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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 01/06/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
01/06/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Jan 05, 2020 12:15 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Chris Johnston and Elliotte Friedman had a lot to say during Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, specifically regarding the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens. Plus, there’s news on the Colorado Avalanche and interest in a Los Angeles Kings forward.
Maple Leafs and Rasmus Sandin
Chris Johnston started by chatting about the World Junior Tournament and noted that Rasmus Sandin has had a great tournament for Sweden (they just win the bronze medal.) Having said that, he will become an option for the Toronto Maples going into next week when he returns to North America.
Johnston noted that he’s a teenager and if he doesn’t play 10 NHL games this season his contract could slide into next season. Even so, the Maple Leafs are apparently not concerned about that and there is a belief he’s going to get games in for the Maple Leafs.
With injury issues for the team Sandin could get a look and become a useful piece for the Maple Leafs to close out the season.
Flames Cap Space
Elliotte Friedman started his news items by restating that the Calgary Flames are looking to make a trade and spend some of the money they freed up when they moved Michael Frolik. He had more insight when it came to what they were looking for.
First, he said the Flames are not interested in rentals, they want someone with term. “That’s where their preference is.”
Second, one big consideration is where Elias Lindholm plays long-term. The Flames will need to determine if he is a center or a winger? If he’s a center, they’ll look at right-wingers. If he gets slotted in as a winger, the Flames may look for a center.
Canadiens Considered Sven Baertschi
Before signing Ilya Kovalchuk on an inexpensive two-way contract, Friedman noted that the Montreal Canadiens considered trading for Sven Baertschi of the Vancouver Canucks.
Obviously, nothing came out of that conversation but it could be because Kovalchuk was willing to sign such a team-friendly contract to close out the season and the Canadiens didn’t have to give up any assets to get Kovalchuk in a Canadiens uniform. Baertschi has one more season after this on his deal at $3.36 million per season.
Uncertainty About Justin Williams
Friedman said “We thought there would be information this weekend, but as Chris Johnston points out, I was an idiot.” What Friedman was referring to was the report he made that a decision was coming from Justin Williams as early as this weekend regarding his NHL playing career.
When the conversation moved over to Johnston to update the situation, he said there was a lot of smoke around Williams but nothing is imminent. “Nothing has sorted itself out yet with the Hurricanes and there are questions about whether or not he’ll be back this season,” he said.
He finished with, “It does seem in the air that he’s thinking about another year in the NHL.”
Predators, Specifically Poile Is Getting Impatient
David Poile is getting impatient according to Elliotte Friedman. Already noted that he’s ready to call the Nashville Predators sellers if they don’t start to climb up the standings, Friedman said Poile is ready to do something now.
“He’s starting to burn up the phones lines to see what’s out there and if things don’t change the Predators could make some kind of roster change pretty quickly.”
Avs Interested in Toffoli Over Kreider
Chris Kreider is arguably the most notable rental potentially on the trade block. That said, he may not be the prime target for the Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater writes that he’s hearing the Avalanche might be interested in acquiring Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli. Dater notes the Kings had a scout at Saturday’s Colorado game and that Toffoli fits the bill of what the Avs are looking for — a player with size and scoring ability and wouldn’t cost too much.
That cost, however, could be a first-rounder (potentially a late one).
The post NHL Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Avs, Predators, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jan 04, 2020 01:55 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there is speculation as to what the Calgary Flames will do after making it known they intend to stay busy on the trade front, could the Nashville Predators become sellers at this year’s trade deadline, and will the Detroit Red Wings have to cover some of the cost to move a couple of expected trade pieces?
Flames Possible Trade Targets
Eric Francis took a look at possible targets the Calgary Flames might pursue after making it known they weren’t planning on sitting on the salary cap space they created when the moved Michael Frolik. Francis name-dropped Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli, Florida Panthers winger Mike Hoffman, Edmonton Oilers winger Zack Kassian, and Florida Panthers winger Evgenii Dadonov.
Some of these options are quite interesting in that Kreider has a no-trade option and he may not choose Calgary as a destination. So too, the Oilers are working on an extension for Zack Kassian, not out of the playoff picture and he’s mentioned he’d like to stay in Edmonton. Same goes for Florida’s Hoffman and Dadonov.
The best possible option might be Toffoli.
Poile Wonders if Predators Will Be Sellers
Yahoo! Sports Thomas Williams spoke with Nashville Predators GM David Poile and after saying he’s not considering replacing head coach Peter Laviolette, he is considering the Predators being sellers this season.
