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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 03/27/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
03/27/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Mar 26, 2019 01:33 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is buzz out there about a trade that might include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Rasmus Ristolainen, there is a concern in San Jose about the goaltending and the Los Angeles Kings keep making puzzling decisions when it comes to Ilya Kovalchuk.
Oilers and Sabres Trade Partners?
Among the list of things the Oilers need to tackle this offseason: prioritize skill and speed at the forward position, transition the blueliners into more offensively-minded puck movers, target a good goaltender as a backup and over-percolate prospects in the AHL. To solve the transitioning of the blue line into puck movers, some speculation is the team might have to move a player like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to get the kind of top-end d-man they are after.
A few media-types closer to the team are suggesting a player like Rasmus Ristolainen be a target of the Oilers. Jim Matheson wrote on Twitter, “Trading Nuge? … You trade a C for a top pairing D which is why an RNH for Buffalo’s Ristolainen scenario is out there.” Joe Dibiase of WGR 550 wrote about the optics of a trade like this and called it an interesting trade candidate this offseason for Buffalo but not a slam dunk.
San Jose Will Not Make a Goalie Change
One of the issues for the San Jose Sharks this season has been keeping the puck out of their own net. Question marks surround the goaltending and many are wondering if the Sharks can make a run in the postseason with such uncertainty at that position.
That said, don’t look for the Sharks to make changes to their netminding duo. Peter DeBoer told reporters, including Paul Gackle of the Mercury News, that they had no interest in moving one of their two goalies. The Sharks are going to support backup Aaron Dell who has been a strong backup before and hope that the tandem of Jones and Dell can go on a run.
Kovalchuk Relationship With Kings Getting Stranger
Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times wrote that she believes the Kings’ decision to leave Ilya Kovalchuk back in LA during their current three-game road trip is another sign that things are not going well between the two sides. She called the decision puzzling.
After complaining about being a healthy scratch and his reduced role until under interim coach Willie Desjardins, one has to wonder if this is a punishment of sorts for speaking out or if this is Kovalchuk saying, ‘if you’re not going to play me, I’m not coming on the road’. If so, why allow that?
Elliott wonders how many free agents will line up to play in Los Angeles after they’ve witnessed how Kovalchuk has been treated by the organization. It doesn’t help that there are questions as to whom the coach will be moving forward, how far away from contending for a playoff spot the team will actually be next season and what their plans are to try and move a player who is unhappy but has a no-move clause as part of his contract. The Kings don’t exactly have a ton of cap room to work with to make changes next season.
The post NHL Rumors: Oilers, Sharks, Kings, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 25, 2019 02:21 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is pressure on Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill to win a trade this summer, the Seattle franchise is looking for a new GM but could also lose one of their senior advisors, and there are some ideas floating around the Edmonton Oilers and how they might solve their salary cap issues for next season.
Sabres Feeling the Heat
GM of the Buffalo Sabres, Jason Botterill might be feeling the heat this offseason as his team looks to win a trade in an effort to improve the roster. His trades sending Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues and Marco Scandella did not boost the Sabres as intended.
There is talk the Sabres might consider trading defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and this would be an opportunity for Botterill to make good on a deal that could help the organization. That said, it could also backfire as he’s only 24 and is signed through the year 2021-22 at $5.4 million per season.
Three Possible Salary Cap Solutions for Oilers
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic suggested three ways the Edmonton Oilers might be able to get out from under their salary cap issues for next season. Outside of hiring a GM and securing a coach, restructuring this team financially is the organization’s top priority.
The plan is to take whatever money that can stir up and put it towards speed, skill, and goaltending depth and right now, Milan Lucic, Andrej Sekera and Kris Russell are expensive contracts that don’t solve many of the Oilers problems in those areas. They will be high on the list of players the Oilers try to move out.
Mithcell suggests packaging a prospect plus retaining some salary on Milan Lucic’s contract would be where the Oilers need to start. He also wonders if the team should buy out the final two years of Sekera’s deal, saving $3 million each season. Finally, if the Oilers can trade Russell and his $4 million per season salary, they should try to do so.
