Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Hurricanes Rumors

Minor Transactions: 11/01/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s a new month in the NHL and with it the league is kicking things off with a game in Finland between the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets. While Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine get to show off for their home country, the rest of the league continues to make minor moves to prepare for the upcoming slate of games. As always, we’ll keep track of those moves right here.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Phillip Di Giuseppe to the minor leagues, returning him to the Charlotte Checkers after two games in the NHL. The Hurricanes do play tomorrow night in Arizona, making it a little surprising that they would reduce their roster at the moment. The move actually won’t save the team any money since Di Giuseppe is on a one-way contract, meaning there will likely be a corresponding move before long.
  • Jalen Chatfield is on his way up to the Vancouver Canucks as the team continues to deal with injuries to their defense corps. The team reassigned Guillaume Brisebois to the minor leagues, without him actually playing a game with the club. The team likely doesn’t want to keep young players up in the NHL for long without giving them ice time.
  • Austin Wagner and Sean Walker are back up with the Los Angeles Kings after the team completed some cap maneuvering last night. In order to take full effect of Jonathan Quick’s long-term injured reserve stint, the team used several paper transactions to get them as close to the cap as possible. Now that they’ve completed it, Wagner and Walker are back in the NHL.

Hurricanes Making Progress In Contract Talks With Sebastian Aho

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Hurricanes have made progress towards locking up star winger Sebastian Aho to a long-term deal, reports Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer.  GM Don Waddell acknowledged that he’s hopeful a deal can be reached by the end of the season.  If he’s unsigned at that point, he will become a restricted free agent this summer but will not have salary arbitration rights.

The 21-year-old is off to a prolific start to his year, setting a franchise record for a consecutive point streak to start a season while also equalling an NHL record for the most consecutive games with an assist to start a season.  While negotiations have been ongoing since the start of the year, it’s reasonable to suspect that this has boosted the asking price as talks progress.

Waddell provided a little insight into the talks, noting that there are roughly 20 reasonably-comparable players to the winger.  Aho and agent Gerry Johansson have three outliers on the high end of that scale while the team has three on the low end.  The two sides are looking to find a middle ground between the remainder of those comparables with Waddell stating that “The amount of money we’re talking, there’s not a crazy difference”.

One of the outliers on Aho and Johansson’s end is believed to be Sabres center Jack Eichel who is in the first season of an eight-year, $80MM contract.  Alexander notes that a deal like that is not on the table for Aho.

Some potential comparable players that aren’t on quite as expensive of a contract would include Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele, Colorado pivot Nathan MacKinnon, Calgary center Sean Monahan plus winger Johnny Gaudreau, and Boston winger David Pastrnak.  All of those players are top-line options on their respective clubs and carry cap hits between $6.125MM and $6.75MM.  With the Upper Limit increasing in recent years, the equivalent salary cap percentage could realistically stretch Aho’s next contract over the $7MM mark.

Carolina won’t have any issue fitting Aho’s next deal onto their books as they have just shy of $47MM committed to 13 players for next season, per CapFriendly.  He’s one of their lowest-paid players this season with a base salary of just $925K (the entry-level maximum) but by this time one year from now, Aho will almost assuredly be the top-paid player on the Hurricanes, surpassing center Jordan Staal ($6MM) for that title.

Teams “Calling Left And Right” On William Nylander

at CDT | by 17 Comments

The calendar is about to turn over to November, and like the seemingly daily updates that have come out for the past few months there is no progress in talks between the Toronto Maple Leafs and restricted free agent William Nylander. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet calls the situation “a deadlock” in his latest 31 Thoughts column, and notes that the team will have to start considering a trade at some point. That leads right into Frank Seravalli of TSN’s first Trade Bait board of the season, which lists Nylander at the very top of a group of 15 players. Seravalli reports that “teams have been calling the [Maple] Leafs left and right” to inquire about Nylander, though Toronto is continuing to turn them away.

Now just a month away from the December 1st deadline—which would make Nylander ineligible to play at all this season should he fail to have a contract by then—pressure is starting to really build between the two sides. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic again pointed towards the Carolina Hurricanes as a team that has interest in Nylander, something that Seravalli agrees with noting that they’ve made it “explicitly clear” that they would put in an offer if Toronto makes him available. While there is no reason to believe a trade is the likely outcome at this point, there are obviously teams ready to pounce if the young forward is ever shopped around.

