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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 05/04/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
05/04/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on May 03, 2020 01:10 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown there is speculation about the future of defenseman Ryan Murray both with the Columbus Blue Jackets and in the NHL. Matthew Tkachuk tells the story of his being drafted and what team he thought was going to take him. The Ottawa Senators could be getting a goaltender back and the Buffalo Sabres might need to clear cap space.
Ryan Murray Thinking About Retirement?
Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray has seen his NHL career plagued by injuries. Only playing 27 games this season only playing more than 66 games once in a single season over the length of his entire career, there have been questions about how likely he is to continue in the NHL.
The blueliner admitted to John Matisz of The Score that he questions whether or not he’d have to retire early because of all of his injuries. He consulted with doctors and was given the green light. Still, the 26-year-old has one more year left on his deal with the Blue Jackets that pays $4.6 million. If he doesn’t have a strong season, it’s hard to imagine they’ll be a ton of interest considering his injury history.
Senators Getting Goaltender Back
The Ottawa Senators could be getting goaltender Anders Nilsson back should the NHL resume plat this season. Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that Nilsson should be ready to go.
Garrioch writes:
General manager Pierre Dorion told reporters last month that Nilsson, who suited up for only 20 games last season, has passed his baseline test and would need time in practice to make sure he can play. Groulx has kept in regular touch with Nilsson, who is back at home in Sweden, and is doing well.
Nilsson is dealing with concussion issues that date back to December. Even if the season does resume, it will be interesting to see how much playing time Nilsson might get considering the Senators would like to give Marcus Hogberg as much playing time to evaluate him as possible.
Related: 11 NHL Teams Without a Stanley Cup
Update on Sabres and Ristolainen
Joe Yerdon of The Athletic writes that major cap issues await the Buffalo Sabres who are approximately $1.25 million over the $81.5 million salary cap. Their overages are due to bonuses owing to Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju.
Yerdon writes:
Dahlin has another bonus in his contract that earns him an extra $2 million if he finishes in the top-10 of defensemen in assists. That bonus would become a penalty against the cap next season and balloon overage to $3.275 million, leaving the Sabres with $78,225,000 to spend.
He also writes that the fix the issue, the Sabres can either make low-ball offers to players or trade someone like Rasmus Ristolainen. Ristolainen’s name has been in the rumor mill out of Buffalo for some time. He’s often pegged as the trade chip that could help the Sabres improve their offense.
Oilers Almost Drafted Matthew Thachuk?
On Saturday, Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk appeared on TSN’s OverDrive and discusses a number of topics, including the day he got drafted by the Calgary Flames. He didn’t think that was how things were going to go down.
Tkachuk actually figured a different team was taking him — the Edmonton Oilers. He explains:
During the draft, on the draft floor, it was kind of a weird moment where some people at the Edmonton table, you could ask them they would probably deny it, but they’re kind of staring me down and kind of giving me some smiles. The only people that saw it were me and my mom so we’re like ‘alright, we’re going to Edmonton.’
Then Pierre-Luc Dubois went third-overall and the phone started to ring like crazy at the Edmonton table and they threw the jersey under the table and it looked like they stripped off a name and gave it to Puljujarvi with the next pick.
What an interesting question Tkachuck’s story would be to ask the Oilers. If the Oilers had to do it over again, would they still have taken Puljujarvi? Considering the thorn int he side Tkachuk has been to the Oilers and how Puljujarvi refuses to play for the team, the answers seems obvious.
The post NHL Rumors: Blue Jackets, Oilers, Flames, Senators, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on May 02, 2020 11:40 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Edmonton Oilers interest in re-signing forwards Riley Sheahan and Tyler Ennis. In San Jose, the Sharks may bring a former player into their coaching ranks, while they make plans for free agency. The Montreal Canadiens might have an offer sheet target in mind and Brent Seabrook provides an update on his injury status.
Oilers Interested in Sheahan and Ennis Extensions
Postmedia’s Jim Matheson reports that the Edmonton Oilers are interested in re-signing center Riley Sheahan. Sheahan spent time with the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins, but also with the Detroit Red Wings where GM Ken Holland knew him well. He was a bright spot on the Oilers depth chart this past season. Speculation is that the team would offer him somewhere around the $900K he’s currently being paid.
It might cost more than that to retain him as he often played above his projected spot, spending a fair bit of time on the third line this season. So too, he took a lot of key faceoffs and was a regular on a very good penalty kill.
Matheson also suggests that there’s interest in re-signing Tyler Ennis, who may be seeking a fair bit more than his $800K salary. Matheson writes about both players:
Don’t count out the Oilers trying to re-sign unrestricted free agent Tyler Ennis because they like his ability to move up and down the lineup, but it would likely be for more than the $915,000 Haas got. Ennis has made close to $30 million in his NHL career, but maybe the 30-year-old will take $1 million to play in his hometown … Holland wants UFA Riley Sheahan back but probably only if he’s paying him as a fourth-line centre, not a third, even if Sheahan held that titular role last season along with the first penalty-kill centre. Third-line centres make $3 million.
