NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 07/20/2020

July 20, 2020

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 07/20/2020 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Jul 19, 2020 01:55 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Sidney Crosby mysteriously left the Pittsburgh Penguins practice midway through and the team isn’t commenting as to why, the Columbus Blue Jackets look to be getting a key player back for their playoff push, and the Vancouver Canucks might have found a way to move Loui Eriksson’s contract. Finally, after a week of speculation and discussion, Johnny Gaudreau is back on the top line for the Calgary Flames. Is everything back to normal? Or, are there still potentially problems in Calgary?

Crosby Leaves Practice Early

Already dealing with a few absences, Sidney Crosby may or may not be added to the list of “unfit to play” based on him pulling out of practice Sunday. During the second period of Saturday’s team scrimmage, he suddenly left the ice and it’s not clear as to why.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan declined after the scrimmage to comment on Crosby’s status due to the NHL’s new protocols on talking about player absences. That said, TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh writes that a team source said Crosby was being held out for precautionary measures due to an undisclosed ailment.

They add:

The team is already missing forwards Anthony Angello, Patric Hornqvist, Adam Johnson, Sam Miletic, Sam Poulin, Phil Varone, defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Juuso Riikola and Alex D’Orio who have been absent since the start their training camp due to what is presumed to be precautionary measures against to potential secondary exposure to coronavirus.

Josh Anderson Added to Blue Jackets Roster

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that they placed forward Josh Anderson on the team’s 34-man roster. Anderson was questionable for the playoffs due to a nagging shoulder injury and this season had only four points in 26 games.

The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that Anderson won’t be with the team as they initially travel to Toronto for the tournament, but Anderson could join them at some point.

How the Canucks Can Move Eriksson

One of the many interesting stories to watch this offseason will be how the Vancouver Canucks deal with the contract of Loui Erikkson. Even in an NHL where the salary cap was rising, his contract is not a team-friendly one. But, in a flat cap situation, it’s an albatross. The Canucks would like to be out from underneath that deal, but a buyout has complications.

As per a recent report, there is potential that Eriksson could be traded, but to move him, the Canucks would need to give up a sweetener. Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal has revealed that at the trade deadline the Canucks were in talks regarding Eriksson but teams were asking for defenseman Brogan Rafferty and center Adam Gaudette to be added to that deal.

Is this the type of move the Canucks would do in order to keep their team together?

Gaudreau Rejoins Top Line in Calgary

After spending the first week of training camp away from his linemates in Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm — a decision that caused quite the stir among the media — Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau was on the ice with where most figured he should be Sunday. TSN’s Jermain Franklin took some video of the group doing drills together.

The Flames reportedly have an intra squad game schedule for later Sunday evening and that could be why the trio of forwards is back together. If they are expected to play together in that game, practicing together makes sense.

This might not clear up all the apparent “issues” in Calgary, but it could calm the waters a bit. For the Flames, the timing of dissension and unhappiness right before they were set to start their play-in series was anything but good.

By Jim Parsons on Jul 18, 2020 01:45 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Edmonton’s Caleb Jones confirmed why he missed the start of training camp, while Braden Holtby holds out hope there’s room for him in Washington. Finally, David Pastrnak is back in quarantine. Is he potentially in hot water with the team and the NHL?

Holtby Wants to Squeeze in With Caps

Ilya Samsonov is likely the Capitals’ future No. 1 netminder and the flattened salary cap hasn’t left a lot of room to sign a big-ticket free agent, but that isn’t stopping goaltender Braden Holtby from holding out hope there is room for him in Washington.

Holtby told reporters, including J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, that he’d like to return:

My focus right now is to win a championship and moving forward, is to find the next best place to win a championship with. Hopefully, it is here. Hopefully, everything works out but you never know.

He seems to understand that the chances of that happening might not be good. He explained:

“My focus right now is to win a championship and moving forward, is to find the next best place to win a championship with. Hopefully, it is here. Hopefully, everything works out but you never know.”

What kind of deal he’d have to take to stay with the Capitals will be interesting to see. He did not have a strong year statistically and there should be plenty of teams looking for a top-level stopper.

Oilers Defenseman Jones Tested Positive for COVID-19

Friday, Caleb Jones of the Edmonton Oilers willingly acknowledged he tested positive for COVID-19. Got tested as soon as he arrived from his off-season home in Dallas and went straight into isolation, explaining his early absences from the main ice at training camp and being labeled “unfit to play.”

He says he had no symptoms at all and explained to media after practice:

“I had no symptoms — I was asymptomatic. I did my two-week isolation and tried to stay away from everyone. My first day back at the rink was actually Monday, the start of training camp. So, I was just the first few days getting back into it, and I was glad to be back full with the team (on Friday).”

Since Phase 3 began, the only other NHL player to publicly admit to having had the virus is Auston Matthews, but that’s wasn’t exactly a situation under his control. A journalist from the Toronto Sun had previously reported Matthews’ positive test and the Maple Leafs center decided to address the speculation. Matthews said he wasn’t pleased the news got out in that way.

