With the NHL off-season in its dog days of what usually would be summer, things are starting to slow down. The NHL rumours, however, are still going strong. Even with nothing happening, that doesn’t mean there aren’t things moving in the background. Today we will look at rumours surrounding the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Vegas Golden Knights.
NHL Rumours
St. Louis Blues
Rumour: With the news of Alex Steen retiring coming out, Blues GM said that it’s possible the Blues could add to their lineup before the season begins or during the season.
Armstrong said with Steen’s retirement, there could be an opportunity to add to the lineup either before or during the season. #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 17, 2020
Analysis: Steen has been a staple of the Blues roster ever since he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, so it leaves a hole in their roster. There are still plenty of names out in free agency. Players like Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard, and Ilya Kovalchuk are all still without a contract. Each of these players could fill in the role that Steen held. Kovalchuk would offer a cheap, short option for the Blues. He would likely be the easiest addition and be a placeholder as the team continues to develop its young players.
Hoffman is the clear best option on the market and has said he’s willing to take a shorter deal similar to Taylor Hall. Surely he would be the hardest UFA to add to the team. He would easily be the most coveted player in this late stage of free agency.
The Blues aren’t limited to adding a UFA either, though. They could go out and make a trade with another team. Adding a strong NHL player to a roster could help them keep their window to snatch another cup open. There are still plenty of options for the Blues, and they could go out and make their roster even better than when Steen was in the lineup.
Vancouver Canucks
Rumour: According to Emily Sadler or Sportsnet, the Vancouver Canucks have expressed interest in Sami Vatanen.
Analysis: The Canucks continue to express interest in Vatanen, even after acquiring Nate Schmidt from Vegas. They will look to continue to shore up the blue line it seems as they pursue Vatanen even further. With Tyson Barrie going to the Oilers, a name Vancouver was interested in, Vatanen could provide a serviceable alternative.
He has a spotty history with injuries, which is likely why he is still without a contract. He played just 47 games last season and just 50 the year before. When he is in the lineup, however, he’s been able to chip in offensively. He has put up nice point totals in the past and could help the core Vancouver has built to become even more competitive.
His placement in the Canucks lineup could be a little awkward, forcing a player like Tyler Myers onto the third pair. He is also a potential option to play on the second powerplay unit and contribute there.
Vegas Golden Knights
Rumour: According to Jesse Granger’s mailbag at the Athletic, he said that it is unlikely that Marc-Andre Fleury will complete his contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Kelly McCrimmon has been checking around the league to test the waters for a Fleury trade.
Analysis: With Fleury getting up there in age, $7 million is a lot to be paying for a backup goaltender. His prime years are likely past him, and Vegas is a competitive team that will want to use that cap space in a more productive way. It will be a difficult trade to facilitate, with such a high cap hit in a season where the cap is frozen. According to Granger, talks haven’t gone far. This is to be expected given the situation.
Granger said that the team is not considering a buy-out, as that would create dead cap space, something Vegas wants to avoid. They will exclusively be looking to trade throughout the season, and are fully comfortable rolling with Fleury as a backup into the playoffs if need be.
This concludes today’s NHL rumours!
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