{"id":48935,"date":"2019-06-15T09:30:32","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T13:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=48935"},"modified":"2020-12-21T15:09:57","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T20:09:57","slug":"nhl-rumours-toronto-maple-leafs-vancouver-canucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/06\/15\/nhl-rumours-toronto-maple-leafs-vancouver-canucks\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another edition of NHL rumours. The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is a week away and chatter around the league is heating up. Today&#8217;s rumours span across Canada involving the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/nhl-teams\/maple-leafs\/\" target=\"_self\">Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/canucks\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vancouver Canucks<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/jets\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Winnipeg Jets<\/a>. In addition, after inking\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/e\/eberljo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Eberle<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/2019\/06\/14\/islanders-re-sign-jordan-eberle\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> a five-year deal<\/a>, it appears the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/nhl-teams\/islanders\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Islanders<\/a> are not done yet.<\/p>\n<p>All of our NHL\u00a0rumours\u00a0are taken from the original source and are subject to change.<\/p>\n<h1>NHL Rumours<\/h1>\n<h2>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour: TSN&#8217;s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Leafs are &#8220;quietly&#8221; shopping backup goaltender\u00a0<\/em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/sparkga01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Garret Sparks<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hearing from a few sources that the Maple Leafs have quietly been shopping Garret Sparks. The backup goalie, 25, has one year left on his deal paying him $750k.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PierreVLeBrun\/status\/1139561820027576322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis:\u00a0<\/em>It appears Toronto is ready to give up on Sparks after a tough season for the 25-year-old. Prior to the 2018-19 season, the Leafs waived backup goaltender <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcelhcu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Curtis McElhinney<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to free up a spot for Sparks. After posting an 8-9-1 record with a 3.15 goals-against-average and .902 save percentage, Sparks failed to win over fans and potentially the front office in his efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Were the Leafs to move on from Sparks, the backup role would need filling. While goaltending prospects\u00a0<strong>Ian Scott\u00a0<\/strong>and <strong>Joseph Woll\u00a0<\/strong>could both join the organization in some capacity next season, it is unlikely either would make the jump to the NHL so soon.<\/p>\n<p>If the Leafs look for options outside the organization, expect any incoming goalie to come at a modest price. Similarly, the return in a possible Sparks deal is likely to consist of a pick or prospect, as the team is in no position to take on any additional salary.<\/p>\n<h2>Vancouver Canucks<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour: J.P Barry, the agent of\u00a0<strong>Loui Eriksson<\/strong>,\u00a0joined Sportsnet 650 radio to discuss his clients future in Vancouver. Barry suggested it may be time for Eriksson&#8217;s departure from the Canucks.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;For a lot of hockey seasons, it might be better for Loui to play somewhere else&#8230;&quot;<\/p>\n<p>J.P Barry with thoughts on Loui Eriksson&#39;s future with the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Canucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Canucks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>LISTEN: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/mDLZc4njsd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/mDLZc4njsd<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kTG2ZPZsrv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/kTG2ZPZsrv<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sportsnet650\/status\/1139558631320375296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis: <\/em>Eriksson&#8217;s time in Vancouver could be coming to a close. Despite appearing in 81 games in 2018-19, he registered just 29 points for the Canucks. With the Swedish winger set to turn 34 prior to the 2019-20 season, it is unlikely he fits into Vancouver&#8217;s vision moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>With three years remaining on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.capfriendly.com\/players\/loui-eriksson\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">six-year $36 million dollar deal<\/a>, moving Eriksson might be tricky. Fortunately, much like the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/marlepa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrick Marleau<\/a><\/strong> contract in Toronto, the structure of the deal makes finding a suitor easier. With only $1 million owed to Eriksson after July 1st, perhaps taking on the former 30-goal scorer is a gamble some teams might take.<\/p>\n<p>Hoping to strike a deal with pending RFA <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/boesebr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brock Boeser<\/a><\/strong>, Canucks general manager <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/benniji01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jim Benning<\/a> is sure to be a busy man this off-season. As Vancouver adds more young talent like\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/petteel01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elias Pettersson<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/hughequ01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Quinn Hughes<\/a><\/strong>, more pay raises are due in the future. With this in mind, Benning will be glad to find a way to get Eriksson off the books to avoid a potential cap crisis in the coming seasons.