Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! Recently we’ve discussed taking a look at the buzz concerning the league as a whole, but a few teams are looking to address needs. It’s been over a month of game action and trends are being set and needs are becoming glaring. Today’s rumours involve the Dallas Stars and the New York Islanders.
NHL Rumours
Dallas Stars
Rumour: Elliote Friedman on 32 Thoughts Podcast talks about Dallas getting a defenceman
When you look at the Dallas Stars, that is a well-balanced lineup. They are a team that can roll four lines and has one of the best young goaltenders in the league. Matt Duchene is one of the best free agent signings this summer and has given Dallas another top tier scoring line. But one position they lack is depth defensively.
Miro Heiskanen is a top five defenceman in this league and excels in his two-way game. However, if he was ever to go down with injury it would be tough times on the back end. Friedman says they are out to find the best defenceman that they can find and there is a surplus of them.
One team they may give a call to is Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames. Calgary has three defencemen on expiring deals and one who has already requested a trade. Any one of Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov would fit like a glove on that team.
Dallas is a team with high Stanley Cup aspirations and getting a defenceman will go a long way to bringing Texas another championship this sports season.
New York Islanders
Rumour: Elliote Friedman on 32 Thoughts talks about the Islanders and goal scoring
Lou Lamoriello is back on his search for a scorer. Although, it is not for a lack of trying. In recent memory he has thrown his hat in the ring for prized free agents such as Artemi Panarin and Johnny Gaudreau. As the hockey world knows they signed elsewhere.
Lamoriello made his big splash trade for Bo Horvat last trade deadline and locked him up to a long-term deal. He brings stability and depth down the middle, but scoring has been an issue for the Islanders this season.
New York sits 30th with 2.44 goals per game and 29th with 31 goals scored. The team has three players with double digit points but nobody with double digit goals. Regardless of their style of play, New York needs goal scoring and badly.
Lou does not have much money to work with but with the team where it is in the standings and struggling to score, the phones will look to be working. Friedman does mention they are also in on some of the available defencemen in Calgary. They’ve struggled to score but have also struggled to defend and it sounds like more issues could be addressed than one.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
