BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jeff Skinner (BUF), Derek Stepan (OTT), Erik Johnson (COL), Kyle Palmieri (NJ), and more!
Craig Button absolutely tore the Oilers a new a$$hole on TSN 1260 recently. Click this link and read what he said!
TSN1260’s Jason Gregor is pissed! Check out this rant on the Oilers here!
BLH has some ideas for the Oilers lineup card. Check those out here!
NEW: 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.
NHL Rumors and Speculation
- Nick Kypreos: Said on his podcast that the Ottawa Senators are shopping Derek Stepan already.
- “They’re trying to trade Stepan right now. You barely got him and now you’re hearing that they’re trying to move him out? C’mon! What’s going on there?”
- Doug MacLean: On the same podcast with Kypreos, said Stepan and Sens head coach DJ Smith don’t like each other. The former NHL coach and GM also wondered if having his young family back home in Arizona is having a negative effect on his game.
- “The question is: Is (Stepan) pushing that?,” MacLean told Kypreos. “His family is in Arizona, he’s got three young kids, a newborn, quarantine issues with visiting … maybe it’s just too much.”
(Head to the 25:35 mark of this video below to hear the Stepan talk)
- Shug McSween (nhltraderumors.me): Is of the belief that the Buffalo Sabres are shopping struggling winger Jeff Skinner. According to a league executive, they very well could be.
- “I think Buffalo’s been making some phone calls to see what the interest levels are like. They’ll continue to point out he scored 40 goals two years ago, but there’s certainly a tremendous amount of risk involved with six more years on his contract. There’s a $7.5 million signing bonus he’s due in 2022. You can bet your bottom dollar the Sabres will try and move him before that kicks in.”
- Peter Baugh (The Athletic): Says the Colorado Avalanche may ask defenseman Erik Johnson to waive his NMC so they don’t have to protect him for the expansion draft.
- “He has a no-movement clause in his contract and must be protected in the expansion draft. But at 32 years old and on a $6 million AAV contract through 2022-2023, he’s not a likely target for Seattle, and he could choose to waive his no-movement clause, which would allow the Avalanche to protect another defenseman. If he does, then Devon Toews would make sense to protect in his place, considering how well he’s played on the top pairing with Makar.”
- Emily Kaplan/Greg Wyshynski (ESPN): Speculated on a number of players who they thought could be traded this season recently,
- “Now there is a player on a Canadian team that I could see moving and that is Travis Dermott. He’s on the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’ve got a logjam on D. He’s on very cheap contract and if looking for a landing spot for him, I’m circling the Pittsburgh Penguins.”
- “Another team I would watch in the Columbus Blue Jackets again. They’ve got two very good goalies, which GM Jarmo Kekalainen knows is a luxury, and that’s Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo. Their contracts is both up in two years. I would be surprised if both of them are on the team until then.”
- “Winger Kyle Palmieri who I think has a ton of value on the trade market. He’s 29, has an eight-team no-trade clause in his contract. Also, winger Nikita Gusev has an eight-team no-trade clause, he’s 28, explosive offensive winger. And then an old dog in center Travis Zajac.”
- ” Defenseman Alex Goligoski, 35-years old, eight-team no-trade clause. Name has been on the trade market for a while, one to watch definitely, and then Niklas Hjalmarsson, same deal.”
Sam Bennett likely won’t be in the Flames lineup tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. Coach decision. This may fuel trade speculation, but sources say, at the moment, there is nothing on the front burner related to trade.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 4, 2021
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