<\/p>\n<h2>Winnipeg Jets<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour:\u00a0Pierre LeBrun reported in his \u201cLeBrun Notebook\u201d for the Athletic that Winnipeg is listening to offers on\u00a0<\/em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/e\/ehlerni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What does a new contract for Jordan Binnington look like? Such a unique case. That plus other rumblings from around the league in my weekend NHL notebook:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9ax1FmQPvT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/9ax1FmQPvT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PierreVLeBrun\/status\/1139624083921022977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis:\u00a0<\/em>The Jets have some cap concerns heading into a busy offseason. In order to make room for pending RFA&#8217;s\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/connoky01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyle Connor<\/a> <\/strong>and<strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lainepa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrik Laine<\/a><\/strong>, Winnipeg is assessing the value of Ehlers around the league.<\/p>\n<p>At only 23 years old, the young Danish forward already has two 60 point seasons under his belt. Ehlers is sure to garner some attention with six years remaining on a contract with an AAV of $6 million.<\/p>\n<p>The possibility of losing one or both of\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/t\/troubja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jacob Trouba<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/myersty01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Myers<\/a><\/strong> this summer would leave Winnipeg thin on the back end. As a result, a deal involving Ehlers would likely see a defenseman joining the Jets in return.<\/p>\n<p>With speculation that <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kesseph01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Phil Kessel<\/a><\/strong> is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/news\/phil-kessel-likely-to-stay-with-pittsburgh\/c-290396202\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">staying put in Pittsburgh<\/a> and Eberle signing in Long Island, Ehlers value in the market for available wingers is sure to have increased. If the Jets unload Ehlers to free up space, expect the return to be a hefty one.<\/p>\n<h2>New York Islanders<\/h2>\n<p><em>Rumour: NHL Reporter David Pagnotta claims the Islanders are making progress on new deals with both Captain\u00a0<\/em><strong><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/leean01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anders Lee<\/a><\/em><\/strong><em> and goaltender\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lehnero01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Robin Lehner<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Airborne right now, on route to Vegas for Awards festivities, jumped on Wifi and saw Isles signed Eberle. They\u2019re not done. Progress being made on both Lehner and Lee.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheFourthPeriod\/status\/1139593992969117697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Analysis:\u00a0<\/em>The Islanders were shaping up to be a big player in the free agent market this offseason. Having recently signed pending free agents\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/n\/nelsobr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brock Nelson<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/e\/eberljo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan Eberle<\/a><\/strong>, the Isles now appear to be working on new deals for both Lee and Lehner.<\/p>\n<p>Many around the league pegged Long Island as a possible destination for\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/panarar01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Artemi Panarin<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\/or\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/bobrose01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sergei Bobrovsky<\/a><\/strong>. Projected to have roughly $22 million in cap space in 2019-20, adding both Lee and Lehner would eat up the majority of that figure. If the Islanders chose to go the route of resigning this duo, consider them out on the Panarin\/Bobrovsky sweepstakes.<\/p>\n<p>After a surprisingly successful season, general manager Lou Lamoriello looks to be doubling down on this group of players. Under the guidance of head coach Barry Trotz, Lamoriello and co. will be hoping to build on the magic they found in 2018-19 moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s it for today\u2019s NHL rumours. Check back tomorrow for a new batch of rumours and analysis at Last Word on Hockey.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:\u00a0ST PAUL, MN &#8211; APRIL 17: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Winnipeg Jets controls the puck against Matt Cullen #7 of the Minnesota Wild during the first period in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center on April 17, 2018 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Jets defeated the Wild 2-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another edition of NHL rumours. The 2019 NHL Entry Draft is a week away and chatter around the league is heating up. Today&#8217;s rumours span across Canada involving the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets. In addition, after inking\u00a0Jordan Eberle\u00a0to a five-year deal, it appears the New York Islanders are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2966,"featured_media":27559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,17,4321,18,26,33],"tags":[996,325,156,491,5715,3877,360,1269,72,158,357],"class_list":["post-48935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-islanders","category-rumours","category-leafs","category-canucks","category-jets","tag-anders-lee","tag-garret-sparks","tag-loui-eriksson","tag-new-york-islanders","tag-nhl-rumors","tag-nhl-rumours","tag-nikolaj-ehlers","tag-robin-lehner","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-vancouver-canucks","tag-winnipeg-jets"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2966"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}