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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 08/12/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
08/12/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Aug 11, 2019 02:20 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there are updates on the deal the Boston Bruins might be working on with Charlie McAvoy, Kevin Labanc of the San Jose Sharks made some interesting comments, and did Rasmus Ristolainen just say he’s asked the Buffalo Sabres to be traded?
Bruins Dropping Clues on McAvoy Deal
James Murphy of Boston Hockey NOW writes that the Bruins and Charlie McAvoy could be headed towards a one-year bridge deal if the latest comments from the Bruins are any indication as to where their heads are at.
Calling such a deal a show-me contract of show-me contracts, Murphy suggests comments from an anonymous agent was telling. Saying this is probably the first time anyone has heard Cam Neely talk about McAvoy’s injury history, this agent believes he’s only doing so to knock term off the deal. Murphy notes, “Considering he specifically cites term there, that would tell me that given their cap issues, they’re now aiming for a short-term, I’m thinking bridge contract.”
It is strange for a GM or higher-up (in this case President) to talk so candidly about a player’s injuries when negotiating a new deal if there isn’t a financial reason for doing so.
LaBanc Expecting Return Favor from Sharks
Adam Kimelman of NHL.com noted an interesting quote coming from San Jose Sharks’ Kevin Labanc that suggests he knows the favor he did for the Sharks organization and that he’s expecting one in return.
LaBanc said:
“I did a big favor … taking that deal. There’s a lot more salary cap for him to get another 1 or 2 players. … I think it’ll help our team be Stanley Cup contenders this year.”
This is pretty candid and it shows that either Labanc is expecting the Sharks to go out and obtain more help to compete this year or he’s setting the table to let the organization know that next season, the favor won’t be there again.
LaBanc shocked the hockey world when he signed a one-year, $1 million deal. He deserved far more than that after a season that saw him put up 17 goals and 56 points. Yes, he’s betting on himself to have an even better year, but the amount of money he took was a sizeable discount.
In other Sharks news, Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports Patrick Marleau’s off-season plan has failed him.
Simmons writes:
After being traded by the Leafs and bought out by Carolina, Patrick Marleau figured he would go home and return to the San Jose Sharks. Well, that’s not happening. Sharks don’t want him. Apparently, Arizona does, but Marleau may not want to play there. This off-season isn’t turning out the way he hoped it would …
Did Ristolainen Just Hint He’s Asked for a Trade?
The potential that Rasmus Ristolainen might be traded out of Buffalo has been well documented but until now, there have been no hints from the player’s side that he’s expecting to be moved. Ristolainen’s recent comments may suggest he does.
A Buffalo News report quotes comments from Ristolainen from an interview with MTV Uutiset (translation required) that he asked to be traded. After being translated, the comments are:
“I cannot say anything other than the fact that on the 12th of September, I will be at one of the NHL team’s training camps.”
The headline of the MTV Sports article reads, “Ristolainen dissatisfied with situation with Buffalo Sabres – wants to move elsewhere.” That alone suggests whatever Ristolainen and that interviewer discussed, Ristolainen is not happy in Buffalo even though the defenseman said he wants to keep the discussions between him and the Sabres’ front office private.
Ristolainen has three years remaining on a contract that pays $5.4 million per season. He’ll be a name to continue to watch leading up to the regular season if he has, in fact, asked to be moved.
The post NHL Rumors: Bruins, Sharks, Ristolainen Trade, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Aug 10, 2019 01:57 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there is news out of Calgary as it pertains to T.J. Brodie, there are questions as to what Ivan Provorov is worth what Travis Konecny might get and what’s all the fuss in Toronto about when it comes to Auston Matthews and Mike Babcock? Finally, what is Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion thinking when it comes to getting his young players locked up long-term?
Flames Trying to Move Brodie, Tkachuk Extension
Eric Francis said on Sportsnet 960 that a source from the Calgary Flames organization had told him that the Flames were having a tough time trying to find a team that would trade for T.J. Brodie.
Saying that the Flames need to do something because the cap issues in Calgary require a move, he wonders if Mark Jankowski might be included in a package along with Brodie to sweeten the pot?
Francis also said that he expects the Flames are looking at a two-year bridge deal for Matthew Tkachuk even though reports are that two, five and seven-year options are on the table. Pat Steinberg said he didn’t believe the Flames and Tkachuk were even talking at this point and the likelihood was he’d miss part of training camp.
What Provorov’s and Konecny’s Next Contracts Look Like
Jordan Hall and Brooke Destra of NBC Sports Philadelphia recently wrote about what Ivan Provorov’s next contract would look like coming out of Philadelphia and the trouble in making comparables on the player.
