- Morning Skate
- Posts
- NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 01/20/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
01/20/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Jan 19, 2020 08:35 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Carolina Hurricanes are expected to get Justin Williams back. How is he feeling about his return? Did one NHL scribe release accurate terms for Zack Kassian’s potential new deal in Edmonton? Is a former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman trying to work his way into a management role with the team? And there’s some buzz surrounding a few of the Vancouver Canucks pending free agents.
Williams to Be Back Sunday
According to News & Observer’s Chip Alexander the Carolina Hurricanes are expecting to have Justin Williams back on the ice Sunday against the New York Islanders. That said, Williams may not play.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said Williams will go through pre-game warm-ups before he makes a decision but the expectation is that Williams will suit up for the team. Williams said of his return, “I’m nervous before every game I play so I’m going to have nerves.” Williams isn’t worried about his ability though. He said that will take care of itself and he’ll go out and work his “tail off and let my instincts take over.”
Alexander wrote:
In Saturday’s practice, Williams was used on a line with center Lucas Wallmark and Brock McGinn, with Jordan Martinook the extra forward. If that holds for the game, Williams would be on the fourth line, his minutes monitored and likely limited.
Oilers and Kassian Terms Revealed?
It was earlier reported that the Edmonton Oilers and Zack Kassian were making ground on a contract extension, one that might be announced before the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Mark Spector of Sportsnet has potentially broken more news on that deal.
Spector tweeted that the deal for Kassian could be a four-year term between $3.25 and $3.5 million per season. If accurate, this might be a little longer than the Oilers were rumored to want to go, but if the team can get Kassian in under $3.5 million, that’s likely being seen as a win by the organization.
The concern was overpaying Kassian and that he’d command around $4 million on the open market if he got to that point. This deal would represent Kassian wanting to stay and the Oilers having faith he’ll be productive over the next few seasons.
Phaneuf Shadowing Brendan Shanahan
TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported that Dion Phaneuf has been shadowing Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan for the past few days. While he’s not retired from the NHL and would like to land a playing position with an NHL club, he’s making plans for his future after hockey.
McKenzie said:
“… the reason he is in Toronto is simply to get a look at the business of hockey and he reached out to Brendan Shanahan, asked if he could come in, get a feel for what the whole Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment operation off the ice is all about. That’s what he’s been doing.”
Canucks News and Rumors Items
Rick Dhaliwal of TSN notes that Jacob Markstrom’s agent Pat Morris said Markstrom isn’t thinking about his pending status as a free agent. “His next contract is furthest from his mind, team & playoff goals are at forefront,” Morris said. He added that Markstrom’s priority would be to stay in Vancouver the rest of his career.
Dhaliwal also noted that pending UFA defenseman Chris Tanev would like to stay in Vancouver as well and that the two sides will “get to the contract at the right time.”
Finally, Dhaliwal notes that Nikita Tryamkin’s agent Todd Diamond said there hasn’t been much talk between the two sides. But, that’s apparently not a concern. He added, “There is plenty of time to talk when his season is over.”
The post NHL Rumors: Hurricanes, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Canucks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jan 18, 2020 07:50 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, despite talk of NHL teams wanting to take action, one GM believes it will be some time before any real action takes place. There is news that one Chicago Blackhawks’ forward will be back sooner than expected and in New Jersey, there is already a short-list of GM candidates forming.
Holland Believes the Big Action Isn’t Coming Yet
Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland is one of many NHL GM’s rumored to be ready to improve his team before the February 24th trade deadline. That said, he doesn’t believe there will be any real action, at least not for a few more weeks.
While speaking with Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun Holland said he believes it will be some time before the real activity picks up. He explained:
When it comes to the trade deadline, I think it’s still another eight to 10 games needs to be played before anything happens. I want to see what happens over the next 10 games leading to the trade deadline.
Holland himself says he wants to see where his Oilers are at and that it could take the better part of the next month for a number of NHL clubs to know where they stand — as buyers or sellers. That delay could cause other teams to wait and the dominoes will mean everyone has to wait.
Holland did suggest that if, over that time, the Oilers found themselves out of the playoff race, they won’t become sellers.
Brandon Saad May Return Sooner than Expected
It wasn’t expected Brandon Saad would be back before the All-Star break but he took part in a full practice according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. That’s a good sign he could be back sooner than expected.
Pope writes:
He could rejoin the Blackhawks’ lineup Saturday against the Maple Leafs.
… Coach Jeremy Colliton said a decision hadn’t been made but implied it’s highly likely he’ll play in at least one of the three games before the All-Star break.
