NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 03/30/2019

March 30, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

03/30/2019 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Mar 29, 2019 02:27 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are updates on the Calgary Flames, LA Kings, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. For most of these teams, the speculation surrounds college prospects and where they’ll end up signing.

Flames to Sign Zagidulin

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Calgary Flames are getting close to signing a deal with KHL goaltender Artyom Zagidulin. His season with Magnitogorsk came to an early end when they were eliminated from the playoffs and while his current KHL deal doesn’t expire until the end of April, it looks like he’s been granted an early release to join the Flames.

If the 23-year old does, in fact, sign with the Flames, his NHL contract would have to be a one-year entry-level deal and it would kick in next season.

Dreger also said Calgary Flames are one of the teams interested in 26-year old Joakim Nygard of Farjestad (SHL). GMs have traveled to Sweden to watch him. The Ottawa Senators are the other.

Nygard is being compared to Carl Hagelin and it’s said that he is a real speedster. At his age, he’s forced to sign a one-year deal with any NHL club so, in a way, he’s a test drive for whichever club lands him.

Kings Interested in Nico Sturm

Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings continue to have interest in NCAA free agent center Nico Sturm of Clarkson. They are not the only team interested however, as a number of NHL clubs have reached out. Rosen reports that he is getting significant interest from around the league.

Hurricanes May Have to Trade Adam Fox

Another college free player that is being talked about is Adam Fox out of the Carolina Hurricanes organization. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the Hurricanes don’t know which way Fox is leaning and if they’ll be able to get the defenseman out of Harvard signed.

LeBrun said in the latest Insider Trading video that as part of the Flames trade, the Hurricanes were counting on being able to sign Fox and with his team potentially out of the playoffs (they play UMass on Friday) he is set to let the Hurricanes know within 48 hours what he intends to do.

LeBrun said, “I’m told that within 48 hours of his season ending, that Adam Fox and his group will let the Hurricanes know what their intentions are.” Should he let them know he’s not going to sign, the expectation is that the Hurricanes will try to trade him and salvage something out of the deal they made with Calgary.

What could be interesting to watch is if Carolina waits a little while to move his rights. Fox has to sign with an NHL club by the end of the regular season or the playoffs to be able to burn a year of his entry-level contract. If he doesn’t, it sets him back a season. That is a bit of leverage the Hurricanes can potentially use against him should he decide not to sign with them.

Avs Will Be Busy This Summer

Outside of having to deal with the restricted free agent contract of Mikko Rantanen, Darren Dreger said on Montreal’s TSN 690 that the team will look to add some serious pieces over the summer, focusing on their blue line.

The Avs have plenty of cap room and a few prospects they could move to find the defenseman they think they need to be more competitive.

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By Jim Parsons on Mar 28, 2019 12:05 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Anders Lee and the New York Islanders are delayed on a contract extension due to term, the Buffalo Sabres aren’t quite ready to evaluate their coaching and management situation despite knowing something needs to change, another Boston University prospect is making his way to the NHL this season and the Flyers have to make a decision on Cam Talbot.

Anders Lee Extension Stalled

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that contract extension talks between the New York Islanders and pending UFA forward Anders Lee have stalled. It appears the hurdle is the length of the contract extension.

“It is interesting. Anders Lee has not yet signed a contract extension. And believe me, he wants to sign one,” LeBrun said. Apparently, getting a contract done with Lee is still a priority for the Islanders and there has been a dialogue between the two sides. Speculation is that Lee is looking for a seven- or eight-year deal and Islanders are hoping not to have to go that long.

Bowers Expected to Sign With Avs

Add Shane Bowers to the list of prospects expected to be signed away from Boston University. He didn’t have the greatest sophomore season, but that isn’t stopping the Colorado Avalanche who are rumored to be giving him a three-year entry-level contract.

According to Jeff Cox of the New England Hockey Journal and Bob McKenzie of TSN, the deal can begin this season, but the first year will not be burned considering the Avalanche have only five games remaining in the season.

Sabres to Make Sweeping Changes?

Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 is reporting that Buffalo Sabres owner Kim Pegula might decide to bring on a new manager to work alongside GM Jason Botterill. When asked, she said:

“I know we’re close to the end but usually that stuff we usually look at after the season when we sit down and have our usual annual post-season review, so all that stuff will be discussed and talked about with Jason and with Phil and the players like the normal course of business, so we’ll look into that”

This is assuming Phil Housley and Botterill make it to those meetings. Mike Harrington of TBN Sports believes Houlsey’s tenure as coach is all but over. He wrote, “It’s seemed like Housley has been a dead man walking for the last 3 weeks anyway. But if you lose to Jersey and Ottawa on back-to-back nights, that should eliminate any doubt.” He goes on to add that the GM job might not be all that secure either. “He’s [Housley] gotta take the fall and GMJB goes on the clock.”

Talbot and Flyers Not Talking

Cam Talbot was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers from the Edmonton Oilers and was supposed to mentor and backup young goaltender Carter Hart. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done that very much, seeing little game action since the trade. This has changed the optics of looking at re-signing Talbot which is something the Flyers were heavily considering when they made the trade.

John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports, no progress has been made on negotiations of any kind but Talbot has said he’d like to stick around in Philadelphia beyond this season. If he does, the Flyers will need to choose him as a backup over both Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth and that means taking a pretty large paycut on his current $4.167 million per season salary.

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