It’s a busy week and the NHL rumours are kicking into overdrive. Teams have now submitted their protection lists for the Seattle Kraken expansion draft which will take place on Wednesday, July 21. Meanwhile, the NHL Entry Draft is Friday and the start of free agency is July 28. As a result, rumours are flying in thick and fast on trades, picks and contract negotiations. This weekend, we have an “Original Six” edition with rumours involving the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Montreal Canadiens
Rumour: TSN and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun said Carey Price will waive his no-movement clause to be exposed in the expansion draft.
Hearing that Carey Price has waived his no-move for purpose of exposure in the expansion draft so that the Habs could protect Jake Allen in the expansion draft. The thought is that Seattle wouldn’t want to pick up the rest of Price’s hefty contract. But I guess we will see.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 18, 2021
Analysis: This was the biggest bombshell in a Saturday full of activity. Although, it may not be as earth-shattering as one thinks. It is pretty gutsy of general manager Marc Bergevin to dangle his all-world goalie to an expansion team, but it’s unlikely Seattle takes Price.
Kraken general manager Ron Francis said that cap space is his biggest asset and Price would eat into that massively. Seattle taking the gold medal-winning goalie would give them an instant face of the franchise. However, it would take away their financial flexibility.
On the Habs’ side of things, the selection of Price coupled with the likelihood of Shea Weber going on long-term injured reserve would give the Habs a ton of cap space to go after replacements for the duo.
It’s possible that Bergevin and Francis are working on a deal that will make sure Price isn’t picked in the expansion draft. Montreal’s GM will likely try to entice his Seattle counterpart into picking Paul Byron or Jonathan Drouin instead.
New York Rangers
Rumour: David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period reports the Rangers and newly-acquired Barclay Goodrow are close to a deal.
Sounds like the Rangers & Barclay Goodrow are already closing in on a contract. Not sure if it’s done yet, but trending in that direction.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 17, 2021
Analysis: General manager Chris Drury doesn’t seem to be messing around in putting his stamp on the Blueshirts. Goodrow isn’t a big star, but he played an important hand in the Tampa Bay Lightning winning consecutive Stanley Cups.
He does have a bit of an edge to his game, but Goodrow can also chip in with timely goals. The Toronto native could be a key component for a very skilled and young Rangers club. New York did get bullied at times this season by players that were bigger and had a nasty streak to them. The 28-year-old can help in that department and play some solid defence.
However, there’s worry that he’ll get too long a term with some saying he’s been getting offers for a six-year deal. Drury has to play it carefully and not lock up a bottom-six forward for too much time and money. After all, the Rangers still need to re-sign Igor Shesterkin and decide the fate of forward Pavel Buchnevich. That said, Goodrow should still be in line for a nice raise from his current $925,000 salary.
Boston Bruins
Rumour: The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter said that goalie Jaroslav Halak will not be brought back according to Halak’s agent Allan Walsh.
Jaro Halak’s agent, Allan Walsh, confirms that UFA netminder and Bruins are parting ways. Walsh says Halak is healthy and expects NHL interest come July 28.
— Matt Porter (@mattyports) July 17, 2021
Analysis: Halak should get some interest on the open market as he filled in well over the years for Tuukka Rask. The Slovakian netminder has been a great backup and took over when Rask left the playoff bubble in 2020. It’s hard to gauge where he’ll go, but he’ll have plenty of teams looking for a capable veteran.
Boston may also have to get into the goalie market due to Rask’s off-season surgery. Jeremy Swayman showed that he could be the goalie of the future. However, they’ll likely need a veteran to share the workload. It’s also uncertain when Rask could be ready to return and general manager Don Sweeney still needs to ink the Finn to a new deal.
Rask has stated that he only wants to play for Boston. It’s likely that the veteran signs a low-cost deal to come back when he’s healthy.
