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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 01/24/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
01/24/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Jan 23, 2020 12:05 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Toronto Maple Leafs and their continued search to improve their defense, this time leading them to conversations with the Minnesota Wild. Also with the Wild, it sounds like the Pittsburgh Penguins are calling, but on who? There are questions in Chicago about whether or not they’re buyers or sellers and who gets moved if they’re sellers and what does goaltender Robin Lehner really want out of free agency?
Maple Leafs Interested in Matt Dumba?
It seems as though the Maple Leafs are turning over every rock in an attempt to improve their blue line but not everything is on their radar. During a recent TSN Leafs Lunch broadcast, Pierre LeBrun joined Andi Petrillo and Craig Button and discussed how Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas isn’t just going after rentals but working on acquiring players that have term and can help for next season.
This has led to speculation the Maple Leafs have interest in Wild blueliner Matt Dumba. Dumba is rumored to be available out of Minnesota and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta points out he could be a potential fit for the Leafs. If there’s a deal there, Kasperi Kapanen plus more would likely have to be involved
The Wild want a top-six forward and Kapanen fits the bill, but it’s going take more than him for Minnesota’s GM Bill Guerin to move Dumba. Do the Leafs include UFA-to-be Ceci in the deal, so the Wild can flip him elsewhere, or is a separate move more likely? Somethings to keep tabs on if the Leafs don’t go the rental route.
Pagnotta also wrote that this isn’t the first time the Maple Leafs have expressed an interest in Dumba.
Penguins Still Interested in Jason Zucker
Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting there is continued interest by the Penguins in Wild winger Jason Zucker. The issue is cap space and the Penguins lack of it.
Zucker is a $5.5 million forward for the next three seasons and Russo writes:
If they can figure out a way to make Zucker’s $5.5 million AAV work for the next three-plus seasons, all bets are off because the Penguins are looking for a winger to resume the role of Jake Guentzel, who’s expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Russo believes Zucker’s 10-team no-trade clause could come into play if the Wild decide to move him and that Zucker might prefer joining his hometown Vegas Golden Knights.
Panthers and Duncan Keith?
The Chicago Blackhawks need more time to determine whether or not they are buyers or sellers this season but should they become sellers, Elliotte Friedman wonders if Florida Panthers head coach (and former Blackhawks bench boss) Joel Quenneville would have an interested in defenseman Duncan Keith.
“Nothing is happening with the Blackhawks as long as they’re still in the race, but if they fall out, would Joel Quenneville ask to pitch ageless physical specimen Duncan Keith on the virtues of southeast Florida?”
Also with the Blackhawks, pending UFA Robin Lehner hinted that his main focus in free agency may not be securing a long-term deal according to Chris Johnston. While he’d like the stability of a long-term deal, he’s not willing to take a lower annual average salary to get additional term. Basically, he wants both.
The post NHL Rumors: Wild, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Blackhawks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jan 22, 2020 02:05 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is lots of buzz surrounding the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs potentially working on a deal, the Montreal Canadiens were listed as the team to watch by one TSN trade insider and the Hockey News names 30 players worth watching over the next five weeks.
Maple Leafs and Flames Connected in Trade?
There are a couple of interesting and somewhat conflicting reports from different Sportsnet columnists when it comes to a potential deal between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. The optics and reasoning for the trades are similar but the names a bit different.
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox is hinting the Maple Leafs and Flames may be chatting about a swap that would include defenseman Travis Hamonic. Suggesting the Maple Leafs have had their eyes on Hamonic since he was property of the New York Islanders, connection to the defenseman include almost trading Nazem Kadri for him.
Fox notes:
The moment Treliving re-signed righty Rasmus Anderssen to a six-year extension signaled to us that one of his 29-year-old UFAs in the top four, Hamonic or T.J. Brodie, won’t be coming back for 2020-21.
Meanwhile, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that there is something potentially brewing between the Leafs and Flames but it’s not for Hamonic. Instead, the conversation is about T.J. Brodie. He writes the Flames have been trying to move Brodie for some time.
Francis writes that GM Brad Treliving appears to have decided that moving him for something now is more desirable than keeping him for a potential playoff run and that Hamonic is untouchable in Treliving’s eyes.
All Eyes on Montreal Canadiens
Frank Seravalli has updated his TSN Trade Bait Board and during a video segment noted that he believes the Montreal Canadiens might be among the busiest teams at this year’s deadline with two big pieces available.
Seravalli admits Chris Kreider is the prize of the deadline but that the Habs have both Ilya Kovalchuk and Jeff Petry and assets they can move and that teams will be interested.
Kovalchuk’s situation is pretty obvious in that he’s making league minimum, will be a free agent and is crushing it in Montreal despite all expectations. Some team will want him and the Canadiens can flip him for a decent asset.
Petry might fetch the Canadiens a big return considering he’s a right-shooting defenseman who logs about 23 minutes per game. The problem is, Montreal might hesitate to take a player like that out of their lineup knowing they would need to replace him down the road. Seravalli suggests that if Petry is moved, it will be because a team pried him out of there with a really good offer, potentially of higher value than what Jake Muzzin was traded for last season.
Ducks and Leafs Working Together?
On Leafs Lunch on TSN, Craig Button discussed the possibility of seeing the the Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks work together, specifically related to the Leafs freeing up salary space to do something else.
The Ducks have already been noted as a team willing to take on contracts and salary at this year’s deadline and the Maple Leafs are a team that wants to do something but is somewhat handcuffed.
Button also suggests the two teams might work on a trade that would actually see the Maple Leafs pick up a useful player, noting defenseman Josh Manson would be a great pick for the Leafs. His style of play would be a good fit in Toronto and would be somewhat of an upgrade from Cody Ceci on the back end.
Hockey News Names Trades to Watch
Matt Larkin of The Hockey News lists New Jersey Devils winger Kyle Palmieri, defenseman P.K. Subban and winger Wayne Simmonds, as the most likely players to be moved by new Devil’s GM Tom Fitzgerald. He adds Canadiens winger Tomas Tatar, Blackhawks blueliner Erik Gustafsson, Anaheim Ducks winger Ondrej Kase, plus a number of others as potential trade pieces over the next five weeks.
Larkin figures the Buffalo Sabres will be busy with names like Marcus Johansson, Michael Frolik, and Conor Sheary all available. He also wonders if we’ll get more action than people are expecting. He writes:
Maybe the NHL trade deadline won’t disappoint in 2020. Not because it will yield spectacular deals, but because the list of names on the trade block isn’t very exciting compared to those of recent years, so expectations won’t be very high.
The post NHL Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Ducks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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