NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 10/16/2019

October 16, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 10/16/2019 edition:

By Kyle Gipe on Oct 15, 2019 01:18 pm

In today’s edition of NHL rumors, do the Pittsburgh Penguins have a trade market for defenseman Erik Gudbranson, what are the Arizona Coyotes’ plans with Niklas Hjalmarsson out three months, and how long does New Jersey Devils head coach John Hynes have to turn the team around? Also, NHL veteran Chris Stewart earned a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers after the team created cap space yesterday.

Will the Penguins Find a Suitor for Gudbranson?

According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Penguins’ strong play (4-2-0) to begin this season has alleviated the pressure on general manager Jim Rutherford to address the injuries to centers Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad. (from ‘LeBrun’s observations: Quality coaching, Sandin’s demotion and Penguins shopping D-man,’ Thet Athletic, 10/14/2019) Specifically, Jared McCann and rookie Sam Lafferty have stepped up and helped fill the void. However, despite the team’s strong play, LeBrun points out that the Penguins are still carrying nine defensemen on their NHL roster and he thinks that Rutherford is looking to move one of them. In recent weeks, Jack Johnson, Juuso Riikola, and Erik Gudbranson have all been mentioned.

LeBrun thinks that Gudbranson remains the likeliest to be moved and suggests the Winnipeg Jets as a possible trade partner. The Jets would certainly like to bolster their defense, however, they can’t afford to take on Gudbranson’s $4-million cap hit unless Dustin Byfuglien retires or they send an comparable salary back to the Penguins. If the Jets do have interest in Gudbranson, one possible fit is Mathieu Perreault ($4.125-million cap hit). Perreault is a center, which would help the Penguins if they want to add depth down the middle and the salaries would balance out.

Another potential trade partner proposed by LeBrun is the Anaheim Ducks, a team rumored to be looking for defense help for some time now. They also have the cap space to absorb Gudbranson’s cap hit without having to send a big contract back. He wouldn’t address the Ducks’ need if they are looking to add a right-shot defenseman, but he could be a low-cost addition since the Penguins are likely only looking to shed Gudbranson’s salary without expectation of a big return.

Coyotes to Address Hjalmarsson Injury with Internal Options?

In the Coyotes’game against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson blocked a shot and cracked his fibula. It’s an injury that will cost him the next three months. He is a vitally important defenseman for the Coyotes and played in all 82 games last season while averaging 19:42 per game. On a relatively young blue line, he is a steadying presence and quality leader. He’s also a great penalty killer and excellent defensive defenseman. So how will the Coyotes, a team with playoff aspirations this season, replace Hjalmarsson?

According to the Arizona Republic’s Richard Morin, the Coyotes’ plan is to utilize internal options:

When reached by phone Monday in Winnipeg, Tocchet described Hjalmarsson’s responsibilities as being like a pie — and every other defenseman must take a slice for the Coyotes to pick up the slack.

Richard Morin (from ‘Tough break: What the Arizona Coyotes can do in wake of Niklas Hjalmarsson’s injury,’ Arizona Republic, 10/14/2019)

In response to the injury, the Coyotes recalled Kevin Capobianco from the American Hockey League and Morin believes that Ilya Lyubushkin will replace Hjalmarsson in the lineup for tonight’s game. The team also has veteran Aaron Ness (47 career NHL games) in the AHL, but they lack a quality defense prospect other than Filip Westerlund and Victor Soderstrom, and both are currently playing in their native Sweden. If the Coyotes eventually feel like their internal options aren’t enough, they have just over $2.4 million in cap space, which can increase if they place Hjalmarsson’s $5-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve. If that is the case, perhaps they’re a landing spot for one of the Penguins defensemen.

Can Hynes Save His Job?

The Devils have seemingly hit rock bottom after they blew a 4-1 lead yesterday against the Florida Panthers. That loss dropped them to 0-4-2 and they are eight points back in the Metro Division. At the center of the team’s abysmal start is head coach John Hynes. 

According to NJ.com’s Steve Politi, Devils fans are starting to get angry and at one point during yesterday’s game, fans expressed their displeasure via “Fire Hynes!” chants. (from ‘John Hynes is on the hot seat as Devils horrific start gets even worse | Politi,’ NJ.com, 10/15/2019) The Devils entered this season with high expectations after they spent on free agents, pulled off a big trade, and had the first-overall pick in the draft.

Take high expectations after an offseason spending spree, then add in a scuffling young star and the overriding fear that a league MVP might bolt for free agency, and you’ve got a full blown crisis for a head coach.

Steve Politi

And while the Devils’ ownership group has expressed patience in the past with the other franchises they own, including the Philadelphia 76ers, the team is quickly falling out of playoff contention in a highly-competitive Eastern Conference. Hynes certainly isn’t to blame for all of the team’s struggles, but that may not matter. He’ll have the opportunity to cool the perpetually-warming seat upon which he sits when the Devils face the New York Rangers on Thursday. A win buys him time, but a loss, especially one in the same nature as yesterday’s blown lead, and he may be in an unrecoverable position.

