BLH provides you with the latest NHL news, rumors, and speculation featuring Jonathan Quick (LA), Markus Granlund (NSH), Rasmus Sandin (TOR), 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
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is of the belief that long-time LA Kings net guardian Jonathan Quick might be on his way out this season as he’s been vastly outplayed by newcomer Cal Petersen.
“Are in seeing a changing of the guard in Los Angeles? Cal Petersen has played in five straight games for the Kings – six of the team’s last seven games – and his numbers have been significantly better than those of veteran, two-time Stanley Cup champ Jonathan Quick.
In eight games this season, Petersen has a 2.49 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Quick, in six games, has a 4.05 GAA and an .867 save percentage. Cal’s also nine years younger than Quick.
Quick has two years left on his contract after this season and comes with a $5.8 million salary cap hit. The Kings have the most salary cap space in the NHL, so moving him isn’t due to finances. I’ll be interested to see if teams call Kings GM Rob Blake leading up to the April 12 trade deadline about the veteran netminder. And even if Quick stays in L.A., I’d be surprised if Petersen is exposed in the July expansion draft.”
BLH’s Thoughts: Now, is it just me or are we about to witness a race to see who can upgrade their goaltending first between the Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins?
Those numbers aren’t pretty for Quick but I do wonder if the Oilers, who have some personnel stationed in California, will make a play for him should they find their goaltending needs to be upgraded. They could offer Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith or even Stuart Skinner if they feel his future lies away from the organization.
Elliotte Friedman almost guarantees the Leafs are going to add at the trade deadline on Tim and Sid, “a winger that can play in the top six with Matthews/Marner or Tavares/Nylander, I have the name written down on a piece of paper but can’t say who” 👀 #LeafsForever
— Moe (@Moezyy_H) February 10, 2021
After the Toronto Maple Leafs found a way to lose a game they were leading 5-1 to one of the NHL’s worst teams, the lowly Ottawa Senators, James Mirtle penned a piece detailing how the club may dip their toes into the trade waters and dropped a few names based on Elliotte Friedman’s comment above.
Mirtle says that there are three things that need to happen in order for the Buds to make the right deal,
1. A forward who can play top-six minutes, with good players, produce offensively and not be a drain defensively.
2. A team that is out of the playoff race and looking to shed talent for futures rather than roster players.
3. A player without a huge salary, given the Leafs’ cap constraints.
And there’s one player that comes to the mind of The Athletic’s no.1 man,
“But the consensus among sources around the league seems to be that one player who fits that description and whom the Leafs like is winger Mikael Granlund, who will become available if the 6-9-0 Predators continue to drop games.
Granlund was one of the NHL’s unrestricted free agents impacted by the flat cap, as he hung around unsigned well past the October opening of free agency. He ultimately didn’t get a contract until late December when he inked a one-year deal for $3.75 million to go back to a team where he had struggled mightily to produce.”
Mr. Mirtle then went on to say that Toronto was one of the teams that showed a lot of interest in the Finnish forward but simply didn’t have the funds to make it happen.
BLH’s Thoughts: Granlund has seven points in twelve games and sits -2 on the year for a predators team that is in one helluva funk. Bottom line with this player is that he was brought in to use as trade fodder later on in the season if Nashville wasn’t looking like a playoff club, which they aren’t.
If I was in their GM’s chair, I’d be asking for Toronto’s 1st rounder or some package that would net me Rasmus Sandin. My feeling though, to make the money work, is that they’ll be offering Alex Kerfoot.
Speaking of available Finns, I think Erik Haula will be on the move too. Now, there’s another player the Oilers have had interest in and with how Kyle Turris is shitting the bed (played just over 6 minutes last night), would Edmonton make a deal for the fleet-footed centerman?
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