There’s good reason for that interest, given the consecutive 61-point seasons Nylander has recorded and strong overall performance for the Maple Leafs. Though he hasn’t played yet this season, there is considerable upside for any team who could pry him loose and get him under contract. Remember though that any team that is trading for him would need time to work out their own contract before the deadline, making the real deadline for Toronto even sooner than that December 1st threshold.

All of this is moot if the two sides can get together on something, but from all accounts Toronto GM Kyle Dubas has stuck to a number or salary range that would allow him to fit everyone into their structure going forward. With Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner still to sign next summer, Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan has publicly stated that some players may have to take a little less in order to win in Toronto. He pointed to how John Tavares turned down more lucrative offers in free agency, while explaining that his former Red Wings teammates may have done the same when they were trying to make a dynasty in Detroit. There has been no sense from the Nylander camp one way or the other how they feel about that kind of a situation, other than the high priced long-term asks at the beginning of the negotiation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 10/31/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s Halloween and the NHL has just a single game on tap, as the Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Vancouver Canucks this evening. As teams hand out tricks or treats to their fringe roster players, we’ll be right here to keep track of all the movement.

  • Ville Husso has been returned to the minor leagues by the St. Louis Blues, after Jake Allen rejoined the team at practice. Allen’s injury is apparently not as serious as originally feared, meaning Husso can go back to starting for the San Antonio Rampage for now. The 23-year old goaltender is still waiting for his first shot at the NHL, but has to clean up his game at the AHL level first.
  • Colby Cave, who was up on emergency conditions for the Boston Bruins, has been returned to the AHL. Cave, who played three games for the Bruins last season, is a hugely important forward for the AHL’s Providence Bruins, but was only brought up as insurance for some of the banged up NHL players. He’ll likely see some game action with Boston later on this season, but for now will return and try to extend his excellent start to the year.
  • The Minnesota Wild have reassigned Matt Read to the AHL, after seeing him play just five games in the NHL. The veteran forward will be used as an extra man this season and bounce up and down, clearing waivers when required.
  • Wade Megan has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, while Joe Hicketts is on his way back to the Grand Rapids Griffins. This is Megan’s first recall of the season after clearing waivers just before the end of training camp. The 28-year old forward has four points in eight games with the Griffins, and will be looking to play just his fifth career NHL game if he can get into the Detroit lineup.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Austin Wagner and Sean Walker back to the Ontario Reign, partly as a cap-saving move. The Kings find themselves pressed right up against the cap ceiling given their current roster, and are trying to save space by sending players down on short term assignments. The team will likely recall a forward before tomorrow’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, though since they’re in a long homestand could use the proximity of Ontario to their advantage and remain at a roster of 21 for as long as possible.
  • The New York Islanders have recalled Christopher Gibson under emergency conditions as Robin Lehner is dealing with a minor injury. Sending Tom Kuhnhackl down to the minor leagues in his place could mean that Cal Clutterbuck is ready to return, but for now the focus is on the goaltending position and how long Lehner will be out. Coach Barry Trotz didn’t believe it was a serious injury, but with Lehner playing so well to start the season it’s tough to see him taken off the ice at all.
  • Aaron Ness has been recalled by the Washington Capitals, while Travis Boyd has been sent down on a long-term injury conditioning loan. With Brooks Orpik dealing with a minor injury, Ness will serve as insurance for any pregame injuries.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Haydn Fleury from Charlotte of the AHL.  The 22-year-old played in four games with the Checkers while on loan from Carolina and while he may once again be the odd man out on their back end to start, he’ll at least be in better game shape when called upon.

Metro Notes: Ho-Sang, Aho, Goalies

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The selection of Josh Ho-Sang in 2014 hasn’t worked out very well for the New York Islanders. The 28th-overall pick has played in just 43 games in the NHL, and failed to make the Islanders out of camp once again. Now, in a new piece from Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, Ho-Sang doesn’t believe he even had much of a chance. Detailing how he rarely played in the preseason and was quickly cut, Ho-Sang also doesn’t feel as though he’s getting a very good opportunity in the minor leagues with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

This isn’t the first time the talented forward has spoken out about his treatment in the Islanders organization, as just last March he pointed out that they wanted him to work on his defensive game while the NHL team was giving up the most goals in the league. The 22-year old has just four assists and zero goals in his first nine games with the Sound Tigers this year, and might be getting close to the point of needing a fresh start in a different organization. There’s no indication that the Islanders are looking to trade him, but there is obviously a frustration between the two sides.

