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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 10/14/2019
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
10/14/2019 edition:
By Kyle Gipe on Oct 13, 2019 02:12 pm
In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the New Jersey Devils are in the spotlight, will Jesse Puljujarvi spend the entire season in Finland, and Erik Gudbranson’s thoughts on being healthy scratched in recent games.
Devils Willing to Be Patient with Hall
The Devils had one of the more exciting summers this past offseason after they acquired P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev, drafted Jack Hughes with the first-overall pick, and signed Wayne Simmonds. All of these created great expectations that the team would compete for a playoff spot this season. Lost in the excitement is that 2018 NHL MVP Taylor Hall is an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2020. There’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll sign an extension with the Devils after they conveyed their desire to build a winning roster. Recent rumors even suggested that Hall gave his representatives the go-ahead to continue negotiating with the Devils front office during the season, however, the team’s 0-3-2 start may have dampened Hall’s desire to sign extension early in the season.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman thinks the team’s slow start, combined with the absence of an extension, could lead to teams checking in with Devils general manager Ray Shero on Hall’s availability via trade. Friedman thinks that it’s far too early for Shero to consider dealing Hall and that the Devils are willing to be patient with Hall.
I think the answer is this is way too soon to start asking.
If Hall does reach free agency, he will be the most coveted player on the market next summer. However, according to Friedman’s colleague Chris Johnston, “I do think we can’t rule out the possibility of an extension depending on how things turn out.” Hall currently has three assists through five games this season.
Is John Hynes on the Hot Seat?
The other rumor out of New Jersey is that Devils head coach John Hynes could already be on the hot seat. According to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, the Devils may have more urgency than normal to make a coaching move. Although five games is a very small sample size, the Devils are in last place in the Metro Division and eight points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. Considering that Hall is a pending UFA, it was vital for the team to get off to a strong start this season in order for them to push for the playoffs.
…it is important for Hynes, about whom everyone raves, to generate some early success here. Or at least ensure the Devils don’t fall into a hole out of which they’ll be digging all year. It’s too hard.
But because that hasn’t happened, Shero may be forced to make a coaching change early in order to right the ship and further convince Hall to stay. However, there is the fact that Shero signed Hynes to a multiyear extension in January, so the team is clearly invested in him as coach. Then there’s Shero, who has historically been a very patient GM. In his eight-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team had just two head coaches.
As Brooks points out, Shero is also loyal to Hynes, whom he hired as an assistant coach for the Penguins’ American Hockey League team in 2009. But still, the Devils have to experience on-ice success this season. Not just for Hall, but also for the fanbase and the players they’ve invested in. A couple of wins in a row will rapidly cool Hynes’ seat, but for now, it’s warm and only increasing in temperature.
Puljujarvi Content in Finland
A lingering situation out of Edmonton involves Oilers restricted free agent (RFA) Jesse Puljujarvi. The 21-year-old former fourth-overall pick is currently playing in his native Finland with Karpat after he requested a trade over the offseason. After struggling to earn consistent playing time with the Oilers, he is succeeding in Finland with 11 points in 11 games. According to Chris Johnston, Puljujarvi would be comfortable playing the entire season in Finland and not returning to the NHL until next season.
I’m hearing he’s comfortable staying all year in Finland…I get the feeling that’s a comfortable situation for the player. He’s trying to get his confidence back, trying to get his game back and he might be the best player right now in the Finnish Elite League.
The Oilers, or any other team for that matter, have until Dec. 1 to sign Puljujarvi and still have him play in the NHL this season. At one point it looked like a trade was inevitable, however, with the Oilers’ perfect start to the season (5-0-0), there’s no rush for them deal him. At the moment, it’s a positive outcome for both team and player, and perhaps they address the situation after the Dec. 1 deadline or into next offseason.
If the Oilers do decide to trade Puljujarvi this season, one possible trade destination that continues to appear is the Hurricanes. Specifically, a one-for-one trade for the team’s 21st-overall pick in 2016, Julien Gauthier. Gauthier made his NHL debut this season and has no points in two games, but he did have 27 goals in 75 AHL games last season and two goals in two AHL games this season. According to the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins, the Oilers could have interest in Gauthier because he’s waiver exempt, meaning he could be sent to the AHL without having to clear waivers, unlike Puljujarvi. (from ‘One of the unsung heroes in the Edmonton Oilers shining 5-0 start has been a player that far too many critics love to hate: 9 Things,’ Edmonton Journal, 10/13/2019)
So it’d buy the Oilers some time and roster flexibility. While this trade would work for the Oilers, the Hurricanes currently have no reason to give up Gauthier or acquire Puljujarvi. The Hurricanes are currently 5-1-0 on the season and are tied for first in the league with the Oilers. Given their success, there’s no reason for them to disrupt the team’s chemistry or roster construction.
