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THW's Canadiens News for 09/08/2020
The latest Habs stories from The Hockey Writers.
09/08/2020 edition:
By Melissa Boyd on Sep 07, 2020 11:20 am
In this week’s Montreal Canadiens news and rumors, Max Domi switches agents but hasn’t asked the Habs to be moved. Jake Allen speaks about the trade that brought him to Montreal from the St. Louis Blues and the opportunity to share the net with Carey Price. Could there be a match between Taylor Hall and the Canadiens? Meanwhile, Cole Caufield and the Canadiens will have a decision to make if the NCAA season is cancelled.
Plus, Marc Bergevin re-signs Lukas Vejdemo and loans him to Södertälje SK in Sweden, France Margaret Bélanger will represent the Canadiens on the NHL’s Executive Inclusion Council and the great Guy Lafleur makes one of his first public appearances following heart surgery.
Max Domi Has a New Agent
Multiple sources this week confirmed that Max Domi has made the decision to switch agents, firing Pat Brisson, a good friend of Bergevin, as the pending restricted free agent prepares to negotiate a new contract with the Habs’ general manager in the offseason.
During Hockey Night in Canada’s ‘Headlines’ segment on Saturday night, Elliote Friedman mentioned that Domi’s new agent is Darren Ferris who also represents pending unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall. Trade rumors have been swirling around Domi for weeks and this change certainly won’t temper them even though Ferris says they have not requested a trade.
That doesn’t mean Bergevin won’t look to move Domi, especially to fill a hole in his lineup either on defense or to acquire a big scoring forward to add size up front. It’s hard to get insight into what Bergevin is thinking since he always keeps his cards so close to his chest, but he doesn’t like distractions around his team so he’ll likely handle the situation as quickly as possible, one way or the other. Stay tuned.
Jake Allen Talks About Coming to Montreal
Bergevin took care of his goaltending position last week by getting Jake Allen from St. Louis to share the net with Price, a great acquisition that addresses a glaring need on the roster which has existed for some time.
Allen spoke with the media following the trade about having the chance to play for a team on the rise and returning to Montreal after playing parts of his junior career in the city.
“It’s funny how it’s come full circle now – playing for the Montreal Junior in Verdun and then playing in the NHL against the Canadiens and at the Bell Centre. It’s wild how it’s all sort of reinvented itself,” Allen said. “Watching the Canadiens in the playoffs this year from afar, they look like a real force to be reckoned with in the next coming years. It’s really exciting to join a group like that, that’s on its way up with a lot of key veteran pieces as well.”
Sure, the Canadiens are now investing over $14 million in their goalies, but it’s a luxury they can afford given their cap situation and it’s only for one year. In the playoffs, Price showed what he’s capable of when he’s fresh, and he needs a reliable backup who can give him rest, something he hasn’t had in the past few seasons. His heavy workload just wasn’t sustainable. Plus, the move allows Cayden Primeau to continue his development as the starter in Laval.
Will Taylor Hall be Tempted by Montreal?
In a recent segment on TSN 690 Radio in Montreal, Darren Dreger speculated that there could be a fit between the Canadiens, who need scoring on the wing, and free agent Taylor Hall.
“If we talk about destinations, I can certainly build a case for the Montreal Canadiens … I can,” Dreger said. He went on to say that Hall isn’t afraid of playing in bigger markets after his experience in Edmonton with the Oilers.
Even though the pandemic will create an uncertain free agent market this year, Bergevin shouldn’t spend too much energy on bringing Hall to Montreal unless there is genuine mutual interest and that a reasonable deal can be worked out.
Bergevin isn’t known to be overly aggressive in free agency and that’s not about to change. He’ll set his price and won’t budge from it. Even then, with all the free agents of his own that he’ll have to re-sign in the next year, there may not be much interest in Hall after all. Of course, he would be a much-needed addition to the Habs’ lineup and accelerate their reset in a hurry, but not if the cost will hinder their progress in the future.
