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(3/21/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “One name I’m intrigued by, provided the Kings wanted to move him, is…”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Tyson Barrie (EDM), John Gibson (ANA), P.K. Subban (NJ), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Greg Wyshynski (ESPN): Says that there are six teams who MUST nail the upccoming NHL trade deadline,

  • Anaheim Ducks: They should honestly tear this thing down to the concrete and prospects. For me, that would include exploring a Hampus Lindholm trade in the offseason and moving goalie John Gibson either now or in the offseason.
  • Boston Bruins: Jake DeBrusk’s name has been mentioned for a while as trade bait for bigger fish, and he’s a desirable target at just a $3.675 million annual cap hit that runs through next season. He also strikes you as someone with the Tyler Seguin-esque ability to level up his game in a new locale and make whatever deal the Bruins include him in become “The DeBrusk Trade” within two seasons.
  • Carolina Hurricanes: Adding a center would seem paramount. The question is whether that center should be the Buffalo Sabres‘ Eric Staal — a reunion of franchise player and franchise that is seemingly being willed into existence by fans and media lately.
  • Nashville Predators: Obviously, Ekholm is a deadline bounty waiting to happen. The 2019 Jake Muzzin trade between the Kings and Maple Leafs has been held up as a comparable windfall, and that delivered Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi and Toronto’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft to Los Angeles.
  • Philadelphia Flyers: Another reason for the defensive letdown is that the Flyers still haven’t replaced Matt Niskanen on their blue line… They could also bring in Manson from the Ducks, but his offense hasn’t been anywhere near consistent in the past three seasons.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: One name I’m intrigued by, provided the Kings wanted to move him, is Alex Iafallo. A 27-year-old pending unrestricted free agent, he costs $2.425 million against the cap and is as comfortable killing penalties as he is playing in the top six. Plus, Dubas and Kings GM Rob Blake have done some nice business in the Muzzin and Campbell trades before.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks have decided to hold off on becoming sellers now that they’ve climbed back into the Scotia North Division playoff race. They want to see how things play out and as a result has slowed things down in the trade market. The Columbus Blue Jackets are another club holding off after battling back into the postseason.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks points out P.K. Subban is having a pretty good season with the New Jersey Devils. Subban has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $9 million. Brooks suggests he’d be a good option for clubs seeking a right-side defenseman if the Devils agreed to pick up half of his cap hit.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports teams have shown an interest in Arizona Coyotes winger Conor Garland. He doesn’t believe it’s a move the Coyotes want to do but perhaps they’d consider it for the right price if it allows them to restock.

NBC Sports: San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson is now on record with the exact direction he’s going to take his hockey club and it’s not going to make star defenceman Erik Karlsson any happier.

  • “For very simple reasons. We were gonna reset,” Wilson said when asked why the Sharks weren’t buyers over the offseason. “That meant giving our younger player the opportunities. That’s the mode that we’re in right now. You want the Patty Marleaus, the Stef Noesens, the Marcus Sorensens, but you want opportunities for our young players to play. That is the mode that we’re in. We wanted to make sure that we replenished our system in the draft and that’s why we used all nine of those picks. We didn’t use those picks to go get players from the outside.”

Ken Campbell (The Hockey News): Had this to say with regards to Edmonton Oilers pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie,

  • “It’s pretty clear that if and when Barrie sits down with the Oilers, he’s going to have to adjust his expectations. If he wants to remain in what has turned out to be a great situation and be part of a team on the rise, he’ll likely have to sacrifice both money and term and take a hometown discount for an organization to which he has only one year of service. If not, he’ll sign for better terms somewhere else and be playing for his fourth team in four years.”

Adam Gretz (NBC Sports): Believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins are the most likely landing spots for Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm. 

  • “There is a lot to like about the Jets due to their forwards and goaltending, but the defense is still in need of some extra help. This team is screaming for a player like Ekholm. The North Division is wide open for the taking, and for as big of a lead as Toronto jumped out to it is not invincible out of that group. Somebody from that division is going to reach the semifinals. The Jets have the forwards and goaltending. They need the defense.Toronto is a logical choice given the seemingly “all in” mindset for this season, but given their current struggles they might need to address the goaltending issue before the defense. That is the concern right now.Boston has the salary cap space to make a play for a top defenseman at the trade deadline but given how much their secondary scoring has hurt this season.”

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Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(3/20/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: Erik Gudbranson Being Linked to the Oilers?

