- Morning Skate
- Posts
- NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 04/24/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
04/24/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Apr 23, 2019 01:35 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, Ilya Mikheyev is getting a lot of attention by NHL clubs, but who will sign him? Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and other Winnipeg Jets talk about re-signing in Winnipeg, and Mats Zuccarello is earning a second look in Dallas. What would it take to keep him around?
Where Will Ilya Mikheyev Wind Up?
KHL forward Ilya Mikheyev is being pursued by the Vegas Golden Knights, but recent reports now suggest Vegas is not the only franchise trying to get him under contract.
Today, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express has heard that the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the final few teams still working on a deal, but Darren Dreger of TSN noted Vegas and the Chicago Blackhawks are part of the conversation as well. Dreger notes that a majority of the league has shown interest and that a decision is expected this weekend.
Jets Staying, Jets Leaving…
Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg News notes that he asked Winnipeg Jets pending restricted free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba if he is wanting to sign a long-term deal with the Jets. Trouba responded, “Same answer as always. I’ll figure it out once things get going in the summer, what’s best and move forward from there.”
Trouba added, “We’ve got to sit down and kind of have a meeting and figure out what to do.” He noted that he’s willing to go through salary arbitration again, but it’s not a fun route. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff would not comment on the status of negotiations.
When Tyler Myers was asked if he would like to stay in Winnipeg, he responded:
“Obviously never been in this position before. Trying not to really put too much into it. Door has always been open to stay. I’ve always said I really enjoy our room. We have a team that has some really good pieces around it. Obviously, we finished a little earlier than we wanted. We’ll see what happens here in the next month or two.”
When Kevin Hayes was asked if he’d like to stick around, he said, “I’m sure I’ll end up in a spot with a great coach and a great team, and it might be in Winnipeg, to be honest.” Noting that he’s loved his experience with the Jets, “I’ve had an unbelievable time here. It was cut short, but I’ll never forget these couple of months I had here.”
While that all sounds really positive, Hayes did admit that he likes the fact that he can choose his home as a free agent, he’s been through the process before and it is expected some teams will make sizeable offers to him this summer.
Other players like Laurent Brossoit said he’ll make the right decision, whether that’s in Winnipeg or elsewhere and Brandon Tanev will have a decision to make with a few options after a strong season. The Jets also have a ton of restricted free agents to get under contract and have to determine if the early exit in this year’s playoffs is a sign of problems with the roster or a bad few games, but the team is still very much a contender.
Zuccarello Earns a Contract Extension?
Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that Mats Zuccarello may have earned a contract extension with the Dallas Stars based upon his immediate positive effect to the organization.
A 31-year-old pending UFA winger, if the Stars re-sign him, they’ll have to cede their 2020 first-round pick to the New York Rangers as part of the trade that brought him to Dallas before the trade deadline.
If Zuccarello chooses to stay, Brooks believes he could seek a no-movement clause to keep him from being drafted in the 2021 NHL expansion draft.
Listen to the Latest Episode of The Hockey Writers Podcast
The post NHL Rumors: Mikheyev, Zuccarello, Jets, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Apr 22, 2019 02:01 pm
In today’s rumor rundown, there is more on the Oilers GM interviews, there are questions surrounding a certain member of the Winnipeg Jets forward group, and there are some changes coming in Tampa Bay.
Edmonton Oilers GM Search Continues
It was reported yesterday that the Oilers were granting a second interview to Mark Hunter, but that the decision to hire a GM may still be a ways away. There are some candidates the Oilers would like to do a first interview with but are tied up at the U-18 Tournament.
Darren Dreger reported on Saturday that Bob Nicholson and the Oilers are into their second set of interviews, with the belief that the top guys will do their third interview and that the Oilers hope to have their GM named by May 1st.
Nikolaj Ehlers and Jets Future in Question?
Nikolaj Ehlers told reporters today including Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun that he suffered a fractured foot in Game 6 of the playoff series versus St. Louis, and while hockey players are often viewed as athletes who will take some pain to contribute, that may not be enough for Ehlers.
