BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Valeri Nichushkin (DAL), Max Domi (CBJ), Nolan Patrick (PHI), Tyson Jost (COL), and many more!
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NHL Rumors and Speculation
Zach Leach (PHR): Has identified some teams that will need to do some maneuvering before the expansion draft. Three of which are very likely to make trades before then.
- Columbus Blue Jackets – Do they expose star Gustav Nyquist, who has missed the whole season due to injury and is on a substantial contract and on the wrong side of 30? Or do they expose Eric Robinson, who has been a hard-working depth presence this season but has limited upside?
- Calgary Flames – If Calgary cannot convince Milan Lucic to waive his No-Movement Clause, the team will be missing both of their required forwards for exposure by protecting Looch and the top-six. Even if Lucic does waive, the team will need to make another forward available to Seattle.
- Colorado Avalanche – if Colorado does protect their top nine scoring forwards minus Landeskog and Saad, that leaves them with, at best, one forward to expose and zero if they choose to protect both Valeri Nichushkin and J.T. Compher. If the Avs do choose to protect the duo, that should leave RFA Tyson Jost unprotected, who they could extend in order to meet the exposure requirement.
- Dallas Stars – the Stars must find two forwards to expose, whereas most of these other problematic teams can at least scrounge up one forward. Among the options to re-sign are veteran UFA’s Blake Comeau and Andrew Cogliano or younger UFA’s Tanner Kero and Justin Dowling. However, it may be easier to re-up an RFA like Jason Dickinson or, with three more games, Nicholas Caamano.
- New Jersey Devils – While New Jersey could go in a few different direction with their protected list, the reality is simply that they have only five draft-eligible forwards who are signed beyond this season and at least four of those are locks to be protected. The other problem in New Jersey is that the team doesn’t want to give Seattle any added incentive to steal some of their promising young players. Michael McLeod, Janne Kuokkanen, Yegor Sharangovich, and Nathan Bastian would all meet the exposure criteria if extended…
- San Jose Sharks – the Sharks are not an elite team right now, but possess a solid group of top-six forwards who will all be protected. Also like Dallas though, the team has complete lack of long-term commitment to any forward outside of that group. The only other eligible forward signed beyond this season is Jayden Halbgewachs, who has not played a single NHL game, nevertheless enough to meet the requirement.
- Toronto Maple Leafs – Of the ten Toronto skaters who currently meet the exposure criteria, four are forwards that will be protected in any scenario and three are defensemen that will be protected in any scenario. This leaves Alex Kerfoot at forward and Justin Holl on defense(with Pierre Engvall as the odd man out will likely be exposed regardless); only one can be protected and the other is the most likely Leaf to be selected.
- Winnipeg Jets – The Jets are known for their depth at forward and eight of their top-nine meet the exposure criteria as a result, with RFA Andrew Copp not fitting the bill but almost certain to be protected anyway. The decision for the seventh and final protection slot is likely between the recently-extended Adam Lowry and upstart Mason Appleton.
Eric Duhatshek (The Athletic): Recently wrote upon some players who could use a change of scenery,
- Tyson Jost (COL) – “If someone wants to add an emerging player who is cost controlled for a while, they should be ringing Joe Sakic on the cellphone before they have to file their protected lists.”
- Nolan Patrick (PHI) – “Patrick is still only 22. Maybe a change of scenery would benefit him. Vegas, a team that wanted to draft him that year, would be an interested suitor.”
- Gabe Vilardi (LA) – “Los Angeles has chosen natural centres with four consecutive first-round picks: Vilardi, Rasmus Kupari, Alex Turcotte and this past year, Quinton Byfield. Byfield isn’t going anywhere. The Kings should be looking at moving at least one of the other three (and maybe two) in order to get more established NHLers to flesh out their complement of top-six forwards.”
- Barrett Hayton (ARI) – “People shouldn’t forget that Hayton looked so good for Canada in the 2020 world juniors (12 points, seven games and a gold medal) but hasn’t been seen much since. “
Aaron Portzline (The Athletic): Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen and others insist that Patrik Laine does care. He is lacking confidence. Would guess that the pending RFA could look for a one-year deal. He’s arbitration eligible and would be an RFA next offseason as well.
- Joonas Korpisalo‘s numbers are worse than Elvis Merzlikins – .894 SV%, 3.27 GAA compared to .910 SV%, 2.98 GAA. If the goalie market is flooded this offseason, the return for either may not be much.
- Believe the Blue Jackets will try to re-sign pending UFA Mikko Lehtonen this offseason.
- The Blue Jackets would be selling real low on forward Max Domi if they looked to move him this offseason. He could be a top-six winger on the right line, and could maybe better off with a coach not named John Tortorella.
- If the Blue Jackets were going to take a run at trading for Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel, it will take at least two first-round picks – their own and one of Toronto or Tampa’s – included in the package.
Sources: Pro Hockey Rumors, The Athletic
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