NHL Rumors Update

NHL Rumors Update for 05/13/2020

May 13, 2020

The latest NHL rumors from The Hockey Writers.

 

 05/13/2020 edition:

By Jim Parsons on May 12, 2020 12:35 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Minnesota Wild being told that one of their newly signed prospects won’t be allowed to play. The Toronto Maple Leafs have questions about trades and free agents and in Boston, Tuukka Rask shoots down retirement rumors.

NHL Won’t Let Kaprizov Play

According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the NHL has informed the Minnesota Wild that there is likely “zero chance” that Kirill Kaprizov will be permitted to make his NHL debut this summer if the 2019-20 season resumes.

Russo writes:

Kaprizov hoped he would ultimately be allowed to sign his two-year deal with the Wild and subsequently burn the first year of his contract if the balance of the 2019-20 season is played with a semblance of the regular season and postseason. After all, if this was a normal situation, once Kaprizov’s KHL contract expired April 30, he would have been allowed to sign with the Wild and debut immediately if the team was still alive in the playoffs.

source – ‘Sources: Kirill Kaprizov likely won’t be allowed to debut if Wild season resumes’ – Michael Russo – The Athletic – 05/11/2020

However, because of the pause on the NHL season, the league has instructed teams that all new contracts for draft picks or college, junior and European free agents had to begin in 2020-21. The Wild had hoped the NHL would change its mind, but they’ve been told that no such change will happen.

Wild GM Bill Guerin was asked if it concerns him at all that Kaprizov could possibly sign for one more year in the KHL if he’s not allowed to come over. Guerin said he knows it’s possible but Kaprizov wants to come play here. “It’s a viable concern, but I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it,” Guerin said. 

Maple Leafs Looking for More Jason Spezzas

James Mirtle of The Athletic took a look at free agent targets for the offseason that might do what Jason Spezza did for them this past season. He came in at a lower cost and produced results that exceeded his pay. Mirtle conducted this exercise under the assumption Andreas Johnsson and Kasperi Kapanen would be traded.

Mirtle first suggested Kyle Clifford, Tyler Ennis, Josh Leivo, Patrick Maroon, Jesper Fast, and Matt Nieto as forwards the Leafs could get for cheap and out-perform their contracts. He listed Alex Galchenyuk, Conor Sheary, Colin Wilson, Jimmy Vesey, Michael Frolik, and Derek Brassard as reclamation projects. Finally, he listed Mike Hoffman, Craig Smith, Mikael Granlund, and Carl Soderberg as long shots.

If the Maple Leafs want to go after a former star like they did Spezza, they should target Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk, or Corey Perry. Mirtle writes:

Dom Luszczyszyn pulled together this handy chart of game-score projections for the next three seasons for all of the players listed above. Of the more realistic targets for the Leafs, he’s highest on Ennis, Leivo, Maroon, Wilson and Fast.

source – ‘Mirtle: Breaking down 19 intriguing UFA forward targets for the Maple Leafs’ – James Mirtle – The Athletic – 05/11/2020

Dermott Done in Toronto?

Sportsnet’s Luke Fox was asked if the Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent signing of defenseman Mikko Lehtonen signals the end of Travis Dermott’s time as a Maple Leafs player. Fox notes that GM Kyle Dubas will need to make moves this offseason and figure out where Lehtonen fits, but also feels the smart move would be to re-sign Dermott to a bridge deal.

Dermott is coming off of his entry-level deal and doesn’t have arbitration rights. He’s affordable and if Lehtonen struggles, the Maple Leafs will be glad they can call upon Dermott in a pinch.

Rask Shoots Down Retirement Rumors

Tuukka Rask spoke to several members of the Boston media during a Zoom call on Monday and pretty much squashed any ideas that he might retire at the end of his current deal.

When asked about if he’d given retirement any thought, he replied, “Not really. I haven’t thought about retirement at all,” Rask said as per Boston Hockey Now. He added, “So far, I still have that passion to keep playing. Maybe it’s 36, 37 — maybe I’ll be the goalie that plays until he’s 45, maybe not.”