Cole Caufield Could Turn Pro Sooner Than Expected
Cole Caufield has begun his sophomore year the University of Wisconsin, but it’s unclear if the Big Ten’s hockey season will happen because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
If the season is cancelled, Caufield and the Canadiens will have a few options to ponder. One is to let 19-year-old join the OHL and play for the Soo Greyhounds, foregoing his NCAA eligibility as a result. The other is to sign his entry-level contract with the Habs and turn pro.
“The Canadiens felt in the spring that Caufield needed another season at Wisconsin to be ready for the jump to the pros, so a decision would need to be made there if the college season is cancelled. But Caufield feels the summer he spent in Plymouth has been a massive step in his development,” (from ‘The Canadiens gave Cole Caufield a peek at his future and he likes what he sees’, The AthleticNHL – 09/02/20).
It’s clear Caufiled would prefer to turn pro if it does come to that and who can blame him after watching his future teammates Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki shine in the playoffs.
Lukas Vegdemo is Re-Signed and Loaned to Sweden
The Canadiens announced on Sunday that forward Lukas Vegdemo has been loaned to Södertälje SK in the Allsvenskan (Sweden). He is expected to report for training camp once the 2020-21 season gets underway in Montreal and Laval.
This season, Vegdemo recorded 19 points in 47 games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. He also played seven games with the Canadiens and scored his first NHL goal on March 10 against the Nashville Predators.
Before being loaned to Sweden, Vegdemo, who made big strides in 2019-20 and is getting closer to being NHL ready, signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Habs a few days ago.
Guy Lafleur Feeling Good After Multiple Surgeries
After undergoing two surgeries in the past year, including successful quadruple-bypass heart surgery, the legendary Guy Lafleur attended Jonathan Drouin’s annual golf tournament last week which raised $500,000 for the CHUM hospital in Montreal.
“I feel good. I feel very lucky to be where I am today and to be able to get all the support from the CHUM and the hospital there. They have so many great people taking care of me, so it’s nice to be back on track.” Lafleur said.
Lafleur also mentioned that he was able to speak to Dale Hawerchuk a few months ago before his passing.
“We lost him, but I was in contact almost every second week with him on the phone, talking about our problems and things like that. I was really sad to hear that he passed away, but you know it’s something that you have to enjoy life. It’s very important to be healthy and do everything that you can to get back on track,” Lafleur added.
The Canadiens Will Be Represented on the NHL’s Executive Inclusion Committee
As part of its initiatives to focus on combatting racism and promoting inclusion in hockey, the NHL has created a 15-person Executive Inclusion Council (EIC) which will be co-chaired by Sabres owner Kim Pegula and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Canadiens Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer France Margaret Bélanger will be a member of the EIC which “will be committed to spearheading more inclusive thinking and more inclusive outcomes throughout the hockey ecosystem by candidly assessing its current state; identifying opportunities for positive change, and developing tangible action steps and benchmarks that will advance both the inclusion and diversity of the sport. This Council will focus on the importance of metrics and accountability.”
What’s Next for the Canadiens?
Now that Bergevin has kick-started the offseason with the acquisition of Jake Allen, it will be interesting to see where he goes from here and how he will manage his assets which include cap space, a full prospect cupboard and 12 picks in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.
The post Canadiens News & Rumors: Domi, Allen, Hall & More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Sep 07, 2020 11:05 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Tampa Bay Lightning got both good and bad news as far as injuries go. The Minnesota Wild are shopping one of their top defenseman and the Washington Capitals have interviewed a very interesting candidate for the head coaching position. One scribe asks if a familiar face could return to the Pittsburgh Penguins and in Montreal, Max Domi’s agent has spoken for the first time to represent his new client.
Stamkos Out, Kucherov Expected to Return
The Tampa Bay Lightning got bad news learning that they’d have to go through the Eastern Conference Finals without Steven Stamkos, but the organization also got good news in that they learned Nikita Kucherov should be back in time to start their series against the New York Islanders.
The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the undisclosed injury Kucherov suffered in Game 5 against the Boston Bruins is not long-term and the week recovery he’s had since suffering the injury should be enough to allow him to return. With 16 points in 13 games, Kucherov was critical to the Lightning’s success to this point and his return will be welcomed.
