Headlines

  • Jeff Skinner Signs With Sharks
  • Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Henry Thrun
  • Avalanche Sign Josh Manson To Two-Year Extension
  • Stars Trade Matt Dumba To Penguins
  • Panthers Sign Mackie Samoskevich To One-Year Deal
  • Golden Knights Beginning To Work Out Jack Eichel Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blackhawks Rumors

Central Notes: Blackhawks, Caggiula, Niku

January 4, 2020 at 3:33 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

With recent season-ending injuries to Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook, the Chicago Blackhawks and head coach Jeremy Colliton have seen the team’s defense struggle even more. The team is relatively happy with their top four of Duncan Keith, Erik Gustafsson, Connor Murphy and Adam Boqvist, but the team is having issues with their third pairing in which the trio of Olli Maatta, Dennis Gilbert and Slater Koekkoek have struggled.

Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that a league source reports the Blackhawks have been looking for help on defense since early in the season, but have not been able to acquire a blueliner due to team’s demands for prospects that Chicago is unwilling to part with. That leaves the Blackhawks in a tough place. The team does have some cap room and take back a bigger contract, but with little cap space expected next season, the team is unlikely to be able to pick up anything more than a rental player.

  • NHL.com’s Chris Kuc reports that Chicago Blackhawks winger Drake Caggiula said he hopes to return sometime next week, but it won’t be on Sunday against Detroit. Caggiula has been out since mid-November with a concussion and could add more depth to the team’s forward lines on his return. The 25-year-old Caggiula has appeared in just 15 games so far this season with three goals and four points.
  • Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun reports that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Sami Niku could be ’freed’ soon. The 23-year-old was expected to play a much bigger role this year with a heavily depleted blueline. However, injuries and a car accident back during training camp, have prevented Niku from making much of an impact this season. He’s appeared in just one NHL game so far this year and has only played 18 with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. With a recent fan lobbying to #FreeSami, head coach Paul Maurice said that chance could be coming soon. “We’re going to see him sooner rather than later, unless we get on some kind of run,” said Maurice. “We still haven’t made our lineup … but we’re going to want to get him up to speed and get him in pretty quick.”

Chicago Blackhawks| Winnipeg Jets Drake Caggiula| Olli Maatta| Sami Niku| Slater Koekkoek

0 comments

Blackhawks Recall Kevin Lankinen On An Emergency Basis

January 4, 2020 at 10:23 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

  • The Blackhawks announced (via Twitter) that they’ve recalled goaltender Kevin Lankinen on an emergency basis from AHL Rockford.  He’s taking the place of Robin Lehner who is dealing with a right knee injury.  Corey Crawford will take over as the starter in Lehner’s absence.

Anaheim Ducks| Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Minnesota Wild| New Jersey Devils| Ottawa Senators| Pittsburgh Penguins| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Ben Street| Thomas DiPauli

0 comments

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

December 30, 2019 at 3:05 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 18 Comments

Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

Anaheim Ducks| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Florida Panthers| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| NHL| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Utah Mammoth| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets Alex Pietrangelo| Anthony Duclair| Anze Kopitar| Artemi Panarin| Auston Matthews| Braden Holtby| Connor McDavid| Darcy Kuemper| David Pastrnak| Dougie Hamilton| Elias Pettersson| Eric Staal| Frederik Andersen| Jack Eichel| Jake Guentzel| Jakob Silfverberg| John Carlson| Jonathan Huberdeau| Joonas Korpisalo| Jordan Binnington| Kyle Palmieri| Leon Draisaitl| Logan Couture| Marc-Andre Fleury| Mark Giordano| Mark Scheifele| Mathew Barzal| Matthew Tkachuk| Nathan MacKinnon| Patrick Kane| Roman Josi| Seth Jones| Shea Weber| Travis Konecny| Tuukka Rask| Tyler Bertuzzi| Tyler Seguin| Victor Hedman