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Erik Gudbranson (OTT), Barrett Hayton (ARI), Jonathan Quick (LA), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Chris Johnston (Sportsnet) says that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be a front-rummer for Nashville Predators d-man Mattias Ekholm.
  • Kevin Weekes (NHL.com) reports that interest is heating up in veteran goaltenders Jonathan Quick (LA), Jonathan Berner (DET), and Devan Dubnyk (SJ).
  • The Fourth Period believes the Colorado Avalanche have been linked to Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno.
    • They’re also saying that the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, and Pittsburgh Penguins are being linked to Detroit Red Wings forward Bobby Ryan.
    • TFP reckons the Philadelphia Flyers, Winnipeg Jets, and Montreal Canadiens have been linked to Columbus Blue Jackets defender David Savard.
    • The Buffalo Sabres are apparently interested in Jake Virtanen (VAN) and the Maple Leafs are looking at Luke Glendening (DET) according to the rumor site.
    • Erik Gudbranson (OTT) is garnering some interest from the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.
    • The New York Islanders could be looking at Anaheim Ducks winger Rickard Rackell.
  • Shawn Simpson (Sportsnet) says there isn’t much of a trade market for Ottawa Senators forward Ryan Dzingel and suggests that “maybe” the Sens could get a 4th or a 5th round pick for him.
  • Bruce Garrioch (Post Media) has been by Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion that it should be a “very quiet” trade deadline this season.
  • Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic) thinks that the idea of Taylor Hall signing an extension in Buffalo is “out the window”.
    • The Islanders and Maple Leafs are two teams to watch in the Nick Foligno sweepstakes.
  • Mike Johnston (Sportsnet) believes the Leafs, Avalanche, Panthers, Bruins, and Islanders could be potential destinations for Taylor Hall.
  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) says some Maple Leafs targets are unavailable until teams figure out if they can sign them to an extension (Kyle Palmieri (NJ), Alex Iafallo (LA))
    • He’s not convinced the Flyers will be “big players” for Predators d-man Mattias Ekholm.
  • The Athletic have added Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljgren and Arizona Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton to their trade bait board.
  • Joe Smith (The Athletic): Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien Brisbois says it’s “realistically unlikely” the Lightning will add a player by this season’s trade deadline. “We literally have zero cap space.”
  • JD Burke (Elite Prospects) is reporting that as many as six teams were prepared to offer Matt Kiersted (UND) and ELC last season. He says nothing is imminent but at least 20 teams are offering a contract this season.
    • The Edmonton Oilers are looking at UND netminder Adam Scheel.
  • Frank Seravalli (TSN) is reporting that the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks are not willing to retain salary in any trades involving defender Mattias Ekholm and forward Rickard Rakell respectively.
  • Bob McKenzie (NBC) is of the belief that Jason Karmanos is the leading contender for the AGM job in Buffalo. “Somebody is going to be hired as AGM before they get to hiring a new head coach.”
    • He also said that the New York Rangers will continue to build towards the future and if there’s a hockey deal out there, GM Jeff Gorton can make one. McKenzie also added that prospect Nils Lundqvist is probably due to join the NYR in the fall.
  • Eric Engels (Sportsnet) has sources telling him that the decision for defensive prospect Jordan Harris to sign with the Montreal Canadiens is in the player’s hands and an announcement could come as soon as this weekend.
  • Darren Dreger (TSN) says early next week it’s expected that Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland will engage in preliminary discussions with UFAs Adam Larsson and Tyson Barrie, as well as, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

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Flames Suck. Click the pic and get a shirt.
This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(3/18/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: Tyson Barrie to Be Extended By Oilers for Three Years?

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Alexander Ovechkin (WAS), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM), Devan Dubnyk (SJ), Clayton Keller (ARI), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet) says that the New Jersey Devils and forward Kyle Palmieri have begun conversations regarding his future. The Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs could be in on him.
    • The Detroit Red Wings have received some interest around the league in goaltender Jonathan Bernier.
    • The Philadelphia Flyers poked around Arizona Coyotes defender Oliver Ekman-Larsson last summer.
    • The Anaheim Ducks have been asked about forward Max Jones but have told teams that they aren’t moving him.
    • Friedman says he thinks it wouldn’t hurt for the Buffalo Sabres to sign forward Brian Boyle.
    • The Chicago Blackhawks are willing to consider taking on money if the assets are good enough.
  • Mark Spector (Sportsnet) and Bob Stauffer (630CHED) recently discussed the possibility of the Edmonton Oilers extending defenseman Tyson Barrie for three years in the neighborhood of $5M-$5.5M per year.
  • The Fourth Period as the Detroit Red Wings are getting calls on winger Anthony Mantha. The Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers maybe be more willing to pay the price.
    • The Columbus Blue Jackets are listening on goalie Elvis Merzlikins. The Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks had interest in him this past off-season.
    • The Toronto Maple Leafs say they’d be willing to move a top prospect before this year’s trade deadline.
  • Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic) believes San Jose Sharks netminder Devan Dubnyk will be available for trade and the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals are teams that come to mind.
  • Eric Engels (Sportsnet) is saying that the Montreal Canadiens are a team that have shown interest in Detroit Red Wings center Luke Glendening.
  • Josh Yohe (The Athletic) is claiming that the Pittsburgh Penguins bought out defenseman Jack Johnson in order to clear cap space so they could bring goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury back.
  • Tarik El-Bashir (The Athletic) believes that Alexander Ovechkin will sign an extension in a few months and is speculating that it’ll be a four-year deal worth $11M AAV.
  • Jimmy Murphy (Florida Hockey Now) reckons that Clayton Keller’s name is out there “more than you’d expect”. The Arizona Coyotes could hold a fire sale at the deadline.
  • Ryan Rishaug (TSN) says the Edmonton Oilers will resume contract talks with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Speculation is that it could be a long-term deal worth $6M-$6.5M AAV.
  • Chris Johnston (Sportsnet) is of the belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs are assessing everything the focus is on improving the forwards.