Mitchell writes:
I think the offloads start with a buyout or trade of Lucic or Sekera, with a secondary hockey trade of Russell also possible. Edmonton could free up big money by doing all three but would be exposed on the blueline. Jones is probably ready to step in as No. 3 LHD, making Sekera expendable this summer.
Moving both Sekera and Russell would create an issue for the Oilers in terms of their new mantra not to rush prospects out of the AHL. If they create a large hole on the blue line, they’ll need to acquire other defensemen or call up players who might not be ready.
Tippet for GM In Seattle?
Emily Sadler of Sportsnet writes of Chris Johnston’s comments during the Saturday Headlines report that the new Seattle franchise could hire their GM this summer. Johnston says, “The Seattle expansion group has not ruled out the possibility of bringing someone in to lead their hockey operations department now, even though it’s still two years until the expansion draft.”
Johnston said added that the team isn’t working off a firm timeline but they want the best man for the job and if it means hiring that person now, they will. In short, Seattle won’t let a team like the Edmonton Oilers scoop a name they are interested merely because Edmonton can offer that person a job immediately.
Nick Kypreos said that Dave Tippett is already a senior advisor for Seattle and that he should be someone to keep an eye on because his future with the organization might not be etched in stone. He might wind up as the coach, but that job isn’t for another two years. , so Kypreos said he’s someone to keep an eye on. Maybe he winds up in Seattle and maybe he winds up taking one of the other coaching jobs that open up around the NHL.
If he sticks it out waiting for Seattle, he potentially leaves $3-$4 million per season on the table. That’s not an easy thing to ask anyone to do.
The post NHL Rumors: Tippet, Sabres Pressure, Oilers Salary Issues appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 24, 2019 02:04 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there are updates on the Ottawa Senators, and Edmonton Oilers, as well as news on Taylor Hall and how the New Jersey Devils will approach his future. Finally, there are reports of a possible rif between Kyle Dubas and Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Senators Looking for a President?
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet who said during the Saturday Headlines report, the Ottawa Senators are looking to hire a president of hockey operations. “It’s not imminent, but the one thing they wanted to come out and say clearly was that this does not mean that Pierre Dorion is in trouble,” he said. He added that the Senators are supprting the work he’s done in building up their prospects and picks.
It is being reported that one of the people who has been approached about the job in Ottawa is Dean Lombardi.
Edmonton Oilers Management and Coaching Changes
It is also being reported the Edmonton Oilers might be looking for a President of Hockey Operations alongside their search for a new general manager. In the Oilers case, this would be someone who could come in and move Bob Nicholson exclusively to the business side of the Oilers Entertainment Group.
Nicholson was asked that question directly while a guest on the Jason Gregor on TSN1260 and he said that the priority of the Oilers is to find a GM and a coach. He wants to have one in place by the NHL Draft but he’s not going to rush the decision to make that happen. In relation to him stepping aside or hiring someone else to focus on hockey, Nicholson said it was in his plans to rearrange the time he’s allocating to hockey and intends to be more hands-on, while giving the new GM the power to make his own decisions.
Still with the Oilers, when Ken Hitchcock was asked about whether or not he wanted to return to coach the Oilers next season, he said, ”For the record, I feel if I’m good I can coach until I’m 99.”
Devils Will Sit Down With Taylor Hall Before July 1
According to a report by Corey Masisak of The Athletic, the New Jersey Devils plan to sit down and talk the future of the team and how Taylor Hall fits into that future before he’s eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2019. As per Masisak, GM Ray Shero said on Deb Placey’s NHL Executive Suite podcast:
“… it’s not like, ‘Hey, here’s the contract, sign it up.’ It’s like anything. If we’re getting into the longer term with a free agent, what are you selling, what are we doing? So they need to know that and I want to know that from their standpoint. I think the respect and relationship both ways has been really good, and he’s an important player for our franchise certainly. That will be the hope, sitting down and something that will work for both of us, longer term. If that’s meant to be, and we’d like to have that happen. And we’ll see what happens at the end of the season when we sit down.”