18 comments

Five Key Stories: 12/23/19 – 12/29/19

December 29, 2019 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

With the holiday week having come and gone as well as an NHL roster freeze, hockey news slows down quite a bit, yet there was plenty of news despite the three-game respite last week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

World Junior Championships Get Underway: Perhaps even bigger than the NHL is the IIHF World Junior Championships that started on Dec. 26 and continues to be ongoing. The leagues top propsects or soon-to-be prospects find themselves competing in Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. All NHL teams have at least one representative at the tournament with several teams possessing a host of prospects. The Los Angeles Kings have nine prospects representing their organization, while the Arizona Coyotes have seven. Five teams have just one prospect at the tournament.

John McCarthy Retiring Due To Health Concerns: He only appeared in 88 career NHL games, but San Jose Sharks forward and a long-time minor league player for them, John McCarthy, announced his retirement due to health concerns. While he played in 18 games for the Barracuda this year, his season and career came to a halt after suffering an Ischemic stroke earlier this month. While he has made a complete recovery, those health concerns have ended his playing career. He was drafted by the Sharks back in 2006 and played for the Sharks’ organization his entire career and the Barracudas’ captain immediately took a coaching role with the team.

Brent Seabrook, Calvin De Haan Out For The Season: Just before play was supposed to resume after the Christmas hiatus, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they are losing one-third of their defense. Two of their defensemen, Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan, will miss the season due to surgeries. Seabrook is expected to have surgery on both his hips, while de Haan will have shoulder surgery. De Haan has been a consistent part of the team’s defense, leading the team in hits and blocked shots. Seabrook has similar strengths, but has seen his playing time cut and has even been scratched three times so far this season. Regardless, these are tough losses for a franchise hoping to get back into the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin To Skip NHL All-Star Game: For the second time in as many years, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has announced that he will be skipping the NHL All-Star Game. Ovechkin was voted in as Metropolitan Division captain, but he told media Friday that he will skip the all-star festivities to rest up for the second half of the season. Of course, Ovechkin will be suspended one game for skipping the league event. He must miss either the game before the all-star break or the game after. The team faces the rival New York Islanders, suggesting that Ovechkin will likely opt to miss the game after the break against the Montreal Canadiens.

Multiple Toronto Maple Leafs Players Injured: The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered three injuries upon their return from break. The team first revealed that forward Trevor Moore would be out indefinitely due to a concussion. Moore had been out with a shoulder injury and had only appeared in one game before getting injured once again. The team then lost winger Ilya Mikheyev who suffered a lacerated wrist after New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt ran sliced it with his skate. He is expected to miss a minimum of three months as he heals from the injury. Only hours after that, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Jake Muzzin would be considered week-to-week after suffering a fractured foot in that same game against the Devils. With all those injuries, it should make the team’s challenging of working their way up the Atlantic Division standings just a bit more difficult.

Chicago Blackhawks| IIHF| San Jose Sharks| Toronto Maple Leafs| Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin| Brent Seabrook| Calvin de Haan| Ilya Mikheyev| Jake Muzzin| Week In Review

0 comments

Edmonton Oilers Interested In Chicago’s Brandon Saad

December 29, 2019 at 3:28 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers are not getting much offense from their other lines and desperately need help. Almost all of the team’s offense has come from their top line of Connor McDavid (22-41-63), Leon Draisaitl (22-39-61) and Zack Kassian (13-13-26). James Neal has chipped in 16 goals, but after that, the Oilers just don’t have the top-six players they need. However, the team is trying to rectify that by the trade deadline as Edmonton has shown interest in Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad, according to Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins.