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Flames Suck. Click the pic and get a shirt.
This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(3/16/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: Hall to the Oilers? Gaudreau to the Maple Leafs?

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Rasmus Ristolainen (BUF), Josh Manson (ANA), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY), John Klingberg (DAL), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Eric Duhatschek (The Athletic) recently listed off ten teams that MUST make a trade by the April 12th trade deadline this year. Here are some of the more interesting snippets of what he said in that article,

  • Buffalo Sabres – “Maybe the most intriguing player on the Sabres outside of Eichel is defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, 26, with this year and next left on a contract that pays him $5.4 million.”
  • Nashville Predators – “The Predators also have a long list of reasonable rentals (Granlund, Haula, Richardson) or players with reasonable term (Cousins, Borowiecki, Kunin, Calle Jarnkrok) that they could move. Duchene and Johansen likely are owed too much money ($8 million apiece) and have too much term remaining on their contracts to elicit anything more than lukewarm interest, unless two teams can get reasonably creative.”
  • Anaheim Ducks – “The most attractive bit of trade bait is Josh Manson, 29, a right-shot defenseman earning $4.1 million for this year and next, but someone who has had a difficult time staying healthy. But when he is, Manson is a tough, edgy player to play against.”
  • Boston Bruins – “There are some defensive upgrades that they could conceivably manage… Options that would fit the bill on a shorter-term basis include Ryan Murray from the Devils, David Savard from Columbus, Jamie Oleksiak from Dallas and Montour, from the Sabres.”
  • Colorado Avalanche – “If the Stars were to fall out of contention, wouldn’t it be something if the short-term solution in Colorado turns out to be Anton Khudobin? Other more realistic options: Jonathan Bernier from Detroit or Antti Raanta from Arizona, who put on a goaltending clinic vs. the Avs last Wednesday night.”
  • Toronto Maple Leafs – “The Predators’ Granlund has been linked to the Leafs in some speculative circles, but repatriating Josh Leivo would be an inexpensive insurance policy and someone such as Boone Jenner, 27, at $3.75 million for this year and next might be a nice fit as well.”
  • Minnesota Wild – “If (Bill) Guerin wants to be bold, he could dangle Matt Dumba on the market, given that if he doesn’t move Dumba either at the deadline or just before the expansion draft, he’s got a protection issue.”
  • Calgary Flames – “If they do fall further out of contention, it’s possible they’ll be sellers but other than Bennett or a depth piece such as Leivo, it’s hard to see a lot of major moves in Calgary until the offseason.”
  • Detroit Red Wings – “(Jonathan) Bernier, as an insurance policy on a contending team, probably has the greatest value here, unless they legitimately start listening on Mantha.”
  • Ottawa Senators – “The Senators can expect to get calls on their UFAs and maybe even a few signed players, such as Chris Tierney, Connor Brown or Austin Watson. Is it just me or does Watson seem like a Darryl Sutter type of player?”
  • New Jersey Devils – ” if the Devils can judiciously sell at this year’s deadline, they’ll be in a position to spend, spend, spend going forward – at a time when everyone else will be trying to shed, shed, shed salary. They will be worth monitoring, a team that could be genuinely impactful at the deadline.”

