Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. We’re inching closer to the trade deadline and with that rumours are starting to swirl. We’re soon going to see teams come to terms with being a buyer or seller at this year’s deadline. In today’s segment, we focus on rumours surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and the Nashville Predators.
All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Toronto Maple Leafs
Rumour: On TSN 1050’s Leafs Lunch, Darren Dreger states that all is quiet when it comes to Frederik Andersen and his next contract. He says the same holds true for Zach Hyman.
Analysis: With both player’s contracts coming to an end and the club only having around $13 million in cap space, this is going to be an interesting situation to monitor heading into the offseason.
Starting with Andersen, he’s been pretty average this season. Andersen has a goals-against-average of 2.76 and a save percentage of .903 so far this season. That sits him in 20th amongst goaltenders who have played at least 10 games in GAA and tied for 27th in save percentage. While he hasn’t been bad, he hasn’t been great either. Andersen will be looking for a raise from the $5 million per season he is currently being paid. With the cap-crunch the Leafs are in and being 32 years old when the 2021-22 season starts, that’s going to be a large ask. With Andersen being a UFA at the end of the season, the Leafs may elect to protect Jack Campbell instead and focus on their goaltending options in the offseason.
As for Hyman, he too is going to be looking at a nice raise from his $2.25 million per season he is currently getting as well. However, Hyman would be much more affordable for the Leafs and considering the aspect he brings, is arguably more valuable. Hyman’s work ethic is unmatched by anyone in the lineup and helps drive the Leafs offence. He’s been a 20 goal scorer the last two seasons. Given the fact the Leafs are in the market for another player much like Hyman, it’s hard to believe they’d let him go. Hyman will most likely command around $5 million per season. Which is going to be tough for the Leafs to manage. While Kyle Dubas has been a wizard maneuvering cap over the last few seasons, this offseason may be his toughest yet.
Edmonton Oilers
Rumour: In his latest 31 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman states that while it’s something that would most likely not happen until the offseason, Elvis Merzlikins is the type of goaltender that makes sense long term in Edmonton.
Analysis: This is a very interesting statement from Friedman. Merzlikins isn’t a name many would have thought about when it comes to goaltenders being available. And given the fact that he is exempt from the Seattle expansion draft, it raises even more eyebrows. Do the Columbus Blue Jackets feel Joonas Korpisalo is their starter moving forward? Or are they just that comfortable moving forward with a tandem of Korpisalo and Matiss Kivlenieks that they feel Merzlikins is better used as trade bait? Either way, interesting scenario to say the least.
The Oilers goaltending woes have haunted them since 2016-17 when the overworked Cam Talbot was lights out for the Oilers leading them to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, he faltered the next season and the goalie carousel has been spinning ever since. Mikko Koskinen hasn’t been able to solidify himself as a true number one netminder, and Mike Smith‘s career is winding down. If the Oilers want to be competitive they need a strong presence in goal. Merzlikins certainly fits the bill.
One interesting scenario to look at for the Oilers is the future of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He certainly wants to stay in Edmonton and the Oilers want to keep him. However, he might price himself out of Edmonton with his contract coming to an end. The Blue Jackets desperately need a top-six centre. Nugent-Hopkins can certainly provide that for them. While a deal would be extremely complicated and have many moving parts, it could be something both teams look at. Depending on the contract status between the Oilers and Nugent-Hopkins of course.
Nashville Predators
Rumour: David Poile appeared on ESPN’s 102.5 The Game radio station in Nashville and was asked if Filip Forsberg was untouchable. He confirmed that Forsberg is not someone the team is looking to trade at this time.
ICYMI: #Preds GM David Poile spoke about plans to keep Filip Forsberg, his team’s progress on the power play and more with @dmac_1025 and @ChaseOnGame today.
Spotify: https://t.co/5dbb548ylG pic.twitter.com/XfCjXuK1dK
— ESPN 102.5 The Game 😷 (@1025TheGame) March 9, 2021
Analysis: This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. Yes, the Predators have struggled and yes they may need to start looking at shaking things up with their club and potentially slightly rebuild it. However, Filip Forsberg is a player you can build around. Forsberg is easily the best forward on the Predators and is currently scoring at the best pace of his career with 10 goals and 27 points in 26 games.
While some will argue that’s why it makes even more sense to trade him, that’s not the case here. Forsberg is just 26 years old. The club doesn’t need to enter a full rebuild. More of a retool if you will. Forsberg is just entering his prime and is a player who makes players around him better. He still has another year after this one at a cap hit of $6 million. Which is an outstanding price for a player of his calibre. That number will surely go up on his next contract. However, it’s not something the Predators have to worry about right now. While the Predators will most likely be sellers at the deadline, don’t expect Forsberg to be a player who heads out the door.
That does it for today’s NHL Rumours. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the latest rumours from around the league.
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