It’s another day and another edition of our NHL rumours. The end of the season and the expansion draft are coming soon, which means teams have to really think about the future. Our Sunday edition of NHL rumours features the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Seattle Kraken.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Boston Bruins
Runour: Conor Ryan of the Boston Sports Journal said Taylor Hall is looking for a good fit over money.
Taylor Hall on his next contract: "I'm not looking to absolutely maximize value."
He noted that he's made some good money in the league already, and that a "good fit" might be the priority on his new deal.
"You want to find a home for the next few years."
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) June 11, 2021
Analysis: Hall added that he wants to find a home for the next few seasons and not have to worry about being traded. The former Hart Trophy winner has been on the move plenty, including a move from the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline. It was a big shock when Hall signed in Buffalo, but he got sent to the Bruins.
Hall has plenty of money and winning is his main priority. He fit in well with Craig Smith and David Krejci after his trade from the Buffalo Sabres. However, Krejci is also a free agent this off-season, but he turned back the clock at times. Boston does have $27 million in space according to CapFriendly and Hall, Krejci and goalie Tuukka Rask could all come back.
Hall shocked the hockey world by signing in Buffalo, but he wants to get a Stanley Cup. Boston still has a solid group but will need to retool if they want to make a deeper run. However, Hall taking less money will be a boost in keeping the group together.
Ottawa Senators
Rumour: Ian Mendes of The Athletic looked into Logan Brown‘s trade value.
We had some great questions in this week's mailbag.
I got an answer from a City of Ottawa spokesperson about future arena plans. I (hopefully) put an end to relocation talk around the Sens. And I explain why Tim Stützle didn't end up on my Calder ballot.https://t.co/3xwsz1XCiu
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) June 12, 2021
Analysis: Brown has struggled in his time in the Canadian capital and a change may be needed. The ideal trade is swapping him out with another prospect that’s having a rough time. It could be like what happened when Lias Andersson was sent to the Los Angeles Kings by the New York Rangers.
Brown has played 30 games in the NHL and someone like Kieffer Bellows or other first-rounders struggling for a spot might be ideal for a swap. Players with 100 NHL games that are struggling might be a workable deal.
Mendes added that Brown likely gets a third-round choice in Ottawa decides not to do a player-for-player deal. There’s some time between now and the draft, but that day will be soon. General manager Pierre Dorion will need to make a decision soon about the former first-rounder.
Seattle Kraken
Rumour: Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic said the Kraken will soon reach an agreement with an NHL team about their AHL players.
The Seattle Kraken are closing in on a joint AHL partnership with an NHL club which would see them have up to 12 of their players play regular minutes next season while they finish building their AHL team in Palm Springs. #SeaKraken https://t.co/gAnhFu0A5C
— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) June 7, 2021
Analysis: Palm Springs will eventually host the Kraken’s AHL players, but that will be in 2022-23. The team will have to find a place for their players to get meaningful developmental minutes. General manager Ron Francis said the agreement will allow eight to 12 of their players to latch onto an already existing AHL team next season.
Dual agreements aren’t uncommon in the AHL and that was the case last year due to COVID-19. The Florida Panthers sent their prospects to the Syracuse Crunch, which is the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s affiliate for this season. The Utica Comets also did a sharing agreement as well as the Chicago Wolves. Francis also has experience in a talent share as he did so with the Albany River Rats when they shared the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes.
Seattle is building a farm system from scratch, but they do have options. They could draft players in the NCAA or major junior leagues and ask them to stay for an extra year. European prospects have even more options as they can stay in Europe, play in the AHL or in major junior while they wait for a spot.