As for Jones, he didn’t want the cloud hanging over him and it will be interesting to see what other players make the same decision.

Pastrnak Held Out of Practice, Questions About Protocols

David Pastrnak has been missing practices but the news is that he’s not contracted the virus, only been exposed to someone who has. For that reason, the Bruins are holding him out as a precautionary measure. He is back in quarantine, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said after hearing the news:

“Am I thinking ahead to being without those guys in the round robin or playoffs? No. That’d be speculating. But yeah, for today. And if I get word later today that the same thing’s going to happen tomorrow, then we start thinking, ‘OK, we’ve looked at a couple of guys. Anything else?’ We’ll meet as a staff to go through that. But there’s only so many guys that will go up to David’s spot.”

source – ‘Agent: David Pastrnak under quarantine, has tested negative for COVID-19’ Fluto Shinzawa – The Athletic – 07/17/2020

There were photos that leaked of Pastrnak and Ondrej Kase skating at a local rink and according to the NHL’s return-to-play protocol, players who participate in Phase 3 are not permitted to work out or skate at any public facility or other location. Since Pastrnak technically hasn’t joined Phase 3 yet, he’s likely not violating any rules and Cassidy doesn’t mind if they work out as long as they’re safe. Still, there are some questions as to whether or not they should be skating.

The NHL has not made a ruling for either player. According to Joe Haggerty, “Cassidy stressed the absence of Pastrnak & Kase had nothing to do w/disciplinary action, or photos of them in North End or working out at other rinks earlier this week. It’s health-related: “This isn’t discipline against those two guys. … We’re not disciplining anybody.”

By Jim Parsons on Jul 17, 2020 09:20 am

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Calgary’s GM clears the air about the rumored conditioning (or lack thereof) of Johnny Gaudreau. In Pittsburgh, the Penguins don’t have room to re-sign everyone so they may have tough decisions ahead. Is Michael Frolik leaving the NHL?

Finally, in Edmonton, Rogers Place suffered extensive damage thanks to a storm. Will it affect the city being a hub for the NHL playoffs?

Gaudreau Is Just Fine, In Tip-Top Shape

After rumors surfaced that the main reason Johnny Gaudreau might not be skating with the top line at the Calgary Flames training camp was his conditioning, a heated Brad Treliving cleared the air on the speculation.

According to Treliving, Gaudreau is in tip-top condition. TSN writes, “He worked out hard during the pause and this is just one of those things and will all be established in a better sense in the next couple of days.” Treliving wouldn’t provide an answer as to why Gaudreau wasn’t on the top line with his usual linemates,

Penguins Don’t Have Cap Space for Free Agents

As per Mike DeFabo of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the flat salary cap for 2020-21 being at $81.5 million means the Penguins don’t have room for all their pending free agents. With over $68 million invested in next season’s payroll, they’ll have tough choices to make.

General manager Jim Rutherford might try to create some cap room via trade. Rutherford could attempt to move one of his goaltenders in Matt Murray or Tristan Jarry and call up Casey DeSmith as a full-time backup next season. If that’s not an option, another possible move would be to let defenseman Justin Schultz walk. That’s not ideal as it would leave a hole on the blue line, but there was speculation after a less-than-extension-worthy season, Schultz might be on his way out anyway.

He’s indicated he’d like to stay so if he’s willing to do so with a lower salary, there might be room there.

Michael Frolik Getting Overseas Interest

Sport-Express in Russia reports that Avangard Omsk of the KHL has offered former Flames and Sabres forward Michael Frolik a one-year contract. He’s also been talking to Lausanne of the Swiss NLA, according to iSport’s Pavel Barta.

While Frolik ensures that he has options in a very uncertain market, his European agent Josef Machala told Barta that Frolik’s preference is to remain in the NHL. 14 points in 57 games might not help keep him in the league however.

Rogers Place Suffers Damage During Storm

Rogers Place, which is where the Edmonton Oilers play and the venue that is supposed to host to the Western Conference teams in the play-in games, was all over social media on Thursday night. The building suffered damage as a result of a storm that swept through the city.

The entrance foyer area flooded with water but reports are that the water didn’t damage or reach the actual ice surface or anything critical that would stop the players from being able to play or the NHL from moving forward with Edmonton as a hub city. You can see the video below:

“Rogers Place has suffered some water damage to the terminus of Ford Hall, along with some smaller leaks in other parts of the building,” the Oilers Entertainment Group and Rogers Place said in a statement.

“We are assessing the damage and at this time are confident that it will not hamper our planning and preparation and we will be ready to host the return of NHL hockey as hub city. We will share more information as it becomes available.”

The good news is that they believe they’ll be ready to go by the time players arrive on July 26. They’ll just have to keep their fingers crossed the city doesn’t get a whole lot more rain in the next couple of days.

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