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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 06/12/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
06/12/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Jun 11, 2019 01:24 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is speculation out of Philadelphia as to who might be a buyout candidate and where things are at with Kevin Hayes. There is also news out of Edmonton concerning a Milan Lucic trade. Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs are actively working the phones trying to sell assets.
Flyers to Buy Out MacDonald and Trade No. 11 Pick?
Sam Carchidi is reporting that while Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher is busy making moves like trying to add to his roster and sign players like Kevin Hayes, he is also contemplating buyout options.
Fletcher says they haven’t made any decisions about potential buyout yet but Carchidi thinks that Andrew MacDonald is a strong candidate.
In respect to the Hayes negotiations, Hayes is scheduled to visit Philadelphia and Dave Isaac says that contract talks with Hayes have generally been positive but they are not close to a deal. If Hayes doesn’t sign by the draft, the Flyers may move him.
Carchidi also reports that Fletcher said regarding the Flyers No. 11 pick in this year’s draft:
“We’re going to get a really good player. .. But it is a pretty good chip, and in certain scenarios, I would not hesitate to move it if it could really help our team.”
He also said that he’s called teams letting them know his No. 11 selection might be on the table in trade but there hasn’t been a big push from other teams yet to try and acquire it.
Oilers Moving Lucic to Canucks?
The rumors about Milan Lucic heading to the Vancouver Canucks don’t seem to be going away. The latest buzz came this past weekend when TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Vancouver Canucks continue to have interest in the power forward.
General manager Jim Benning tried to sign Lucic in the summer of 2016. “The Vancouver Canucks do see value in Milan Lucic,” Dreger said on Saturday. He noted that Benning sees Lucic’s size as an asset.
Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Sun writes:
It’s not a big surprise that Lucic would be on the chopping block. New Oilers GM Ken Holland may be old-school, but he was also brought with the purpose of re-making the wayward Oilers.
Surely he’s looked at the Lucic contract and said “this has got to go.”
We’ve reported it before, but it’s still the case that if a trade does happen, it might be Loui Eriksson coming back to Edmonton. There is some debate about whether or not Edmonton would need to add a “sweetener” to make the deal happen.
Maple Leafs Selling Like Crazy
According to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun, “Word around from a bevy of hockey sources is that the Leafs have been extraordinarily active talking trade.”
He writes:
They’ve talked, for certain, with other teams about Kasperi Kapanen, Patrick Marleau and possibly Connor Brown, who I get conflicting reports on…
Needless to say Kyle Dubas’s plate is full. He is working as many angles as he can. This is clearly the greatest test of his young career as general manager of the Leafs …
There’s a number of teams that will be interested in Connor Brown if he’s on the block. Only 25, he’s not proven his ability to take the next step in his development as a top-six player but many think he has the potential to do so.
With only one year left on his deal, he could be a sleeper pick up for a team.
The post NHL Rumors: Flyers, Oilers, Maple Leafs, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jun 10, 2019 01:54 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is speculation coming out of Calgary when it comes to the Flames and some of their core players, the Arizona Coyotes may have a new owner, Hayes and the Flyers need to work out something quickly, and Ryan Getzlaf talks Corey Perry speculation.
Flames and Matthew Tkachuk Talk
The Fourth Period is reporting that the Calgary Flames and restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk have held general contract extension talks, but the real serious stuff won’t be discussed until later this month. The early word is that a contract might be a three-year bridge deal, or the Flames trying to lock Tkachuk up for all eight years allowed under the CBA.
While the Flames are trying to sign Tkachuk, they’re also trying to trade James Neal and his $5.75 million contract. Doing so would help add to the pre-existing $14.5 million in salary cap space they have to work with. With that money, they need to sign RFAs include Sam Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane among others.
If that doesn’t do it, the Flames may also look at moving Travis Hamonic or TJ Brodie for a prospect(s) or a draft pick(s). Both have a year left on their contracts and would be available in the next NHL expansion draft.
Coyotes Ownership Change
Craig Morgan of The Athletic is reporting that Alex Meruelo is “in the advanced stages” of acquiring a majority stake in the Arizona Coyotes. He writes:
If approved by a vote of the NHL Board of Governors, the sale would transfer a substantial majority stake in the team (percentage unknown) to Meruelo, with current owner Andrew Barroway retaining a small minority share.
It is still very much unclear as to what the ownership change would mean for a new arena in Arizona. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is on record as having said the team must have a new arena to survive in Arizona.
Kevin Hayes and the Flyers
Today GM Chuck Fletcher met with the media and gave an update on the Kevin Hayes contract negotiations:
Nothing to announce at this point. We’ve had good preliminary conversations with Kevin and his camp. We anticipate moving forward with those conversations this week…Obviously, we have strong interest in him.
