The Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun, but that doesn’t mean the NHL rumours have stopped. There are lots of rumblings on what might happen for teams left outside of the playoffs looking to improve. Today we look at NHL rumours surrounding the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, and New York Islanders.
NHL Rumours
Boston Bruins
Rumour: Boston Bruin’s general manager Don Sweeney has said that he believes in his heart that Patrice Bergeron will want to keep playing and that they’ll get a deal done.
Analysis: Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron is a pending UFA. He’s an interesting case because he’s a lifelong Bruins player that is still their best player but will be 37 going into next season. His contract could be whatever he wants it to be, as he is still among the league’s top players, but could take less to keep the Bruins competitive.
As Don Sweeney mentioned, it’s Bergeron’s choice if he wants to keep playing or not. He certainly has the ability to, so the only question is if he’d like to. It’s a similar scenario to Alex Ovechkin‘s contract negotiations the past season, although there was no doubt that Ovechkin would continue playing. Both were older, yet still incredible players, and they can fully dictate what their contracts could be. It will be interesting what Bergeron signs for, as he is still Boston’s most important player.
Winnipeg Jets
Rumour: According to Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, the Jets could be entertaining trade offers on Mark Scheifele this off-season.
Analysis: After their final game of the season on Sunday, May 1st, the Winnipeg Jets players had some interesting quotes. One of which was Mark Scheifele eluding to a potential desire for trade by saying he wants to be where is best for him at this stage in his career and needs to know the direction of the Winnipeg Jets as a team.
Scheifele would get a lot of calls for a player of his offensive talents. He puts up high counting numbers in goals and points each season, however, Scheifele can struggle defensively. The Jets could still get a lot for him, and he could definitely help a team that lacks a finishing touch. The Jets may also need to take a serious look at their team, struggling to compete over the last few years. They could recoup a number of large assets for a player like Scheifele.
New York Islanders
Rumour: According to Kevin Kurtz of the Athletic, the Islanders could be looking to add a high-end winger to play with Mathew Barzal.
Analysis: Mat Barzal had an odd season. While he’s maintained his offensive production from last season, he struggled defensively this season. Trotz also has not been able to find a suitable linemate after losing Jordan Eberle in the expansion draft to the Seattle Kraken.
Barzal is a natural playmaker, so finding a player that is able to finish their shots and put the puck in the net could provide a nice fit. They need to be able to help Barzal defensively if he isn’t able to recover from his poor 2021-22 defensive results. It’s going to be a costly endeavour, but enabling Mat Barzal will certainly be worth it for the New York Islanders.
The Islanders have lots of young players, prospects and draft picks to offer to be able to get a perfect fit to play beside Barzal. They could also address this need through free agency, by looking at players like Claude Giroux, Filip Forsberg, Bryan Rust or Johnny Gaudreau, they could potentially add a player like that for just the cost of cap space.
This concludes today’s NHL rumours!
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