Today’s NHL news, rumors, and speculation feature the likes of Jesse Puljujarvi, Patrik Laine, Alex Pietrangelo, Matt Dumba, Sean Monahan, and many more!
Check out this post from a guy who is claiming that he knows what’s going on with Puljujarvi as well as the details on an OEL to Edmonton trade.
Cam Fowler eh… 🤔 #Oilers
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) September 18, 2020
The News and Rumors
Sources say contract talks between the St Louis Blues and Blues captain, Alex Pietrangelo have broken off. The team has advised Pietrangelo to pursue unrestricted free agency.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 18, 2020
- Rob Rossi (The Athletic): Continues to hear the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top priority is to add a right-hand defenseman in free agency and are willing to go long-term. Similar to the 6yr deal they signed Brandon Tanev to last year.
BLH’s Thoughts: Cody Ceci, COME ON DOWN!!! Dylan DeMelo, you come too!Â
- Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet): There’s something going on there. He wants to play with Mark Scheifele but the team doesn’t agree. He’ll be tough to re-sign and a trade is possible.
BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve been hearing that Laine hasn’t been happy all season. There’s definitely a rift in the relationship with the coach. The Jets let him do his thing early in his career and this past year they felt Laine needed to pull some more weight defensively which didn’t jive with the Finn… This is going to get interesting. I hope they get a better return for him than they did for Selanne…Â
- Friedman cont: The Blue Jackets have interest in Jesse Puljujarvi. They want to add skill.
BLH’s Thoughts: OH THE IRONY! Scroll down to see my thoughts on this.Â
- More Friedman: “There’s been some rumblings of Pietrangelo and Vegas. Someone told me they wondered that they (VGK) might take a run at Torey Krug, if not Pietrangelo.”
- Even more Friedman: The Florida Panthers will get lots of calls on Barkov, Huberdeau, and Ekblad.
- Once again… Elliotte Friedman: The Colorado Avalanche have some interest in defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
BLH’s Thoughts: Can Vegas afford to take on Pietrangelo? I suppose if they could find someone to take Paul Stastny and Marc-Andre Fleury off of their hands they could but they still need to re-sign Stephenson, Lehner, and Cousins, no?Â
The Panthers will get lots of calls on those players but good look trying to acquire them. Bill Zito has been around the league for a long time and his player valuation is good. Not to mention he’ll have Rick Dudley helping him out… Nobody will be getting a premier player out of Florida without paying dearly for it.
I don’t even want to talk about who the Avs could sign or trade for this off-season. It’s basically NHL 95 in real life.Â
- Pierre MacGuire (TSN): Luke Kunin, Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson-Ek, and Ryan Donato could potentially be moved by the Wild.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Oilers could most use Eriksson-Ek and Kunin out of that group. They can play center or wing whereas Greenway still feels a bit raw to me. He might take another season or two to find his way. Donato… Lots of question marks there yet.Â
- TSN 1200: The Ottawa Senators are expected to take a look at Wild forward Alex Galchenyuk for a short-term contract.
BLH’s Thoughts: As I’ve stated before, I have a sliver of interest in Edmonton signing this player on the cheap as a bottom-six depth option. Maybe a PTO candidate?Â
- Darren Dreger (TSN): The Winnipeg Jets are in the market for two defenders and a 2nd-line center.
- Dreger cont: Minnesota GM Bill Guerin has let everyone know that the Wild are open for business.
BLH’s Thoughts: The Jets could get that in one go if they moved Patrik Laine. Send him to Montreal for Domi, Mete, and Fleury. Boom. Done.Â
- Frank Seravalli (TSN): Teams have inquired to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Brandon Dubinsky. His career is likely over, but his salary could be useful to other teams for LTIR purposes or to reach the cap floor.
BLH’s Thoughts: Is this a trade Edmonton could look into possibly? Meaning, could they acquire Dubinsky’s rights only to flip him to Arizona or Ottawa in exchange for a draft pick or to move a salary of their own?
- Sam Carchidi (Philadelphia Inquirer): The Flyers will likely try to trade both of Shane Gostisbehere and James Van Riemsdyk this offseason. Gostisbehere will draw more interest.
BLH’s Thoughts: It wouldn’t shock me if both these players ended up in California playing for one of the teams in that state. No inside information, just a hunch.Â
- Michael Russo (The Athletic): Other teams that could be interested in Matt Dumba include Winnipeg, Toronto, Anaheim, Vancouver, Tampa Bay, and to a lesser extent, Chicago, Columbus,
- Russo cont: Noted that the Calgary Flames and the Minnesota wild could be good trade partners as the Flames are looking for defensemen and the Wild are in the market for a top-6 center. Sean Monahan’s name was brought up as a possible trade candidate with Dumba going the other way.
- More Russo: The Wild are expected to move on from Captain and impending UFA Mikko Koivu.
BLH’s Thoughts: I wouldn’t mind if Mikko Koivu signed in Edmonton. Not one bit. I think the club could use more experienced professionals like him on the team. He’s not the player he used to be but, in my opinion, he could be a serviceable bottom-six center and that’s a position the Oilers are looking to fill.Â
I can’t see Edmonton paying the toll for Matt Dumba but the closer we get to the expansion draft, the more pressure Minny will have on themselves to make a decision on some key young players.Â
- Jeremy Rutherford (The Athletic): St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong tells the media that the timetable for Vladimir Tarasenko (shoulder) re-evaluation remains five months.
BLH’s Thoughts: Could it be time that the Blues start some re-evaluation on their own club? The way that management is treating its captain can’t be making a good impression on it’s playing personnel. Maybe it’s just me but could they not get a pretty good return for Tarasenko?
The Oilers Speculation
Does a Jesse Puljujarvi for Kirill Marchenko deal make sense? #Oilers
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) September 19, 2020
That bombshell from Friedman about Columbus sniffing around Puljujarvi had me first wondering if Edmonton could maybe use Yessa to acquire one of the extra goalies that the Blue Jackets have laying around. The source I talked to said no, that’s not the case.
Then, I remembered the name of the Russian prospect above and how I’d heard he was getting some traction this year. I didn’t know why until I checked out some of his highlight packs… Pretty dynamic hockey player he seems to be. He’s a former 2nd round pick as well and from what I’ve read, he’s projected to be a top-6 winger in the NHL.
The key, if there is one to this trade scenario, is that Marchenko is contracted to SKA until 2022. So he won’t be in North America until then. Sounds like a similar situation to Kaprizov in Minnesota.
Maybe CBJ wants some young help now and they’d be willing to swap the two prospects?
Perhaps Ken Holland would like to usher in a bit of a Russian revolution 2.0 in Edmonton as goalie Yaroslav Askarov is a player some are saying the Oilers should select in this year’s draft.
Could Puljujarvi play for a guy like John Tortorella? Is Marchenko another Anton Slepyshev?
Questions remain…
