Action is heating up quickly in the NHL this week. Trade and free agent rumors are aplenty, all fueled by the tantalizingly close Seattle Expansion Draft on July 21st. But while fans’ adrenaline is running high after today’s Ryan Graves trade earlier, there’s a variety of other news and notes from around the Eastern Conference to look at today.
- While most of the hype surrounding the Detroit Red Wings lately has been the trade potential of Tyler Bertuzzi, there’s still decisions that the team needs to make elsewhere on the roster. A Detroit offseason piece from The Athletic’s Max Bultman reports that Detroit is interesting in bringing back a pair of pending UFAs in Jonathan Bernier and Luke Glendening. Bernier’s been a very solid netminder for Detroit since arriving in 2018-19. His best season was undoubtedly this last one, posting a 9-11-1 record and .914 save percentage, both his best numbers since signing with the Wings. He forms a decent pairing with Thomas Greiss, who’s still under contract, and would help the Wings stay afloat. There’s also Glendening, who’s passable defensively and gained positive notoriety for his faceoff prowess. Both extensions, hypothetically, would be affordable and decent moves for the rebuilding Wings.
- The Athletic’s Arpon Basu reports that the Montreal Canadiens are likely to let center Phillip Danault test the market. While this may be a shock to some, there’s a sort of backstory to this. It was widely reported last summer that general manager Marc Bergevin had offered Danault a six-year deal with a $5MM cap hit. That’s still Montreal’s offer, according to Basu and others. Montreal and Danault are both keeping the door open in case he can’t receive better offers on the open market, leading one to believe that the relationship is still amicable between the two. However, it’s reasonable to think that Danault would receive a better offer from a variety of teams desperate to improve their center depth, making a return to Montreal anything but certain.
- In a piece by The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark examining how recent moves have affected the Seattle Expansion Draft landscape, he notes that the Pittsburgh Penguins will likely be exposing one of either Jeff Carter or Kasperi Kapanen. It comes on the heels of center Teddy Blueger signing a two-year extension, signaling that Pittsburgh plans to protect him. If it’s Carter exposed, that could have ramifications for Pittsburgh’s center depth early on in the season, as Evgeni Malkin won’t be ready to start the season. If it’s Kapanen, that’s an extremely dangerous proposition. They gave up significant assets last year to acquire him from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it’d be inarguably poor asset management to let him walk for nothing.
I don’t see the Pens leaving Kapanen available. Not a chance IMO
Lol they had to have meant McCann vs Bluegar.. let’s say they meant McCann … no chance Kap is exposed.
No chance in any spectrum of reality that there’s any debate between protecting 35 year old Carter and Kap.
Carter will be exposed, much like
Ryan Clark of the athletic has been exposed got lack of hockey knowledge. Also the real Ryan Clark is much classier and more famous
Not exposing Kapanen. Gonna be Zucker for sure. Maybe Carter if he says he’ll retire if selected and McCann. Unfounded speculation by Clark.
1) The Pens sign Blueger to a contract.
2) ?????
3) Profit.
The Pens signing Blueger to an extension means he’s under contract, just like all of the other players they have under contract. Why are people assuming that the recency of his means he’ll be protected? I’d hate to lose him and think it’s very possible Francis takes him, but he’s a replaceable player.
Kasperi Kapanen is a young impact top 6 player who they just gave up a first round pick for…and they are going to not protect him? On what planet?
I don’t see a protection slot available for Carter, I think they have to cross their fingers that his age chases SEA away. Losing him would be bad. But losing the others would be worse.
Sid Geno Jake Rust Kap Tanev McCann Kris Dumo Matheson Jarry
As much as we want Seattle to take him, there is a decent chance that Zucker will be one of the best (maybe the best) wingers available. He’s still young enough and with an OK AAV. They might just claim him anyway, but it probably would only take a mild sweetener (4th or 5th round pick) to ensure his selection.
I’m thinking they’ll take Petterson off the Pens, his contract isn’t too bad and will help them get to the salary floor plus there’s plenty of solid wingers out there that can produce similar to what Zucker would imho
Because pens need the guaranteed cap releif whether its zuck, petts or even McCann.
Lose Zuck, you still got McCann and vice versa..
lose Bluegar and they’re in trouble with bottom 6 and PK and don’t get any cap relief. Looking like Teddy B will be the final protected spot , as he was the favorite to be taken between himself and Petts.