Wild Shopping Matt Dumba
As per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild are apparently attempting to trade defenseman and King Clancy Award Winner Matt Dumba. On a recent episode of the Russo Hockey Show, the scribe said, “I am hearing from a lot of sources that the Minnesota Wild are shopping Matt Dumba.”
The comments were made during a discussion about the upcoming NHL expansion draft and how the Wild might approach protecting their lineup best. Saying the key would be to keep their top-four blue line in tact, and noting that Jared Sprugeon and Ryan Suter have to be protected based on the status of their contracts, the hosts also pointed out that Jonas Brodin and Dumba could be exposed. It was then Russo mentioned rumors of Dumba being on the block and said, “If that’s the case, I hope the one thing Guerin is doing is making sure that you sign Brodin before you trade Dumba.
Brodin only has one season remaining on his deal and Russo noted that if the Wild trade Dumba before extending Brodin, there’s no guarantee that Brodin will choose to come back.
Capitals Interview Mike Babcock
During Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Washington Capitals are currently undergoing a search for a new head coach and have interviewed some interesting candidates. Among them are Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant and Mike Babcock.
Obviously, the most interesting name here is Babcock’s who used to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs but left the NHL under some troubling circumstances. Friedman notes, “…this week it’s believed that they interviewed Toronto’s former head coach Mike Babcock, And he is a legitimate candidate for the position.”
Is Marc-Andre Fleury to the Penguins an Option?
According to Mark Madden of TRIBLIVE.com, there’s a chance, even if small, that goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury could make his way back to the Pittsburgh Penguins if the Vegas Golden Knights choose to buy out the netminder’s contract.
Madden cites the Golden Knights’ likely desire to extend Robin Lehner and Fleury’s $7 million salary for one more season as reasons to potentially move Fleury. But, because he’s 35 years old, and the market is flooded with goalies, he may be tough to trade. If bought out, Fleury might look for familiar surroundings in Pittsburgh.
The deal would have to be right on the Penguins end, otherwise they are likely to run with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith as their tandem next season.
Domi Has Not Asked for a Trade
Rumors about Max Domi headed out of Montreal will persist most of the offseason, likely until he’s traded. But, his new agent has noted publicly that Domi has not asked for a trade from the Montreal Canadiens.
As per Friedman, the hockey insider revealed that he spoke with Domi’s new agent Darren Ferris and said Ferris was a bit hesitant to talk much about Domi’s situation. All he would say was that these rumors are not being initiated by Domi or his wanting to leave.
Friedman said during a recent segment of Headlines.
“He met with Marc Bergevin, he didn’t really want to say too much about the meeting, but the one thing he was willing to say was that Max Domi has not asked for a trade from the Montreal Canadiens,” said Friedman on Saturday.
The post NHL Rumors: Lightning, Wild, Capitals, Penguins, Canadiens, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Greg Boysen on Sep 07, 2020 07:45 am
There was plenty of National Hockey League prospect news over the weekend. One top draft pick scored a goal as his season began and another European player will start the season in his home country. Also, the shuffling in the American Hockey League (AHL) might be just about over.
Kravtsov Scores as KHL Season Begins
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) started its 2020-21 regular season and there are quite a few NHL prospects who were in action. Last week, learned New York Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov would be spending the entire season with KC Traktor. He made an immediate impact in the team’s second game of the season.
Kravtsov scored a goal in Traktor’s 3-1 victory over Kunlun Red Star. His tally early in the third period increased Traktor’s lead to 3-0.
He led all skaters with six shots on goal in the game. Originally the eighth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Kravtsov could return to North America after the conclusion of the KHL season. He scored six goals and 15 points, in 39 games, for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL last season.
Vejdemo to Stay in Sweden
It has been a hectic couple of days for Montreal Canadiens prospect Luks Vejdemo. First, he signed a one-year contract extension on Friday, and then he learned that he is starting the 2020-21 season overseas.
The Canadiens officially announced on Sunday that Vejdemo has been loaned to Södertälje in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s equivalent to the AHL.