The Jets will have to make some big decisions this summer after failing to get past the first round of the playoffs, and with some big contracts coming due for the team. Ehlers performance in the past two postseasons has not been strong and that could raise concerns that the seven-year, $42 million extension he signed with the Jets in the fall of 2017 was a mistake.
Ehlers failed to record a single point in the series against the Blues and that stat along with 21 games now without a playoff goal isn’t pretty. He’s got some injury concerns and with just 37 points in 62 games, this past season could be a trade candidate.
Ehlers has the skill and is speedy. He might be attractive to some teams looking to improve their forward corps.
Changes Expected by Lightning
Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic writes that Julien BriseBois, who enters his first full offseason as general manager doesn’t intend to blow up the Tampa Bay Lightning roster, but believes some changes are coming over the summer.
Duhatschek writes:
The Lightning have a lot of good young pieces. Sometimes, the best lesson you can take out of a playoff loss is to remember how bad it felt to go through that losing handshake line and then channel those feelings into a deeper resolve next spring.
That doesn’t eliminate the team’s requirements to manage some upcoming contracts and of the changes Duatschek might think are coming, Larry Brooks elaborated in the New York Post. Brooks anticipates BriseBois will attempt to move J.T. Miller’s contract ($5.25-million annual average through 2022-23) while Ryan Callahan, who has one year left on his contract, could be bought out.
The idea is that the Lightning need to make room for Brayden Point’s contract which could see his pay jump up to ten times the value it was this past season.
Clark Bishop to Play for Carolina?
The Carolina Hurricanes just recalled Clark Bishop from the Charlotte Checkers. He might actually get some playoff action.
Bishop played in both games this weekend for the Checkers, but as Andrei Svechnikov, Micheal Ferland and Jordan Martinook all continue to deal with injuries, team reporter Michael Smith projects Bishop to jump in on the left side of Greg McKegg on the Hurricanes’ fourth line.
Listen to the Latest Edition of The Hockey Writers Podcast
The post NHL Rumors: Ehlers, Oilers, Lightning, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Apr 21, 2019 11:07 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are some updates on the Pittsburgh Penguins including Matt Cullen and his playing future, the Edmonton Oilers have invited on GM candidate in for a second interview and is Jacob Trouba done in Winnipeg and James Neal finished in Calgary?
Quick Penguins Rumors
Jason Mackey is reporting that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cullen might retire from the NHL. Cullen said he will talk things over with his family before deciding.
Part of Cullen’s uncertainty is his age but also the questions surrounding changes to the team.
As per the Penguins official Twitter account, GM Jim Rutherford said when asked about the off-season plan, “We are still a bit emotional with how this ended. The best thing for me is to take a little time to think through this… Some big decisions will be made. Obviously, there will be changes in our team.”
There are some worried in Pittsburgh that the emotion of a four-game loss could lead to rash decisions and Rutherford intends to make changes but doesn’t want to make mistakes.
Mark Hunter Get Second Interview With Oilers?
While Ken Holland has pulled out of the running for the job of general manager for the Edmonton Oilers, the team continues its search in other places and at least one candidate has received a second interview.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Mark Hunter is the leading candidate right now but the Oilers are still waiting to speak with other candidates including someone overseas taking in the U18 World Championship. The Oilers have a few people they’d still like to interview. Names like Vegas Golden Knights AGM Kelly McCrimmon, Los Angeles Kings AGM Mike Futa and interim Oilers GM Keith Gretzky have not been ruled out.
Jacob Trouba Done in Winnipeg
The Jets loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday was disappointing for a number of reasons but one is that it could have meant the final game for defenseman Jacob Trouba. At least, if you ask, Ken Campbell.
Kyle Connor, Brandon Tanev, and Patrik Laine need to get new deals done. The team also needs to find a more permanent second-line center instead of always renting one at the trade deadline.
While Tyler Myers could stay or test free agency, it still makes getting Trouba tied in to another deal tricky.
