BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (EDM), Niklas Hjalmarsson (ARI), Nikita Kucherov (TB), and more!
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NHL Rumors and Speculation
Eric Duhatschek (The Athletic): says the Florida Panthers should have Niklas Hjalmarsson at the top of their trade list,
- ” Hjalmarsson, if you’ll recall, was a key piece during the Chicago Blackhawks’ championship seasons. When he was traded away to Arizona originally Quenneville couldn’t hide his disappointment.”
Mike Harrington: If Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is holding out to get a first-round pick for Taylor Hall, “he’s dreaming.” Now is the time to cut bait.
Tom Gulitti of NHL.com: New Jersey Devils forward Kyle Palmieri is on a little goal run of late and improving his trade stock. The New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins are two teams looking for some scoring help.
TSN: Craig Button reckons that players like Nick Foligno (CBJ) or Miles Wood (NJ) would be better fits for the Toronto Maple Leafs than Buffalo’s Taylor Hall.
- “I think that if you want to add more skill then Taylor Hall has it but I don’t the Leafs need more skill. I think they need more of that hard-driving, skating-type player that can be a physical presence.”
Maple Leafs Hot Stove: Chris Johnston on Sportsnet 590 on sorting out who are going to the buyers and who are going to be the sellers.
- “There are still going to be sellers. What Buffalo is selling is going to be expensive. To trade a Taylor Hall is easier to do closer to April 12th — the cap hit is less to take on. Every day that passes, he is $100,000 cheaper, or whatever it is.At some point, it is going to reach a point where teams have to make a decision one way or another. I think Vancouver is being closer to being a seller with some of their depth forwards. It is a weird market and a weird year. I still think there are going to be trades, but it’s not taking shape the way I would’ve guessed. Some teams have been stubborn, won a bunch of games, and have given their GMs some second thoughts.”
With Nikita Kucherov back skating with the Tampa Bay Lightning there’s a bit of chatter with regards to how the Lightning might handle things should he be declared healthy and ready to go ahead of the NHL playoffs. Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic) had this to say on the topic,
- “The Lightning are obliged to make room for him or in theory they can’t use him.” He adds, “Which, again in theory, could affect his playoff availability. Call me naïve but I don’t think the Cup champs are playing around with this. The league is watching.”
Frank Seravalli (TSN) says there’s nothing new to report as things pertain to the negotiations between the Edmonton Oilers and pending UFA Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
- “No meaningful progress but that certainly [is] not for a lack of trying…. At this point, these two sides are going to continue talking, that’s what they’ve agreed to,”
- “They’re going to continue the dialogue and see if they can work something out and I have zero sense at this point that the Oilers have any interest in moving Nugent-Hopkins before the trade deadline even without a deal done. They’d like to keep him and try and find a way to win as well as keep him locked up long term. We’ll see if they can do that.”
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