NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 12/16/2019

December 16, 2019

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 12/16/2019 edition:

By Jim Parsons on Dec 15, 2019 09:20 am

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that the Arizona Coyotes are now the frontrunners for Taylor Hall, the Edmonton Oilers are talking extension with Zack Kassian and Zach Bogosian didn’t deny rumors he’d asked for a trade.

Coyotes Now Lead the Pack For Hall

First it was the Edmonton Oilers. Then it was the Colorado Avalanche. Now, it’s the Arizona Coyotes who lead the way in terms of the team now the favorite to land left-winger Taylor Hall from the New Jersey Devils.

According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, “We believe the Arizona Coyotes are the frontrunners to land Hall in a trade from New Jersey,” he said during Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada. Hall sat out his second game, this time against the Coyotes on Saturday night.

The Coyotes aren’t the only ones interested but the best information the insiders had available was that they are the leaders. “We know that Florida has been involved in some trade talks, St. Louis, a couple other teams. But we believe the Coyotes have the best offer on the table right now,” Johnston explained.

Elliotte Friedman added that Arizona was one of the first teams to officially make an offer to the Devils, and while the top two prospects in Arizona’s system (Barrett Hayton or Victor Soderstrom) are in that offer, “…they’re haggling about, is Kevin Bahl,” Friedman said.

Interestingly, Friedman also reports that the Devils were trying to play Arizona’s offer into a more enticing offer from some other team but it hasn’t come. Why? Friedman explained, “… what we’re hearing is that they haven’t given anyone permission to talk extension with Hall. So we don’t believe that this trade is going to come with an extension.”

Oilers Want to Lock Up Kassian

Friedman also noted that contract extension talks between the Edmonton Oilers and forward Zack Kassian have intensified. Kassian is happy in Edmonton and the Oilers are pleased with what he’s brought to the table. Both sides want to work something out.

Kassian is on pace to set record numbers for his career this year. Already with 22 points in 32 games, he’s could reach the 50 point marker quite easily if he stays healthy. This is a huge jump as he’s yet to exceed 29 points in any previous season.

This deal could go any way and not surprise people. Are the Oilers about to pay him for what he’s brought this season? Or, are they assuming his totals will drop again but they want to keep him around anyway?

DeBoer Will Listen to Coaching Options

There was an earlier report that former San Jose Sharks coach Peter DeBoer was going to take some time away from coaching but Friedman reports that, depending on the situation, DeBoer will listen to opportunities and may return to coach this season.

Bogosian Didn’t Deny Trade Request

“I’m going to let any conversation between myself, Jason and my agent stay” said veteran blue liner Zach Bogosian as per the Buffalo News. “Me personally, I’m not going to say anything. I’m going to let everything stay in house.”

These comments came after TSN’s Darren Dreger had reported Bogosian asked for a trade out of Buffalo. Made a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, Bogosian doesn’t seem to agree that his scratch was deserved.

Until that trade comes, Bogosian said:

“I’m just focused on getting back in the lineup. There’s not much I can really do other than just work hard, show up and put a smile on my face like I always do.”

source – ‘Zach Bogosian mum on trade rumors: ‘I’m going to let everything stay in house’ – Buffalo News – Mike Harrington – 12/13/2019

By Stephen Ground on Dec 14, 2019 03:05 pm

It’s not often that a former Hart Trophy winner is the hottest item on the trade market. But with the unexpected scratching of the New Jersey Devils’ Taylor Hall before Friday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, social media was set ablaze about a looming potential trade. Add in John Shannon’s reporting that the St. Louis Blues and the Arizona Coyotes were the two most likely destinations, and you had the recipe for a legitimate Twitter firestorm in St. Louis.

There’s no question that a player of Hall’s caliber would make the Blues better. There are few wingers more dynamic in the league, and he would immediately become the most-skilled forward in a group sorely missing the injured Vladimir Tarasenko. But with the rumored cost of the potential move, does the acquisition make sense for the defending Stanley Cup Champions? Let’s take a look at the possibilities.

Why is Hall Available?