Suggesting he’s being deployed as a No. 1 defenseman but might not be one, they don’t believe he’s worth Jacob Trouba money but that he might be better than a long-term deal at $6 million or less.
They suggest Provorov’s agent might be working towards getting a slightly lower bridge deal done in the neighborhood of a $5 million per season. This would allow both sides to see how Provorov matures and sets up for some of those unrestricted years.
Still with the Flyers, Hall and Brooke believe Travis Konecny will likely get a bridge deal in the neighborhood of $3 -$4 million per season for around three seasons.
Related: Stars get Hartman from Flyers
Will Matthews Demand More Time in Toronto?
There was drama this week in Toronto where Matt Larkin of The Hockey News quoted comments from Mike Babcock about ice time for players like Auston Matthews (who Babcock sees as most effective at around 19 minutes per game). The Old Prof has gone into more detail on the story here.
There are many wondering how Babcock could get away with not playing Matthews more, especially considering the team no longer has Nazem Kadri to deepen the center position on the team? More than that, the hosts from OverDrive on TSN asked if Matthews was ready and willing to demand more responsibility from his coach in tight games and when the best players needed to be on the ice? There has been a history with Babcock out of Detroit that players didn’t tend to do that.
There are many who believe Babcock deserves criticism for his player deployment and that if Babcock is being truthful about no more than 19 minutes per game, this issue could be the hill Babcock chooses to die on. That said, when does the player need to step up and demand more?
Obviously, the results in terms of wins and losses for the Maple Leafs will be the ultimate decision-maker on Babcock’s status but everyone will be watching Matthews’ ice time as the wins or losses pile up.
Senators and Colin White
When asked about the status of talks between the Ottawa Senators and Colin White, GM Pierre Dorion said he wouldn’t discuss specifics on the negotiations with White but that he wanted fans in Ottawa to know how much the organization realizes keeping the young core of the team intact is a priority.
Dorion included White in the same group as Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk when he spoke about the young core of the team. This is why Dorion doesn’t see the need to spend to the cap now because he wants the flexibility to easily afford these players later.
The post NHL Rumors: Flames, Flyers, Maple Leafs, Senators, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Aug 09, 2019 12:50 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on Chris Kreider and the New York Rangers, Puljujarvi’s statement he’ll play with Karpat might not be all it’s cracked up to be, and the Buffalo Sabres don’t seem worried about their cap issues.
Kreider to be at Rangers Training Camp
Dan Rosen of NHL.com is reporting that the expectation is, despite constant trade rumors, Chris Kreider will be at Rangers training camp. This update comes from Rangers President John Davidson who said he expects Kreider to start with the team this upcoming season.
Davidson said:
“It’s hard to make promises. Things change, but Chris is a valued member of the New York Rangers and I look forward to him having a great camp and a great run with us.
“He’s got one year left, and that should be a whole lot of importance to him to come in and have a great camp and a great year, and we’ll just see where it all goes.”
On whether or not the Rangers intend to offer Kreider a contract extension at the end of this season, general manager Jeff Gorton said, “We’ll deal with that.”
The buzz is that the Rangers will move Kreider because they aren’t prepared to extend his contract at around seven years and $7 million per season. Gorton added, “We’ll continue to talk to Chris and see what’s next for him, but we’ll start with training camp, get him going on the right path. Hopefully he’s helping us win games, and then we’ll figure it out.”
Puljujarvi Bluffing Again?
We recently reported that Jesse Puljujarvi and his agent are hinting that he’ll play with Karpat if something can’t be figured out in Edmonton and a trade to move Puljujarvi to another organization facilitated.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal notes there is a report saying that while Puljujarvi’s hometown team of Karpat is interested in signing him, the team’s GM said that there haven’t been any negotiations yet. In other words, Puljujarvi may be threatening to play there but he’s not talked to the team about doing so.
Still with the Oilers, Allan Mitchell of The Athletic says that outside of Puljujarvi, new GM Ken Holland will have a lot of items on his to-do list this season, especially if the Oilers are not playoff contenders. Among them might be seeing what’s out there for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson.
Mitchell writes:
Added to the equation are two veterans who will be a year and a half from free agency — it will be a checkpoint for Holland to gauge possible interest across the league for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson. If the team has no plans to sign either man, and remember the Seattle expansion draft could complicate things, then dealing one or both might be the right move at that time.
Buffalo May Hold Off on Trade
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reports that Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said he doesn’t have to make a trade to become cap compliant before the start of the season. This despite the buzz the Sabres are looking to make a deal.
The Sabres say they could simply place an injured defenseman (Zach Bogosian, Lawrence Pilut, Matt Hunwick) on long-term injury reserve or send a player on a one-way contract to the minors to take care of their cap issues.
The post NHL Rumors: Rangers, Oilers, Sabres, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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