NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 02/10/2020

February 10, 2020

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 02/10/2020 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Feb 09, 2020 10:35 am

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news surrounding just how bad Connor McDavid’s potential injury is from Saturday’s game. So too, how are the Oilers negotiations coming along with Darnell Nurse? There is an update on the Los Angeles Kings and the attention two of their players in particular are getting and what’s the latest on the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes?

Kings Attracting a Lot of Attention

Chris Johnston said on Saturday’s Headlines that the Los Angeles Kings are attracting a lot of attention from pro NHL scouts. Among the teams that watched the Kings on Saturday were the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights. They are rumored to be keenly interested in Alec Martinez.

Johnston also noted that Tyler Toffoli is getting a lot of interest. Among the teams kicking tires, the Pittsburgh Penguins and potentially the Calgary Flames have shown an interest.

Talking Status of Two Big NHL Rentals

When asked where Chris Kreider and Jean-Gabriel Pageau might be at in terms of trades or signings, Johnston noted that Kreider and his people have started talking with the New York Rangers but it doesn’t sound like Pageau and the Ottawa Senators have had any meaningful conversations in regards to a new extension.

Oilers Updates on Nurse and McDavid

In respect to a potential deal between the Edmonton Oilers and Darnell Nurse, Elliotte Friedman noted that it sounds like the two sides are making progress. He believes it will be a short-term deal but things are moving along nicely.

In respect to an injury suffered by Connor McDavid, during the second period of the Oilers vs Nashville Predators game, McDavid went hard into the end boards and stayed down for a few seconds. He apparently iced his knee during the intermission but returned for the third. He wasn’t made available after the game to media which led to concern he was hurt.

Coach Dave Tippett said after the game it was a bruise on his knee. He called it “nothing serious” and said that McDavid insisted he was good to go. The reason he wasn’t made available to media was because the Oilers were icing his knee right away as a safety precaution.

More on Coyotes Testing Violations

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that sources are telling him that there are at least 20 incidents of the athletic testing violations the Arizona Coyotes are being accused of. As such, the case has now been handed over to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.

Essentially, for any recruitment violation done by fitness testing draft prospects before the NHL Scouting Combine, the Coyotes could face a fine of $250K which means a total fine of up to $5 million.

Canadiens Not Shopping Tomas Tatar or Jeff Petry

While trade rumors swirl around the Montreal Canadiens, TVA Sports Renaud Lavoie is denying reports the Canadiens are shopping either of Tomas Tatar or Jeff Petry. Lavoie claims it’s possible one or both get moved but the Canadiens aren’t looking to nor are they under any pressure to do so.

The latest buzz was that the Oilers were interested in Tatar but if the asking price is high, likely won’t be players on that kind of deal. Lavoie also doesn’t expect Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin to be busy at the trade deadline despite how many players out of their lineup are in the rumor mill.

IOC Wants the NHL at the Olympics

Elliotte Friedman noted on Saturday night that it sounds like Rene Fasel and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have come back to the NHL and Gary Bettman and made a number of concessions that might help move forward the process of NHL players being at the upcoming Olympics.

Friedman said the IOC made it clear they would address some of the NHL’s biggest concerns including insurance, travel costs, marketing rights, Olympic video usage and more. In essence, it appears the ICO has said they’ll give the NHL what they want to get their players involved.

By Jim Parsons on Feb 08, 2020 01:25 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are questions in Winnipeg about the team’s willingness to move Kyle Connor. One offer is already out there. Next up, there is a lot of talk over the last 48 hours about this “loophole” the Maple Leafs may be able to use with their cap space. Is this a real thing and are the St. Louis Blues looking at it too? Finally, Joe Thornton to the Tampa Bay Lightning is a potential trade that’s making some noise.

Could Jets Actually Consider Moving Kyle Connor?

With the Winnipeg Jets amazingly strange turnover on defense and now their struggles to make the playoffs this season, Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that the team is receiving considerable interest in top line winger Kyle Connor. McIntyre writes:

Normally, I’m loathe to play the role of gossip monger, as one of the foundations of journalism is to first attempt to separate fact from fiction, but a specific morsel making the rounds this week, one told to me by a well-connected source who swears “it has legs,” got me thinking of a big-picture type question.

… You have to move talent to get talent, and filling a weakness by dealing from a position of strength — in this case, skilled young wingers is where the Jets are deepest — isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

source -‘ Could Connor be a goner? ‘ – Mike McIntyre – Winnipeg Free Press – 02/07/2020

Connor currently leads the Jets with 25 goals and only seems to be getting better. It seems crazy to think the Jets would consider moving him. That said, the Jets badly need a defenseman after what happened with their core and what’s happening with Dustin Byfuglien. Being deep up front might give them the confidence to do something most teams wouldn’t even take a second look at.

Apparently, the Colorado Avalanche are reportedly leading the hunt to land Connor offering 2019 No. 4 overall pick Bowen Byram as the core piece. The Jets might not deem that enough and would have a hard time selling off the season to make such a move but Byram certainly is a significant piece coming back the other way.

McIntyre admits the Jets aren’t shopping Connor and it’s unlikely they pull the trigger on a deal but they are listening to other teams who might have an offer to make. It would be a huge gamble and not a popular decision considering Connor is finishing the first of a seven-year, $50 million extension and only getting better.