The Flyers have two weeks before the interview process with NHL teams can begin for free agency. If they don’t get Hayes locked up soon, he’s likely to test the free agent waters.
If Hayes does sign with the Flyers, this is great news for Matt Duchene who becomes arguably the top center available in free agency.
Getzlaf on Perry Talk in Anaheim
Ryan Getzlaf commented on the report by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun that the Anaheim Ducks are looking to move Corey Perry. Getzlaf said in response to the story:
“It’s a really tough day for all of us.” He added, “I love that guy and have been through everything with him in one way or another.”
If possible, the Ducks would like to move both Perry and Ryan Kesler in an attempt to get younger.
The post NHL Rumors: Flames, Flyers, Ducks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jun 09, 2019 01:31 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are rumors out of Anaheim in respect to Corey Perry, speculation the Los Angeles Kings are dumping Dion Phaneuf, rumors surrounding Matt Duchene and more. Are the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets good trade partners?
Perry’s Future With the Ducks
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that the Anaheim Ducks have a ton of respect for Corey Perry but are likely looking to move his extremely large contract.
LeBrun says the Ducks are talking trades with a number of teams and they know they’ll have to eat some of his $8.625 million salary. Should they not be able to find a trade partner, he may get bought out. “Still lots to play out, but it does appear that ’s days might be numbered with the Anaheim Ducks,” says LeBrun.
General manager Bob Murray declined comment.
A trade will be challenging as Perry is 34 and coming off a season in which he had only six goals and 10 points in 31 games following knee surgery that saw him miss the first 51 games of the 2018-19 season.
LA Dumping Phaneuf
Like the Ducks are talking a Perry trade, the Los Angeles Kings are looking to move defenseman Dion Phaneuf.
TSN’s Darren Dreger said that Kings are talking to teams about the veteran defenseman and if they can’t find any trade partners, they could consider a buyout.
Suitors in on Matt Duchene
Most people know the favorites to land free agent Matt Duchene are the Nashville Predators. They’ve been linked to Duchene since he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. There’s also a chance he stays in Columbus.
That said, a couple of new potential landing spots have emerged.
TSN’s Darren Dreger said that Duchene’s agent Pat Brisson continues to talk with Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, but that among the suitors to land him, don’t count out the Arizona Coyotes. “They’ve got a new injection of ownership there so perhaps there is more capital for John Chayka to work with and I’m told that Matt Duchene is Arizona’s primary focus,” Dreger said.
Pierre LeBrun also mentioned Buffalo in the conversation. LeBrun said the Buffalo Sabres aren’t planning on stopping after signing Jeff Skinner. He says the Sabres are looking for both a second line center and a top-six winger. If Duchene isn’t one of the names Buffalo kicks tires on, they may have interest in Jason Zucker.
Staying with Buffalo, Lance Lysowski reports that the team is in discussions with forward Jason Pominville and are hoping to bring the veteran back on a cheaper deal. After locking up Jeff Skinner to a massive deal, the Sabres will need cheap contracts and Pominville has worked effectively as a bottom-six forward who can produce some offense.
Oilers and Jets Good Trade Partners?
Jonathan Willis of The Athletic looked at the potential of the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets working together and thinks they could be a good match to solve each others problems.
The Jets could offload players like Mathieu Perreault or Dmitry Kulikov, even Nikolaj Ehlers, who is coming off a disappointing season. In return, the Jets would give a defenseman like Darnell Nurse or Andrej Sekera and some of Edmonton’s youth.
Willis goes through a number of trade options but seems to settle on the idea that if a deal is done, it won’t be a massive one.
Willis writes:
That both Holland and Kevin Cheveldayoff have well-earned reputations for prudence only increase the likelihood that any deal between Edmonton and Winnipeg would be a low-end/supporting cast trade rather than a blockbuster featuring core pieces.
The post NHL Rumors: Perry, Duchene, Sabres, Oilers & Jets appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Jun 08, 2019 11:46 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Ottawa Senators might be bringing over some potential help on defense, there are tons of updates on the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets might be good trading partners.
Sens to Sign Nick Ebert
Nick Ebert has spent the past two seasons overseas but he’ll be heading back to North America. Orebro His former SHL team, Orebro, announced that the defenseman coming to the NHL and a couple of NHL insiders believe it will be to the Ottawa Senators.
Murray Pam of the Sporting News and Alexander Appleyard of The Athletic report (Twitter links) that the Senators are expected to sign Ebert.
The Senators could use some depth on their back end and while Ebert is still very much a question mark, he should get a healthy look at training camp in September. The Senators may have offered the best chance to crack an NHL roster.
Tons of News on the Canucks
There is plenty of buzz surrounding the Vancouver Canucks these days. Here are a few of the notable items:
Benning on Zaitsev Rumors
Rick Dhaliwal posts that Jim Benning would not comment specifically on Zaitsev but did say there were lots of talks with different teams taking place. “Lots of conversations going on right now, we will consider all of our options. I am not going to comment on any specifics but we are looking at all of our options.”