As for what Saad wants to do, “I’m in good shape and ready to go,” he said.
Dougie Hamilton Out Long Term
In unfortunate news, it appears Dougie Hamilton will be out with a long-term injury as SiriusXM NHL Network Radio’s Nick Kypreos reported, “Dougie Hamilton suffered a broken fibula.”
Kypreos said that further evaluation today will determine if surgery is needed and TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted that Hamilton “is seeing a specialist within the hour to determine extent of damage.” The outlook might not be good and if so, it’s being compared to a similar injury that shut down Jordan Staal for months in 2014.
GM Candidates in New Jersey
Craig Custance of The Athletic writes that there is a short-list of candidates under consideration for the GM job in New Jersey after the Devils released Ray Shero of his duties.
First, the list starts with acting GM Tom Fitzgerald. If he does well at this year’s trade deadline, he’ll earn himself serious consideration.
Don’t expect Martin Brodeur to take the job, he doesn’t want it per reports and Ron Hextall may garner an interview, but not much more. Mike Gillis and Bill Zito are on the list, but the most intriguing option could be Laurence Gilman.
Custance writes:
Gilman checks a lot of boxes that could be in play for this position. He has plenty of experience as an executive. He’s a key part of a forward-thinking front office in Toronto that has gone through a rebuilding process that the Devils are currently emerging from. He’s well-versed in analytics.
Custance believes if Toronto’s current surge continues and becomes a playoff run, Gilman is going to get a GM job.
The post NHL Rumors: Trade Delays, Oilers, Devils, Blackhawks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jan 17, 2020 01:35 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, we have confirmation the Toronto Maple Leafs have inquired into the availability of a New York Rangers goaltender. What is the asking price? The Minnesota Wild are ready to make trades and an interesting defenseman is available. Finally, are the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames looking for the exact same pieces on the trade market?
Maple Leafs Inquire on Georgiev
We’ve discussed at length the New York Rangers possibly moving Alexander Georgiev in the rumor rundown reports but there’s more news on Friday, specifically from a couple of NHL insider sources. First, Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted that the Maple Leafs were one of the teams that inquired about Georgiev. Second, James Mirtle of The Athletic notes the Maple Leafs have made multiple calls.
Mirtle writes that the Rangers have been asking for a young NHL player in return. He explains:
Both teams have kept trade talks quiet, so specifics are somewhat lacking. But it’s believed that the Leafs are willing to part with futures – including someone like AHLer Jeremy Bracco – in order to land Georgiev. The Rangers, however, are asking for more established players, presumably, the likes of Leafs forwards Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson or Alexander Kerfoot.
That’s going to be a no-go for Toronto, especially in a 1-for-1 scenario
The issue here is that the Rangers know how good Georgiev could be and that in most other situations, they wouldn’t be trading him. The Maple Leafs also know that Georgiev could be a smart bet as a future goaltender for them. That said, if Dubas has to trade a forward, he wants to use a player like Kapanen or Johnsson on a defenseman.
Minnesota Wild Willing to Trade Matt Dumba
According to Dreger on Insider Trading, GM of the Minnesota Wild, Bill Geurin, has made it know the Wild are ready to make trades. They have lost six of their last seven games and playoffs appear unlikely.
Another team to watch is the Minnesota Wild. I’m told that Bill Guerin is open for business, and part of the trade bait list could include veteran defenseman Mathew Dumba.
Dumba, at one time, was a workhorse for the Wild but after injuring his pectoral muscle, has yet to regain his offensive game. A seventh-overall pick in 2012 and a former 50-point right-handed defenseman, there is sure to be teams inquiring about his asking price.
Dumba is not a rental. He’s got three seasons at $6 million left. So, if a team is interested, they believe he can be a strong defenseman for them long-term.
With the Wild ready to make moves, expect there to be a lot of talk surrounding Jason Zucker.
Oilers and Flames Competing Off The Ice Too
Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger both agreed that the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers could be in the trade market for essentially the same thing. Both teams need a top-six forward.
LeBrun said when it comes to the Flames, “It makes me think, there’s certainly some interest in Tyler Toffolli from the LA Kings, among other targets.” With only Elias Lindholm and Derek Ryan on the roster the Flames have some money to add another right-handed forward.
Dreger said, “The Edmonton Oilers are also looking for a top-six forward.” He added that he believes one team the Oilers are watching are the Toronto Maple Leafs where there are rumblings around the “likes of Kapanen, Johnsson, maybe Alex Kerfoot.”
Could there be some crossover and the two teams are calling about the same player? Absolutely.
The post NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Wild, Oilers, Flames, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
Recent Articles:
Latest News