Tag Archives: Buffalo Sabres

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

(3/7/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “Observers believe he would best serve the Bruins as a trade asset.”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jake DeBrusk (BOS), Sam Reinhart (BUF), Carey Price (MTL), 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.

Carey Price to the Oilers? Some think it could be a possibility.

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NHL Rumors and Speculation

Allan Mitchell aka Lowetide says Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland doesn’t have a lot of draft picks at this year’s trade deadline but he does have prospects he could use and lists off five of Edmonton’s youngsters who’ve yet to establish themselves in Edmonton.

  • (LD) Dmitri Samorukov, who had a strong KHL season that would have been noticed by the entire hockey world, including NHL general managers.
  • (LD) William Lagesson, who has been quality in a brief NHL audition and has a solid resume as a shutdown defender.
  • (G) Ilya Konovalov, whose KHL numbers are splendid. Would an NHL team take a chance on an undersized goalie?
  • (RD) Michael Kesselring, who is an emerging talent who may look to turn pro.
  • (C) Aapeli Rasanen, who will be a free agent if the Oilers don’t sign him by Aug. 15 this year.

Bob McKenzie (NBCSN) reckons the Boston Bruins will be in a good place to add a significant hockey player at this year’s trade deadline. The Bruins are around $3.5M under the cap right now and by the deadline that means they could acquire up to $8M in salaries be that attached to one player or multiple.

Dan Kingerski (Pittsburgh Hockey NOW):  Ron Hextall admits Pittsburgh needs toughness and consistency but more toughness. Who could they acquire? It is clear that they need an energy fourth line. Do they have pieces to sacrifice? Sam Bennett could be one target but this will be far from easy.

Mike Traikos (Toronto Sun) says that the Toronto Maple Leafs should consider adding some more sandpaper to the lineup.

  • “They don’t need to acquire more skill or scoring, they need more blue-collar players like Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm or Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett. With the quarantine in mind, teams may start to make moves this week.”

The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa recently contemplated whether or not the Boston Bruins should ride things out with winger Jake Debrusk or consider him a trade asset going forward.

  • “For now, according to one assistant general manager, the Boston Bruins have not made Jake DeBrusk available for a trade. If that happened, multiple franchises would jump into the mix because of the 2015 first-rounder’s playing style and postseason pedigree. The 24-year-old’s struggles this season, however, have proceeded to the point where observers believe he would best serve the Bruins as a trade asset.”
  • “The issue with trading DeBrusk is that it would further degrade one of the organizational soft spots: secondary scoring behind Brad Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak. The Bruins would have to pursue a hockey trade for a like-minded forward or left-shot defenseman — young, high ceiling, underperforming for whatever reason.”

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada this weekend that the Sabres are “wide open for business) and names like Eric Staal, Brandon Montour, and Sam Reinhart have been topics of conversation between Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and other GMs across the league.

Eric Engels (Sportsnet) is of the belief that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price could be traded but it would be unbelievably difficult due to the financial complications of such a deal.

  • “He must be protected for the Seattle Expansion Draft because he has a no-movement clause in his contract. And a trade is not only hard to pull off due to the cap implications, it’s almost impossible in the current financial climate to get another team to agree to pay out the terms of Price’s contract in its actual structure. Even if Price comes to management and says he wants out, and even if they’re willing to deal him at a loss just to earn the cap space, the financial complexities are onerous for both the Canadiens and whomever their trade partner would be.”

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

(3/6/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors Quick Hits Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jack Eichel (BUF), John Gibson (ANA), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (ARI), Tom Wilson (WAS), and more!

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. 