For those who might not understand why a Hart Trophy winner like Hall is on the trading block, let’s take a look at the history. The Edmonton Oilers shocked the world when they traded Hall one-for-one for Adam Larsson back in June 2016. And while Hall didn’t immediately set the world on fire in his new home, he had a career season in his second attempt with the Devils, single-handedly carrying the team into the playoffs and winning the Hart Trophy in the process.

Unfortunately, injury ruined the following 2018-19 season. The Devils didn’t get an honest evaluation of their team with their best player on the shelf most of the season, and so they entered the offseason as unknowns, but with the first overall pick in hand. With it, they selected Jack Hughes, who, along with Nico Hischier, the 2017 first overall pick, figures to be the core of their team going forward.

With Hall in the final year of his contract, general manager Ray Shero had two choices. On the one hand, he could recognize that he was a fleeting commodity, trade the final season of his contract for a haul, and rebuild around Hughes and Hischier. Alternatively, he could go all-out in an attempt to woo Hall and convince him to remain with New Jersey for the rest of his career.

Shero chose the latter route, grabbing P.K. Subban in a blockbuster trade, adding Wayne Simmonds as a free agent, and eventually acquiring young Russian prospect Nikita Gusev via trade in a frantic offseason. The only flaw Shero didn’t address was goaltending: he hoped a healthy Cory Schneider and an emergent MacKenzie Blackwood could provide enough to keep the Devils competitive.

  • P.K. Subban (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

  • Wayne Simmonds (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

  • Nikita Gusev (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

  • Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

  • Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils, January 20, 2018 (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Shero miscalculated. Simmonds and Subban seem to have aged past their prime, Schneider wasn’t healthy and was ultimately waived, and Blackwood wasn’t ready to pick up the slack. The Devils currently have the league’s third-worst team save percentage (.886), and the second-worst goals against average (3.42) and goal differential (minus-36). Earlier this month, the Devils fired their head coach, John Hynes.

Now, the need for a rebuild is apparent, and the likelihood of Hall’s remaining is almost nill. Therefore, Shero’s decision was made for him. A Hall trade is inevitable, and with the news that he was a healthy scratch on Friday night and again tonight against the Coyotes, the hockey world believes it may be imminent. But does it make sense for the Blues?

Blues Intent on Repeating?

The Blues are a team in an interesting position. They won their first-ever Stanley Cup last season, the culmination of one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the NHL. They entered the 2019-20 season with a free agent conundrum of their own, with Brayden Schenn (since extended) and captain Alex Pietrangelo (still unsigned) both on expiring deals. Apart from a late-offseason acquisition of Justin Faulk, a right-handed defenseman like Pietrangelo, their roster remained largely unchanged from the Stanley Cup Champions.

Unfortunately, once the banner was raised, things started to go wrong for the Blues, at least on the injury front. Ten games into the season, they lost Tarasenko, a regular 30-goal scorer, for possibly the entire season. After him, other forwards like Alex Steen, Sammy Blais (who seemed on track for a 20-goal season himself), Zach Sanford and Oskar Sundqvist went down, though Sundqvist just returned and Steen is expected to tonight.

Now, the Blues sit in second in the Central Division with 44 points, but still without any certainty of Tarasenko’s healthy return this season. Even so, Elliotte Friedman has reported in his 31 Thoughts article that the Blues believe they can repeat and that fans should expect them to “go for it.”

What Would Hall Cost?

But what does going for it look like for the Blues? Is Hall the right fit? And most importantly, what will it cost to acquire such a high-value rental?

Reports suggest that the Devils’ negotiations with the Colorado Avalanche, another top suitor for Hall’s services, center on 2019 fourth-overall pick and top prospect Bowen Byram. Even with the explosive emergence of probable Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar, that would be a stiff price to pay for Hall with no guarantee of an extension in place. For the Blues, the obvious equivalent would be top prospect Jordan Kyrou, who returned to the NHL two games ago and who was 16th in Craig Button’s most recent ranking of NHL prospects.

For the Blues, a package involving Kyrou, or even second-best prospect Klim Kostin, should be a non-starter. They already surrendered a highly-valuable offensive prospect (Dominik Bokk) in the Faulk trade. Letting go of another so soon, even for a player of Hall’s caliber, would gut their once highly-ranked farm system.

