NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 09/30/2019

September 30, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

09/30/2019 edition:

By Kyle Gipe on Sep 29, 2019 12:30 pm

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, what are the St. Louis Blues’ plans regarding Brayden Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo? Both are unrestricted free agents (UFAs) after the 2019-20 season. Will the New York Islanders trade a defenseman to make space for top prospect Noah Dobson? And, is Ryan Strome in the New York Rangers’ long-term plans? Finally, with Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Mikko Rantanen signed, what’s the status of the restricted free agency (RFA) market?

Will the Blues Be Able to Sign Schenn, Pietrangelo?

The defending Stanley Cup champion Blues have two big-name UFAs to deal with in Schenn and Pietrangelo. Both players’ contracts expire after the 2019-20 season. Schenn, a center, has been excellent for the Blues since they acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers in June 2017 with 124 points in 154 regular-season games. He also added 12 points in 26 playoff games in 2019. Meanwhile, Pietrangelo, a defenseman and team captain, has been with the Blues since they drafted him fourth overall in 2008. He has 398 points in 688 regular-season games and has two top-five Norris Trophy finishes to his name. He posted 19 points in 26 playoff games in 2019. Both are key contributors for the Blues and could be due sizable raises; Schenn currently has a $5.125 million cap hit and Pietrangelo a $6.5 million hit. The problem is that the Blues are a cap team with not much salary coming off the books after this season.

In a recent chat, St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jim Thomas commented on the status of the two UFAs and the Blues’ chances of extending them. (from ‘Quick Hits: Jim Thomas on the Blues,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 09/25/2019) He pointed out that the team currently has $15.1 million in cap space for next season based on the current salary cap and need to sign eight free agents who are currently on their NHL roster. As Thomas rightly points out, that’s not enough to re-sign Schenn and Pietrangelo, plus be able to retain their other free agents. As a result, Thomas pointed out two players who could be moved to free up cap space: goaltender Jake Allen ($4.35 million) and winger Alexander Steen ($5.75 million).

 

Yes, the Blues could remove Allen’s $4.35 million or Steen’s $5.75 million. But as Doug Armstrong said yesterday, the Blues are going to have to be creative in order to bring both Pietrangelo and Schenn back.

Jim Thomas

Both players have two more seasons left on their contracts and have had their values decrease in recent years, but it’s still likely the Blues could rid themselves of one or both. Assuming that’s possible, there’s a clear path to them being able to re-sign both Schenn and Pietrangelo, if that’s their goal. There’s also always the possibility that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong gets in front of the negotiations and trades one or both players. However, as the Blues are still a contending team, that seems unlikely to happen.

Does Dobson Have a Spot with Islanders?

Noah Dobson is one of the game’s better defense prospects and is the Islanders’ top prospect. He’s likely ready for NHL duty after winning back-to-back Memorial Cups and nearly having consecutive seasons averaging at least a point-per-game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). However, considering that the Islanders allowed the fewest goals in the NHL last season, they already have a quality blue line and may not have room for Dobson.

The usual plan in this situation would be for him to play in the American Hockey League (AHL), but because he’s still junior eligible he can’t play in the AHL this season and would have to return to his QMJHL team if he’s not in the NHL. So that leaves the Islanders with a choice: do they return Dobson to the QMJHL where he can over-ripen, potentially win a third straight Memorial Cup, and represent Canada at the World Junior Championships? Or, do the Islanders make room for him on the NHL blue line?

According to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, it could be the latter. (from ‘ What we know, what we think we know and what we don’t know about the Islanders,’ The Athletic, 09/23/2019) The Islanders currently have three veteran defensemen who still have value but could still be parted with: Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, and Thomas Hickey. While Boychuk is the oldest (35), he also has the highest cap hit ($6 million) and has a modified no-trade clause, making him potentially difficult to trade. Meanwhile, Leddy also as a large cap hit ($5.5 million) but still has a lot of value, so the team may want to hold onto him.

That leaves Hickey as the most likely of the three to be dealt. At 30, he’s not too old while his contract ($2.5 million through 2021-22) is certainly movable. At least that’s what Staple thinks. But, at the moment, it’s still unknown if Dobson will be on the NHL roster all season or if he’ll be returned to the QMJHL, which would make these speculations moot.

Is Strome in the Rangers’ Plans?

Given all the excitement surrounding the Rangers this offseason, one player lost in it all is forward Ryan Strome. After the Rangers acquired him from the Edmonton Oilers last season, he had 18 goals and 33 points. He’s also an RFA this offseason and, according to The New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis, he is looking to cement himself as a part of the Rangers’ long-term plans. It’s easy to see why as he’s on his third team in six NHL seasons after the Islanders drafted him fifth overall in 2011.

 

A lot of guys talking about the young guys fighting for spots, but I want to prove that I can be a part of the core here

Ryan Strome

A strong performance could help him earn a multi-year contract from the Rangers, but it could also increase his trade value, which could be key. This is a team that’s dealt players on expiring deals in recent years, including Kevin Hayes last season. Regardless of what happens with Strome, it appears as though the Rangers will be getting the best version of him.