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.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • Jon Vogl (The Athletic) – Buffalo Sabres forward Taylor Hall says that he maintains interest in remaining with the Sabres and signing an extension with the club. We could see a short to mid-term deal (3-4 years) and below the $8M range.
  • Chad DeDominicis (Expected Buffalo) – The Buffalo Sabres have inquired about the availability of Anaheim Ducks franchise goalie John Gibson. They inquired about Gibson in the off-season and one month into the season but the Ducks said they weren’t interested in moving him at that time. If available in the off-season, expect the Sabres to be in on him.
  • Jim Matheson (Post Media) – Believes that gritty Toronto Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman is exactly what the Edmonton Oilers are missing. He wonders if the Leafs can afford to keep him. Winnipeg Jets centerman Adam Lowry would be another Oilers target.
  • Nick Goss (NBC Sports) – The Boston Bruins should be the first team to contact the Buffalo Sabres if Jack Eichel is made available due to their aging centermen core. However, the Bruins should say no if the ask is for David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy.
  • Jimmy Murphy (Boston Hockey Now) – The Boston Bruins need an experienced left-shot d-man. Murphy believes that the Bruins should revisit the off-season trade discussions with the Arizona Coyotes about sending defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Boston.
  • Dan Kingerski (Pittsburgh Hockey Now) – Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall and Director of Hockey Ops Brian Burke both seem to want to add toughness to the team after the Tom Wilson incident. Anaheim’s Nick Deslaurier, Ottawa’s Austin Watson, and Detroit’s Luke Glendening could all be potential targets.
  • The Fourth Period – The New Jersey Devils are yet to have contract talks with any of their upcoming ten UFAs. The Devils UFA list includes Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac, Nikita Gusev, Sami Vatanen, and Ryan Murray.
  • Adam Gretz (NBC Sports) – If the Sabres traded Jack Eichel to the Los Angeles Kings or the New York Rangers, he believes the offers would look like this:

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

(3/6/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors AM Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Matthias Ekholm (NSH), Taylor Hall (BUF), Alex Edler (VAN), and more!

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. 

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.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

Ken Weibe of Sportsnet believes that Nashville’s available defenceman Matthias Ekholm would be an ideal trade candidate for the Winnipeg Jets and the proposed ask from the Predators could include prospect defenseman Dylan Samberg, goalie Mikhail Berdin, and Finnish forward Kristian Vesalainen.

BLH’s Thoughts: The first thing I thought about as I read this article was that the Oilers really can’t afford to have their divisional rivals get any stronger than they already are and that they should trade for Ekholm. But the fact of the matter is teams like Winnipeg and Toronto, their window is only open for this year or next before they’ve got some serious decisions to make with young players and/or expiring contracts. 

Edmonton’s window is about to open right up and I really don’t know if it would be in their best interests to make any blockbuster deals this season. They could have up to $30M in cap space this summer and management really needs to get things right in net, down the middle on the 3rd line, and possibly in the top-6 on the left-wing.

The Athletic’s Thomas Drance says it’s a “no-brainer” that the Vancouver Canucks deal their veterans who are on expiring contracts as there’s no reason to re-sign them since they don’t move the needle when it comes to the needs of the club if the plan is to win a Stanley Cup.

  • “Dealing Pearson should be a no-brainer for any front office thinking critically about what this team needs and when. Same goes for Brandon Sutter. And Travis Hamonic. And Jordie Benn. And Alex Edler.”

BLH’s Thoughts: As I reported early last week, the Oilers have an interest in Brandon Sutter that goes back as far as 2019. In my opinion, depending on the price, Edler, Pearson, and Hamonic should be on their radars as well. There’s nothing wrong with inquiring on veteran talent for a playoff run, but as I said above, I also don’t think they need to blow their brains out this year.

Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report looked at five possible trade destinations for struggling Buffalo Sabres $8M winger Taylor Hall.

  • Boston Bruins – “The Boston Bruins remain among the NHL’s best teams. They’re jockeying with the Washington Capitals for first place in the East Division. Acquiring a top-six winger like Hall could boost their hopes for a Stanley Cup run.”
  • Carolina Hurricanes – “Secondary scoring depth also remains a concern, as they’ve shuffled players in and out of their second-line left-wing position.”
  • Columbus Blue Jackets – “They’re in danger of sliding out of playoff contention in the Discover Central Division. That could push general manager Jarmo Kekalainen into the market for a top-six forward such as Hall.”
  • Florida Panthers – “The Florida Panthers are having one of their best seasons in years. However, a slump or an injury to a key player could threaten their postseason hopes, perhaps forcing general manager Bill Zito to put in a call for Hall.”
  • Montreal Canadiens – “With his club tumbling in the standings, general manager Marc Bergevin could seek help in the form of Hall’s scoring.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Never count a team like Vegas out of the running for these kinds of players… Also, the Calgary Flames rumors tied to Hall have never really died down and with things not going that great in Cowtown, maybe those start to heat up again.