Chris Stewart Back in NHL

On Tuesday, the Flyers announced that they had signed veteran forward Chris Stewart to a one-year, one-way contract worth $700,000 per year.

Stewart had been with the team on a professional tryout contract since training camp but the Flyers didn’t have the cap space to sign him and add him to the NHL roster. However, that all changed when they waived defenseman Andy Welinski on Monday. Waiving Welinksi meant that the Flyers added the necessary space to sign Stewart to a league-minimum, $700,000 deal. It’s a great ending to Stewart’s lengthy journey back to the NHL.

By Kyle Gipe on Oct 14, 2019 01:20 pm

In the Canadian Thanksgiving edition of NHL rumors, we look at the Buffalo Sabres’ defensive logjam, and are the Anaheim Ducks still looking for a defenseman? Also, what are the New York Islanders’ plans with Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas out, and is Minnesota Wild top prospect Kirill Kaprizov headed for the NHL after this season.

Sabres’ Plans on Defense

In a recent Sabres Mailbag, Buffalo News writer Lance Lysowski was asked about the team’s plans once defensemen Brandon Montour, Lawrence Pilut, and Zach Bogosian all return from injury. (from ‘Sabres Mailbag: Why isn’t Rasmus Dahlin playing more?,’ Buffalo News, 10/13/2019) When they’re back in the lineup, they’ll join a defense corps that already consists of Rasmus Ristolainen, Marco Scandella, Colin Miller, Jake McCabe, Rasmus Dahlin, and Henri Jokiharju. Lysowski’s initial answer is that he doesn’t know what they’ll do.

He goes on to state that a few days ago he would have thought that Jokiharju would have been sent down to the American Hockey League, but that given his play and the trust head coach Ralph Krueger has exhibited in him, that now seems unlikely. It also appears that Jokiharju is destined to stay in the NHL all season now.

Jokiharju has been told by Sabres management to find a place to live in Buffalo. The 20-year-old defenseman will be sticking around for a while and he deserves that opportunity.

Lance Lysowski

Lysowski mentions that a Ristolainen trade doesn’t appear to be the immediate solution given the team’s likely high asking price, and offers a few short-term answers like sending Montour to the AHL for a conditioning stint, which Pilut and Bogosian will need as well. Lysowski ends with believing that a trade remains the likeliest option, but is unsure who will be dealt or when the trade will happen. He also brings up that the Sabres are operating from an advantageous place and can use this to their benefit.

Ducks Still Seeking a Blueliner?

The Ducks have been rumored to be looking for a right-shot defenseman for quite awhile now and were at one point among the favorites to land Justin Faulk. However, with Faulk off the market, it’s unknown if the Ducks are still in the market for a defenseman. In a Ducks Mailbag from last week, The Athletic’s Eric Stephens was asked this exact question and he was unable to speculate on whether the Ducks were still in the market. (from ‘Ducks Mailbag: Playing with more pace, Sprong’s next steps, Brendan Guhle’s potential,’ The Athletic, 10/11/2019)

If they are still looking to add a right-shot blueliner, a natural fit is the Sabres’ Ristolainen, whom the Ducks have been linked to in the past. However, with the Sabres off to a 4-0-1 start and in first place in the Atlantic Division, they’re not in any hurry to make a move. Similarly, the Ducks’ own 4-1-0 start is better than expected and they’re unlikely to rush to make a trade. Plus, there’s the aspect of the Sabres’ asking price for Ristolainen, which will be high. Are the Ducks willing to part with someone like Ondrej Kase, Troy Terry, Max Jones, or Maxime Comtois to make a trade happen? It’d be a big price to pay for a team that is transitioning from a veteran roster to one that is more youthful.

Wahlstrom Gets the Call-Up

After the Islanders placed Casey Cizikas on injured reserve, and with Jordan Eberle day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the team called up 2018 11th-overall pick Oliver Wahlstrom and he is making his NHL debut today. Although there was talk of him making the NHL roster out of training camp, he started the season in the AHL and excelled with three points in four games.

He has all the skills to succeed in the NHL and scored 94 points in 62 games his final season with the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2017-18. He spent last season with Boston College of the NCAA and joined the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers at season’s end. Given Eberle and Cizikas’ importance to the team, Wahlstrom will likely have every opportunity to contribute right away.

Kaprizov Planning to Join Wild

The Athletic’s Michael Russo was recently asked on Twitter whether or not it was true that Wild top prospect Kirill Kaprizov was planning to join the team after this season when his Kontinental Hockey League contract expires. Russo, who interviewed Kaprizov, confirmed the rumors, which have also been discussed at length by Kaprizov’s agent.

Kaprizov, since the Wild selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 Draft, has been in the KHL and currently plays for CSKA Moskva. He has 20 points in 17 games this season and is tied for the league-lead in points. When the Wild drafted him, it was a gamble that he’d eventually join them, as it is with all players drafted from the KHL. However, if he does in fact join the Wild, it will immediately provide a spark to their roster, one that is currently aging.

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