Status of RFA Market

Now that Connor, Laine, and Rantanen have been signed, the RFA market has calmed down. In fact, it’s almost completely silent as only Dallas Stars defenseman Julius Honka remains unsigned. With this year’s crop of RFAs largely out of the way, we can begin looking to the 2020 class of free agents. Leading the way will be Alex Debrincat, Mathew Barzal, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nico Hischier, and Mikhail Sergachev, all who will be coming off their entry-level contracts, just like Connor, Laine, and Rantanen. Stay tuned for the latest rumors regarding the 2020 RFA class.

By Kyle Gipe on Sep 28, 2019 12:50 pm

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, we look at the Colorado Avalanche and whether they’re making progress on a contract with restricted free agent (RFA) Mikko Rantanen. Plus, several teams could be close to making a trade, including the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. Finally, Sidney Crosby’s No. 87 will be retired league-wide by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Are the Avalanche and Rantanen Making Progress?

After the Winnipeg Jets re-signed RFA Patrik Laine, all attention turned to Laine’s teammate Kyle Connor and Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen. While there hasn’t been much information surrounding the Rantanen negotiations, it does appear that both sides are committed to getting a long-term deal done. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Friday that there’s still work to be done. It appears that $9 million per year is the most common salary being discussed.

LeBrun asked the question of whether the Avalanche would be willing to go above that number and, simultaneously, would Rantanen be willing to go below that number. Regardless, he is a key player on one of the best lines in hockey and needs to be on the roster for the Avalanche to reach their goals this season.

Will the Flames Be Forced to Make a Trade?

In a blog post earlier this week, The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton highlighted five teams that could be on the verge of making a trade. Th Flames were one of those teams. After re-signing RFA Matthew Tkachuk to a three-year, $21-million contract, the Flames are currently above the salary cap. They’ll get some relief if they place defenseman Juuso Valimaki on long-term injured reserve to start the season, however, that relief will only be temporal.

Clinton points out that an easy way to create cap space would be to send forward Dillon Dube to the American Hockey League, but that would mean not icing the best possible lineup. As a result, the Flames could once again look to trade Michael Frolik, whom they tried to trade for Jason Zucker last season. Other options to be dealt include defensemen T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic, but as Clinton points out, with Valimaki’s injury it’s unlikely the Flames are willing to further take from their defense corps.

Can the Jets Replace Byfuglien?

This offseason was one of removal for the Winnipeg Jets, especially on defense. They traded Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers, yielding Neal Pionk, and lost Tyler Myers to free agency. Both Trouba and Myers are defensemen who are right shots. The loss of them was already going to strain the Jets’ blue line depth and that strain was only made worse with the news that Dustin Byfuglien was taking a leave of absence to ponder his future. His absence means every other defender will be tasked with playing a bigger-than-expected role. Clinton asks whether the Jets could look at bringing in a defender.

 

…there’s going to be pressure put on those slated to skate on the backend to fill the gap. Josh Morrissey, in particular, will be asked to step up, but depth defenders Dmitry Kulikov and Sami Niku will also be asked to play larger roles than expected, as will off-season acquisition Neal Pionk.

Jared Clinton

While I’m certain it’s something general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has looked at, it remains to be seen if there’s a great fit now that Justin Faulk is off the board. The Jets also don’t have a ton of cap space when you consider they need to re-sign Connor and when you factor in Byfuglien’s $7.6-million cap hit, if he returns. That may leave the Jets with only being able to pursue bottom-pairing defensemen unless they’re able shed the contract of Bryan Little or Mathieu Perreault.

Do the Hurricanes Still Have Too Many Defensemen?

Another team that could make a trade in the near future is the Hurricanes, although it’s for a much different reason than the Jets. Even after the Hurricanes dealt Faulk, one could argue that they still have too many NHL-caliber defensemen, perhaps the best problem a team can have. With a top-four that still consists of Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Jake Gardiner, and Brett Pesce, the Hurricanes have no room for Joel Edmundson, whom they acquired Faulk, and Trevor van Riemsdyk.

Add in that they also have younger blueliners pushing for NHL playing time and that they are over the salary cap and it appears they’ll be looking to move on from one of Edmundson or van Riemsdyk. Moving a defenseman would open a spot for one of the younger blueliners, plus provide them with the room to have forward prospect Martin Necas on the roster or acquire another forward. Perhaps there’s even a trade to be made with the Jets.

Crosby’s Jersey Retirement

On Friday night, Pittsburgh Penguin Sidney Crosby was in Rimouski, Quebec, where the Rimouski Ocean, his junior team, retired his No. 87 jersey. In celebration of their 25th anniversary, the QMJHL club retired Crosby’s jersey after he scored 303 points in 121 games with the Oceanic. But it went further than that as the QMJHL surprised Crosby by announcing that they were going to be retiring his number league-wide beginning next season.

In doing so, Crosby will be the first player in history to have his number retired league-wide. The experience was clearly emotional for Crosby, who fought through tears during his speech. It is a fitting tribute for a player who meant so much for the franchise.

