{"id":95109,"date":"2020-12-23T12:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T17:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=95109"},"modified":"2020-12-22T23:08:50","modified_gmt":"2020-12-23T04:08:50","slug":"nhl-rumours-ducks-blue-jackets-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/12\/23\/nhl-rumours-ducks-blue-jackets-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Rumours: Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Hello and welcome to a special afternoon edition of NHL rumours! The season is just over three weeks away and the news is coming faster. Last Word on Hockey will bring you the best news and analysis every day. Today&#8217;s NHL rumours feature the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/ducks\/\" target=\"_self\">Anaheim Ducks<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/bluejackets\/\" target=\"_self\">Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/blues\/\" target=\"_self\">St. Louis Blues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>NHL Rumours<\/h2>\n<h3>Anaheim Ducks<\/h3>\n<p><em>Rumour: Nick Alberga of FAN590 and Sportsnet indicates that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/millery01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Miller<\/a><\/strong> is prepared to re-sign with the Ducks soon.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At this point, barring something unforeseen, it sure sounds likely that veteran goalie Ryan Miller will be re-signing with the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LetsGoDucks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#LetsGoDucks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thegoldenmuzzy\/status\/1341234315829645312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 22, 2020<\/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 makes sense that the Ducks would want to return their veteran backup. They could have used <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/stolaan01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Stolarz<\/a><\/strong> as the primary backup, but that would have left them with only two goaltenders over the age of 22 along with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=gibsojo02,gibsojo01&amp;search=John+Gibson&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Gibson<\/a><\/strong>. Bringing Miller back adds an extra layer of insurance.<\/p>\n<p>Miller certainly seems capable of grinding out one more year despite being 40-years-old. He appeared in 23 games last year and posted a respectable .907 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against-average. Those are not stellar numbers, but Anaheim really only needs a backup to be average behind someone as talented as Gibson. It&#8217;s not a huge ask for Miller to start 10-15 games in 2020-21 when the regular season will be fewer than 60 games.<\/p>\n<p>Anaheim will still need to trim some space if and when Miller returns to the Ducks. They are roughly $900,000 over the cap as of right now. The team might be able to juggle salaries internally, but it&#8217;s also possible that someone is shipped out in the coming weeks before the season begins as a salary dump.<\/p>\n<h3>Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h3>\n<p><em>Rumour: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reportedly indicating that the Blue Jackets will be involved with teams currently over the salary cap.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Portzline: &quot;Kek\u00e4l\u00e4inen will try to involve himself in trade talks with the handful of NHL franchises (Tampa Bay, Vegas, the New York Islanders) who need to get under the league\u2019s salary cap or some others who simply want to cut payroll.&quot; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CBJ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CBJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The CBJ Center (@CBJcenter) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CBJcenter\/status\/1341111307785957384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 21, 2020<\/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 current league financial situation is perfect for an opportunistic team such as Columbus. General manager Jarmo Kakalainen has done a fantastic job navigating a brutal Metropolitan Division in recent seasons thanks to savvy trades and smart roster construction. It makes perfect sense that he would try and improve the team by trading with teams who are in trouble with the salary cap.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/lightning\/\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> have arguably the most talent to try and pry away, but an <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/12\/21\/report-tampa-bay-lightning-nikita-kucherov-dealing-with-hip-issue\/\" target=\"_self\">injury<\/a> to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kucheni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nikita Kucherov<\/a><\/strong> could help them get under the cap ceiling via the long-term injured reserve. However, there are still a handful of teams who still need to clear space including the talented <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/vegas-golden-knights\/\" target=\"_self\">Vegas Golden Knights<\/a>. It&#8217;s not hard to see the Blue Jackets targeting someone like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/w\/whiteza01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Whitecloud<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/n\/nosekto01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tomas Nosek<\/a><\/strong> as a way to add depth and grit.