will Miss At Least Five Months
According to reports on Wednesday and comments from Blues GM Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will require a third surgery procedure that will keep him out for up to five months and out of the Blues lineup to start next season.
Tarasenko tried to make a comeback after missing most of the NHL season but had to leave the team during their playoff run this season. He was sent back to St. Louis for evaluation on his shoulder and the news is not good.
What this means for the Blues cap situation and LTIR remains unclear but it is not expected Tarasenko will be back until February, at the earliest.
Crawford Says He’d Like to Stay in Chicago
When asked about his future with the Blackhawks, goaltender Corey Crawford said, “I would like to be back. To win another Stanley Cup in Chicago would be unbelievable. That’s the No. 1 goal, is to win one more championship.”
But, he also said that he’s not sure if he’d be willing to signa short-term deal or may change his mind during the offseason and say to the team that they need to re-sign him for longer. He says, “But who knows? I could turn around. I change my mind pretty quick. I could turn around and say let’s sign 3-4 years.”
His lack of specifics left things very unclear and it’s expected he’ll see what’s available in free agency if the Blackhawks don’t make a fair offer.
Mike Green Officially Retires
On Wednesday, defenseman Mike Green made his retirement announcement official through an interview with The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir.
Green said that he’s realized after the NHL went on pause that he’s got a calling greater than playing hockey. He’s perfectly healthy and could return but he’s decided that he’s needed elsewhere. “I want to focus my energy differently, ground myself in the community, in family. But I also want to become a change agent for good,” he said.
He said during the interview that his injury after coming to Edmonton in a trade and then the NHL pressing pause on the season gave him time to reflect on what’s really important in his life. He explained:
“That hockey was abruptly removed from my life, it was tough for a while. But as the future was more and more uncertain, I became more aware of the things that are now the big things in my life — like my daughter crawling and laughing, teaching my son to fish. These are things you think you’re present for, and you think you’re around for when you’re playing. But your mind as a professional athlete, a lot of times, is thinking about the big stage and performing.”
Green will leave the NHL at 34 years old, having made stops in Washington, Detroit and Edmonton.
The post NHL Rumors: Blues, Oilers, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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