NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 04/13/2019

April 13, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 04/13/2019 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Apr 11, 2019 12:39 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Oilers GM search and one candidate who it appears is not going to get the job, some early candidates for the Los Angeles Kings coaching job, and news on the Buffalo Sabres.

Oilers Have Said No to Gretzky

It appears interim GM Keith Greztky has been told he will not be getting the job of permanent GM of the Edmonton Oilers. TSN 1260 host Dustin Neilsen reported on Wednesday that he heard from two sources that Gretzky has been informed he will not be given the position.

No word on whether or not that means Gretzky will stay and run the amateur side of the scouting and development but he has said in the past he’d like to stay with the Oilers if that’s an option.

Some of the early candidates for the job in Edmonton include Mike Gillis, Mike Futa, Keith Gretzky, Mark Hunter, Kelly McCrimmon, Bill Zito – maybe Sean Burke, Bill Armstrong.

One writer in Edmonton wrote a long piece about Bill Guerin getting the job.

Kings Coaching Candidates

It is believed the Kings want Todd McLellan as their next head coach and Dennis Bernstein reported, “Barring a last-minute snag, McLellan is on track to become the next coach of the Los Angeles Kings … My understanding is McLellan has accepted the role in principle, final touches are being put on a 5-year deal.”

That said, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that if the Buffalo Sabres coming forward and offer a lot more money the Kings won’t match.

If the Kings don’t get McLellan they could look at Tony Granato, Bob Hartley and Patrick Roy – all have ties with GM Rob Blake. Other options could be Doug Weight and Dave Tippett.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting after making $3 million a season with the Edmonton Oilers, McLellan is expected to get more than $4 million potentially from the Kings.

More on the Sabres

Friedman also mentioned there were a number of teams watching Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen after the trade deadline came and went and that the 25-year old right-handed defenseman would get interest in the offseason if he became available.

Nikita Gusev Could Join Vegas Golden Knights

Now that SKA St. Petersburg has been eliminated from the Gagarin Cup playoffs the Vegas Golden Knights might be getting one of the best players in the KHL for their NHL playoff run.

Nikita Gusev technically runs through the end of April but it can be terminated early if the team agrees and it appears that might be the case. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express believes Gusev is on his way to the Golden Knights to join them for the playoffs.

For those wondering how that’s possible, Gusev was listed on the Golden Knights reserve list and as such, he can join the team immediately after he’s signed. This does mean the Golden Knights need to get him signed and that’s not a given considering there will be some negotiation for a player who scored 82 points in 62 games this past season.

Ottawa Getting Turned Down, A Lot

There are reports that a number of names have already said no to the Ottawa Senators who are still looking for a head coach and President of Hockey Operations. Among those that have turned down the big job, – Ron Francis, Trevor Linden, Dean Lombardi, Joe Nieuwendyk and Steve Yzerman.

Playoff Players Sitting Could Speak Volumes

If you look at the teams in the postseason right now and some of the players that are sitting, it might be easy to determine some of the names that will pop up in trade talks once the playoffs are over.

Some big money is on the sidelines. In Tampa, that includes Ryan Callahan and Braydon Coburn, in Columbus, that’s Alexander Wennberg, Brian Dumoulin and Jack Johnson among others.

By Jim Parsons on Apr 10, 2019 02:03 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are whispers out of Montreal that the Canadiens could be aggressive this summer, the Vancouver Canucks are starting to think about their goaltending situation, and the Los Angeles Kings feel stuck with a certain forward not named Ilya Kovalchuk who didn’t produce.

Canadiens to Be Aggressive

Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette is writing that the Montreal Canadiens may look to spend to the salary cap this coming season despite being $8 million under it over the past two seasons. GM Marc Bergevin confirmed he has the go-ahead from ownership to spend for next year. “I always have permission to go to the cap. I always keep a small cushion, but I do have it and I’m willing to go there,” the GM explained.

While there are some big names available on the market this summer and Bergevin will look, he said he also proceeds with caution on July 1.

Meanwhile, any rumors that the Canadiens are willing to trade Jonathan Drouin are “absurd” according to Brendan Kelly of the Montreal Gazette. The return wouldn’t be as good as he played to end the season. They certainly won’t trade him to free up more cash.

One player that won’t be back according to Cowan is 35-year old goaltender Antti Niemi. After posting a 3.78 GAA and a .887 save percentage, his NHL playing days could be over.

Jacob Markstrom Hopes to Stay in Vancouver

Despite the fact the Vancouver Canucks have two really good goaltenders coming up through their pipeline in Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro,the current starter is hoping there’s a place for him with the team.

Jacob Markstrom is the team’s best goalie and another strong season in Vancouver made him a legit starter this past year. That said, he has just a single year left on his current deal and can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. Markstrom may become an expensive player if he continues to play well and his agent knows the Canucks may look to their younger talent if that happens.

Markstrom’s agent Pat Morris told Sportsnet radio (via Rick Dhaliwal) today:

He would like to be a part of it long term. That’s where his instructions will lean, to try and get something done.

It takes two to get a deal done, it takes term and it takes dollars. The player has to be willing and Jacob has enjoyed his time in Vancouver and wants it to continue.

One of the things Vancouver will need to consider is the NHL Expansion Draft. If they have three good goaltenders on the payroll, Seattle can snag either Markstrom or Demko and the Canucks may choose to move on from one instead of losing one for nothing.

Jeff Carter Wants to Stay With Kings

There was some behind-the-scenes desire out of Los Angeles that Jeff Carter would look at his most recent season, his age and the fact he might be traded and simply retire. An interview with Josh Cooper of The Athletic suggests that’s not likely to happen.

When asked about rumors of his retirement, Carter said:

“I’m 20 games from 1,000, so I don’t think I’m retiring. I got three years left on my contract. I want to be an L.A. King. I want to help change things around here, but I don’t have no-trade protection so whatever happens, happens. And I never talked about retiring either. Never came out of my mouth.

source – ‘Jeff Carter won’t retire, so what are the Kings’ options with him?’ – The Athletic – Josh Cooper – 04/08/2019

The questions in LA will be if Carter doesn’t want to retire, and he can’t be traded because of his age, salary and diminishing skill set, what are their options? A buyout is one.

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