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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 06/15/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
06/15/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Jun 13, 2019 01:16 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on what the Boston Bruins will do now that they’ve been ousted from the Stanley Cup Finals, the Carolina Hurricanes may choose to move on from defenseman Dougie Hamilton, the Edmonton Oilers may have interest in an Anaheim veteran and there are some potential landing spots for Jake Gardiner. Finally, is Jim Rutherford bluffing in Pittsburgh when it comes to Phil Kessel?
What’s Next for Bruins?
Greg Wyshynski, Emily Kaplan, and Chris Peters of ESPN.com looked at the next steps for the Boston Bruins after their Game 7 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday and suggested defenseman Torey Krug might be shopped for a second-line winger.
Krug’s name has been mentioned in media trade chatter for some time. But, with Krug only a year away from UFA status, the team could get younger and faster and avoid an expensive re-signing if they choose to move him.
The Bruins will be contenders again next season but a crushing loss is always motivation to make changes. Krug might be a piece that finally moves instead of being just discussed as an option.
Hurricanes to Move on From Hamilton?
@Prospects_Watch: Pierre McGuire said that he believes the Carolina Hurricanes will try to trade defenseman Dougie Hamilton. McGuire added that the Hurricanes won’t be trading defenseman Brett Pesce.
The Hurricanes had a bit of a Cinderella season after being discussed in a number of trade rumors this past summer and into the start of the 2018-19 campaign. They have a number of good d-men but the view has always been they could improve their forward depth.
Oilers Interested in Corey Perry?
@Prospects_Watch: Darren Dreger was on TSN 690 and said that if Corey Perry were to get bought out by the Anaheim Ducks, there would be a free agent market for him.
Dreger said the Edmonton Oilers could be a fit. They wouldn’t be interested in a trade at his current salary but if they were to get him on a short-term, discounted rate, why wouldn’t they be in on it? Perry would help Connor McDavid on the leadership side of things.
Still with the Oilers, new GM Ken Holland spoke to reporters at the scouting combine in Buffalo and possibly revealed which way the club might be leaning at this year’s NHL Entry Draft with their No. 8 selection.
“There’s some good defensemen there, but there’s some really good forwards,” he said of the crop at the combine. He’s been public about how much he likes his upcoming blueliners and the only defenseman consistently ranked above the eighth spot is Bowen Byram.
Gardiner to Blackhawks or Wild
@Prospects_Watch: Pierre McGuire said that he would be shocked if pending free agent defenseman Jake Gardiner didn’t sign with either the Chicago Blackhawks or the Minnesota Wild.
Rutherford Bluffing on Kessel?
According to a story on triblive.com, despite Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford saying he’ll probably end up keeping Phil Kessel, this could be posturing and bluffing on the part of the Penguins.
Kevin Gorman believes Rutherford is basically saying to Kessel that he can either help the team facilitate a trade or if he stays with the Penguins, he has to play by coach Mike Sullivan’s rules. If Kessel is really set on getting away from the coach, he might have to take a destination he’s a bit less comfortable with.
The post NHL Rumors: Bruins, Hurricanes, Oilers, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jun 12, 2019 01:19 pm
The Edmonton Oilers haven’t been the loudest team when it comes to making changes in the NHL. That distinction goes to teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and their attempts to move Phil Kessel or the Toronto Maple Leafs and how they’ll manage to sign free agents like Mitch Marner. Still, the Oilers have been making changes, slowly but surely.
The organization has a new President of Hockey Operations and GM who is going through the management and coaching of the team, systematically building the most stable group he can, and assessing what he’s got to work with. There are those that are exiting the organization and others who are staying, and there are many questions still to be asked.
There’s enough change in Edmonton that it’s worth taking an overall look at what the team has done so far and might do in the future. Here are seven things you should know if you’re an Oilers fan as it relates to the franchise today:
Update 1: Jay Woodcroft Signs 3-Yr Extension
The Bakersfield Condors announced today that the Edmonton Oilers have agreed to terms with head coach Jay Woodcroft on a contract extension through the 2021-22 season.
Woodcroft was moved down to Bakersfield in the reshuffling of coaches that occurred with the Oilers last season and he took the Condors on a massive run of 17 consecutive wins. Holland came in, spoke with Woodcroft a couple of times and got the impression he’d like to stay. The Oilers inked a deal to keep him on Wednesday.
There was speculated interest from other teams so this is good news for the Oilers organization that they were able to keep such a qualified man to run the Condors from the bench.
Thing 2: Keith Gretzky To Stay Assistant GM
Ken Holland also announced that Keith Gretzky will remain with the team in the role of Assistant General Manager and will oversee the Condors, working mostly on the amateur side of things.
Gretzky will hold the title of Bakersfield Condors General Manager but maintained he will still have a lot to do with Oilers at the 2019 NHL Draft.
This is a job Gretzky is good at, Holland called important to the team’s future and something Gretzky is excited about. “It’s a great opportunity and I think Mac (Craig MacTavish) did a great job. I’m there to help Jay and his staff and build the team to success,” Gretzky told Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now.