<\/p>\n<p>Columbus will certainly be a player in the market regardless of their partner or partners. They have over $9 million in cap space at this time. That kind of flexibility is something many teams would envy in a world where COVID seriously impacted team finances and flattened the salary cap. It&#8217;s only a matter of time before the Jackets engage with the right team and make a brilliant move.<\/p>\n<h3>St. Louis Blues<\/h3>\n<p><em>Rumour: The final NHL rumour today comes from ESPN 102.5 FM. They indicate via Elliotte Friedman that the Blues might be interested in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=hoffmmi02,hoffmmi01&amp;search=Mike+Hoffman&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Hoffman<\/a><\/strong> before the season begins.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Friedman adds that the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Preds?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Preds<\/a> are not current contenders for free agent Mike Hoffman, and that the Blues may be the most interested in Hoffman as Alex Steen&#39;s injury frees up cap space in STL.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; 102.5 &amp; 106.3 The Game (@1025TheGame) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/1025TheGame\/status\/1341101438823493634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 21, 2020<\/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>There is little argument that Hoffman is the best free-agent left on the market. The 31-year-old might not do much besides score, but he excels at that regardless of his other skills. His 29 goals and 59 points in 69 games for the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/panthers\/\" target=\"_self\">Florida Panthers<\/a> gave him a fifth consecutive season with at least 50 points.<\/p>\n<p>It seems like that scoring touch would work well in St. Louis in 2020-21. They have a gap on their top-six without <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/t\/tarasvl01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vladimir Tarasenko<\/a><\/strong>, who <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/08\/31\/st-louis-blues-vladimir-tarasenko-misses-time\/\" target=\"_self\">remains out<\/a> indefinitely with lingering shoulder trouble. It&#8217;s unclear when the dynamic Russian will return, so adding a scorer like Hoffman is important. It keeps the Blues that much more competitive in a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2020\/12\/18\/excitement-from-new-st-louis-blues-division\/\" target=\"_self\">realigned division<\/a> by limiting the drop off they might have experienced without Tarasenko. It&#8217;s not as though he is critical to St. Louis&#8217; success, but every little bit helps in a strange, shortened season.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that signing Hoffman is not all the Blues need to manage. They still have to re-sign <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/dunnvi02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vince Dunn<\/a><\/strong>, one of their best young defenders. That is one huge limiting factor in how much the team can offer Hoffman while they are still over the salary cap. Then there is how much Hoffman will want. The Blues didn&#8217;t make a run at <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/granlmi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mikael Granlund<\/a><\/strong> thanks to his reported asking price of $3.75 million. They might pass on Hoffman if his number is in similar territory <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/andystrickland\/status\/1341541558139703299?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">per<\/a> Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest. It&#8217;s not impossible for St. Louis to retain Dunn and integrate Hoffman, but the money is a big challenge for the moment.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"Z0H_YjmRQXhOXyCBWXDjFA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/1130409041\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Z0H_YjmRQXhOXyCBWXDjFA',sig:'Ym5yJPPYk1qJJlsqPyteIXvtxXE5l8i057E6wf7p2_g=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1130409041',caption: true ,tld:'ca',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hello and welcome to a special afternoon edition of NHL rumours! The season is just over three weeks away and the news is coming faster. Last Word on Hockey will bring you the best news and analysis every day. Today&#8217;s NHL rumours feature the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues. NHL Rumours [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3127,"featured_media":95143,"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":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4547,20,11,2,4548,4321,32],"tags":[118,1169,111,37,123,771,38,583,563,39,2025,716],"class_list":["post-95109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hockey","category-ducks","category-bluejackets","category-featured","category-nhl","category-rumours","category-blues","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-anthony-stolarz","tag-columbus-blue-jackets","tag-hockey","tag-john-gibson","tag-mike-hoffman","tag-nhl","tag-nikita-kucherov","tag-ryan-miller","tag-st-louis-blues","tag-vince-dunn","tag-vladimir-tarasenko"],"modified_by":"Jim Biringer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95109","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\/3127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}