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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 05/08/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
05/08/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on May 07, 2020 01:05 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on more interviews happening in New Jersey, the Toronto Maple Leafs could lose a forward to the KHL and the Anaheim Ducks re-signed a newly acquired defenseman. Finally, could the Edmonton Oilers actually get more in return for Jesse Puljujarvi if the NHL holds an early NHL Draft in June?
Devils Interview John Stevens
After already interviewing Gerard Gallant, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the team has interviewed Dallas Stars’ assistant John Stevens.
Stevens was a head coach in the NHL most recently with the Los Angeles Kings, though he lasted only 99 regular-season games with the club. He had also previously been a head coach in Philadelphia, taking the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008.
Related: Worst Toronto Maple Leafs Trades
Maple Leafs Could Lose Pontus Aberg
Pontus Aberg could be headed overseas to the KHL as there are rumors he’s been offered a deal to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL. After spending most of last season in the minors, speculation is he’ll take the deal.
The report out of Sweden suggests he’ll sign but there is debate about when he’s able to because the NHL has not ruled on their season yet. Still an asset in the Maple Leafs organization, Toronto could use him if they needed depth during a playoff run.
Ducks Extend Djoos
The Anaheim Ducks have come to terms with defenseman Christian Djoos on a new contract, announcing a one-year extension with the blueliner. CapFriendly reports the new deal will carry a $1 million AAV. The Ducks also confirmed a one-year deal with fellow defenseman Jani Hakanpaa.
After struggling in Washington, Djoos was moved to Anaheim where he played in nine games and recorded three points. He averaged more than 21 minutes per night as he filled in for some injured defenseman. That opportunity was enough to land him another deal.
Related: The 5 Greatest Hockey Players Ever
Oilers Puljujarvi Worth More at Early Draft?
Despite the issues that could be raised from little-to-no trades at a June NHL Entry Draft, some insiders closer to the Edmonton Oilers suggest limited trade options for teams could actually help the Oilers move forward Jesse Puljujarvi.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal quotes Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer and Sportsnet’s Mark Spector who discussed Puljujarvi’s trade value should the NHL only allow draft picks, prospects, and players outside the league whose rights remain owned by NHL clubs (like Puljujarvi) to be traded.
Staples writes:
With veteran players not available — and even if the draft was opened up to moving veteran NHLers at this time, no playoff-bound team would want to trade their veterans — Puljujarvi could suddenly become far more attractive for a team looking to lock down a second or third line winger for the 2022-23 season.
Mark Spector painted a scenario with the Montreal Canadiens that could happen. The Canadiens have 14 picks at this year’s draft and it’s hard to imagine they stockpiled so many to use them all.
Spector explains:
“I suppose you could say the rules of supply and demand should have an effect on that trade. Let’s say the Montreal Canadiens, just for fun, they’ve got all these draft picks, depending on what Ken Holland is willing to take for Puljujarvi, their market to spend those draft picks, it’s a thin market. All the roster players that teams need in the playoffs, they’re not trading to the Habs. If Ken Holland has what we call one of the very few NHL ready players who is not in the NHL, you know, a team like Montreal would say, ‘Well, gosh, we can’t trade for anyone else, let’s see if we can make a deal for Puljujarvi and get rid of a couple of these draft picks.’”
The post NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Oilers, Devils, Canadiens, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on May 06, 2020 12:35 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, one scribe looks at the best goaltender options on the market and there are comments from the GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the potential of trading one of their goaltenders. What are the best options on the table for the Toronto Maple Leafs to improve their blue line and are the Winnipeg Jets planning to offload a number of players?
Penguins to Trade a Goaltender?
According to a story on NHL.com Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has acknowledged that he might have to trade one of his goaltenders. Murray spoke with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe and talked about the team having over $68 million committed to next season’s roster.
Rutherford said:
“I’ll say this: If we are going to keep both of them, we’d have to move a few things around on our team. There is a way to do things and to make that work, yes. There are some very, very tough decisions ahead.”
Rutherford added that the team is operating as though the cap will change, and not in their favor. “We know that much,” Rutherford said. “It’s certainly not going up.”
That the Penguins didn’t get to see one of Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry perform on a stretch run towards the playoffs and in the postseason makes the decision more difficult than it already was.
Related: The TJ Oshie Trade Analyzed
Jets Might Offload Free Agents
Murat Ates at The Athletic took a look at the Winnipeg Jets free agent situation and among a ton of names likely to leave the team, he listed veteran defensemen Dmitry Kulikov, Nathan Beaulieu, and Luca Sbisa among those blueliners most likely to be playing somewhere else next season.
Ates writes:
It may be that Winnipeg forgoes all of its own pending UFA left-handed defencemen and looks outside the organization. Alex Pietrangelo strikes me as a pipe dream but there will be questions about Manitobas Travis Hamonic and Joel Edmundson until their futures are known, while Brenden Dillon remains a player of interest. I don’t think this is where the solution comes from but it’s worth acknowledging.
Mostly Likely Goaltenders to Be Traded?
Jonathan Willis of The Athletic took a look at the goaltender crop this season for each team and then determined the need of every franchise. He labeled goalies who might fill those needs and found four names that could be potential trade candidates.
Willis noted that Antti Ranta, Matt Murray, Jake Allen and Alexandar Georgiev may be the players most teams with goalie needs come calling about. Willis labeled Murray and Georgiev as the two who could fetch the most.
He writes:
Murray and Georgiev are the likeliest to command a lot in trade. Murray is a Cup-winning starter while Georgiev is young and likely to be very cheap. One has a lot of appeal to a team looking for a No. 1 it can have confidence in, while the other is extremely attractive to teams up against the cap.
The bottom line, as Willis suggests, is that NHL free agency isn’t quite the buyer’s market in net that we often see.
Maple Leafs Blue Line Options?
As the Toronto Maple Leafs look to change up their blue line, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic named 12 players the team might elect to consider. Among them: Chris Tanev, Justin Schultz, Alex Pietrangelo, Dustin Byfuglien, Radko Gudas, Tyson Barrie, Sami Vatanen, T.J. Brodie, Ron Hainsey, Roman Polak, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Travis Hamonic.
Pietrangelo was listed as the best fit, but trickiest deal to get done, possibly requiring the Maple Leafs to trade Mitch Marner. Brodie was listed as the second-best option. Siegel writes:
This might be the right time to buy on Brodie…. He’s not Pietrangelo, but given the acquisition cost, Brodie would be a nice alternative.
The post NHL Rumors: Penguins, Maple Leafs, Jets, Goalies, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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