Trouble Between Babcock and Dubas?
Kristen Shilto of TSN writes there is speculation in Toronto that Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock and general manager Kyle Dubas aren’t exactly on the same page these days.
When asked about the speculation, Babcock said, “Whatever people speculate or think, I don’t think that’s the case.” Babcock didn’t shoot down the idea that the two sides might not see eye-to-eye, but there’s not a rift between them and Babcock simply called a matter of a bit of storm hitting every professional relationship. You’d like to say everything perfect but sometimes it just isn’t he explained.
Babcock claimed that any comments he may have made were not directed at any one person. He knows that everyone on the team is trying to improve the depth of the team. “Dubie and my relationship isn’t as good as it’s gonna be four years from now. Mine with Ken Holland wasn’t as good in my first year as my 10th” he said.
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The post NHL Rumors: Senators, Oilers, Maple Leafs, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Mar 23, 2019 11:51 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there are updates on the unhappiness of Ilya Kovalchuk, news on Matthew Tkachuck and his next contract with the Calgary Flames and an updated out of Anaheim when it comes to the future of both Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves.
Kovalchuk: “I Don’t Have a Chance”
Curtis Zupke of the LA Times is reporting that Ilya Kovalchuk is still very much unhappy with his situation in Los Angeles and used words like “it’s horrible” and “I don’t have a chance” when describing what he’s seeing with the team and his role on it.
Since coach Willie Desjardins has made forward Kovalchuk a healthy scratch of late, things have gotten worse. Kovalchuk doesn’t’ understand the mentality, saying, “But they’re not playing young guys… They’re playing seven D,” when trying to explain why he’s not on the ice.
Kovalchuk added that he doesn’t understand why he was moved off of Anze Kopitar’s line. They played a few games together and scored all five games but the coach decided to change things up and that was it for him. He doesn’t agree with the decision and added, “He’s the head coach and he’s responsible for results.”
The kicker here is that Kovalchuk doesn’t really want to go anywhere. He said his family has settled in nicely to the area and he hasn’t even thought about playing for another team.
Tkachuk Could Be Highest Paid Calgary Flame
Darren Dreger was on Ottawa’s TSN 1200 and was asked about Calgary Flames Matthew Tkachuk and what his next contract might look like with the team. Dreger believes Tkachuk is a shoe-in to become the team’s highest paid forward.
Dreger explained that things aren’t the same since Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan signed their deals and said, “Well, it has to be above what Monahan and Gaudreau are making. I think it could be 8.5-to-9. And that’s just all about timing and developing at the right time as well.”
Dreger added that while the Flames might not want to make him a higher-paid player than their two biggest stars, he added that he doesn’t think the Flames are going to have much choice but to pay him.
Bad News for Ducks’ Kesler and Eaves?
GM and interim head coach Bob Murray issued a statement recently offering an update on the status of both Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves and it doesn’t look good if you’re a Ducks fan. Murray said of Kesler, “I doubt strongly you’ll see him again this year.”
As for Eaves, he continues to struggle with the effects of a condition similar to Guillain-Barre Syndrome and recently “had a setback” and is “struggling”. At this point, returning to hockey at all might be a question mark and that they are focusing on getting him back to the ability to live a normal life.
In both cases, it appears Murray was saying Kesler and Eaves’ seasons are over.
Quinn Hughes to Play Soon?
It looks like Canucks prospect Quinn Hughes might play soon as his recent testing came back negative for a broken bone in his foot. He could still make his debut before the end of the regular season.
On the plus side of the injury, Hughes cannot burn a year of his entry-level deal or become eligible for the 2021 expansion draft now that the Canucks have just eight games remaining in the regular season.
The post NHL Rumors: Kovalchuk, Tkachuk, Ducks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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