  • You won’t find that kind of divide between the Carolina Hurricanes and their own talented young forward, as Sebastian Aho is very happy to explore long-term deals with the club. Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer details the latest in contract negotiations, noting that both sides are looking for a long-term contract extension and believe it will get done before the end of the year. The two sides are relatively close in terms of salary, but are just working out where exactly the talented youngster will land among his contemporaries. Aho is off to an excellent start with 16 points in his first 11 games, and could easily surpass his career-high of 65 set last season. The 21-year old is in the final year of his entry-level contract, and looks like a budding superstar after making the move to center this season.
  • Meanwhile, Carolina also has some tough decisions to make when it comes to their current roster. The team still has three goaltenders with them after activating Scott Darling from injured reserve, and are obviously loath to lose one on waivers. Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek have not been very good this season despite the Hurricanes strong start, but it’s not obvious which of the three goaltenders would provide the least value at the NHL level. For now, they’ll work with three on the roster according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, at least for their upcoming road trip.

Trade Rumors: Hurricanes, Hayes, Pearson

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the biggest early surprises of the 2018-19 season with a 6-3-1 record that trails only the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division. The team is in the top half of the league in goals for and against, led by top-ten NHL scorer Sebastian Aho and a top-six on defense that rivals anyone in the league. The Hurricanes are certainly not without flaws, special teams and goaltending to highlight a couple, but overall have been very impressive with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Yet, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that new GM Don Waddell is “open for business”. Given the surplus of talented defenseman on the Carolina roster and in the system, Waddell simply has the luxury of fielding offers from D-needy teams and waiting for the right offer. Potentially on the block could be long-time ’Cane Justin Faulk, young Brett Pesce, or reliable Trevor van Riemsdyk. Each of Carolina’s top-six defensemen is signed through at least next season, making these three righties attractive long-term additions. Teams in search of a younger asset could also take a look at AHLers Haydn Fleury or Roland McKeown, long considered by many to be players that should be playing regular minutes in the NHL. Garrioch notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are among the teams most desperate for help on the right side of the blue line and adds fuel to the fire by reporting that Toronto GM Kyle Dubas was in attendance at the ’Canes last game. It has been rumored that Carolina could be the leading candidate to land disgruntled William Nylander, while Edmonton could be willing to part with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the right deal. Waddell’s first trade, in which he acquired Micheal Ferland and Dougie Hamilton from the Calgary Flames, has worked out nicely thus far. Can he do it again?

  • It comes as no surprise that New York Rangers center Kevin Hayes is drawing trade interest. Despite his insistence that he would like to remain in New York, the one-year extension he signed this off-season said otherwise. The rebuilding Rangers are likely to deal Hayes, one of many younger centers on the roster, before he has the chance to walk as a free agent. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports that many teams already have their eye on Hayes, implying that he may not last until the NHL Trade Deadline. Kypreos specifically names the Winnipeg Jets as a team in need of a center, after Paul Stastny’s unexpected departure this summer has left them short-handed down the middle. However, the Jets are not alone in that predicament; after losing Riley Nash to free agency and a failed preseason competition for the spot, the Boston Bruins could very much use a rental player at third-line pivot, while the trades of three different centers away from the club this summer has left the Arizona Coyotes thin at the position. These are just three of what is likely to be a list of more than a dozen suitors for the Rangers to choose between. Hayes’ days are numbered in New York.
  • One name that could be a sneaky candidate to be the first notable trade victim of the regular season is Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Pearson. The Kings are floundering this season, holders of the worst record in the Western Conference, and Pearson has been part of the problem. The 26-year-old winger has just one point through ten games and has looked like a shell of himself. In Pearson’s defense, the Kings have also cut his ice time somewhat and relegated him to the fourth line for a while, but only as a result of his poor performance. Yet, Pearson has totaled 36 points or more in each of the past three year and is quietly a very strong two-way player. It would not be a shock to see Pearson right the ship with a change of scenery, but the Kings would have to ensure that they don’t sell too low on the well-rounded forward. Trade inquiries come with the territory of a basement record though and L.A., needing to shake things up, may soon be tempted to give Pearson away for the right price.

Metropolitan Notes: Johnson, Ferland, Boyd, Mayfield

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Ever since the injury to defenseman Justin Schultz, there have been rumors that the Pittsburgh Penguins may have to upgrade their defense if they wanted to make a serious run for a Stanley Cup. Regardless, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford stated that the team has enough depth to fill the hole in their defense from within.

