{"id":74400,"date":"2020-05-04T08:30:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-04T12:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com\/?p=74400"},"modified":"2020-12-21T14:49:25","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T19:49:25","slug":"nhl-rumours-edmonton-oilers-carolina-hurricanes-montreal-canadiens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/05\/04\/nhl-rumours-edmonton-oilers-carolina-hurricanes-montreal-canadiens\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello and welcome to a Monday edition of NHL Rumours<\/a>. Hockey remains on hiatus but news continues to trickle in from around the world. Last Word on Hockey will keep bringing you the best news and analysis from across the hockey universe each day. Today’s NHL Rumours feature the Edmonton Oilers<\/a>, Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> and Montreal Canadiens<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NHL Rumours<\/h2>\n

Edmonton Oilers<\/h3>\n

Rumour: A recent mailbag<\/a> on Sportsnet from Mark Spector indicates the Oilers would happily buy out forward James Neal<\/a><\/strong> if the circumstances allow.<\/em><\/p>\n

Analysis:\u00a0<\/em>Neal was so close to working out in Edmonton. He was blistering in October with 11 goals and 13 points and good through December. However, 2020 wasn’t kind to the 32-year-old where he scored no goals and just four points in 13 games. He also missed February due to injury. That isn’t good enough for someone who costs $5.75 million for the next three seasons. Neal simply made too much money without recent production in a world where the salary cap might stay flat for next season.<\/p>\n

The money that would go to Neal would instead go a long way towards securing a top asset on the free-agent market. Most of Edmonton’s big needs are secured with a prime top line, a decent blue line, and goalie Mikko Koskinen<\/a><\/strong> but they need more. The offence needs some major attention. The Oilers need another scoring threat to supplement stars Connor McDavid<\/a><\/strong> and Leon Draisaitl<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If Edmonton can use Neal’s money and find space elsewhere, they could make a run at former Oiler Taylor Hall<\/a><\/strong>. Hall has been fine in 2019-20 splitting time between the New Jersey Devils<\/a> and Arizona Coyotes<\/a> but he hasn’t been the dominant presence most expected this season. Edmonton has top-six ideal for someone of Hall’s calibre. He could slide next to McDavid, Drasaitl or even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins<\/a><\/strong> and give Edmonton another dangerous look on the wing. It’s a shame Neal didn’t work out after a strong start but his money could go towards keeping Edmonton on top in the Pacific Division.<\/p>\n

Carolina Hurricanes<\/h3>\n

Rumour: The Athletic’s Sara Civian had a mailbag in late April where she discussed Carolina’s looming free-agent decisions.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Trevor van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson
Sami Vatanen
Warren Foegele
Haydn Fleury<\/p>\n

What will happen to the Hurricanes' RFA and UFA's?<\/p>\n

From @SaraCivian<\/a>:https:\/\/t.co\/1c3itNzY9t<\/a><\/p>\n

— The Athletic Carolina (@TheAthleticCAR) April 28, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n