The Oilers and Blackhawks might be a good match as Chicago is looking for defensive prospects, something that Edmonton is loaded with. The Oilers’ top two prospects are blueliners in Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, although neither are likely to be included in a trade for Saad. However, the team has a number of secondary prospects that could interest Chicago, including William Lagesson, Caleb Jones and Dmitri Samorukov to name a few. Saad might make a good fit as well for Edmonton as he would slot onto the team’s second line and could shift Neal back to the right side, where he has been more successful. The only problems for Edmonton is Saad’s salary, which is at $6MM for the next two years. While the Oilers might be able to make Saad’s salary work for this year, next year’s salary could prove more challenging for the team.

Chicago, meanwhile, has $72.5MM invested in just 15 players next season with several significant free agents, including goaltenders Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford as well as forward Dylan Strome and defenseman Erik Gustafsson. The team might be willing to unload Saad in a cost-cutting effort for next season. Saad is currently out for three weeks due to an ankle injury, but should have been back on the ice for a month by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

Edmonton hopes that prospects might be enough to persuade Chicago to trade Saad as Edmonton general manager Ken Holland has shown an unwillingness to move draft picks, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“I’ve been told the Oilers internally feel that they have given up way too many draft picks,” Friedman said on 630 CHED radio in Edmonton on Friday. “And as you look back in (their) last five drafts, in four of them, (they’ve) had holes in how many players they could take. So, I think two picks for (Taylor) Hall, that was one of the reasons why (they) didn’t want to do it.”

Friedman also suggests that the Oilers have expressed interest in Tyler Toffoli of the Kings, but Los Angeles would be looking for picks, which could be a stumbling block for the Oilers.

Chicago Blackhawks| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Los Angeles Kings| Players| Prospects Brandon Saad| Connor McDavid| Corey Crawford| Dmitri Samorukov| Dylan Strome| Elliotte Friedman| Erik Gustafsson| James Neal| Leon Draisaitl| Philip Broberg

3 comments

Central Notes: Sissons, Laviolette, Shaw, Perreault

December 28, 2019 at 7:01 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Nashville Predators lost another forward Friday as the team has placed forward Colton Sissons on injured reserve with a lower-body injury during the team’s 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to the Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina. By being placed on IR, Sissons cannot return for at least seven days, meaning he is expected to miss Wednesday’s Winter Classic in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl.

Sissons was injured during the first period Friday after teammate Nick Bonino tripped up Pittsbugh Zach Aston-Reese who fell on Sissons’ ankle. He was wearing a walking boot after the game to protect his ankle. The 26-year-old had seven goals and 13 points in 37 games so far this season.

The team recalled forward Yakov Trenin from the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, who is expected to fill in some depth for the Predators.

  • Sticking with the Predators, despite the team’s struggles in the standings (sixth place in the Central Division), The Athletic’s Adam Vingan writes that he doesn’t see an easy fix to fixing the fortunes of a team originally predicted to be among the top teams in the Western Conference. The scribe writes that firing coach Peter Laviolette isn’t a likely scenario as he remains in good standing with management and general manager David Poile doesn’t have a history of firing coaches. In fact, in nearly 40 years, Poile has only had five head coaches total.
  • Chicago Blackhawks fans that were hoping to see forward Andrew Shaw soon will be disappointed, but head coach Jeremy Colliton said that the rugged forward will not be returning to the team anytime soon, according to NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis. Shaw, has been out since Nov. 30 with a concussion, and his status hasn’t improved much. The team is also without Drake Caggiula, also out with a concussion since Nov. 10. Caggiula, who is deemed closer by Colliton, however, will not join Chicago on their upcoming three-game roadtrip.
  • The Winnipeg Jets could be getting back one of their players shortly. The Athletic’s Murat Ates reports that forward Mathieu Perreault continues to wear a yellow non-contact jersey, but the 31-year-old hopes to get in a full practice in soon with the hopes of possibly returning to the lineup on Tuesday when the team faces Colorado. Perreault has been out since Dec. 15 with a concussion. He has six goals and 12 points in 33 games this season and would be a great addition to the team’s bottom-six.