Scott Burnside (The Athletic) has written about six NHL trade deadline deals he’d like to see this year. Here are some clips of what he posted,

  • Buffalo Sabres trade Taylor Hall to Edmonton Oilers – “The Sabres would have to eat half of Hall’s $8 million salary and the return would be negligible, maybe a mid-range pick and a mid-range prospect… But maybe the Oilers sweeten the pot if the Sabres took Neal off their hands…
  • Calgary Flames trade Johnny Gaudreau to Toronto Maple Leafs – “The Flames will likely have to eat some of Gaudreau’s $6.75 million salary as well as likely take back some salary possibly in the form of Alex Kerfoot… a first-round pick in either this year’s draft or next and another solid pick plus a prospect like Timothy Liljegren.”
  • Arizona Coyotes trade Darcy Kuemper to Colorado Avalanche – “Perhaps adding Francouz, whom goaltending experts believe has NHL starter capability, plus perhaps a second-round pick for Kuemper is the smart play for the Coyotes.”
  • Los Angeles Kings trade Dustin Brown to Pittsburgh Penguins – “The Kings might eat some of that depending on what kind of piece gets sent back. Given the overloaded state of the Pittsburgh blue line maybe there’s a young defensive bauble that satisfies the Kings end of things.”
  • Dallas Stars trade John Klingberg to Philadelphia Flyers – “What would it cost? Plenty. A package that includes a first and maybe a second-round pick plus one of the Flyer’s top young offensive prospects.”
  • Los Angeles Kings trade Jonathan Quick to Carolina Hurricanes – “As for a return, at this stage of his career and given Quick’s contract a late-round pick or lower-tier prospect is likely all it would cost Carolina. Pretty small exposure for a possible big-time return on investment.”

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Flames Suck. Click the pic and get a shirt.
This is how Pavel used to tell you who was #1 back in the day! Click the pic and grab a shirt or a mask!
Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL, Rumors

(3/11/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors PM Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Rickard Rakell (ANA), Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Clayton Keller (ARI), and more!

Is Leon Draisaitl’s excellent two-way presence just a mirage? One Edmonton pundit says they may very well be, BLH says not so fast. Read about it here.

A new name in the rumor mill for Oilers fans! Check out who it is here.

Could Tyson Barrie be trade bait for the Oilers? Read about that here.

This is not the kind of news Edmonton Oilers fans will like.

Click the pic and find the NHL94 player from your team!

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Rory Boylen (Sportsnet) has a number of players listed for the upcoming NHL trade deadline categorized in group entitled, “Headturners”. Presumably it means that the only way these guys are getting dealt is if the trade is a blockbuster. There are definitely some notable names in the group.

  • Mattias Ekholm, Nashville Predators: The best defenceman believed to be available, Ekholm makes just $3.75 million against the cap this season and next, making him affordable to any team.
  • Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes: As the Coyotes look to cut costs and rebuild their prospect and pick base, the 22-year-old Keller would be the player who could give them the best return on a single trade. He has been on a tear lately, though, and might prove too valuable to move in the end.
  • Sam Reinhart, Buffalo Sabres: On one hand, he could bring the Sabres a nice return to move on with, but on the other trading away players who are actually performing is a risky proposition for a team stuck in the mud.
  • Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres: Shot attempts are actually in Buffalo’s favour when he’s on the ice at 5-on-5 and he has a solid eight points in 17 games. He’s a $5.4 million blueliner and signed through another season. The Sabres may be motivated to move him before that deal expires and he’s free to explore signing elsewhere.
  • Travis Dermott, Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs need defensive depth, so giving up Dermott would present its own risk that could be offset by a specific, possibly high end, target.
  • Vince Dunn, St. Louis Blues: He’s a young (24) puck-mover with an affordable contract and controllable beyond this season. Most teams would be happy to have him within their top four.
  • Anthony Mantha, Detroit Red Wings: The Wings are one of those teams considering all of its options and while we’d assume it’d be extremely hard, if not impossible, to pry Dylan Larkin out of there, Mantha could be a different story.
  • Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers: An up and down NHL career has brought us to this point where at 27, Gostisbehere is a bit of a project with tantalizing upside for a team looking to bolster its blue line.

The Cult of Hockey’s Bruce McCurdy recently suggested that the Edmonton Oilers explore bringing Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk home to Alberta in return for tough guy Zack Kassian and had this to say on the topic,

  • “The Edmonton native has slumped badly in Boston, where he has just 1 goal in 17 games this season after scoring just once in his final 14 games of 2019-20. He has a year and a half remaining on the two-year deal he signed last fall at an AAV of $3.675 million. That puts him in the range of Kassian’s $3.2 million cap hit, albeit for two fewer years. From the perspective of contract for contract in the salary cap era, “the money works”.

NHL Trade Talk’s Jim Parsons commented on the DeBrusk/Kassian proposal over at his own site thusly,

  • “Would Edmonton be willing to part with a budding blue line prospect like Caleb Jones or a later-round draft pick along with Kassian to make it work? DeBrusk is a player that could go on a tear if he’s paired with the right center. That said, this theoretical move isn’t without its risks.”

According to Shug McSween over at nhltraderumors.me, the Calgary Flames recently tried to lowball the Anaheim Ducks in a trade that allegedly had Sam Bennett being offered for Rickard Rackell. McSween says that Anaheim was also looking for a 2nd round pick in the package.

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Flames Suck. Click the pic and get a shirt.
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