With that list, I don’t know about Columbus, they’re kind of already out of the picture and I don’t know if I see them digging their way out this year. I’d love to see the Panthers go for it and the Hurricanes have prospects coming out of the wazoo as well as some underachieving players who have higher tickets that could be used as trade fodder. Montreal and Boston would be good stories, but I wouldn’t be as excited if Hall went to those clubs as much. 

Could the Edmonton Oilers get in on Hall? It’s a fair question to ask I feel. They could use a complimentary top-six winger to play with Leon Draisaitl. That said, how would the money even work without sending James Neal to the Sabres and getting salary retained on Hall’s deal? I wouldn’t do it if I was Buffalo, there are too many other teams with way better offers.

However, the one MEGA caveat to all of this, Mr. MVP has a NMC… So he holds all the cards if the Sabres plan on getting anything for him and if the only team he wants to go to is Edmonton… GM Kevyn Adams will have his work cut out for him.

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

(3/5/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: “I think he’s listening on a lot of things.”

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Anthony Mantha (DET), Tuukka Rask (BOS), Dylan Strome (CHI), Brandon Sutter (VAN), and more!

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. 

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 Edmonton Oilers? One insider might think so.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • The Athletic: There’s a belief that Steve Yzerman would consider trading one of his younger forwards like Tyler Bertuzzi and Anthony Mantha in the right deal.
    • “I wouldn’t be shocked if he moved one of his top young forwards. I think he’s listening on a lot of things.” Said one executive.
  • The Athletic: The Chicago Blackhawks aren’t actively shopping Dylan Strome but teams believe he’s an option for those looking for a boost down the middle.
    • “They’ll listen on him.” According to one executive out of the East.
  • The Athletic: One source believed the Chicago Blackhawks would try to trade defender Calvin De Haan before the trade deadline because they could lose him to Seattle at the expansion draft in July.
  • The Fourth Period: Alexander Edler is open to waiving his NMC if the opportunity to chase a Stanley Cup presents itself. It’s unclear if the Canucks are overly interested in retaining any salary as part of a trade.
  • Insider Trading (HNIC): Frank Seravalli says that Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving is on the hung for a right-shooting winger and Washington Capitals GM could be looking to add a goalie if their current tandem aren’t deemed good enough.
  • Expected Buffalo: The Buffalo Sabres were looking for options on defense when Jake McCabe and Will Borgen were injured. They expressed interest in Victor Mete and Brett Kulak out of Montreal and they also inquired about Jon Merrill (DET) and Alex Goligoski (ARI).
  • Bob McKenzie: The Boston Bruins are open to talking in-season contract extensions for both of their goalies Tuukka Rask and Jaro Halak.
    • “I think the Bruins aren’t opposed to bringing back one or both of these guys”
  • Corey Pronman: Posted his latest list of NHL prospects he believes could be moved at or before the NHL trade deadline. Those candidates include Justin Barron (COL), Henrik Borgstrom (FLA), Calle Clang (PIT), Vladislav Firstov (MIN), Spencer Knight (FLA), Klim Kostin (STL), Timothy Liljegren (TOR), Mason Lohrei (BOS), Kirill Marchenko (CBJ), Ivan Morozov (VGK), Victor Mete (MTL), and Jayden Struble (MTL).
  • Ben Kuzma: Brandon Sutter is healthy, reliable, productive, and popping up on the NHL trade deadline radar. The Edmonton Oilers could see him as a replacement for the struggling Kyle Turris.

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

(3/4/21) BLH’s NHL Trade Rumors: 31 Thoughts Edition

BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring the latest heresay from Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 31 Thoughts.