Gudbranson Frustrated with Being Scratched
With the Penguins currently having an excess of NHL-caliber defensemen, veteran Erik Gudbranson is one of the players who has suffered. After being a healthy scratch in the Penguins’ past two games, both wins, he struggled to hide his feelings over the decision to scratch him in an interview with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Matt Vensel:
“It’s frustrating. Very frustrating,” Gudbranson said. “It’s part of being an NHL player, I guess. I’ve worked hard, did a lot of really good things this year. I feel pretty much back to what I used to be. I’ve got a few years of separation from my surgeries and whatnot. I put a lot of work into being here. So it’s frustrating.”
It’s not the first time Gudbranson has been a healthy scratch in his career after he struggled to find playing time with the Florida Panthers early in his career. That experience taught him to handle his current situation with grace and to be supportive of John Marino, the player who supplanted him in the lineup. If the Penguins continue to have success with Marino, perhaps Gudbranson is placed on the trade block as the Penguins attempt to add scoring depth.
The post NHL Rumors: Hall, Puljujarvi, Gudbranson, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Kyle Gipe on Oct 12, 2019 10:35 am
In the Oct. 12 edition of NHL rumors, TSN’s Bob McKenzie had interesting news on Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien earlier this week. Do the Los Angeles Kings have any shot at trading goaltender Jonathan Quick? Is Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock feeling the heat of the team’s slow start? Plus, Arizona Coyotes netminder Antti Raanta will make his season debut tonight after missing most of 2018-19.
Byfuglien Didn’t Skate or Train This Offseason
Winnipeg Free Press writer Jason Bell wrote a column on Friday that there is no news regarding Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who’s been away from the team since training camp started. (from ‘No update on Byfuglien’s status,’ Winnipeg Free Press, 10/11/2019) Even though the Jets reportedly had contact with Byfuglien as recently as last week, it’s thought that no progress was made. As a result, the Jets won’t say when, or even if, he will return. Head coach Paul Maurice addressed the rumors, but it appears as though he too knows very little.
“Any updates will be coming from (general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff). I’m just dealing with the guys in the room,” he said. “We don’t have a daily conversation or a weekly conversation. (Cheveldayoff) will come in and tell me. I’ve got nothing for you on that front.”
Since Byfuglien took his leave of absence, little information has been leaked as he’s kept a low profile. Earlier this week, Bob McKenzie, appearing on TSN 1050’s OverDrive, mentioned that he heard that Byfuglien “didn’t skate or train all summer. And he’s not had a training camp.” He also pointed out that Byfuglien is coming off a bad ankle.
So even if Byfuglien announced his return, it’s not as though he could jump back into the lineup and play effective top-pair minutes right away. In the meantime, Josh Morrissey and the other Jets defensemen have held down the fort for the most part as the team has gone 3-2-0 through five games.
Does Quick Have Any Trade Value?
The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman and Josh Cooper recently wrote a column looking into the trade value of Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick. (from ‘Is it too early to worry about Jonathan Quick’s slow start? What are the Kings’ options?,’ The Athletic, 10/11/2019) Quick’s name has been involved in trade rumors in recent seasons, however, the two-time Stanley Cup champion has struggled over the past one-plus seasons. Last season, in 46 starts, he had a 3.38 goals-against average (GAA) and an .888 save percentage (SV%).
He’s been even worse in two starts this season with a 7.17 GAA and a .750 SV%. He’s allowed 14 goals in two games, including six against the Edmonton Oilers and eight versus the Vancouver Canucks. The 33-year-old also has three more years left on his contract, after 2019-20, with a $5.8-million cap hit. All of these aspects, plus his lengthy injury history which has allowed him to only make 50-plus starts once in the past three seasons, have depleted his trade value. That is bad news for a team in the midst of a rebuild and would likely prefer to deal their veteran goaltender.
