NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 05/11/2020

May 11, 2020

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

05/11/2020 edition:

By Jim Parsons on May 10, 2020 01:20 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news about Mikhail Sergachev and a lack of discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Vancouver Canucks are looking at ways to improve their blue line and the Los Angeles Kings are targeting the same thing. Finally, it appears the Edmonton Oilers are going to lose depth forward Markus Granlund.

Sergachev and Lightning Not Yet Talking

It’s not terribly surprising the Lightning and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev haven’t started talking a new deal yet since there is so much uncertainty surrounding next year’s NHL salary cap, but the situation between the Lightning and the d-man is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Sergachev is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason and set a new career-high in goals with 10 just before the suspension of the season. He’ll be due a sizable raise on his next deal and he told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, there have been no discussions at all. It is expected the Lightning will have to move some players out before next season to keep him in the fold.

Kings Set To Improve Blue Line

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake held a conference call with reporters, including Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, and hinted the team will be targeting some help for the left side of their defense corps. Blakes said:

I think that would be one area of need that we would look at, whether it’s the free-agent market or the acquisition market, and most likely on the left side.

The Kings are weak on the left side of their defense with only Michael Anderson under contract and Kurtis MacDermid, Ben Hutton, and Joakim Ryan slated to become unrestricted free agents.

Canucks Trade Targets on Defense

Harman Dayal of The Athletic recently looked at several trade targets to rebuild the Vancouver Canuck’s defense corps. Chris Tanev is likely to leave and Troy Stecher is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Dayal mentions options such as Florida’s MacKenzie Weegar, Tampa Bay’s Erik Cernak, Washington’s Nick Jensen, and Buffalo’s Henri Jokiharju, plus Edmonton’s Caleb Jones, or St. Louis’ Vince Dunn if suitable right-side blueliners can’t be found.

How the Canucks will acquire one of these players may come from their right-wing depth. Dayal writes:

You’re going to have to give to get when it comes to defencemen. Regardless of a team’s situation, it’s never going to be cheap to acquire one with top-four upside. The Canucks don’t have a lot of tradeable assets, but one area that could emerge as a strength is their pool of right-wingers. If the club can extend Tyler Toffoli, for example, Vancouver would have Toffoli, Brock Boeser and Jake Virtanen in their top-nine. They’d also have top prospects, Vasili Podkolzin and Kole Lind.

source – ‘Rebuilding the Canucks’ defence: Young blueliners to target in a trade’ – Harman Dayal – The Athletic – 05/08/2020

Oilers Losing Markus Grandlund to KHL

Russian hockey website Al.hockey.run, is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Markus Granlund will sign with Ufa Salavat Yuleaev in the KHL next year: “Salavat Yulaev will sign a contract with the Finnish striker Markus Granlund, in the season 2019-2020 playing for Edmonton. The parties have already agreed on the terms of the transaction.”

While the Oilers have not confirmed the news, it wasn’t likely the team would re-sign Granlund. He was a one-year experiment that didn’t quite pan out for either side as he spent more time in the AHL than he did the NHL.

By Jim Parsons on May 09, 2020 12:20 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is speculation on who the Detroit Red Wings might go after with their additional cap space, news out of Toronto and Ottawa where Ontario has opened up facilities again, and news out of Edmonton as far as working with the government to host NHL games.

Red Wings Have Money to Spend

Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News wondered if the Red Wings will have an advantage due to the struggle of many NHL teams to deal with a changing salary cap. He believes the potential dip could benefit the financially secure Red Wings. If so, it could be a nice late birthday present for GM Steve Yzerman who turns 55 today.

Kulfan admits the Red Wings need to re-sign restricted free-agent forwards Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Robby Fabbri, but still thinks the team will have money to spend and there are some big names that could test the market.

He specifically names defensemen Alex Pietrangelo, Torey Krug, and Tyson Barrie, forwards Taylor Hall and Mike Hoffman, and goalies Robin Lehner and Braden Holtby, wondering if they’ll go after any of these players should they hit the market. He explains:

Some of those players will likely find a way to stay with their present teams. But some will hit the market. And the Wings could be one of the teams that benefits.

Few teams will be in better shape than the Wings to take advantage of the constrained market. Long having been riddled with expensive, long-term contracts, those are expiring, giving general manager Steve Yzerman much more financial leeway.

source – ‘Salary cap dip could help financially-sound Red Wings in free agency’ – Ted Kulfan – Detroit News – 05/05/2020

Devils Options on Defense

The Red Wings won’t likely be the only ones after players like Pietrangelo and Krug. Corey Masisak of The Athletic notes the New Jersey Devils could target one of those two players to improve their blue line.