Joel Ward to Join Sharks Coaching Staff
Last week, Joel Ward officially retired from the NHL as a player. That said, he’s hoping to rejoin the Sharks organization, this time as part of their coaching staff.
Speaking with reporters including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Brian Witt, Ward indicated that he’s already had brief discussions but serious talks are on hold until this pandemic passes. If he doesn’t join the coaching staff next season, he could land himself a role with player development role, one that could transition him into coaching.
Could Sharks be UFA Buyers?
Speaking of the San Jose Sharks, Brian Witt of NBC Sports Bay Area writes that the Sharks could be a team that benefits from a flat salary cap in 2020-21. While many teams will have only $1 -$3 million in cap space, the Sharks could have between $8 million and $15 million available.
With players like Joe Thornton and Kevin Labanc being affordable re-signings, the Sharks will have room to go free-agent hunting.
Seabrook on Road to Recovery
NBC Sports Chicago’s Scott King spoke with defenseman Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks recently. Seabrook mentioned that he hasn’t suffered any setbacks from his three surgeries from earlier this season (both hips and his right shoulder). He’s hopeful to resume playing hockey in the next three to four months.
While that doesn’t mean he’s close to a return, it could mean that he’s not giving up on a return to the NHL. Seabrook is certainly a candidate for a compliance buyout if the NHL chooses to implement them but he would have to be medically cleared first. There was speculation the Blackhawks tried to trade him last season but his injuries and salary would make a trade extremely difficult.
Anthony Mantha a Canadiens’ Offer-Sheet Target?
TVA Sports reporter Jean-Charles Lajoie suggested that Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha might be an intriguing offer-sheet target for the Montreal Canadiens. While it doesn’t sound like there is a hint the Canadiens are leaning this way, GM Marc Bergevin did say he wouldn’t shy away from the offer sheet route if there was a target worth going after.
Lajoie feels the Canadiens would benefit from having a sniper such as Mantha at right-wing and considering Mantha’s tumultuous relationship with Detroit coach Jeff Blashill, he may be looking to leave Detroit. That is, of course, assuming Blashill is back behind the bench as coach next season.
The post NHL Rumors: Oilers, Sharks, Blackhawks, Canadiens, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on May 01, 2020 01:15 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on whether or not the Colorado Avalanche are interested in either Taylor Hall or Alex Pietrangelo, buzz about one of the KHL’s best defensemen jumping to the NHL, and speculation about where Tyson Barrie might wind up. There is also talk about the NHL’s ‘Phase 2’ plan and how likely it is to work.
Avs Not Interested in Hall or Pietrangelo
According to Mike Chambers of The Denver Post, the Colorado Avalanche are not interested in two of the biggest pending free agents on the market this offseason.
During a recent mailbag segment, when asked about the Avalanche pursuing Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall versus pursuing St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, Chambers chose neither. He explained:
“The Avs will continue to build from their prospects, not free agency. They love their top-six forwards and don’t have room for another right-shot defenseman, with Connor Timmins set to come up and join Cale Makar and Erik Johnson on the right side.”
There were rumors connecting Hall to the Avs earlier this season but if Chambers is correct, that doesn’t seem likely. Hall has said he’d like a long-term deal so his story will be interesting to watch.
Barrie Back to British Columbia?
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox addressed rumors in a recent mailbag segment, that Tyson Barrie could end up leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs and heading home to British Columbia. Fox didn’t think the Vancouver Canucks made for the right fit, especially with Quinn Hughes on the team.
Fox suggests instead, “Detroit, Chicago, New Jersey, and Los Angeles make for interesting fits on paper.” Fox also notes that the Winnipeg Jets would be a more compelling destination and considering they’ll be re-building their blue line, there’s a fit there.
KHL’s Mikko Lehtonen Coming to the NHL?
He may just be the best defenseman in the KHL and he may be coming to the NHL if a recent report is accurate. According to the Complete Hockey News, blue liner Mikko Lehtonen has reportedly informed his team, Helsinki Jokerit, that he won’t return and doesn’t want to extend his contract with the club.
The belief is that he’d like to pursue his options in the NHL but there is no clarification on which teams he’s spoken to, if any.
Lehtonen, 26, is a 5’11 and almost 200-pound left-handed defenseman. He recorded 17 goals and 32 assists for a total of 49 points in 60 games.
Related: Top 10 Mennonites in NHL History
NHL’s Phase 2 Return to Play Not Mandatory
TSN Senior Hockey Writer Frank Seravalli wrote Wednesday the NHL is targeting mid-to-late May for its ‘Phase 2’ protocols. For thost that don’t know, ‘Phase 2’ is essentially the opening of team practice facilities for small group workouts.
Darren Dreger has noted that this phase is not mandatory for NHL players. He said, “what is mandatory – assuming there is a go-ahead – is that NHL players report to their NHL cities for the start of training camp.” That training camp could be around June 1.
Dreger also noted there are some close to the situation that says Phase 2 may not be initiated at all and that there will be no agreement on an NHL resumption unless players have an allowance to visit with their families.
The post NHL Rumors: Hall, Barrie, Lehtonen, Phase 2, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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