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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 09/04/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
09/04/2019 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Sep 03, 2019 01:35 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there are updates from a few sources on Mitch Marner’s situation, there are reports the Boston Bruins and Charlie McAvoy are set to resume contract talks and with Niklas Kronwall officially retiring today, what does that mean for the Detroit Red Wings blue line? Finally, is Justin Williams really staying away from the NHL?
More Mitch Marner Updates
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun writes that a year ago the Toronto Maple Leafs and GM Kyle Dubas may have missed a huge opportunity with Mitch Marner.
Simmons writes:
I’m told the Leafs could have signed Marner a year ago for eight years and $8 million a year but they thought it was too much at the time.
Now, Simmons says the Maple Leafs are hoping to have a Marner deal in place by October of this year and that Marner doesn’t miss any of the regular season. All the while, the Maple Leafs are now well aware Marner is going to cost far more than $8 million per season when this is all said and done. Dubas told Bob McKenzie in a sit-down interview that he sometimes looks back and wonders if they should have done anything differently but realizes all these teams are in the same situation with their RFA’s.
Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star thinks the Maple Leafs and Marner could be closing in on a three-year bridge deal before the big deal hits.
Zwolinksi writes:
Marner’s status could change over the next 10 days. There are no signs pointing to a deal but there is a belief that the parties might be closing in on a three-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million (U.S.) — in short, a lucrative bridge deal before what could be an even bigger payday.
In respect to rumors of a Marner trade, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reached out to Dubas and was told:
“That’s not a real avenue that we’ve even remotely explored. It’s our full intention that Mitch Marner will be a Toronto Maple Leaf for a very long time and that’s everything we’re working towards.”
At the same time, Darren Dreger was on TSN1050 and said that after Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors, sources told him they believed MLSE was applying pressure on Brendan Shanahan to make sure the Maple Leafs to do everything to keep Marner in the fold.
Related: Ranking NHL Teams By Defencemen
McAvoy and Bruins to Start Talking Again
Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now writes that the Boston Bruins and restricted free agent defenseman Charlie McAvoy are set to resume contract talks. This comes after a point where both sides took a step back to reassess their stances.
There was speculation last February that McAvoy had rejected an offer similar to Aaron Ekblad‘s eight years at $7.5 million per season. The Bruins wanted something at around $2 million less. Now, it sounds like the two sides may have settled in on the idea of a bridge deal.
Murphy writes:
“Both sides have been hammering away but a point was reached where you just need to step back and regroup,” the source told Boston Hockey Now Sunday morning. “Like it has been with most of the unsigned RFA’s for the last week or two, it was the same with him and the Bruins. Everyone wants to hammer this out and get a deal done.”
The Bruins are especially keen to hammer this deal out so they can focus on trying to re-sign Brandon Carlo.
Related: Do You Know Your Bruins Trivia?
Kronwall Retirement Opens Spot For Young Talent
Already going through an obvious rebuild, the Detroit Red Wings will now have to rely on more youngsters and expiring veteran contracts after the announcement that Niklas Kronwall is retiring and joining the Red Wings front office.
Losing Kronwall was inevitable, but there was some thought he’d return just to try and hit the 1,000-game marker; he’s just 47 games shy. His exit will put a lot of pressure on veterans like Mike Green, Jonathan Ericsson, and Trevor Daley, all of whom enter the final years under contract.
This means the Red Wings either need to go out and find a younger talent to step in or hope their farm system has produced someone ready to take that next step.
Justin Williams Will Be Back?
Sara Civian of The Athletic suggests fans not get too used to the idea that Justin Williams will stay away from the NHL. He purposely did not say he was “retiring” and that may be because he intends to return.
Civian writes:
To be clear, this is not a retirement. Some sources already are entertaining the possibility of a Mike Fisher-esque return, though it’s all still very much up in the air. Williams primarily did not want to cause a distraction for the team heading into training camp, and he didn’t want any drama as he continues to soul search.
The post NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Bruins, Red Wings, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Sep 02, 2019 12:45 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news out of Dallas where the Stars might be talking to the Montreal Canadiens about a free agent defenseman. There is word out of the Buffalo Sabres neck of the woods that Jason Pominville is done with the team and one Ottawa Senators forward has no desire to leave the organization. Finally, with the announcement by Justin Williams that he’s taking a break from the NHL, what are the odds he actually retires?
Canadiens Interested in Julius Honka?
Jimmy Murphy writes that he has heard that the Montreal Canadiens are potentially interested in Dallas Stars restricted free agent defenseman Julius Honka.
Honka has been in the rumor mill a ton and it is expected he’ll be moved out of Dallas as he doesn’t have a defined role with the team. Murphy says, the Stars would rather move someone other than Honka, but because they have only $970K in cap space, may not have much choice.
Hanzal on Injury Reserve?
Dallasnews.com’s Matthew DeFranks, says that there may be a way around the cap concerns for the Stars. Martin Hanzal hasn’t played any hockey since before last Christmas and has appeared in only 45 games since signing a three-year, $14.25 million deal back in 2017. There may be some discussion about seeing if he’s eligible for LTIR.
DeFrank’s writes:
While the rules surrounding LTIR are complicated, and depending on factors like the club’s overall cap hit and potential performance bonuses from callups, the overarching idea is that the Stars can use much but not all of Hanzal’s $4.75 million cap hit to add to their team during the season.
Who would the Stars go get? DeFranks lists a number of potential targets, including T.J. Brodie, Chris Kreider, Tyler Toffoli, Craig Smith, Evgenii Dadonov, Vladislav Namestnikov and Jake Muzzin.
Pageau No Desire to Leave Ottawa
Even with a number of players leaving Ottawa and the Senators going through a massive rebuild, Murray Pam of the Sporting News notes that Ottawa Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau would like to stay a Senator as he enters the final year of his contract.
When asked if he’s thought about his future.
“I’m an Ottawa Senator. This is where my career started. This is the team that showed confidence in me. I’m happy here. I love representing the Senators. Every time I wear the logo, I take pride.
He added that he’s got a lot of friends and family in the area and that he’s not focused on his contract, just on the team. He noted he’s only focused on “how we’re going to approach and start this year the right way.”
Sounds like possible captain material.
Pominville Leaving Buffalo
In his most recent mailbag column, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski writes that it appears unsigned unrestricted free agent Jason Pominville is done with the Buffalo Sabres.
After adding Jimmy Vesey and Marcus Johansson, having kept Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons for depth, and with a number of young players ready to make a jump, there really isn’t space for Pominville.
Lysowski writes:
Barring injury, the Sabres don’t seem to have room to add Pominville, even on a tryout basis for training camp. The 36-year-old winger is still talented enough to play in the National Hockey League. That was evident last season when he finished fourth on the team with 16 goals.
Is Justin Williams Actually Finished?
Justin Williams announced he’s taking a break from the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL. He did not use the word “retire” when making his announcement, so the door is still very much open for him to return.
A player who produced last season, there’s still offense left in his tank and if the Hurricanes have any injury issues, or make a trade freeing up cap space, he could join them during the season.
That said, the Hurricanes are not shocked by this decision. General manager Don Waddell said: “He’s been an important part of our team, but we did prepare our roster with the understanding that he might step away. We are confident in the group we’ve assembled.”
The post NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Senators, Stars, Sabres, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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