Bringing Back Tryamkin
Benning would like to bring back Nikita Tryamkin and make him part of their blue line. He said, “We would love to have him back, look at the size and strength of the Blues blueline. He can be a big part of our group. We will keep talking to his agent.”
Edler Talks Continue
Rick Dhaliwal writes that Benning and the team will keep talking to Alex Edler’s camp even if things aren’t going terribly smoothly at the moment. “Sometimes the different sides have different things they are trying to accomplish. We have not found common ground yet. We want Alex back and will try and figure it out.”
It also sounds like the Canucks have no intention of trying to move up in the NHL Entry Draft. Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province notes Benning’s comments:
“If we have to (in addition to the 10th pick) give up a second-round pick, that’s too much because we feel the draft is deep enough,” added Benning. “And you just don’t know how the draft is going to fall. We could have a player rated in the top six falling to us at 10.”
Blackhawks Interested in Ryan Murray
The Chicago Blackhawks are seeking help on the blue line and one place they seem to be looking is Columbus, specifically at Ryan Murray. Scott Powers of The Athletic reports the Blackhawks recently spoke about Murray but that a deal doesn’t appear like it’s going to happen.
Thinking the Blue Jackets need to restock their draft pick pool, the Blackhawks could offer up a solution. Powers writes:
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline thought the Blue Jackets would be willing to trade Murray and would probably want draft picks in exchange. The Blue Jackets only have third-round and seventh-round picks in the upcoming draft. The Blackhawks aren’t going to part with their No. 3 overall pick, but you would think they’d give up anything else if they were really interested in Murray. The Blackhawks have a second-round pick and two fourth-rounders — maybe a couple draft picks and a couple prospects get the job done, but we’ll see.
The post NHL Rumors: Senators, Canucks, Blackhawks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Joseph Aleong on Jun 08, 2019 08:50 am
While the 2018-19 NHL season crown is still being contested by the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues, for 29 other NHL teams, the offseason has already begun. For teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs, who all were expected to compete for a Stanley Cup title but fell well short of expectations, big changes could be on the horizon.
Tampa Bay and Toronto, in particular, face difficult summers in which their relatively inexperienced general managers must re-sign a host of proven young talent, from Lightning centre Brayden Point to a trio of young Maple Leaf forwards in Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, and Andreas Johnsson.
Veteran players with high salaries such as Patrick Marleau, Ryan Callahan, and Tyler Johnson have all heard their names bandied about as possible solutions to these teams’ cap problems.
These teams aren’t the only ones whose cap crunch and uncertain contract situations could lead to one of the busiest offseasons in recent memory. John Tavares, who left his longtime captaincy with the New York Islanders in unrestricted free agency to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs, seems to have blazed a trail for big-name stars to buck tradition and test the open market.
While superstars such as Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene have all been rumoured to be changing area codes this summer, many teams will have to look to the trade market in order to fill areas of need. Here are some candidates to move that could be real difference-makers for the team willing to make a bold move in a trade this offseason.
Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg Jets
Despite finally breaking out this season as one of the top defenders on the Winnipeg Jets, finishing with 50 points on the season, young blueliner Jacob Trouba finds himself at the centre of trade talks in Manitoba’s capital again.
Trouba, who is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, was reportedly seeking $7 million per season on a new contract last summer, and has publicly requested a trade out of Winnipeg before.
On the surface, Trouba’s prior frustration with his role in Winnipeg makes a modicum of sense; stalwarts Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers both had been slotted in ahead of Trouba on Winnipeg’s depth chart. Instead, through injuries to the aforementioned defenders this season, Trouba was pushed into a larger role for the playoff-bound Jets, setting career-highs in assists, points, and averaging the third-most minutes of his career.
In addition, Trouba’s defensive game improved in leaps and bounds, establishing himself as a top shutdown option by finishing second on the Jets in defensive zone starts. Some would question the Jets’ logic in moving a player like Trouba – young, right-handed, offensively skilled, and responsible in his own zone. However, his murky financial future (and reportedly high contract demands) could force the Jets to move him to alleviate cap pressure brought on by other young stars.
Trouba’s name has been mentioned increasingly in trade talks since Winnipeg was eliminated by the St. Louis Blues, being linked to “multiple interested parties” in the past few weeks. However, it remains to be seen if teams lacking impact players among their right-handed defensemen, including the New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Maple Leafs could offer up packages worthwhile enough to entice the Jets into trading Trouba.
Jason Zucker, Minnesota Wild
Just last summer, Minnesota Wild GM Paul Fenton inked Zucker to a five-year, $27.5-million contract. Now, after a disappointing season in which the Wild failed to make the playoffs, Zucker has been included in preliminary trade talks as Fenton tries to re-tool a declining Minnesota roster.