Is This “Loophole” a Real Thing for Dubas and the Leafs?

Frank Seravalli has spoken a lot lately about this “loophole” that might exist for Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs when it comes to their salary cap situation. Essentially, because there isn’t a cap in the playoffs, if Morgan Rielly isn’t able to return before the end of the regular season, the Leafs aren’t stuck holding the money freed up by his injury.

With three defensemen down, the Leafs have nearly $9 million in salary-cap space they can spend before Feb 24. This is actually something the Maple Leafs are looking at but they need to know where Rielly is at first.

Don’t expect the Leafs to do anything with this money until right before the Feb 24 date but if they deem Rielly unable to return, the Maple Leafs could be busy on the final day of trade deadline.

St. Louis Might Employ This Tactic Too

The Maple Leafs aren’t the only ones thinking this way. The St. Louis Blues have Vladimir Tarasenko on LTIR and it’s not expected he’ll be back before the playoffs. The Blues can spend around $5 million before Feb 24 and as long as Tarasenko doesn’t come back before the playoffs, there’s no penalty for the team and they’re already rumored to be a team actively looking to add.

Thornton to the Tampa Bay Lightning?

Brian Witt of NBC Sports writes that a Joe Thornton trade out of San Jose is starting to gain steam. He recently cited NBC Sports hockey analyst Keith Jones who believes there’s a likelihood Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau get traded soon, suggesting Tampa Bay as a good destination for Thornton.

There’s already a ton of talk surrounding Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon and the Florida Panthers have been rumored as interested. Could the Sharks trade two players from California to Florida?

It’s key to remember that Thornton has a no-movement clause so he doesn’t have to go anywhere should he not want to.

By Jim Parsons on Feb 07, 2020 05:35 pm

There has been a lot of talk surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk and the Montreal Canadiens since the day he signed with the team just over one month ago. At first it was about the Canadiens being the only team to give him a chance after he fell out of favor with the Los Angeles Kings. Today, it’s about how many teams realized what kind of opportunity they missed.

The moment he started producing in Montreal, he became an attractive trade target. Playing for the Canadiens for the NHL’s league minumum, he’s the perfect rental for a lot of teams. As such, his name has been talked about and will continue to be talked about until Feb 24 comes and goes.

With how much Kovalchuk’s name is bound to be tossed around, here’s everything worth knowing when it comes to rumors surrounding the veteran forward.

What’s Kovalchuk Worth?

According to Pierre LeBrun, belief from some teams is that the price to rent out Kovalchuk for the rest of the season is no less than a second-round draft pick. Considering he was picked up for almost nothing and seemingly passed over by 30 other NHL teams, that’s a fairly high ask.

At this stage, whether a team is willing to part with a second-round pick to acquire Kovalchuk is unclear but there are multiple teams who have been apparently given this message.

“I think a fourth-round pick is the best they’re going to get at this point,” one assistant GM said. But, he did leave the statement open to revision if Kovalchuk keeps scoring. And, with five goals and 11 points in 14 games for the Canadiens, he may just do so.

The Latest on Kovalchuk Talks

Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have all recently shown some interest in Ilya Kovalchuk. And, those are just the teams he knows about.

It seems logical all three teams would consider moving a mid-round pick to pry him from the Canadiens and at the low cost associated to adding him to the roster salary wise, both the cap-strapped Oilers and Bruins could make his contract work.

It would be silly to discount interest from teams like St. Louis, Colorado, Washington or other organizations who are playoff bound and looking for inexpensive contracts they don’t need to commit to beyond this season. Again, Kovalchuk looks attractive there. And, with so many teams not out of the running yet, — teams like Vegas, Toronto and Arizona all fighting to stay in the race — expect more teams to be mentioned in the same sentence. But, as more teams hop into the mix, Kovalchuk’s price goes up.

What About An Extension?

Kovalchuk appears happy with his role in Montreal but he’s refused to talk about the idea of an extension with the team. He told reporters that he didn’t want to talk about his future, indicating the focus should be on working towards the Canadiens clawing their way back into the playoff picture.

The Canadiens aren’t technically out of it. Back within five points of the final Atlantic Division playoff spot (with three more games played than the Florida Panthers), there is a chance a winning streak gets them into the mix. If so, it would be hard to imagine the team trading a piece that’s been pivotal in getting them to that point, even if it looks like a long-term future in Montreal isn’t in the cards.

But, from Montreal’s perspective, there’s certainly interest there. Pierre LeBrun has reported on the idea of the Canadiens wanting to extend Kovalchuk because they see him as a positive impact both on ice and in the room. It’s simply a matter of whether or not Kovalchuk sees his strong play as a way to maximize his value, even if that’s with another team.

Kovalchuk is a veteran NHL’er. He understands how the “business” of hockey works. In his own head, he probably realizes the chances of him being moved are pretty good.

All that said, if all the Canadiens can get is a fourth-round pick, it makes sense to hang on to the player. “If they were smart, they would keep him,” one GM said. “It has been a great signing.” And, if there’s a mutual interest on Kovalchuk’s part to stick around, there’s no harm in the Canadiens offering a one-year deal full of performance bonuses.

If the trade offers start to increase and the Canadiens lose a couple in a row, expect as many as eight or nine teams to be mentioned when it comes to Kovalchuk trade talks. At that point, his being moved is all but a foregone conclusion.

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