Masisak writes:

We don’t know who will be making the decisions, but the Devils should have plenty of cap space if they want to get involved. Interim GM Tom Fitzgerald has stated he’d like to find more young building blocks to grow up with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, but his plan would also include adding more “men” to help mentor and support them.

source -‘Possible Devils targets in free agency: Looking for help on defense’ – Corety Masisak – The Athletic – 05/06/2020

Maple Leafs and Senators Not Opening Facilities Yet

Despite the OK from Ontario’s Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod, the Maple Leafs and Senators will not go into their respective facilities. MacLeod announced that all professional teams in the province are permitted to open their respective practice facilities but the NHL has not given the go-ahead because the league has not moved to Phase 2 of its return-to-play protocol.

While the league is still hoping that will happen in late May, they need far more teams to get the same approval before they will allow it. Otherwise, things will be extremely unbalanced competitively.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly notes the NHL has not determined yet what would constitute that “acceptable mass” and reopening facilities for teams will depend on “direct communications with local health authorities.” If given the go-ahead, “alternative plans” may be made for teams located in markets that are not in position to open.

Oilers Working Hard to Host Games

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers continue to engage with the government in hopes of re-opening their facility and for hosting games in a potential season restart.

Oilers Entertainment Group spokesman Tim Shipton said on Friday:

“We continue to have very positive and collaborative conversations with the Alberta government, and they are open to working with us to allow the return of NHL players and staff to Edmonton as a part of Phase II, following provincial health protocols,”

By Jim Parsons on May 08, 2020 01:05 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that the Washington Capitals have decided Breandan Leipsic’s comments were too much not to ignore, the Toronto Maple Leafs are losing an assistant coach, and is Jeff Carter looking at retirement, first putting himself on LTIR? Finally, there are some news and rumors hits on the Vancouver Canucks.

Capitals to Terminate Leipsic’s Contract

The Washington Capitals have announced that they have placed Brendan Leipsic on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.

Earlier this week, private messages of a group chat that included Leipsic and Florida Panthers minor league forward Jack Rodewald were leaked online. Leipsic and others were using misogynistic language that was not about to be tolerated by the NHL.

They released a statement on the news and released the following:

The National Hockey League strongly condemns the misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media. There is no place in our League for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum. We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved.

When complete, the remainder of his one-year $700K deal will be off the Capitals books and Leipsic will become an unrestricted free agent.

Maple Leafs Lose McFarland

The Toronto Maple Leafs will need to hire a new assistant coach. As soon as the 2019-20 season is completed or called off, Paul McFarland, will be leaving the organization.

McFarland has accepted a head coaching position with the Kingston Frotenacs of the OHL and Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the Maple Leafs full support his decision. Keefe said:

Paul has been a great member of our staff and I look forward to continuing our work together through to the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. Normally this type of move would be done during the off-season, but given that these are far from normal circumstances, we are in full support of Paul’s desire to pursue this position in Kingston and gain more experience as a head coach.

Jeff Carter Could Retire on LTIR

James O’Brien of NBC Sports is reporting that Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter is dealing with a core muscle injury will keep him out of the Kings’ lineup if the regular season resumes this summer. O’Brien wondered if this injury is as much about not wanting to leave Los Angeles as it is about actually being hurt.

He hints at the idea of this being a “soft retirement” via long-term injury reserve. It’s been public that Carter is not interested in leaving the Kings but trading his contract would be a logical way for the Kings to free up additional salary-cap space. He lacks trade protection so retirement is really the only way to avoid moving if he doesn’t want to go.

Latest on the Vancouver Canucks

Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet covered a few items regarding the Vancouver Canucks in a recent mailbag segment. Among the items addressed, he notes that if Nils Noglander is good enough to the make the Vancouver Canucks next season he’ll be on the team. The cap issues in Vancouver will give him the inside trade because his entry-level deal will help.

The Canucks would also like to bring Nikita Tryamkin back to the NHL. It would likely take a one-way deal to get him here.

The Canucks will closely be watching what happens with the salary cap as the team was keenly interested in re-signing both Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli. If the cap falls, there might no be room to sign both.

Canadiens Sign Romanov

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenceman Alexander Romanov to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was selected by the Canadiens in the second round, 38th overall at the 2018 NHL Draft.

The 20-year-old will join the Canadiens after 43 games this past season with CSKA Moscow of the KHL.

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