Yet rumors continued, especially after defenseman Jack Johnson was found to be on the ice for five goals against in their 6-5 overtime victory Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers. Again, fans began clamoring to get help to lessen the role of Johnson, after he signed a questionable five-year, $16.25MM deal in the offseason. However, head coach Mike Sullivan was quick to come to Johnson’s defense, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“The reality is when you break down the involvement of those goals, he had no responsibility for any of those goals-against,” Sullivan said of Johnson’s performance against the Oilers. “He just happened to be on the ice for them. We try to look at the game a whole lot closer than the fact that guy is on the ice when a goal is scored because a lot can happen in a team game.”

Rutherford furthered that notion by reiterating that the team intends to stand pat with regards to adding more defense.

“I certainly don’t see us having to go get another defenseman with the group of guys we have,” Rutherford said. “We have guys in Wilkes-Barre who can come in and play on top of who we have here.”

  • While the Carolina Hurricanes made a number of moves this offseason, the team may be most happy with the play of Micheal Ferland, who came over in the trade with the Calgary Flames during the offseason. While the team’s main reason to bringing Ferland in was to add some toughness to a team that lacked it a year ago, the team seems to be getting quite a bit more than that out of him, according to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer. Ferland has found a place on the team’s top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, and has a team-high six goals, along with 10 points. If Ferland keeps that up, he could break his career-high of 21 goals this season.
  • NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti writes Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said that Travis Boyd will have some tests tomorrow to determine the progress of his injury when he sustained a lower-body injury during training camp and was placed on LTIR. Because he was placed on LTIR, he was forced to miss 10 games, meaning he can be activated now if he’s healthy. “We’ll have him checked out again tomorrow and then see how close he is to being able to play as soon as Thursday,” Reirden said (via NBC Sports J.J. Regan). “But we still need to get some tests done and see exactly where he’s at. He’s been coming along and for the most part seems to be fairly pain-free.” Boyd made eight appearances with the Capitals last year and was battling with Nic Dowd for the fourth-line center position, but lost that job after getting injured.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that perhaps the biggest surprise on the roster has been the play of defenseman Scott Mayfield, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 26-year-old has a goal and five points in seven games this season, but has really impressed the coach with his play even though Trotz admitted that he got off to a slow start at training camp.

Snapshots: Foster, Aho, Rantanen

at CDT | by 1 Comment

One of the legendary moments from the 2017-18 season aside from the Vegas Golden Knights setting a new standard for expansion franchises, and Alex Ovechkin finally hoisting the cup above his head (and, alternately hoisting his head above the cup), was made on an otherwise unexceptional night in Chicago. With their regular goaltenders injured, the Chicago Blackhawks started minor league netminder Collin Delia for the first time in his career. Everything was set up for a normal debut by a budding prospect, but went awry in the third period.

In came Scott Foster, emergency goaltender extraordinaire, signed to an amateur tryout deal in order to fill in. Foster entered with 14 minutes remaining in the third period and made seven stops to secure the win for the Blackhawks. The former Western Michigan University backup goaltender became an instant folk hero in his local recreational league, and now has even more to tell his friends when they gather at the pub. The Blackhawks announced that Foster will serve as the third goaltender at optional skates this season, continuing to add more pages to the brief chapter of his NHL life.

  • There’s not much about the Carolina Hurricanes attack that doesn’t run through Sebastian Aho, the third-year forward with 14 points in his first nine games. Aho recorded 65 last season to lead the Hurricanes, and after Jeff Skinner and Elias Lindholm were jettisoned this summer there’s little reason to think he won’t lead them for years to come. That’s what owner Tom Dundon believes, and what he told Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required). Dundon was effusive in his praise of Aho’s game, and all but guaranteed that the Finnish forward would be in Carolina for a long time: “He’s going to play here. This is where he’s going to play. We’ll figure it out.” Aho is in the final season of his entry-level contract, and will be looking for a huge raise on his next deal. Custance suggests that the 21-year old is watching the William Nylander negotiation closely, as it could be a direct comparable for his own next summer.
  • Speaking of big second contracts, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that Mike Liut, the agent for both Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine, likes to wait until after his clients’ third season to sign their next big deal, instead of looking for an early extension. He’s done that with Vladimir Tarasenko, Rasmus Ristolainen and Leon Draisaitl, and Friedman implies that a similar path might be taken by Rantanen and Laine. The former is off to an incredible start in Colorado, while Laine is bound to take off at any moment.