Flames Have a Decision to Make on James Neal
With the struggles of the Calgary Flames versus the Colorado Avalanche, the questions in Calgary surround a few players. One of those players is James Neal, who was a healthy scratch in Game 5 and had the worst professional season of his hockey career.
The question will now be what the Flames should do with Neal? A buyout would cost the team more than $15 million dollars in real money and while the $1.92 million cap hit that went along with it isn’t huge, it would extend into 2026-27. They could look to trade him but that would mean taking back a terrible contract in return or they could hope his game rebounds.
NHL insiders wondered if there would be Neal for Phil Kessel speculation but others will suggest that’s far too generous from a Penguins perspective. Instead, some will suggest a Milan Lucic for Neal deal is more in the realm of possible.
The post NHL Rumors: Trouba, Neal, Penguins, Oilers, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Apr 20, 2019 12:15 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are updates in Detroit where the team made big changes. Steve Yzerman was hired as the new GM, but Ken Holland will be sticking around. What’s their plan both short-term and long-term? There are also reports the Pittsburgh Penguins might look at moving Kris Letang and/or Phil Kessel. What is their value around the league?
What’s Next for Ken Holland?
Darren Dreger tweeted that it is believed that Ken Holland has withdrawn his name from being an option for the Edmonton Oilers vacant GM position and agreed to a multi-year extension to stay on in his new role as Senior VP. Holland and Yzerman will work together for the time being. Eventually, it is possible Holland moves over to Seattle.
John Shannon also reported that Holland was instrumental in bringing Yzerman back to Detroit. He had been working on it for the past three months and has been planning his future in hockey for much longer than that.
What’s on Yzerman’s Agenda?
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press wonders what Steve Yzerman might have on his agenda for the Red Wings now that he’s the new man in charge.
On the idea of buyouts: Yzerman has a history of going that route but the few candidates the team might have to buy out don’t make a lot of sense. Buying out Justin Abdelkader would be an eight-year process at between $1.145 and $2.395 million per season. Buying out Jonathan Eriksson seems pointless considering he has only a year left on his deal. Maybe, the Red Wings look at buying out Frans Nielsen which would cost the Red Wings $6.3 million over six years, but even that’s iffy.
Of the pending UFA’s — the Red Wings have Niklas Kronwall, Thomas Vanek and Luke Witkowski — Holland had only really spoken of an interest in re-signing Kronwall.
Ansar Khan of MLive reports it is doubtful Yzerman will make any coaching and/or management changes. The name Pat Verbeek is out there as joining Yzerman, but if the current Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM chooses to do so, it might wait until after next season.
The expectation, for now, seems to be that the franchise will be patient. John Niyo of the Detroit News believes Yzerman’s arrival buys the Wings some time to complete their roster rebuild
Penguins to Shop Kessel and Letang?
Sean Tierney of Charting Hockey tweeted that Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek were talking during the latest 31 Thoughts Podcast about the idea of the Pittsburgh Penguins collecting assets. To get the most assets possible, they’ll need to move Kris Letang and Phil Kessel.
Friedman speculates that the Arizona Coyotes could be a team that is interested in Kessel saying that his name came up in trade rumors earlier in this season and that the Coyotes were one of the teams that “kicked tires.”
Free Agents That Are Getting Expensive
Craig Custance of The Athletic examined a few players who are showing well in the playoffs and, in his opinion, are increasing their free agency value. Custance writes:
This is a big stage right now for potential free agents and a real opportunity to add value. “Having the success gives you credibility,” said one agent on Thursday. “Playing all the extra games gets you seen a little bit more too.
Among the names Custance focused on were Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Mats Zuccarello of the Dallas Stars, Jordan Eberle and Robin Lehner with the New York Islanders.
As per one source on Eberle: “he’s not just scoring either. I think there was this thought that Eberle was going to get a little less than expected. That’s gone.”
The post NHL Rumors: Holland, Yzerman, Penguins, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
Recent Articles:
Latest News