Moreover, Kyrou is already in the NHL, and while he’s yet to make a significant impact, that time is coming soon. Trading five-plus years of control over Kyrou for half a season of Hall to chase the pipe dream of a Stanley Cup repeat simply doesn’t make sense for an injury-laden and fatigued Blues franchise.

But one wonders if the Devils could be convinced to take quantity into account? Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has made those kinds of trades before (he traded two roster players, a valuable prospect, and several picks for Ryan O’Reilly, and made a similar trade for Ryan Miller many years before that). The Blues have most of their draft picks, numerous good prospects beyond Kostin and Kyrou, a slew of young roster players, and one player the Devils might value more than most teams: Jake Allen.

Armstrong won’t pull the wool over Shero’s eyes: Allen has his obvious warts. But he is substantially better this season, has experience as a starter, has another year on his contract, and would be an inarguable improvement on the Devils’ current goaltending situation. He would be a perfect partner to come in and take some of the heat off a young prospect like Blackwood.

The Bottom Line: Acquire Hall… At the Right Price

Allen cannot center a package for a player like Hall, but he could be an interesting trade chip that other teams cannot offer. If Shero would consider a package consisting of Allen, a young roster player like Blais or Sanford, and a handful of lesser picks or prospects, the Blues should certainly take their chances on a Hall rental. There is no doubt interest: the Blues have pursued Hall in the past, in a trade for Kevin Shattenkirk which the defenseman blocked at the time.

Ultimately, it will be Shero’s decision, not the Blues’. Hall will have no shortage of suitors, and if someone is willing to offer an elite prospect like Byram, Armstrong will probably lose the sweepstakes. If Kyrou or Kostin is the necessary cost to acquire Hall as a rental, the Blues should take a pass. As good as Hall is, he’s only ever won one playoff game and the chances of repeating are too insignificant to mortgage the future.

But, Armstrong hasn’t lost many trades in his career. If he can devise a package that brings in Hall without surrendering Kyrou or Kostin, the Blues should certainly do it. It isn’t often you can add a former Hart Trophy winner to a Stanley Cup championship roster.

By Jim Parsons on Dec 14, 2019 12:35 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on Taylor Hall as he wasn’t in the lineup on Friday versus the Colorado Avalanche, reports that the Los Angeles Kings are washing their hands of ilya Kovalchuk and did the Vancouver Canucks put a former first-round draft pick officially on the trade block?

Hall Held Out Of Friday’s Game

A pretty clear sign that things are progressing in trade talks is when a player is held out of the lineup for precautionary reasons. That’s exactly what happened to Taylor Hall as his New Jersey Devils took on the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.

As was reported on Friday night, the seemingly soon-to-be-traded forward was scratched from the game. Hall took part in warm-ups but TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported there was traction in trade talks between the Devils and a couple of teams; so much so, that it wasn’t worth the risk of him getting hurt.

There were reports earlier this week that the Avalanche were leading the way and that they’d like to get a deal done before the Christmas break on Dec 19th. If true, it stands to reason they didn’t want him playing against them on Friday either.

That said, don’t be surprised if it isn’t Colorado that’s actually leading the way. John Shannon reports, “While there appears to be interest from multiple teams for Taylor Hall…keep hearing St Louis and Arizona at the top of the list.” LeBrun also said, “Hearing that the Florida Panthers have inquired on Taylor Hall. About 5-6 teams in the mix including Arizona and Colorado among others…”

Kings to Terminate Kovalchuk’s Contract

A report from Igor Eronko of Sport-Express suggests that immediately following the bonus payment the Los Angeles Kings will pay Ilya Kovalchuk on December 15th, the rest of Kovalchuk’s contract could be terminated.

Eronko also reports that despite a lucrative offer from the KHL, Kovalchuk would like to stay in the NHL and is hoping a team will pick him up.

