BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jake Virtanen (VAN), Brett Connolly (FLA), Tony DeAngelo (NYR), and more!
TSN’s Frank Seravalli says that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might not be in the Oilers’ plans going forward. Read all about it right here.
Craig Button absolutely tore the Oilers a new a$$hole on TSN 1260 recently. Click this link and read what he said!
TSN1260’s Jason Gregor is pissed! Check out this rant on the Oilers here!
BLH has some ideas for the Oilers lineup card. Check those out here!
NEW: Keith Jones and Patrick Sharp think the Calgary Flames have a better chance at the playoffs this year than the Oilers. Read about that here.
NHL Rumors and Speculation
- Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): The Rangers have made it clear they’ll eat salary to facilitate a Tony DeAngelo Trade.
- Pittsburgh has poked around Travis Dermott (TOR).
- It’s possible the Penguins make multiple hires to bolster the front office. Seattle Kraken’s Alexandra Mandrycky’s name has been mentioned.
- Brett Connolly (FLA) started the season well but has been a healthy scratch recently. He might be available and there’s a possibility that a Cup contender could have interest.
- 21yr old Skelleftea netminder Arvid Soderblom has a few NHL teams interested, Chicago could be one of them.
BLH’s Thoughts: I wonder if there’d be interest from the Oilers in Brett Connolly. I do believe they wanted to sign him before he landed in Florida as a UFA. Would you try to make a deal that was built around Zack Kassian for him?
- Darren Dreger (TSN): There’s a lot of interest in DeAngelo all of a sudden and could be moved within the next 24-72 hours.
- The Calgary Flames are in no hurry to trade allegedly disgruntled forward Sam Bennett. GM Brad Treliving is willing to wait things out in order to find the right deal.
- Bob Stauffer (630CHED): Could see DeAngelo traded to a team in a “quieter market” in the next 48 hours.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’m a little bit surprised that there’s actual interest in this player, but when you think about it, the team that acquires him doesn’t have to play him. They can ask him to stay home or report to the minors and then buy him out at a third of his contracts value, right? I think the key here is that the team trading for him will be looking to offload a bad contract like Vancouver and Loui Eriksson, for example.
- Frank Seravalli (TSN): February 1st was the first day of the Seattle Kraken expansion draft ‘no-move’ request window. Teams can now start to request players to waive their NMCs so they won’t have to be protected in June.
- Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer): Former Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen said he’s done playing but the club hasn’t terminated his contract leaving speculation that the door is still open for a potential return.
- Matt Sekeres (TSN 1040): Sees Adam Gaudette as trade bait and that Jake Virtanen will be tough to trade. Believes that Virtanen is a healthy scratch away from formally requesting a trade.
If you haven’t read this Twitter thread, do it. Very funny stuff.
https://twitter.com/MrBooth_7/status/1356834514090090499
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