BLH has some ideas for the Oilers lineup card. Check those out here!

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. 

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.

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

NHL Rumors and Speculation

  • “Publicly and privately, Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen stands up for John Tortorella. This is key, because sometimes what people say in private is not the same as what they say in public. But, as the Blue Jackets were swept last weekend in Nashville, extending the losing streak to five games, it was impossible not to wonder about that “pushback.””

BLH’s Thoughts: As I was reading this I was thinking that it’s all fine and dandy that the coach is getting the dreaded public vote of confidence but what about Kekalainen himself? At what point does he find himself on the hot seat? When do folks start wondering about him and his heavy loyalty to John Tortorella and could that be his undoing?

  • “Kekalainen did confirm what has been rumoured, that the Blue Jackets are looking at centres. They’ve got some talented young players who need time to grow into that position, but immediate help is needed, too.”

BLH’s Thoughts: The BJs are five points behind Chicago for 4th in their division, surely they start to look at being sellers for this year’s trade deadline soon if they can’t pull right out of this funk they’re in. Maybe they could find their center in the off-season? Would they put in an offer for Jack Eichel possibly using one of their big d-men as trade fodder?

  • “Boston and Philadelphia are eyeing defencemen, although both teams must monitor expansion-draft issues. You don’t want to make that situation worse, unless of course you are trading something that nullifies the problem. Toronto is checking out forwards. Colorado is looking at some options, but I don’t know how high-salaried they would be. One interesting possibility: Minnesota. Unafraid GM and challenging for top spot in the West.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Minnesota is a very interesting team to me. I gave them non respect at the beginning of the year because I didn’t think they’d have the personnel to compete in that division. With five picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft, they could probably make a significant addition to their club if they wanted. If it were me though, I’d keep my powder dry because they’re playing with found money I reckon and those draft picks may come in handy this off-season should they find the need to shed a contract or two. 

  • “On Jack Eichel: I would be shocked for the above reasons if the Sabres considered a trade now. First, it’s something they have to come to grips with. Second, there simply aren’t a ton of teams in position to do it for budget or cap reasons. Things change in the off-season: contracts coming off the cap; the 10 per cent summer cushion; etc. The Rangers are an obvious exception — they could do it at any time, if they wished — although some of the proposals I’ve seen out there are kinda crazy.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I don’t think Buffalo will make any moves with Eichel in-season, even if he asks out. It wouldn’t be in the Sabres’ best interests to do anything. Come the off-season and closer to the draft, the options and offers will open right up and that will be the best time. It would also give the club an extra moment or two to find an experienced executive to help GM Kevyn Adams because he’s doing all of this on his own right now… 

  • “I do think teams searching for goalie depth have asked Buffalo about Jonas Johansson, who will be an unrestricted free agent without 21 appearances of at least 30 minutes. Sunday was his second game of the season.”

BLH’s Thoughts: Reckon there’s a team that will want to trade for an impending UFA that’s only played twice this year and for a shitty team no-less? If there is, they’re not offering a lot. 

  • “Alex Stalock is going to play in Edmonton… I do think the Oilers would like to see Stalock push Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith… Stalock is a competitive guy, so you know he’ll grind for the opportunity.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I was on a podcast on Wednesday evening with Michael from Oilers Live and we talked about Stalock a bit. I wondered if the plan is to get him into a game or two as soon as his quarantine is over to see how he does as a precursor to a goalie trade most likely involving Mikko Koskinen. Stalock is a wonderful puck handler (like Mike Smith) and his contract is for next year as well and that satisfies expansion requirements. 

  • “Another KHL player to keep an eye on: Magnitogorsk defenceman Grigori Dronov. Just turned 23 and may need some AHL time, but there are NHL clubs watching him.”

BLH’s Thoughts: I’ve not the foggiest when it comes to this guy but here’s a snippet from his profile on Elite Prospects,

“Proactive at getting first on pucks and getting into battles.. whether in a race or when trying to move the opposition off the puck”, Draftin Europe 2018

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