The Kings removed Kovalchuk from their lineup a month ago but the thought was they’d try to trade him after giving him his bonus. If the Kings couldn’t find, or don’t believe they will find a trade partner, it must be because of the remaining time on his deal (it runs through the 2020-21 season) and the more than $4.25 million left on it.

Despite terminating his contract, the Kings will be stuck with his cap hit of $6.25 million because the contract being signed after he was 35.

Sven Baertschi on the Trade Block

According to a report from Vancouver Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal of TSN, the Vancouver Canucks have put Canucks forward Sven Baertschi on the trade block. Some are suggesting this move is at the request of the player.

‘We would like to get traded, I am in contact with Jim Benning, he knows that,’ said Baertschi’s agent Andre Rufener. He added:

“I am not happy with the way this season has gone for Sven, he played well when he was in the NHL, in my opinion he did not get the opportunity he needed,” said Rufener.

Baertschi has played in just six NHL games this season but has recorded four goals and 18 assists for a combined 22 points over his 15 AHL games in the 2019 – 2020 season.

Oilers Looking for Backup Goaltender?

With the recent decline in play by Mike Smith, the Edmonton Oilers are likely to give Mikko Koskinen and longer look as a starter and some are even wondering if the Oilers might be keeping an eye on the marketplace for a backup?

Don’t expect that to happen. There are a number of teams looking for backups and there isn’t a ton of great options out there. The Oilers won’t overpay for someone like Tristan Jarry out of Pittsburgh who is available, but just a few months ago nobody seemed to want.

By Jim Parsons on Dec 13, 2019 12:20 pm

In today’s NHL rumors rundown there is news about a requested trade by a Buffalo Sabres defenseman, some updates on out-of-work coaches and their immediate plans, the Vancouver Canucks are looking for forward help and the new Seattle franchise might have a lock on a new head coach.

Zach Bogosian Requests Trade

Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that defenseman Zach Bogosian—who is expected to be a healthy scratch again with the return of Rasmus Dahlin —has requested a trade.

Bogosian, 29, is looking to up his value as much as possible in the final season of the seven-year, $36 million deal he signed with the Winnipeg Jets in 2013. He was traded to Buffalo and hasn’t played to a level where he’s going to see the same kind of contract offered to him again, especially if he’s not able to play and show he’s got some gas left in the tank.

Even as a rental, at a $5.1 million cap hit and a healthy scratch, it’s difficult to imagine there’s much of a market out there for him. The Sabres might have to retain salary to get a deal done.

Coaches to Take a Break

TSN is reporting that recently fired head coaches Pete DeBoer and Mike Babcock could have offers to coach other teams in the near future but will likely decline as both would like to take some time away and decompress. According to Pierre LeBrun, the Sharks may have even had interest in Babcock.

LeBrun noted:

He’s got another year on his deal for $3 million and I don’t think he wants to rush in to looking at offers. Same for Mike Babcock, I think there are teams interested in talking to him, but his plan is to take the rest of the year off. Babcock’s name came up when Pete DeBoer got fired, and again I think San Jose wants to give Bob Boughner the rest of the year.”

Canucks Seeking Top-Six Forward Help

Like many teams who could use another top-six forward, according to Iian MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning admits he’s in the market for a scoring winger before the Feb. 24 trade deadline.

The health of sidelined winger Micheal Ferland seems to be what has put a rush on finding another option at one of the top forward spots. “I try to keep in contact with all the other general managers in the league, and if there’s something that fits and makes sense, we’ll look at it,” Benning said.

Benning believes the Canucks will get Ferland back but there is real concern about how long he’ll be out.  

Seattle Has Eyes on a Head Coach?

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the new Seattle franchise may have a lead on a new coach. The only problem is, that coach is currently employed by another NHL franchise.

Friedman said during his 31 Thoughts podcast on Sportsnet, that Seattle has its eyes on the Winnipeg Jets’ head coach Paul Maurice. Friedman then said that means the team might not hire their coach for another year.

2019-20 is the final season of Maurice’s current contract with the Jets and the team hasn’t offered him an extension yet. There is always a chance they do and Maurice sticks with Winnipeg but speculation is that Seattle could come in with an offer and start a rivalry with Winnipeg in its inaugural season. 

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