NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 01/01/2020

January 01, 2020

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 01/01/2020 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Dec 31, 2019 02:05 pm

in today’s NHL rumor rundown, a few comments by Taylor Hall revealed the New Jersey Devils didn’t ever get as far as making him an offer to stay, Tampa Bay’s GM has virtually suggested there’s no way the Lightning’s coach is getting fired, and did Dylan Larkin’s comments upset some of the Detroit fan base regarding the All-Star Game? Finally, is Sidney Crosby closer to a return and are the Bruins and Blackhawks working on something?

Hall Never Asked to Stay in New Jersey

More often than not, when a player who’s about the become an unrestricted free agent is moved before his contract expires that summer, it’s because the team that traded him was unable to make an extension work. Not so in the case of Taylor Hall.

Hall said during a recent media availability that he had never received an offer of any kind from the Devils. Instead Hall believes the Devils knew they weren’t a playoff team, felt Hall was likely to decline an offer and trade offers from other teams started coming in. Once that happened, both the agent and the Devils figured, ‘Why bother?’

“Yeah there wasn’t any offers, it never got to that point,” admitted Hall as per TSN. He added:

“I think Ray [Shero] is a patient guy and he wanted to see how the year went and I was in the boat. Ray and I have a great relationship and I think him and my agent get along very well as well, I think we both wanted to see how the year went and they knew that what I wanted to do this year was to play in the playoffs, to have a chance to go as deep as I could. It seemed like that might not be possible in New Jersey so we started talking about options and I think he got a couple of good offers and he sat me out and I was on my way.”

For the Devils, moving Hall was not likely about giving him a chance to play in the postseason at the detriment to the organization and making a less-than-deal trade, but the Devils not making the playoffs was probably a clear indicator Hall wasn’t going to think of them as a long-term fit.

Jon Cooper’s Job Completely Safe

While being asked other questions as part of a Q&A with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois made it pretty clear that his head coach, Jon Cooper, is not in jeopardy of losing his job.

While the Lightning don’t have the record the team would like nor are they playing as well as many expected, Cooper is not being blamed and his job is not on the hot seat.

BriseBois tells LeBrun that Cooper’s job security “shouldn’t come up” and said:

“…last year I think our record outperformed our play. This year our play has outperformed our record. Hopefully there’s going to be some sort of regression to the mean and our record is going to catch up to our play.

source – ‘LeBrun: Q&A with Julien BriseBois on the Lightning learning from last year’s loss, analytics and the trade deadline’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 12/30/2019

Larkin Says, “Don’t Vote For Me”

While a candidate to be voted in by the fans as a Last Men In voting poll, Dylan Larkin has asked the fans not to vote. He said, “Please don’t vote. I like the days off more.”

While some can understand players looking for rest and a chance to recoup instead of joining the All-Star game, there isn’t a lot in Detroit to be excited about these days. Fans getting a chance to vote in one of their players might be considered a highlight and now their team star doesn’t want them to.

Not all is lost. Tyler Bertuzzi was selected to go from the Red Wings roster so the team will have a rep there in some fashion.

Crosby Nearing a Return?

For a minute, there was some hope in Pittsburgh as Sidney Crosby took the ice with his teammates in a white jersey. The white jersey either signaled “no contact” or something else, but it led reporters to ask if he was closer to a return.

Crosby replied there was no timeline on his return and that no, he wasn’t closer. Only that the ice time with his teammates was the only ice time available to skate and that he would resume skating on his own the next day.

He did say things were improving, but he’s not there yet.

Blackhawks Looking Closely at Bruins

Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now noted that the Chicago Blackhawks have been scouting the Boston Bruins heavily over the past couple of weeks. The Blackhawks had at least one scout at the Bruins’ previous four home games. “Yeah Stan Bowman has been hot on the trail at a lot of their games,” one NHL pro scout acknowledged to Boston Hockey Now.

By Jim Parsons on Dec 30, 2019 12:25 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown there is news on the NHL having meetings regarding the string of injuries coming from skate cuts, the Edmonton Oilers are making recalls and looking at some trade targets around the NHL and the Nashville Predators may considering trading a struggling forward.

The NHL Laceration Task Force

After Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ilya Mikheyev and New York Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck both had serious cuts that will cause them to miss some time, the NHL laceration task force will meet during the 2020 NHL All-Star Game, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada.

Johnston explained that the group often talks about ways to further protect players, but after a second incident in just 10 days, it became important to get together sooner than later. Johnston explained that the role of the group is to “monitor any of these incidents that happened,” said Johnston.

He added:

“And they will be meeting at the All-Star Game in St. Louis, I think to discuss in part, is there maybe some more mandatory changes that might be coming down the pike at some point, because obviously everyone recognizes that these are very serious and potentially catastrophic situations.”

At the end of the day, there may be little they can do about two isolated accidents and anything that can do might come down to optional equipment the players may choose not to wear but if they can cut down on the chances of these cuts taking place, they’ll certainly try.

Oilers Have Recalled Two

In an effort to find a spark and boost themselves back up the Western Conference standings, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled two players from the AHL. While William Lagesson has already gotten a cup of coffee in the NHL this season, this call-up will be the first this season for Kailer Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is one of those players the Oilers have high hopes for but have decided to over-ripen in the AHL under the new watchful eyes of GM Ken Holland. Yamamoto, 21, has eight goals and 16 points in 23 games with Bakersfield this season and after an injury that caused him to miss some time, looks ready.

In a bit more lighthearted news, the Oilers held their own skills competition on Sunday afternoon to a sold-out Rogers Place and in the fastest skater competition, Connor McDavid lost to Joakim Nygard. Zack Kassian had some good fun sticking it to McDavid as he called Nygard as a player who could dethrone McDavid and was dancing around center ice when his prediction came true.

Finally, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and 630 CHED’s Bob Stauffer discussed the possibility that Los Angeles Kings winger Tyler Toffoli or Chicago Blackhawks winger Brandon Saad would be possible fits with the Oilers. Before the Oilers give up a draft pick to acquire either, they’ll likely see how Yamamoto does or what other options they have internally.

Could Predators Trade Granlund?

In a recent mailbag segment, Adam Vingan of The Athletic was asked in a recent mailbag article if he felt Nashville Predators winger Mikael Granlund could be traded again.

Vingan responded:

Granlund’s contract, which carries a $5.75 million cap hit, expires in the summer and he’ll be looking for a raise. The Predators aren’t flush with cap space, so they can’t afford to throw money at Granlund, who has underperformed on the scoresheet.

A trade at the deadline might not be the worst way to go. Granlund would make an interesting trade chip.

source – ‘Predators Mailbag: What could the future hold for Mikael Granlund and Craig Smith?’- Adam Vingan – The Athletic – 12/26/2019

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