Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours. Every day Last Word On Hockey brings you the latest rumours from around the league. As the season gets started, teams are still busy trying to figure out their rosters. Today, we look at rumours from the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues.
NHL Rumours
Edmonton Oilers
Rumour: TSN’s Darren Dreger was on Insider Trading today and mentioned that a few teams have had interest in Edmonton’s Jesse Puljujarvi. However, nothing has developed just yet due possibly to the asking price.
Analysis: Puljujarvi has seen lots of success over in the Finnish league this season and it is really helping his stock. Some proper development goes a long way and it is currently showing. The Oilers know he is a very skilled player and that is why they are staying put if they don’t get what they feel is an adequate return. Puljujarvi has all the talent in the world and even though he hasn’t lived up to his high draft position, it is still very possible he becomes a solid NHL player.
However, looking the other way, there is still a risk for any team giving up assets for him. It is possible he just doesn’t pan out in the NHL. With Puljujarvi stating he won’t play for Edmonton, it is obvious why teams are not willing to give much up yet. To get a deal done both sides will likely have to compromise a bit. Edmonton would take a risk that Puljujarvi hits his stride and the team acquiring him would risk that he doesn’t actually become what he is hyped to be. No teams have been mentioned but this is something to keep an eye on as the season gets going.
New York Islanders
Rumour: NHL Rumours head to Long Island as The Atheltic’s Arthur Staple reports that Joshua Ho-Sang has officially requested a trade from the New York Islanders. He has been told to stay home as the Islanders look for a new home for him.
Lamoriello: Ho-Sang’s rep asked for a trade, so we told him not to report for a few days while we worked on that.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) October 3, 2019
Rumour: Ho-Sang has never clicked in New York. While he has looked good in his short playing time, there have always been rumours about attitude or work issues. He often finds himself down in Bridgeport in the AHL. This is also where he was this season. He passed through waivers and no team bothered to pick him up. However, now that he has cleared there should be teams looking to trade for him. If teams pick him up now they can send him down to the minors without having to put him through waivers to start.
Possible Return
Much like Puljujarvi, the Islanders likely won’t get a ton for Ho-Sang. It is a risk picking him up. However, for the right price, it very well may be worth it. Ho-Sang has lots of skill, he had 43 points in 56 AHL games last season. He’s 23-years old and is entering his prime. If a team can manage to get him playing a solid game in the NHL, for cheap he could be a good pickup.
Most teams could manage this too. If it is a strong team, they could afford to keep him in the minors for a bit or even bring him up and try and develop him in a third-line role before moving to anything else. As well, a lower team could take a cheap flyer on him and plug him in. A lost season could have a silver lining if they can manage to get a young winger finding his game. If the price is right, a team like Edmonton could make all the sense in the world. They need winger depth and maybe Ho-Sang could help that.
St. Louis Blues
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blues and Brayden Schenn have started contract talks. The Blues are taking a, “big run at getting Brayden Schenn extended.”
#stlblues have been making progress towards a contract extension for upcoming UFA, Brayden Schenn, per @FriedgeHNIC.
— Joey Palazzola (@Palazzola_RTN) October 3, 2019
Analysis: Schenn was a massive part of the Blues Cup run. He came over two seasons ago from the Philadelphia Flyers and immediately made an impact. He has had a 70 point and 54 point season with the Blues. On top of that, he has been in their top-six taking big minutes in both seasons. Last year, he added 12 points in the playoffs en route to a Stanley Cup.
Schenn is 28-years-old so the Blues need to be careful. They should balance going for it now and also locking in old players long-term. The focus is on a Cup but you also want to try and keep the window open for as long as possible. Locking up players going into their 30’s isn’t always a great way to do that. If it is a long-term deal the Blues need to be careful, especially if it is a high AAV.
Schenn is in the last year of his deal that has a $5.125 cap hit. It seems very obvious he will get a raise on that, the question is how much? If the Blues can get a bit of a hometown discount that could go a long way for their cap situation. They locked up the recently acquired Justin Faulk and cap space will be a concern heading forward.
That’s all for NHL Rumours, tune in tomorrow for more!
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