At this point, trading Quick seems unlikely, although that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. As Dillman and Cooper point out, the Oilers and Calgary Flames swapped James Neal and Milan Lucic over the offseason and both players have overpriced contracts and had little trade value. Perhaps a team with a quality goalie coach who’s familiar with Quick will take a chance on him, but the Kings would all but certainly have to retain some salary. For now, it’s likely the Kings hold onto Quick and see if he can regain his form. The team has quality alternatives in Jack Campbell and Cal Peterson, so perhaps Quick receives less playing time to see if he can work out his struggles.
Is Babcock on the Hot Seat?
In a column yesterday, the Toronto Star’s Damien Cox wrote an intriguing column on the status of Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock. (from ‘Mike Babcock may be set up for a fall after Kyle Dubas’ uninspiring summer,’ Toronto Star, 10/11/2019) Cox questioned whether the coach is already beginning to feel the pressure of the team’s lackluster 2-2-1 start and whether he may take the fall for the team’s questionable roster construction.
At this point, it appears more like his boss, Kyle Dubas, has tasked Babcock with the unenviable job of getting better results out of a roster that is no better than last year’s, and quite possibly weaker.
Cox points out that general manager Kyle Dubas should also be at fault for the team’s struggles since he never addressed the issues that plagued them in last season’s playoffs and focused on cost-cutting moves at depth positions rather than bringing in effective players. Cox specifically mentions the team’s porous defense that now includes Cody Ceci and Rasmus Sandin, the latter of whom may not yet be ready for full-time NHL duty. He also brings up that Dubas didn’t attempt to solve the team’s lack of goaltending depth, something that impacted them in their loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 5.
However, while Dubas has certainly played his part in the team’s struggles this season, it’s also Babcock’s responsibility to get the most out of the roster he’s given, which he hasn’t thus far. Babcock is rightly on the hot seat because he’s now in his fifth season as the Maple Leafs head coach and the team has bowed out in the first round each of the past three postseasons.
Raanta Returns to the Lineup
Yesterday, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan announced that Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta is set to make his season debut tonight when the team takes on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. It will be Raanta’s first game since Nov. 27, 2018 when he went down with a lower-body injury and missed the remainder of the season.
He only played in 12 games last season and had a .906 SV% and 2.88 GAA. This came after he only made 46 starts in 2017-18. In his two seasons in Arizona, Raanta has been great, with a .925 SV% and a 2.37 GAA, however, his biggest issue has been injuries, having never appeared in more than 47 games in a season. For the Coyotes to reach their ceiling and compete for the playoffs this season, they need Raanta to return to the lineup and continue his stellar play.
The post NHL Rumors: Byfuglien, Quick, Babcock, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Kyle Gipe on Oct 11, 2019 11:37 am
In today’s Rumors rundown, will the Boston Bruins move a defenseman to add a winger? What’s the latest regarding Nolan Patrick’s health? Can hockey fans expect to see NHL players at the 2022 Winter Olympics? Plus, when can we expect the Seattle expansion franchise to name its head coach, and the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch has some interesting notes on the Ottawa Senators rebuild.
Bruins Looking to Trade a Defenseman?
The Bruins have needed help at wing on the second line for several seasons now. Prior to 2018-19 Rick Nash was supposed to be that player, but he retired before the season began. The absence has left center David Krejci playing with many different wingers and none have stuck. It’s resulted in the team’s vaunted top line being relied on far too much while not enough offense comes from lines 2-4.
In a recent Hagg Bag Mailbag, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty received a question that listed Urho Vaakanainen and several other prospects and asked Haggerty to craft a trade package for a second-line winger. Hagerty balked at the idea of trading Vaakanainen, citing Zdeno Chara’s age (42) and how the Bruins will need to replace him at somepoint in the near future. Vaakanainen, along with Matt Grzelcyk, could form the backbone of the left side of the Bruins’ defense in the future, and trading him would create another hole that would need addressed.
Plus, as Haggerty points out, with Torey Krug being a free agent at season’s end, the Bruins could begin turning over their blue line to a younger group of defensemen. One suggestion Haggerty provides is perhaps the Bruins will create a trade package around Krug and a prospect or two to acquire a winger, if they don’t plan on re-signing Krug. However, if the Bruins are looking like serious contenders at the trade deadline, and there’s no reason to think they won’t be, it could also make sense to hold onto Krug as an internal ‘playoff rental,’ especially if they feel Vaakanainen isn’t ready for top-four minutes yet.
