BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Mike Hoffman, Alexander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, Erik Haula, Ryan O’Reilly, and more!
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Read what TSN’s Craig Button had to say about Carter Savoie, Dylan Holloway, and the 2020 World Juniors right here!
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Oilers Insider Bob Stauffer dropped a massive hint regarding a new signing. Read about it here!
NHL Rumors and Speculation
- Ryan S. Clark (The Athletic): Figures the likes of Tyler Johnson (TB), PK Subban (NJ), and Braden Holtby (VAN) could be selected by the Seattle Kraken when their expansion draft is held on July 21st, 2021.
BLH’s Thoughts: I can’t wait to get this team up and running. It was so much fun with Vegas, surely the Kraken with their sweet unis will be just as enjoyable. I mean, with the Oilers specifically, there’s going to be some real anxiety as to who Seattle will pick and given how deep they’re diving into the analytics, it wouldn’t shock me if the Oilers lost a really good young player in the expansion draft. I don’t see them taking Zack Kassian, but I suppose it will depend on the coach. Do you think the Oilers would risk Puljujarvi getting selected and lose him for nothing?
- Jeremy Rutherford (The Athletic): Is reporting that the St. Louis Blues are set to name Ryan O’Reilly the 23rd captain of the team later this week.
BLH’s Thoughts: I can’t think of a better person to take over the captaincy in St. Louis. ROR is one of my favorite players in the whole league because he’s so damned good at both ends of the rink and he’s one of the hardest workers.
- Chris Johnston (Sportsnet): Says even though the NHL announced its 2020-21 season with some unknowns, don’t fret, there’s going to be at least 10 Battles of Alberta in a 116-day span to look forward to.
BLH’s Thoughts: There’s a part of me that wonders if I might get bored with the schedule… It’s hard to believe getting the chance to see that many BOAs would get bland though. Unless it’s completely one-sided, that might get annoying then.
- Adam Gretz (NBC): Has posted that we’re set to witness possibly one of the most unique NHL seasons in the history of the league thanks to a new re-seeding plan for the playoffs,
- “The four teams that advance to the semifinals will then be re-seeded based on their regular season point totals, and then placed into a new 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 bracket. That means the traditional Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion format is out the window for this year, and all sorts of new options are suddenly on the table.
Toronto vs. Boston? It could happen. Nathan MacKinnon and Colorado vs. Connor McDavid and Edmonton? It is a possibility. Tampa Bay and Toronto? Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay? Washington and Tampa Bay? Boston and Washington? St. Louis and Dallas? Minnesota and Dallas? St. Louis and Chicago? All possible!”
- “The four teams that advance to the semifinals will then be re-seeded based on their regular season point totals, and then placed into a new 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 bracket. That means the traditional Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion format is out the window for this year, and all sorts of new options are suddenly on the table.
- Brian De La Rose (Pro Hockey Rumors): Lists the following teams as possible destinations if Florida’s Sasha Barkov ever decides to leave the Panthers.
- Calgary Flames – “The 2022 offseason figures to be when that roster undergoes that big change and adding an elite center would certainly bolster their future.”
- Detroit Red Wings – “A true number one is one of the big holes they still need to fill. Adding Barkov would certainly accomplish that.”
BLH’s Thoughts: What about the Rangers or the Ducks? Anaheim is going to come into a whole whack of cash soon with Getzlaf’s contract coming off the books and if Bob Murray wants to remain competitive, maybe Barkov would swap coasts?
- Frank Seravalli (TSN): On UFA Mike Hoffman,
- “The teams that are most interested at this point are the Boston Bruins, the Columbus Blue Jackets and also the Nashville Predators.”
- Josh Wegman (The Score): Believes the Florida Panthers are a likely destination for Mikael Granlund and Elliotte Friedman recently said that Granlund may be very close to signing with a team and is trying to get his family situated.
- Anthony Scultore (Daily Goal Horn): On free agent forward Erik Haula,
- “Teams potentially in the running for his services are the San Jose Sharks, Florida Panthers, and Columbus Blue Jackets. At this time the Sharks could be the likely destination since they’ve spoken.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Nothing really new with these players but now that the season is a go, teams are under the gun to get cap compliant. So maybe some new destinations will crop up in the coming days.
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