By Kyle Gipe on Sep 27, 2019 11:55 am

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin makes a statement on the Jonathan Drouin trade rumors. Are the Pittsburgh Penguins willing to do what is necessary to trade Jack Johnson? Will Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sonny Milano be playing elsewhere to start the season? Plus, the latest on Nolan Patrick’s injury situation.

Bergevin Dismisses Drouin Rumors

Rumors out of Montreal surrounding polarizing forward Jonathan Drouin continue as GM Marc Bergevin has addressed the situation. Earlier this week Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Eric Engels both reported that the Canadiens may be shopping Drouin after the 24-year-old forward has struggled in Montreal. Engels even mentioned that an Eastern Conference team executive texted him to confirm that Drouin’s name is out there. However, on Thursday afternoon, Bergevin shut down those rumors. According to the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan, Bergevin is uncertain where those rumors started and even went on the attack about them:

 

“I don’t know where they come from. Most of those reports are from somebody in his basement in Toronto. So I don’t pay attention to them, to be honest with you.”

Marc Bergevin

There are two ways to interpret Bergevin’s reaction. One is that he is correct and that Friedman and Engels were just reporting on the information they were receiving. That seems difficult to believe, though, as both are far from being “somebody in his basement.” The other interpretation is that Bergevin is simply trying to draw attention elsewhere as he’s a general manager who rarely reveals more than the bare minimum. The latter option is what NBCSports’ James O’Brien thinks is happening.

In an article published on Thursday, O’Brien wrote an in-depth look at Drouin’s 2018-19 season and pointed out his questionable two-way play and perceived lack of hard work. He also points out that with Drouin’s $5.5 million cap hit that runs through 2022-23, the Canadiens will have a difficult time moving him unless they retain salary or take a questionable contract back. A one-for-one trade with the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is a specific example O’Brien points out.

Penguins Committed to Trading Jack Johnson?

Another rumor that appears to be gaining traction is that the Penguins are looking to make a trade. Earlier this week those rumors surrounded goaltender Tristan Jarry. Recently, however, it looks like they may be trying to trade veteran defenseman Jack Johnson. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Matt Vensel considers that because Johnson was a healthy scratch for the team’s preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, there’s also a chance he could be a healthy scratch to start the regular season. (from ‘How secure is Jack Johnson’s spot in the Penguins lineup?,’ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 09/26/2019)

 

…there appears to be a legitimate chance that Johnson, who is owed $13 million over the next four seasons, will remain in formal wear and not be one of six Penguins defensemen in uniform.

Matt Vensel

There’s definitely reason to believe this considering Johnson was scratched in Game 1 of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. All of this, plus the fact that he was part of the proposed Phil Kessel trade to the Minnesota Wild this summer, leads many to think the Penguins are actively shopping Johnson. But, trading him won’t be easy. Sure, his $3.25 million cap hit isn’t bad, but it has four more years on it and his play is already on the decline.

For the Penguins to move him, they’ll almost certainly have to either sweeten the deal with a draft pick/prospect or retain a portion of the salary. The second option seems the more likely one because it’d still get the team under the salary cap and they wouldn’t be required to give up an asset to do so.

Will Milano Be a Blue Jacket to Start the Season?

Sonny Milano, the Blue Jackets’ 23-year-old and former first-round pick, isn’t guaranteed an NHL roster spot this season after only appearing in eight games last season. He remains one of the final 15 forwards in camp but nothing is assured. So how does this relate to him not being in the Blue Jackets organization to start the season?

Because he now has to pass through waivers to be sent down to the American Hockey League. And given his talent level and skillset, it’s all but a guarantee that he’d be claimed if placed on waivers. In fact, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic asked members of five different NHL teams and all five believed that Milano would be claimed. (from ‘Blue Jackets, former first-round pick Sonny Milano likely at a crossroads,’ The Athletic, 09/24/2019)

While there’s still a chance he isn’t cut and makes the NHL roster, there’s also a chance he’ll be wearing a new jersey when the regular season starts. If the Blue Jackets decide to not keep him in the NHL and don’t want to risk losing him via waivers, they could always attempt to trade him, but it’s unknown how much Milano’s July arrest for assault could impact his trade value.

Flyers’ Nolan Patrick Out Week-to-Week

Flyers center and 2017 second-overall pick Nolan Patrick has been listed as week-to-week and will miss the team’s season opener on Oct. 4 due to a migraine disorder. According NBCSports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, Patrick began feeling concussion symptoms over the summer and the team has worked with him during the offseason. He has been kept out of the team’s preseason games and didn’t participate in training camp practices, instead doing solo on-ice work.

After consultation with the Flyers’ medical staff and with specialist Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher from the University of Michigan, forward Nolan Patrick has been diagnosed with migraine disorder. Patrick will not be going to Europe and we will provide additional information once the team returns. He will not be ready to start the season and is listed as week to week.

Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher

Dating back to before he was drafted, Patrick has had a lengthy injury history that has included a sports hernia, concussion, and upper-body issues. Fletcher doesn’t believe Patrick’s migraine disorder is related to any hit he took but did mention that he took a slapshot to the back of the head near the end of the 2018-19 season. It remains unknown when he’ll be able to return to game action.

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