Typically a contender, Nashville is struggling and the Feb. 24 trade deadline is creeping closer. Poile says the organization will need to decide soon what they are, buyers or sellers. He said:
“I guess the point I’m saying today is, sitting here outside of the playoffs, we have for the last several years been buyers at the trading deadline. If we don’t improve here shortly, we might be a seller for the first time in a number of years.
Poile added that he’s hoping the Predators are not seller but that he’s open for business and willing to listen to different teams and any of their interest in certain Predators players.
Jets Not Afraid to Go For It Again
The Winnipeg Jets have often been a tram willing to trade top picks in exchange for that one piece they believe will put them over the top in the playoff race.
While that strategy didn’t work with Kevin Hayes last season or, for argument’s sake, Paul Stastny the season before, Ken Wiebe of The Athletic reports the Jets aren’t shy about going to that well again. He writes Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’d do so, “If the circumstances are right.”
Red Wings Will Have To Sweeten Trade Pot?
As MLive’s Ansar Khan points out, the Detroit Red Wings might have more trouble trading a couple of their big blue line trade chips than they thought. It was expected both Mike Green and Trevor Daley would be dealt before the trade deadline, but they’ve both struggled.
As Detroit’s top-paid defensemen (Green at $5.375MM and Daley at $3.167MM) Khan suggests the Red Wings may have to retain salary to move either. To this point, the Red Wings have not used any of their three retained salary slots yet.
The post NHL Rumors: Flames, Predators, Red Wings, Jets, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jan 03, 2020 01:40 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Ilya Kovalchuk deal with the Montreal Canadiens, and are the Buffalo Sabres done making moves? The Calgary Flames who were also part of the trade action on Thursday are apparently not done either. Finally, what’s going on with Kris Russell? Is he hurt, taking a personal day, sick? There’s no report from the Oilers but he wasn’t at practice.
Why Kovalchuk and the Canadiens
Darren Dreger reports the injury situation in Montreal played a factor in the Canadiens willingness to sign Ilya Kovalchuk on Friday and for Kovalchuk, he felt he had the best opportunity to play in Montreal despite signing a two-way deal.
The Canadiens recently announced that Brendan Gallagher would be out indefinitely with a concussion and the team absolutely needed something to keep them in the hunt.
It doesn’t sound like the Habs were always interested in Kovalchuk either. Eric Engels reports that Marc Bergevin started his presser by saying “the circumstances in Montreal had changed with injuries and they’re trying to help the team in the short term without affecting long term. Says Kovalchuk signing is no risk.”
Sabres Not Done Making Moves
On Thursday night, the Buffalo Sabres were busy, moving defenseman Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens before Montreal sign Kovalchuk. They also acquired forward Michael Frolik from the Calgary Flames. They may not be done.
After losing Jeff Skinner to injury earlier this week, the team is looking for more ways to acquire help up front, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. Dreger writes on Twitter, “Sounds like Buffalo is still on the hunt and willing to move other pieces.”
Two assets the Sabres could use to try and improve their roster are defenseman Zach Bogosian who has requested a trade, and forward Evan Rodrigues who also wants out of Buffalo.
Flames Plan to Flip Salary Cap Space
Part of the trade action on Thursday saw the Calgary Flames pick up some salary cap space. They don’t intend to sit on it. According to Flames GM Brad Treliving, “it is our intention” to use the cap space and improve the team.
This could include Treliving pursuing a high-profile rental player prior to the NHL Trade Deadline in an attempt to help secure a playoff spot. Cruickshank speculates the Flames GM could be in the market for a big, top-six winger, preferably on the right side. He writes:
So they figure to be in the market for a needle-mover.
Theoretically, a veteran winger — big-framed with top-six ability, preferably somebody comfortable operating on the right side.
Cruickshank also takes a bit of a shot at the Flames because they used to have exactly this type of winger in James Neal before the team moved Neal to Edmonton. Regardless, one of only a handful of teams that now don’t necessarily have to worry about spending money on a rental, having cap flexibility gives them an advantage down the stretch if they’re still in the hunt.
Did Oilers Lose Kris Russell?
Despite an overtime loss to the Buffalos Sabres on Thursday night, the Edmonton Oilers ran the same lines at practice Friday morning with one exception. There was no Kris Russell on the ice for the Oilers.
There’s been no report from the Oilers that Russell suffered an injury in the loss so we’ll have to keep our eyes on this situation as it unfolds.
The post NHL Rumors: Kovalchuk, Sabres, Flames, Oilers, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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