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NHL Rumors Update
NHL Rumors Update for 02/19/2020
The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.
02/19/2020 edition:
By Jim Parsons on Feb 18, 2020 01:28 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Edmonton Oilers got hit with more bad injury news as their top defenseman has gone down. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens top defenseman is defying all odds and has returned to practice. And, are the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs set to become sellers over the next three-to-four days?
Edmonton Oilers Lose Oscar Klefbom, What Now?
The Edmonton Oilers revealed they will be without their No. 1 defenseman over the next few games as Oscar Klefbom has gone down with a shoulder injury and will miss 2-3 weeks worth of action.
Early speculation is that the team will move around defense pairings but there could be a call-up from the Bakersfield team with names like Evan Bouchard being tossed around. GM Ken Holland is not likely going to take the idea of calling up someone like Bouchard lightly as he’s keen on making sure he gets tons of time in the minors before being asked to pull a regular shift in the NHL.
Weber Ready to Return to Canadiens Lineup?
Last week, it was reported that there were serious concerns about defenseman Shea Weber’s injury situation, some that suggested his NHL career could be in jeopardy. Either those reports were wrong or Weber is a marvel of modern science.
Weber was back practicing with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday and told reporters after the practice, “My goal is to get back as soon as possible and when I feel I can help the team and at this point I feel good enough to help out and we’ll just keep going that way.”
The report that suggested Weber would be out long-term came from Nick Kypreos who apologized on Monday. He wrote on his social meda:
After time to reflect, I understand how portions of my tweet added unnecessary stress to Shea, his family and the team.
While I still stand by the information that I received, I’d like to apologize to Shea and the @canadiensmtl for not choosing my words with more sensitivity. I wish Shea a speedy recovery.
Panthers to Be Sellers?
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia writes the Panthers “could be on the verge of accepting reality” and entering the trade market as sellers. He mentions unrestricted free agents Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov as obvious pieces and players that could draw interest prior to Feb 24.
Garrioch writes:
Wingers Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov, both UFAs on July 1, could be on the move while there’s been talk the Panthers may also ship out forward Vincent Trocheck. While the Panthers probably wouldn’t mind moving Trocheck, he has a cap hit of $4.75 million through the next two seasons and that’s going to be difficult to move unless GM Dale Tallon is wiling to accept a contract in return …
Related: Top 3 All-Time Canadiens Goalies
Could the Maple Leafs Change Direction?
It doesn’t seem like a course of action GM Kyle Dubas will take and James Mirtle of The Athletic explains why, but he notes there is buzz out of Toronto that the Maple Leafs should shift directions and become sellers this season. He writes that a good portion of Leafs Nation sees this season and as waste, even if the team makes the post-season.
Mirtle explains:
Their argument isn’t entirely without merit. They just don’t see the 2019-20 Leafs as being competitive enough to win, especially given their path goes through Boston and Tampa — if they can make the playoffs. (Toronto currently has a 70 percent chance of making it according to our resident super nerd.)
He adds that a roster with a bunch of pending UFAs (namely Tyson Barrie, Jason Spezza, Kyle Clifford and Cody Ceci) could get something for before the deadline and that would be a better course of action than losing again in the first round.
In the end, Mirtle explains that not having enough to sell to make it worthwhile and not being as bad as some critics suggest is why the Maple Leafs will stay the course and try to win.
The post NHL Rumors: Oilers, Canadiens, Panthers, Maple Leafs, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Feb 17, 2020 12:50 pm
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that Connor McDavid might be back sooner than expected. In New Jersey, after making two big trades, is the market now set and will the Devils make more trades? Are the San Jose Sharks targeting cap-strapped teams? Finally, where are the New York Rangers and Chris Kreider at in contract talks?
McDavid 2-3 Days Away From Return
There is good news coming out of Edmonton as TSN’s Ryan Rishaug is reporting that Connor McDavid’s recovery from an injury thought to keep him out 2-3 weeks, might now only keep him out 2-3 more days.
Sounds like McDavid’s recovery is going well. He’s getting treatment, working out and will have further testing Tuesday to see where things are at. He’s expected to rejoin the team in Edmonton in the next 2-3 days. (Corrected an earlier tweet saying test was Monday)
While this isn’t to suggest he’ll be in the lineup this week, this is great news as the Oilers have not only played well in his absence but gone 3-1 and now sit atop the Pacific Division as Vancouver and Calgary suffered big losses this weekend.
What’s really interesting is how much Leon Draisaitl has picked up the ball and ran with it while McDavid has been away. He’s got 10 points in four games and is building incredible confidence. If McDavid can return to a team that is on a roll, Edmonton’s could really make some noise on the way to the playoffs.
Did Devils Set the Trade Market? More Moves Coming?
There are questions floating around the NHL on Monday wondering if Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald just set the trade market when he moved both defenseman Andy Green and winger Blake Coleman.
Greene fetched a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and defenseman prospect David Quenneville. Coleman saw the Devils get forward prospect Nolan Foote and a first-round pick in the 2020 or 2021 NHL Draft. While there’s debate in New Jersey about why they moved Coleman, those are hefty returns?
Does that mean anyone who wants a Chris Kreider, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, or other top rentals mean a first-rounder is the baseline? What about Ilya Kovalchuk? Is there no way Montreal moves him for anything less than a second-round pick now?
So too, the Devils did well and that might open them up to more trades. “There are a lot of teams kicking the tires to see where we’re at,” Fitzgerald said to NHL.com. “I’m guessing my phone will ring a little more now after what I did today. I’m looking to really move the organization forward, and there are players here that will do that and help us.”
Fitzgerald said the only untouchables on the Devils roster are Travis Zajac, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.
Kreider and Rangers Talks Stalled?
The sense coming out of New York is that contract extension talks with Chris Kreider haven’t produced much and that he is more likely to be traded that re-signed.
Pierre LeBrun writes, “I would also say normally in these situations each side would show their true hand about 2-3 days before the deadline contract-wise” The idea here is that by Friday or Saturday, there should be an answer as to what happens with Kreider this season.
Sharks to Take on Salary?
Marcus White of NBC Sports wonders if the San Jose Sharks will reach out to teams looking to dump salary now that they have a boat load of it available.
Long-term injuries to key players with big salaries has given the Sharks room to take on contracts in exchange for draft picks. For example, Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl suffering season-ending injuries freed up over $17 million in cap room and if a team was looking to move a player, and willing to send a draft pick along with it, the Sharks would be open to that.
The post NHL Rumors: Oilers, Devils, Rangers, Sharks, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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