The Latest on Nolan Patrick’s Health
On the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Bob McKenzie was asked about the status of Philadelphia Flyer Nolan Patrick, who’s been dealing with migraine issues since the end of last season. Patrick has missed the start of the season and is officially listed as week-to-week, so there are no expectations for his return. McKenzie points out that Patrick is improving and has been skating with the Flyers at practice. He was even able to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip through Northwest Canada.
And the good news too, as the Flyers headed west in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary they took Patrick along with them.
The plan at the moment is for Patrick to continue rehabbing and conditioning with the possibility of getting into games within the next three weeks, perhaps in the American Hockey League on a conditioning stint.
Will the NHL Be at the 2022 Winter Olympics?
After the NHL sat out the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, there has been a lot of talk about whether the league will send its players to the 2022 Olympics in China. It’s long been thought that the NHL would be more inclined to send its players due to its interest in growing hockey in China. However, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger point out, there remain roadblocks in the way.
One is the International Olympic Committee, or IOC. The IOC was partially responsible for the NHL not going in 2018 as it refused to pay for the players’ travel costs or provide insurance. LeBrun mentioned that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly was in Switzerland last week to informally meet with the IOC to, potentially, begin the discussion of sending NHL players to the 2022 Olympics.
Meanwhile, Dreger pointed out that the other roadblock is the International Ice Hockey Federation, or IIHF. The IIHF meets in November and Dreger believes that the various European hockey federations are going to begin pressuring IIHF President Rene Fasel to work with the IOC to get something accomplished.
While pretty much every NHL fan wants the league’s players to participate at the Olympics, it’s easy to see why the teams and the league are hesitant to give the go-ahead. Participation means a two-week stoppage in the NHL schedule and the potential for injury, all while not generating any revenue off the Olympics. Therefore, unless the IOC steps up and covers the players’ travel and insurance costs, it’s looking more likely that the NHL won’t be sending its players in 2022.
When Will Seattle Name its Head Coach?
LeBrun was also asked when he expects the Seattle expansion franchise to name its first head coach even though they’re not due to begin playing until the 2021-22 season. With the franchise expected to announce its team name in early 2020, LeBrun believes a head coach could come a year later, or Jan. 2021.
That would be a several months earlier than the Vegas Golden Knights hired Gerard Gallant, but then again Seattle also hired Ron Francis as general manager a year before the Golden Knights named George McPhee their GM. It’s clear Seattle is willing to do everything possible to be prepared before the June 2021 expansion draft, so paying a coach for longer than is necessary wouldn’t be a surprise.
Senators Rebuild Right on Schedule
Following the Senators’ 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues last night, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch wrote a story recapping the game and providing an update on the status of the team’s rebuild. (from ‘GARRIOCH: Rebuilding Senators believe they’re taking the right road to success,’ Ottawa Sun, 10/10/2019) He points out that both GM Pierre Dorion and head coach D.J. Smith aspire for the team to be difficult to play against in 2019-20, even in losing efforts. Based off their strong showing against the defending Stanley Cup winners, it’s clear that they’re not a pushover and shouldn’t be taken lightly. When the Senators began their teardown, which included trading Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, and Mark Stone, it was obvious this rebuild was not going to be quick.
If anybody thought the changes by general manager Pierre Dorion and Smith’s approach were going to turn this team around overnight, that’s not going to be the case. This is the next phase of the rebuild and there are many layers to the plan Dorion has to get this team back to respectability.
However, having a strong showing against one of the league’s best teams is a positive sign of things to come. Garrioch writes that the Senators actually out-shot the Blues 13-10 in the first period and had a 2-0 lead at one point. The Senators believe they’re rebuilding the correct way, like the New York Rangers believed their rebuild was the proper way, and that it will result in them becoming an elite contender, just like the Blues.
Although the NHL roster is light on proven talent, the Senators possess a great group of young players, including Vitaly Abramov, Brady Tkachuk, Colin White, Thomas Chabot, and Erik Brannstrom. Thus far, the Senators have gone about things the right way. If they stay on this path, there’s reason to think that Dorion might just be correct in his assessment of the rebuild.
The post NHL Rumors: Bruins, Senators, Olympics, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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