It is another fantastic day for NHL Rumours. With a slew of injuries surrounding the league, teams are navigating how to weather the storm and push through it. Adversity is a great thing even if it is in the beginning of the year. Speaking of adversity, two teams are facing it as we speak. The New Jersey Devils are one of them but today’s rumours surround the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers.
NHL Rumours
Carolina Hurricanes
Rumour: Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading talks about the Hurricanes goalie situation
Not many teams can lose their number one goaltender and live to tell the tale. However, the Carolina Hurricanes have that luxury. If one goes down, they have the next man up to fill the role and perfectly. However, LeBrun wonders if they explore the trade market to help shore up the position.
Frederik Andersen is out indefinitely with a health issue and hopes are that he has a good recovery to get back to form. Ideally, the club would like to get goalie Pyotr Kochetkov to develop further in the AHL. Right now he is with the big club, but he has been great for the Syracuse Crunch. He has a 1.63 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. He is with the team now, but they could pivot to other teams who have three goalies on the roster.
The two teams LeBrun mentions are the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. Each team currently employs three goaltenders and could be enticed to moving one of them. Detroit is not going to part ways with Ville Husso, but could move James Reimer or Alex Lyons. Ironically, both goaltenders have had stints with the team, so it does come with familiarity. Reimer has played four games and has a 1.89 goals against average and a .944 save percentage. Also, he has a 2.0 goals saved above expected and has been steady behind Husso.
In the case of Montreal they have a healthy blend of youth and veterans. Sam Montembeault has been a great presence in the crease, but the other two could be a fit in Carolina. The veteran Jake Allen has been stellar to begin the year and so has the goaltending for the Habs as a whole. Allen has a 3.35 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. His 1.8 goals saved above expected is first on the roster. Cayden Primeau has been the worst of the three.
Carolina does not need to make a big move but if they want to develop Kochetkov further they can look to bring a veteran in to weather the storm. They have brought in Jaroslav Halak but have not signed him to a contract officially.
Edmonton Oilers
Rumour: Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading discusses head coaching for the Edmonton Oilers
There are plenty of NHL Rumours surrounding the Oilers in Alberta. Life in Oilers Country hasn’t been great to say the least. Jack Campbell has been waived in year two of a five year contract. In addition, Connor McDavid described their game against the Nashville Predators as “death by a thousand cuts”, and the team has the second worst record in the league. The team is addressing the goaltending woes the best they can, but the next question lies from behind the bench.
LeBrun goes on to say that it is not that the team has given up on him. However, if the team loses to the San Jose Sharks Thursday night, things can change. If Ken Holland opts to make a move, LeBrun links a name that could be a fit for the Oilers.
Gerard Gallant could make his way behind the bench. Even though he recently got fired from being the bench boss of the New York Rangers, he had success. New York finished with back-to-back 100-point seasons and reached the conference finals. Also, he is a familiar face with Holland. They were once teammates in the AHL and have remained friends ever since.
It can go only go up from here for the Oilers but if things continue to spiral changes could come.
Main Photo: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