The HockeyAllsvenkan season will start on Sept. 11. The plan is for Vejdemo to return when the Canadiens open their training camp some time in early December. He scored one goal in seven games for Montreal last season. He also played in 47 AHL games for the Laval Rocket where he scored nine goals and 19 points.
Report: Panthers Have New AHL Affiliate
This week as been a busy one for the Florida Panthers. First, they hired Bill Zito to be their next general manager and now it appears that the Charlotte Checkers will be their new AHL affiliate starting this season.
Over the weekend, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reported that the Checkers and Panthers will have a new partnership. There has been quite a bit of shuffling around in the AHL over the past few months, which is not unusual but has tapered a bit with so many NHL teams now owning their affiliates.
The chain of events started when the Vegas Golden Knights wanted to purchase their own AHL team. Their affiliate since joining the NHL had been to the Chicago Wolves, which is one of the few independently owned AHL teams left. The Golden Knights purchased the San Antonio Rampage in February and have since relocated them to Henderson, NV.
Less than a month later, the St. Louis Blues, who were affiliated with the Rampage, announced a new partnership with the Springfield Thunderbirds. This left the Panthers without an AHL team, but it looks like they will hook up with the Checkers, even though there has been no announcement from either organization.
The Checkers were the affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, but the rumblings in Chicago for the past few months have said that the Wolves and Hurricanes will work together. General manager Don Waddell has a past relationship with the Wolves as they were the Atlanta Thrashers’ AHL affiliate when he held the same position there.
Prospect of the Day – Shakir Mukhamadullin
We are heading back to Russia for our Prospect of the Day to take a look at an intriguing youngster on the back end. Mukhamadullin is ranked as the 17th best European skater by NHL Central Scouting and sixth among defensemen. Larry Fisher, one of our top draft experts at THW, has him ranked 48th overall and 14th among all draft-eligible blueliners.
Related – THW’s 2020 Draft Guide
Mukhamadulllin has two things that separate him from other defensemen in this draft class; size and experience. He checks in at 6-foot-4 and 179-pounds, which is the frame that NHL scouts love. He played in 27 KHL games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa last season. Add that to the over 60 international games he’s played for Russia since the start of the 2017-18 season and he is one of the most seasoned players on the board.
In addition to the size and experience, he also has the shot and hockey sense to make him a very good pro. While his shot is good, he still needs to work more on his overall offensive game. But he excels when his team doesn’t have the puck. He uses his size to dominate play along the boards and keep bodies out of his crease.
Our own Eugene Helfrick thinks the ceiling is very high for the 18-year-old defender.
Even if Mukhamadullin fails to reach his full potential, his size and toolkit alone should allow him to become a bottom-pairing defenseman. However, if he reaches that potential, he could be a dominant top-pairing defender by the time he hits his mid-twenties.
As always, defensemen are hard to predict, so there’s a chance that his game may not translate, but that risk appears somewhat low. Barring injury trouble, he should reach the NHL in three to four years, if not sooner.
Mukhamadullin’s rankings are all over the place heading into the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Despite that, don’t be surprised to hear his name called somewhere in the first round. His size is something that cannot be coached and he never looked out of place in Russia’s top professional league as a teenager. Those are things that are pretty appealing during draft season.
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The post Prospects News & Rumors: Kravtsov, Vejdemo, AHL & Mukhamadullin appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Greg Boysen on Sep 07, 2020 07:35 am
Another class of National Hockey League greats took their rightful places in the Hockey Hall of Fame on this date. Also, one of the biggest tragedies to devastate the hockey world took place in Russia.
A New Class Gets the Call
The Hockey Hall of Fame opened its doors to an impressive group of six inductees on Sept. 7, 1988. Goaltender Tony Esposito, forwards Guy Lafleur and Buddy O’Connor and defenseman Brad Park were enshrined as players. Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider was inducted as a builder. George Hayes, a long-time linesman who was the first official to ever work 1,000 games, rounded out the class.