Update 3: Jesse Puljujarvi Might Be Leaving
As we reported in our rumors notes today, the future of forward Jesse Puljujarvi remains a big question mark for the Edmonton Oilers. GM Ken Holland said of the player:
He’s still a good, young, talented player. I’m hoping that myself and Dave Tippett can provide some stability. I hope he wants to be an Oiler. When I get curveballs thrown at me, then I’ve gotta deal with the curveballs. What would the curveball be? If he doesn’t really wanna be an Oiler. I haven’t really dug that deep. I know it’s been a tough go for him.
The question is, does he want to be an Oiler? The answer seems to be that he’s ready for a change.
That said, contrary to reports, Puljujarvi has not signed a contract with Jokerit (KHL). He is expected to re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers on a two-year deal. He remains open to a trade to another NHL club and the Oilers will try to make that happen if he indicates he’s not happy.
Update 4: Lucic to Calgary or Vancouver?
There is still buzz surrounding Milan Lucic and a potential trade. The two leading options floating around are with Vancouver for Loui Eriksson or with Calgary for James Neal.
There’s no work on if the Flames have any interest but according to Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger, the Canucks are ‘interested’ in Lucic. Dave Tippett has some history with Loui Eriksson with Dallas and Jim Benning has wanted Lucic for some time. Speculation is that Edmonton would likely need to add in a sweetener.
Related: Canucks Should Not Trade for Lucic
Update 5: No Nurse Extension Anytime Soon
When it comes to Darnell Nurse, don’t expect the defenseman to get an extension offer anytime soon from the Oilers. Holland also said he’d like to wait as long as possible because he’s still not sure what he has in Nurse as a player.
Nurse has a contract for 2019-20 and Holland believes he has some really great defenders coming up the pipeline. He feels there’s no rush.
Update 6: Oilers Hire Tom Anselmi
The Edmonton Oilers have moved some people around in the high-end positions of the organization. They’ve hired Tom Anselmi as President of Business Operations & Chief Operating Officer and Bob Nicholson has moved over to Chairman of the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club.
Anselmi formerly served as COO of the Ottawa Senators and prior to that, worked 17 years with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in Toronto.
Update 7: Oilers Sign Patrick Russell
The Oilers have signed forward Patrick Russell to a one-year contract extension.
Russell, 26, appeared in 51 games last season with the Bakersfield Condors, registering 40 points (18G, 22A), 32 penalty minutes and a +30 plus/minus rating, ranking second on the team. He also posted seven points (2G, 5A), in 10 playoff games.
The post Oilers News & Rumors: Woodcroft, Gretzky, Puljujarvi, Lucic, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jun 12, 2019 12:32 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there are changes in the Phil Kessel situation out of Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers are looking at possible buyouts, and the Edmonton Oilers aren’t sure what’s going on with Jesse Puljujarvi.
Kessel Staying Put in Pittsburgh
Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that things appear to have change in Pittsburgh as it relates to Phil Kessel. After failing to trade him to the Minnesota Wild, Yohe writes Kessel will probably not be traded now.
“I think that’s the way things are headed at this point in time,” GM Jim Rutherford told The Athletic. “I expect Kessel will probably play for Pittsburgh next season.”
The change is not for a lack of trying by the Penguins. Kessel was offered around the league for the past two offseasons and while the Penguins understand that moving him helps them make significant changes to the roster, trading him is not a requirement. So too, Kessel has to be on board with most of the destinations worked out in a possible trade.
“You have to understand that he has a no-trade clause and a lot of leverage. In situations like this, it usually doesn’t work out so well for the team. That’s just the way it is. So, at this point, it looks to me that he will return at this season. That’s how I’m proceeding moving forward.”
Rutherford has now switched his focus to signing Matt Murray and he was uncertain if he’d offer defenseman Justin Schultz another deal.
“Changes are coming,” Rutherford said. But, in saying that, he added, “I don’t think we’re going to make any changes that I would refer to as massive. I’d say I’m looking to re-tool more than anything.”
The Rangers Considering a Couple of Buyouts?
New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton spoke about the quick rebuild the team is trying to go through and their potential to seek out some of the bigger-name free agents this summer. Gorton told Larry Brooks of the New York Post the organization hasn’t ruled out buying someone out this summer.
Brooks suggests two candidates in Brendan Smith and Kevin Shattenkirk, who, if bought out, would save the Rangers more than $8 million in cap space this season. The Rangers will have their first chance to decide on this route Saturday when a buyout window opens.
Brooks said this is highly likely because the team has found no trade market for either player, even after offering to retain 50% of their remaining salary.
Future Uncertain For Jesse Puljujarvi, Darnell Nurse and Oilers
Forward Jesse Puljujarvi remains a big question mark for the Edmonton Oilers. When asked if he’ll be an Oiler next season, new GM Ken Holland responded, “it’s been a tough year for him”. No one knows what will happen there.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic wrote down Holland’s response during a Q&A:
He’s still a good, young, talented player. I’m hoping that myself and Dave Tippett can provide some stability. I hope he wants to be an Oiler. When I get curveballs thrown at me, then I’ve gotta deal with the curveballs. What would the curveball be? If he doesn’t really wanna be an Oiler. I haven’t really dug that deep. I know it’s been a tough go for him.
When it comes to Darnell Nurse, Holland also said he’s like to wait as long as possible on an extension because he’s still not sure what he has in Nurse as a player.
Nurse has a contract for 2019-20 so Holland is not terribly worried about doing anything right away.
The post NHL Rumors: Penguins, Rangers, Oilers, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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