Even as we head into August, but NHL Rumours are still abound. Teams are trying to shuffle even more pieces in preparation for the upcoming season. Players and front office members are still being moved around. Many notable free agents, unrestricted and restricted, remain unsigned. Today, the rumour mill spits out rumblings about the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, and Carolina Hurricanes.
All NHL rumours are taken from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Calgary Flames
Rumour: Sportsnet analyst Eric Francis speculates that T.J. Brodie is not garnering the return that the Calgary Flames had hoped and that the Flames may have to give up an additional piece to move him.
Analysis: T.J. Brodie has been on the trade block for quite a while as Calgary tries to clear cap room and make space for their swath of young defensemen. However, the addition of Mark Jankowski‘s name into the mix is new and troubling to Flames fans.
As a highly-touted prospect who struggled to crack the NHL, he’s finally come into his own the past two seasons. He’s proven to be a valuable depth piece and has fit in well into their bottom six. He recorded 32 points last season, primarily serving as either the team’s third or fourth-line centre. Jankowski is making a very reasonable $1.675 million against the cap, a bargain for that type of production. Those depth pieces are crucial for teams wanting to make a championship run. Losing him in a trade would be a blow to the Flames’ offence.
Detroit Red Wings
Rumour: According to NHL Sweden, the Red Wings have emphasized that veteran defenceman Niklas Kronwall has a place on their team if he feels like he’s healthy enough to play. NHL Sweden also notes that Kronwall has repeatedly emphasized his good health, saying he’s ready to play.
Analysis: Kronwall, along with Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, and the newly re-acquired Valtteri Filppula, is one of the last remaining members of the Red Wings’ juggernaut of the late 2000s. At age 38, he still put up respectable numbers last year with 27 points in 79 games.
If he’s healthy and chooses to re-sign, he provides more veteran leadership to younger Detroit blue-liners such as Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, and Madison Bowey. His offensive upside is increasingly limited, and he’d assumingly be sheltered in a bottom-pairing role if he rejoins the squad. However, he may end up taking away a spot from one of these young defensemen. Maybe it’s a good idea for Detroit to move on from their long-tenured defender.
Carolina Hurricanes
Rumour: Tom Dundon told NHL.com that the team expects to re-sign general manager Don Waddell, despite his previous contract expiring on June 30th and Waddell having interviewed with other teams.
Analysis: Don Waddell has come in and perfected the base that Ron Francis created. After years of underachieving, Carolina stormed onto the scene this year (literally). The changes made by Waddell sparked them all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
However, money has always been an issue for Carolina. Waddell is due for a significant raise considering his success, but other NHL teams (namely the Minnesota Wild) may price the Canes out. Dundon is quoted as saying that “he would not stand in Waddell’s way if another team offered him a higher salary.”
Dundon’s unorthodox approach has paid dividends so far for Carolina, signalling that maybe Waddell will stick around after all. It’s a situation that will be worth keeping ears on as it develops.
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