Even though it is the midway point in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; the NHL rumour mill is constantly churning. Teams are already making their off-season plans. The draft lottery has already passed, and there are coaching vacancies that need to be filled. Today’s rumours focus on the New Jersey Devils and the Dallas Stars.
NHL Rumours
New Jersey Devils
Rumour: Elliotte Friedman talked on the 32 Thoughts Podcast about the New Jersey Devils considering trading the second overall pick in the 2022 Draft.
Analysis: The New Jersey Devils again struck gold in the lottery draft. This team is not new to securing the higher pick in the draft. Ensuring a high choice has helped them form the youthful core they currently have.
In 2017, the Devils won the rights to the first overall pick. New Jersey used that pick to select center and current captain on the team Nico Hischier. Two years later, the Devils won the lottery again and used that first overall pick on Jack Hughes. These two form a 1-2 punch down the middle and shape the core they have created.
The Devils had a down year despite an off-season where they made some major additions. When the lottery picks were announced, it is confirmed that the Devils hold the second overall pick. Accept this time around, things are different, and management has a different approach.
As much joy as there was in Devils Nation, Tom Fitzgerald and his management team may look to trade the pick for an NHL-ready player. According to Elliotte Freedman, Fitzgerald and Co. will sit down and meet about the pick and make a list of players that would be worth trading the pick for.
NJ Advanced Media got the chance to interview Fitzgerald and he spoke his mind about the second overall pick. “I said this two drafts ago, when we had the three first-round picks, I’m open to whatever can help our team improve,” Fitzgerald said before the Devils discovered they received the No. 2 pick. “If that is using a pick like that, wherever it may be, to help bring in a player that we know, and feel, will help impact the results that we are looking for, absolutely.”
The Devils have been linked to Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala, but who knows if anything comes to fruition. All eyes are on the Devils now.
Dallas Stars
Rumour: Also on the 32 Thought Podcast Friedman states Dallas Stars are eyeing Rick Tocchet or Marc Savard for the coaching vacancy.
Analysis: After Rich Bowness stepped down from coaching, the search for a new coach is on. The rumour is that the Stars have their eyes set on two guys so far: Rick Tocchet and Marc Savard.
Marc Savard is the younger of the two. Savard is a former player in the NHL and has coaching experience in the NHL as an assistant for the St. Louis Blues. Savard is currently coaching in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires. Why is he on the radar? Savard currently coaches Wyatt Johnson, who is one of the Stars’ top prospects and could crack the roster in the coming season.
The Stars were possibly going to make a coaching change back in December and had their eyes on Rick Tocchet, but a deal could not get done. Dallas could circle back around on Tocchet and try to pry him out of the TNT studio.
Tocchet comes with experience as a player and as a coach. With stints coaching the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning, he has coached 438 games and has a record of 178-200-60.
The Stars have the talent on the roster and are an attractive destination to coach. It’s just a matter of who.
