It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours as we continue with round one of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. While some teams are duking it out for the Stanley Cup, others that missed out are trying to figure out the next step. Some general managers have to figure how to balance the salary cap and keep their players. Other general managers might still be in the process of making a coaching change. Today’s NHL rumours feature the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Seattle Kraken.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Pittsburgh Penguins
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman joined insider Gord Stellick to talk about what Sidney Crosby‘s next contract might look like.
Analysis: Crosby will be in the final year of his contract in the 2024-25 season. However, he can sign a contract extension on July 1. The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia is making $8.7 million and is in line to get some kind of bump in pay.
Friedman speculated that the future Hall of Famer would likely fetch a two or three-year deal that would net him around $10.5 million. Crosby’s cap hit will be somewhat offset by the increase that he’ll likely get. The superstar said he would talk to Penguins general manager about a new deal, but things will likely stay quiet until the final framework is in place.
Pittsburgh missed out on the post-season once again, but it doesn’t seem like it will wave the white flag. The Penguins will have to juggle some things with their roster and the salary cap. However, Dubas probably wants to give Crosby one last honest run at another Stanley Cup crown.
There are some interesting things like Kris Letang might be out for a while. There are other things like where do the Penguins go in goal with Tristan Jarry or Alex Nedeljkovic. Dubas has a number of things to tackle with the Penguins this offseason.
Seattle Kraken
Rumour: ESPN and the Associated Press did an article saying that General Manager Ron Francis isn’t ruling out possible changes in the offseason.
Analysis: Seattle came back down to Earth after making round two of the playoffs last season. Francis said evaluations were still ongoing as of early last week. This means that Head Coach Dave Hakstol and the rest of the coaching staff are being looked at.
The former Philadelphia Flyers and University of North Dakota bench boss got a two-year contract extension after the Kraken made the playoffs last year. Hakstol also was nominated for the Jack Adams Award after last season. He’s gone 107-112-27 in his three seasons in charge of the Kraken.
However, Seattle took a step back after a strong sophomore campaign. Injuries did play a hand in some of that, but Francis could be inclined to make a change while it’s still early in the offseason process. Francis noted to the media that Seattle was the only team in the league to rank in the top 10 in most defensive metrics and not make the playoffs. Losing players like Andre Burakovsky, Philipp Grubauer, and Vince Dunn did hamper the Kraken. However, goal-scoring was one of the biggest red flags for the team. Seattle went 13-16-3 after the All-Star break, and a painful overtime loss at home to the Vegas Golden Knights on March 12 brought an end to any reasonable playoff aspirations.
Offence will seem to be the top priority for Francis this offseason. In contrast, maybe a coaching change would bolster Seattle’s offensive chances. Getting rid of Hakstol would mean that Seattle would join the coaching chase along with a number of other teams.
Main photo by: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