Maybe Petts will still be the pick, but looking like McCann and im not gonna cry over it. Actually I’m in the minority who would rather keep Zuck anyways.
Jeff Carter will be exposed as there’s no reason for Seattle to take him.
Zucker over McCann is definitely a minority position. McCann is a better winger than Zucker, can play center passably which Zucker cannot, is younger and cheaper.
I wanted Zucker, liked the trade, still believe it was a good move that has not worked out as well as it should have, etc. etc. but…it’s a cap league and now, he gotta go.
I should’ve specified that Zuck will prob have a R2 or something attached to him.
McCann and Zuck are apples to apples on the wing. Only advantage Mccann holds is center flexibility.. which could end up being irrelevant next season.
If we have to give up a high pick to convince them to take Zuck then doesn’t seem worth it, as neither is special/both are servicable.
Maybe Seattle will shock everyone and take Jeff Carter tho. Lmaoooooooo
Any way you slice it, Pittsburgh’s losing a valuable piece. Carter? His age isn’t going to chase Seattle away. He just put in a magnificent run for the Penguins, and while he was playing over his head, he’s got a pretty livable cap hit. That’s veteran leadership for the Kraken, and furthermore someone to flip as a rental to a team that hopes he can do for them what he did for the Pens.
Why do people keep mentioning players that Seattle can flip at the deadline? Like Vegas did?
If Seattle’s plan is to rebuild from year one, they should fire Ronnie today.
They have money, they have a blank slate, they have a big market, they play in a weak division (VGK is the only sure playoff team in the Pacific next year). Why wouldn’t they try to win right now?
Vegas didn’t flip at the deadline because they looked at their record, and decided they were all in. And this was the ONLY TIME IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS HISTORY that a pure expansion team had done remotely so well. Only one other expansion team in NHL history has had so much as a winning record, and that was nearly a century ago.
Ron Francis isn’t stupid, and he’s not going to go into the expansion draft betting his job and the team’s future on the Kraken being VGK 2.0. Because there’s never any guarantee of that. Hell, go ask Jarmo Kekalainen if he’s feeling smart these days about getting nothing for Panarin and Bobrobsky, AND trading TWO first rounders, TWO second rounders and Anthony Duclair for a couple months’ worth of Matt Duchene’s and Ryan Dzingel’s services.
Sure, they can try to win right now. And if they don’t … then maybe they don’t want to be caught with their pants down around their ankles.
Because it was the ONLY TIME IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS HISTORY that the rules actually gave an expansion team a legit chance to be good. Seattle gets the same rules.
And their division gives them a clear path to immediate success.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Co. didn’t spend $650 million to go small and be the next Blue Jackets. Taking older players hoping they both play well and stay healthy enough to get a third round pick for them at the deadline while missing the playoffs will not be their plan.
Glad to know you’re confident in your crystal ball.
Remember except for carter rutherford moves. Hextall realizes this group can’t win . need to lose someone with salary. To make any real changes.
I don’t think that’s the thought at all.
They’re looking to add grit and better goaltending this off-season.
No major shakeup at all.
anyone giving Danault 6 years at 5 million per is crazy. any team going above that is bat shot crazy
Got to agree there. Danault’s a second liner at best, and he’s 27 — his scoring isn’t going to *improve* from here. The number of teams out there that have $5 million to give to ANYone is limited, never mind for six years.
Wild will be bat shit crazy :)
what’s the pressing need to protect Carter at his age? he may be valuable, but I cant say he’s irreplaceable in a market that may see players be forced into cheap deals due to lacking cap space.
Ryan S. Clark needs pushed through the woodchipper is the pressing need
Penguins PR prob has him in their pocket so some fans will think WOW they exposed Carter AND Kap and got to keep both !!!!
Like dumb fans who saw all tho goals in the playoffs and think he’s a top 3 talent for them
Remember when radulov got the offer from Dallas, I remember the media saying for him to make the same money in Canada the hand had to offer him a contract in 9 mil per range. So depending on who gives him offers 6 per maybe a whole more
speaking of Ty Bertuzzi , thatd be the absolute perfect bottom 6 fit for the Penguins
and honestly Bernier might end up being the perfect price/role for Penguins as well.. actually wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being the answer at GK once the top guys get bigger deals