Darling, Neuvirth Complete Conditioning Stints

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes were in similar situations earlier this month when they claimed Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both had an NHL goaltender—Michal Neuvirth and Scott Darling respectively—injured, and were looking for short-term help without giving up an asset or rushing a prospect. Now both are in the same situation again, as Neuvirth and Darling are ready to return.

The Hurricanes announced today that Darling has been recalled from his conditioning stint with the Charlotte Checkers, while Neuvirth told reporters including Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey that he would re-join the Flyers in Boston after playing for the Lehigh Valley Pchantoms last night. The question now for both teams is what happens to that extra goaltender that they claimed earlier in the year.

For the Flyers, it’s likely a simple decision of putting Pickard back on waivers. The team is unlikely to carry three goaltenders for any substantial length of time, and don’t seem ready to rid themselves of starter Brian Elliott just yet, despite his slow start. Elliott has just a .882 save percentage through the early going, and has allowed 24 goals through seven games. Pickard meanwhile has performed even worse with an .833 through his three appearances.

In Carolina, things aren’t nearly as clear. Though McElhinney hasn’t performed nearly as well as he did for the Maple Leafs or even Columbus Blue Jackets, he could potentially be a better option this season than what Petr Mrazek has shown so far. This is the third straight season that the former Detroit Red Wings goaltender has performed poorly, and is providing little value to the Hurricanes for his $1.5MM salary. That contract would also likely keep him from being claimed, something that certainly couldn’t be said for McElhinney.

In fact for both Pickard and McEllhinney, getting through waivers is an unlikely scenario. The Maple Leafs were left with very little goaltending depth after losing both, and then saw third-string netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo go down to injury in the minor leagues. That left them with Eamon McAdam getting an emergency call-up from the ECHL when Frederik Andersen tweaked his knee, something that the team will want to avoid going forward. If the Maple Leafs are the only team to put in a claim on Pickard or McElhinney, they could assign either goaltender directly to the minor leagues and keep them in the system without having to use a roster spot. It’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t try that for at least one of the two if they’re placed on waivers today or tomorrow.

Scott Darling Activated, Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes are going to have to make a goaltending decision before long, as Scott Darling is almost ready to return to the net. The team activated the injured goaltender today and sent him to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint. Darling will start for the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday evening, but could force the NHL team to waive either Curtis McElhinney or Petr Mrazek before long, unless they’re planning on carrying three goaltenders.

Even though Darling hasn’t been good since joining the Hurricanes before last season, the team still has quite a bit invested in him. Signed to a four-year, $16.6MM contract in the spring of 2017, he’s making $4.75MM this season in the second year of the deal. While that doesn’t put him in the upper echelon of goaltenders around the league, it does make him an expensive asset for a team like Carolina who usually sit near the bottom of the league in salary commitments. Add in that McElhinney and Mrazek are earning less than $2.5MM combined this season and it’s obvious where the Hurricanes need to get some production from.

It’s still not clear if they’ll get that production though, as even with his good preseason Darling is still far from proven in the NHL with the club. Last season saw him register an .888 save percentage through 43 games, putting him among the worst goaltenders in the league. Luckily for him, Mrazek and McElhinney haven’t been much better since arriving in Carolina. Though the latter has a 3-1 record, it’s more thanks to a solid team in front of him than his individual performance in net.

In fact, the offense in Carolina has been excellent this season with 26 goals through their first eight games. A competent goaltender could push them into the more impressive teams in the Eastern Conference, given their solid defensive foundation and exciting young forward group. If Darling can revert to the goaltender he was in Chicago, where he posted a .923 save percentage through 75 games, they would certainly become serious playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division. Without improved play in the net though, Carolina will have a tough time fending off the rest of a group that includes teams like Washington and Pittsburgh.

Remember that if the Hurricanes decide to place McElhinney on waivers, the Toronto Maple Leafs would get a chance to reclaim him. If the Maple Leafs were to the only team to put in a bid, they could send him right to the minor leagues—an outcome that they could desperately use, given their razor thin depth in net. Mrazek meanwhile would likely clear given his $1.5MM salary, but would then be an expensive asset to sit in the minor leagues. The fact that Anton Forsberg is on waivers today may actually be beneficial to the Hurricanes, given that he could be snapped up by a goaltender-hungry team before they have to make a decision.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top