After playing 13 games for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1968-69 season, Esposito’s first full season with the Chicago Blackhawks was one for the record books with 38 wins a modern-era record 15 shutouts, which still stands today. In 16 NHL seasons, Esposito appeared in 873 and posted a 418-302-148 record with a .906 save percentage (SV%), 2.93 goals-against advantage (GAA) and 74 shutouts.
Lafleur was inducted after playing 961 games for the Canadiens, scoring 518 goals and 1,246 points. He won five Stanley Cups in Montreal as well two Hart Trophies (league MVP), three Art Ross Trophies (leading scorer) and the 1977 Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP).
Shortly after this ceremony, he became one of just three players, along with Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux, to play in an NHL game after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He came out of retirement and joined the New York Rangers for the 1988-89 season before playing two more seasons with the Quebec Nordiques.
Park played in 1,113 games during his 17-season NHL career with the Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. He scored a career-high 25 goals and 82 points during the 1973-74 season. The seven-time All-Star finished his career with 213 goals, 896 points and a plus-363 rating.
O’Connor split his career with the Canadiens and Rangers, playing in a total of 507 games and scoring 140 goals and 397 points. He won the Lady Bing Trophy, for being voted the league’s most gentlemanly player, in 1948 with the Rangers. He won two Stanley Cups during his time in Montreal, in 1944 and 1946.
Tragedy in Russia
One of the worst tragedies in hockey history occurred on Sept. 7, 2011. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl boarded a plane headed towards Minsk for their opening game of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHK) 2011-12 season. A botched take-off caused the plane to almost immediately crash near Tunoshna Airport.
Of the 45 crew and passengers on the flight, 43 are killed in the crash. Lokomotiv forward Alexander Galimov was pulled from the alive, but he died five days later in a Moscow hospital. Flight engineer Alexander Sizov was the only person to survive the crash.
There were seven former NHL players who were killed in the crash. Head coach Brad McCrimmon and his assistants Alexander Karpovtsev and Igor Korolev as well as players Pavol Demitra, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins and Josef Vasicek.
Odds & Ends
On Sept. 7, 1946, league president Red Dutton announced that, for the first time in the history of the sport, the rules as adopted by the NHL would now be standard in all of organized hockey, both in the professional and amateur ranks.
The Blackhawks purchased the contract of veteran goaltender Frank Brimsek on Sept. 7, 1949. He had earned the nickname of “Mr. Zero” and won two Stanley Cups in his previous eight seasons with the Bruins. He missed two seasons in the midst of his career to serve in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. In his lone season with the Blackhawks, he played 70 games, going 22-38-19 with a 3.49 GAA and five shutouts.
The Rangers named Muzz Patrick as their new head coach, Sept. 7, 1962, replacing Doug Harvey. This was Patrick’s third stint behind the bench in New York. He coached 100 games for them between 1953 and 1955 and two more during the 1959-60 season. Patrick only lasted 34 games of the 1962-63 season as he was let go after a poor 11-19-4 start.
The New York Islanders signed veteran free agent defenseman Bob McGill, on Sept. 7, 1993, after he spent the previous season with the Maple Leafs. He only played in three games for the Islanders before claimed off of waivers by the Hartford Whalers. He appeared in 30 games for the Whalers and retired at the conclusion of the 1992-93 season. McGill spent 13 seasons in the NHL and played in 706 games for six different teams.
Happy Birthday to You
A group of 26 current and former NHL players have been born on this date. Born on Sept. 7, 1908, Brady Northcott was the first to play in the league. He scored 133 goals and 245 points in 448 career games with the Montreal Maroons and Blackhawks during the 1930s. The most recent to make his NHL debut was Nicholas Caamano, who turns 22 today. He had a goal and an assist in 12 games for the Dallas Stars this past season.
Jacques Lemaire is the lone Hall of Famer of this group. He was born on Sept. 7, 1945, in LaSalle Quebec. Lemaire debuted for the Canadiens in the 1967-68 season and won the first of his eight Stanley Cups championships during his playing career. The final goal of his career clinched the 1979 Stanley Cup for the Canadiens. During his 12 seasons in Montreal, he scored 366 goals and 835 points in 853 games.