Nordiques Jerseys to Make a Return?

Declan Bolger, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, says the idea of the Colorado Avalanche wearing the old Quebec Nordiques jerseys has popped up.

“Next year is the team’s 25th anniversary season. I think there is an opportunity,” said Bolger in an interview with The Athletic. “We’ve talked about it, but the opportunity has not arose up to now. It’s not the only thing we’ve talked about. We have talked about a lot of things.” 

By Jim Parsons on May 11, 2020 01:25 pm

In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the NHL could be affected based on a decision by their feeder league as the AHL has decided to cancel the 2019-20 season. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche might be talking a trade and the Philadelphia Flyers have questions about where best to allocate limited funds. Finally, will the Edmonton Oilers lose Riley Sheahan if he’s asking for too much money?

AHL Cancels Remainder of 2019-20 Season

The AHL went a step further than suspending their season today when the league announced the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign has been canceled. As a result, there will be no playoffs and no Calder Cup awarded this year. AHL President David Andrews released a statement:

After a lengthy review process, the American Hockey League has determined that the resumption and completion of the 2019-20 season is not feasible in light of current conditions.

The League’s operational focus has turned toward actively preparing for the 2020-21 season.We are very grateful to the National Hockey League and its teams for their support and leadership in navigating through the challenges faced over the past two months.

The AHL continues to place paramount importance on the health and safety of our players, officials, staff and fans and all of their families, and we all look forward to returning to our arenas in 2020-21.

This does not necessarily mean that a similar announcement will be coming from the NHL as the two leagues work independently, but this decision could play a factor into how much a minor league player will get to skate, if they can or will be potentially be recalled by their NHL affiliate to play in games, or if they’ll simply be brought in to skate with the NHL team as a “Black Ace” (players who travel with the team in case of injury) under the assumption the organization might call them up.

Avalanche Interested in Matt Murray?

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now recently reported the Penguins received calls about both Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry before the trade deadline, but at that time GM Jim Rutherford wasn’t interested. The discussion was more about potentially doing something before the 2020 NHL Draft. Among those interested were the Colorado Avalanche.

Kingerski cited multiple sources claiming Avs GM Joe Sakic likely asked about Murray. Speculation is that Sakic wasn’t satisfied with Philipp Grubauer’s 18-12-4 record, or his .916 save percentage. He was looking to shore up that position for the team. If there’s anything to this rumor, Murray coming in, likely means Grubauer going out or the avs trading recently re-signed Pavel Francouz to make room.

Kings Trying to Sign Kaliyev

According to John Hoven on SiriusXM, he’s hearing that Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake said that he’s been talking with the camp of 2018 draft pick Arthur Kaliyev. He writes:

Per Blake, plan on Kaliyev – been in discussion with his camp, want to get his ELC done sooner or later… however, he has less options than some of the college kids we’ve recently signed – for him it’s either OHL of NHL. We’re trying to evaluate the best development plan.

Flyers Options With Limited Cap Space

Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggested that the Philadelphia Flyers might try to re-sign goaltender Brian Elliott. Calling him a good mentor for Carter Hart he thinks the pending UFA will be back.

He writes:

But if they can’t come to terms with Elliott — who has a $2 million cap hit this season — Corey Crawford, Thomas Greiss, and Cam Talbot are among the free-agent possibilities. Their salary demands, of course, will be key.

source – ‘When (if?) NHL resumes, expect Flyers’ momentum to carry into playoffs | Sam Carchidi’ – Sam Carchidi – Inquirer.com – 05/08/2020

Questions still surround Justin Braun and whether or not he could be back.

Might Riley Sheahan Be Asking For Too Much?

Riley Sheahan played great in a depth role for the Oilers this season and offered vital penalty-killing minutes, often playing on the third line. The problem is, he was signed to be a fourth-line player and speculation is he wants third-line money on a contract extension.

According to reports and sources, Sheahan is hoping to land a contract worth $2 – $2.75 million per season. That’s likely far too rich for the Oilers who are going to be a team that has to watch what they spend with a potential flat cap.

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