Zucker had a career-best season before signing his five-year extension, scoring 33 goals and 64 points to establish himself as a core piece of the Wild team. Not only did he play important roles on special teams, but Zucker also drove possession for the Wild at the second-best rate on the team (behind the departed Nino Niederreiter).
However, his production dipped in 2018-19 as the Wild faltered around him and frequent linemate Mikael Granlund was dealt to the rival Nashville Predators at the trade deadline. Zucker managed only 21 goals and 42 points, a mark good for only sixth on the team.
While his possession numbers remained strong, ranking first on the team in relative Corsi for percentage (CF% rel), Zucker’s shooting percentage dipped well below his career average, meaning it’s reasonable to expect his scoring rate could rebound in a big way next season.
Despite many of his numbers pointing to his downturn in production this year as somewhat unlucky, Fenton has still been reportedly shopping his star forward in an effort to upgrade the Wild’s forward group.
If the Wild do decide to shake up their roster and move one of their most impactful forwards, Zucker should be in high demand in the early stages of an affordable long-term contract. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks are the two teams that have been most closely linked to the forward so far, but it’s likely more will join the bidding as the season comes to an end and more teams have a better idea of their salary cap structure.
Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers missed the playoffs this season for the second time in three years, prompting the firing of GM Ron Hextall in late November. While Hextall had built up an impressive pipeline of young players, the Flyers’ lack of rent success was weighing on the fans and former Wild GM Chuck Fletcher was brought in to speed up the re-building process.
Fletcher is entering a pivotal first offseason as Flyers GM, with three of Philadelphia’s brightest young stars (Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Travis Konecny) entering the offseason without a contract.
After a disappointing season in which his points dropped from 65 to 37 and his average ice time dipped nearly a minute and a half, Shayne Gostisbehere could be one player Fletcher looks at moving to upgrade other areas of the team.
While the Flyers should be more interested in finding a way to keep a young defenseman who has led team defenders in scoring in each of the last four seasons, Gostisbehere has been mentioned as a possible candidate to be moved as Fletcher looks to re-tool the roster.
With the Flyers potentially looking at moving forward with Provorov and Sanheim as the leaders of its defensive group, a defense-needy team such as the Edmonton Oilers or Montreal Canadiens could offer up NHL-ready talent or draft picks to entice the Flyers into moving Gostisbehere.
Nazem Kadri, Toronto Maple Leafs
Nazem Kadri has been a mainstay with the Maple Leafs for nearly a decade, but rumour is there has been some trade chatter regarding the veteran centre following a down season by his standards. In the Maple Leafs’ first-round defeat at the hands of the Bruins, Kadri was suspended multiple games for the second consecutive season, adding more fuel to the speculation.
Although Kadri was coming off back-to-back 30-goal seasons, the Maple Leafs’ decision to add Tavares last summer pushed Kadri into smaller role on a deep Toronto forward group. He responded with his lowest goal total and average ice-time figure since breaking into the Maple Leafs’ lineup full-time back in 2013, struggling to re-create his success from the two prior seasons without the same level of supporting talent on his line at even strength.
Despite this, Kadri managed to maintain his strong underlying numbers amid a significant dip in his shooting percentage, making it seem as if he is poised to bounce back next season, particularly if Toronto continues to deploy Kadri in a significant power-play role. However, GM Kyle Dubas will have to be creative if he wants to re-sign his other young forwards, making Kadri’s $4.5 million cap hit a possibility to be moved as a result.
While there has been no credible information linking Kadri to a specific team, any player that can play the two-way role Kadri can, for the bargain price he’s signed to until 2021-22, would likely be in high demand if Dubas decides that Kadri is no longer a key member of the Maple Leafs. Teams in need of quality depth at centre could include the Montreal Canadiens, Islanders, or Jets.
Other Candidates
Trade rumours have already begun to swirl around some of the NHL’s stars, with Phil Kessel one notable name that’s been mentioned as likely to be moved in recent weeks.
The trade market is sure to heat up once the Stanley Cup Finals have been decided, and with how many top contenders are facing a serious cap crunch this summer, we could see some serious talent hitting the trading block.
Nikita Zaitsev and Patrick Marleau have been main points of discussion recently, but they’re expected to be among the first of many moves for Dubas. Kyle Turris and P.K. Subban have also been linked to some trade rumours recently, and with Nashville coming off an early playoff exit and facing a difficult contract negotiation with captain Roman Josi, the Predators could make another aggressive trade after shocking the hockey world three summers ago.
As we’ve learned in recent years, it’s nearly impossible to predict what players are seriously being shopped and which rumours are just noise, but one thing is for certain – this summer is shaping up to be one of the most exciting offseasons in recent memory.
The post Top Offseason Trade Targets appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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