Lemaire won two more Stanley Cups in the front office of the Canadiens before leading the New Jersey Devils to the 1995 title as head coach. He coached a total of 1,262 games in the NHL with the Canadiens, Devils and Minnesota Wild.
Other notable players born on this date include Orland Kurtenbach (84), Chris Oddleifson (70), Tony Tanti (57), Gino Odjick (50), Matt Cooke (42), Paul Mara (41), Eric Fehr (35) and Andrew MacDonald (34).
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The post Today in Hockey History: Sept. 7 appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
By Jim Parsons on Sep 06, 2020 11:58 am
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, the Edmonton Oilers may be having an internal debate regarding Jesse Puljujarvi, while in Vancouver, could the Canucks actually choose Thatcher Demko over Jacob Markstrom? Might the Montreal Canadiens be looking at Taylor Hall and have the Maple Leafs spoken to Frederik Andersen about a trade?
Oilers to Make Puljujarvi “Grind”?
According to Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer, if the Oilers bring back Jesse Puljuajrvi, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be getting top-line minutes alongside Connor McDavid. Instead, Stauffer suggests the disgruntled forward will have to work his way up the lineup.
Typically, when Stauffer says something like this, he’s got it on good authority and he’s more a voice box to the fans than he is an analyst. As such, a debate was stirred up when he said:
“He isn’t going to get better playing another full season in Finland. He needs to return to N.A. in 20-21 and be prepared to GRIND, and work his way up the line-up.”
Apparently many of you think if Puljujarvi returns he should be “handed” top line minutes with 97 right from the get-go… FYI…He has 17G in 139 NHL GP. Successful players have relentless work ethic and grind. IMO…JP can start on 3rd line and hopefully work his way up!
If this is what the Oilers are telling Puljujarvi, one has to wonder if he’s more hesitant to return knowing that he’s less likely to produce big numbers in a bottom-six role and is really playing well in Finland right now.
Could Canucks Choose Demko Over Markstrom?
With the play of goaltender Thatcher Demko in Vancouver and the cost of retaining the services of Jacob Markstrom in free agency this offseason, there are some insiders looking at that situation and wondering if the Canucks could actually elect to go with Demko, and move Markstrom?
Among those insiders, Nick Kypreos was on Real Kyper at Noon and said:
There’s just no way it makes any sense for the Canucks to get a contract in on Markstrom here at $6, $6.5, $7 million for what we probably think would be three or four years when you can go to Demko’s salary and save all that money so you can go give it to Quinn Hughes, so you can go give it to Pettersson. There’s just no way that you’re going to be able to sign Markstrom based on what you’ve seen out of Demko. He looks like he could handle 45-50 games next season.”
His argument seems to be the long-term play of investing in Demko over Markstrom makes the most sense. He suggested taking the money and using it elsewhere.
Could Canadiens Be Eyeing Taylor Hall?
TSN’s Darren Dreger seems to think there’s a fit between the Montreal Canadiens and pending free agent Taylor Hall. On Friday morning, Dreger noted, “If we talk about destinations, I can certainly build a case for the Montreal Canadiens … I can,”
When he said this, he was on Montreal’s TSN 690 Radio and noted the Canadiens needed scoring and discussed Hall’s affinity for playing in bigger markets. He said, “He enjoyed his time in Edmonton. He’s not afraid of the media and all of those things.”
Dreger also noted that Hall and the Coyotes continue to talk and the team made a pitch and is waiting on a counter offer from Hall’s side. It doesn’t sound like that deal is really all that close to getting done.
Has Dubas Spoken With Andersen About a Trade?
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday that he believes Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has had a conversation with goaltender Frederik Andersen about the possibility of his being traded. Friedman noted that Dubas likely told the netminder he’s not shopping him but that teams have inquired as to his availability.
This comes after news from Chris Johnston that Andersen is actually expecting he’ll be traded.
Luke Fox suggests that the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres “to name a few” are among the team who are interested.
The post NHL Rumors: Canucks, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Canadiens, More appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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