Chicago Blackhawks| David Poile| Injury| Nashville Predators| Winnipeg Jets Andrew Shaw| Colton Sissons| Drake Caggiula| Mathieu Perreault

0 comments

Brent Seabrook, Calvin De Haan Out For The Season

December 27, 2019 at 4:50 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

Friday: In an update, the Blackhawks announced that both Seabrook and de Haan have undergone successful surgery. The recovery timeline for de Haan will be four to five months, while Seabrook’s will be revealed after he undergoes additional surgeries on his hips.

Thursday: The status quo in Chicago will shift dramatically when the team returns to action. The Blackhawks have announced that two of their starting defensemen will miss the remainder of the season due to injury. Both Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Seabrook will also have surgery on both hips. The duo have been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve.

This singular announcement means that one-third of the Blackhawks’ starting blue line is now out of action for the rest of the year. Seabrook and de Haan are not exactly offensive dynamos, combining for just ten points so far this year. However, their defensive presence will be missed. De Haan leads the team in both hits and blocked shots, and Seabrook is among the the best on the team in both categories as well. The pair also chew up considerable minutes, with each averaging nearly 20 minutes per game this season. While Chicago is not without hope on the back end, with Duncan Keith, Connor Murphy, Olli Maatta, sand Erik Gustafsson still present on a deep unit, but these losses will nevertheless still be felt.

Also on the sidelines for Chicago is Brandon Saad, announced as missing the next three weeks with a right ankle injury. Saad, while underwhelming so far this season, is still the Blackhawks’ second-leading goal-scorer and fifth in points on the team. With the Blackhawks already in the basement of the Central Division and now missing Saad for several weeks and Seabrook and de Haan for the rest of the year, today’s announcement will more or less mark the end of Chicago’s season, barring an unexpected boost in the absence of their established veterans.

Chicago Blackhawks| Injury Brandon Saad| Brent Seabrook| Calvin de Haan| Connor Murphy| Duncan Keith| Erik Gustafsson| Olli Maatta

7 comments

Injury Notes: Kupari, Mantha, Blackhawks

December 27, 2019 at 12:49 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Los Angeles Kings fans hoping to get a glimpse of the future at the World Juniors won’t get to see one of their top prospects play for Finland anymore. Rasmus Kupari has left the team after suffering an injury in the opener. John Hoven reports that Kupari suffered a serious knee injury and will likely be out “months.”

Not only is that terrible news for the Finnish team who are already missing Anton Lundell, but Kupari’s absence will adversely affect the Ontario Reign as well. In his first season in North America, Kupari has six goals and eight points in 27 games for the Reign. The 19-year old forward was selected 20th overall in 2018.

  • Anthony Mantha will be out for at least four weeks with his upper-body injury, which has to do with his ribs, not his head. The Detroit Red Wings forward was injured when he got into an altercation with Jake Muzzin against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now will have to wait at least a month to continue his strong season.
  • If you were wondering whether Brent Seabrook would ever really make it back to the Chicago Blackhawks blueline after being ruled out for the rest of this year, Jeremy Colliton has your answer. The head coach told reporters today including Scott Powers of The Athletic that he expects both Calvin de Haan and Seabrook to be ready for training camp in 2020. The Blackhawks icon is having several surgeries and will have a long road back to the NHL.

Chicago Blackhawks| Detroit Red Wings| Injury| Los Angeles Kings| Prospects Anthony Mantha| Brent Seabrook| Calvin de Haan| World Juniors

2 comments

Poll: Who Is The Top Target On The Rental Market?

December 26, 2019 at 3:33 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

When the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze comes to an end, attention will again turn to the trade market as many teams begin to address their weaknesses in the second half, leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline in late February. With Taylor Hall off the market, now a member of the Arizona Coyotes, it is no longer obvious who the top rental candidate is. There are many potential names and their values will depend on the suitor’s specific needs or the emphasis placed on certain abilities. But from an overall, objective perspective, who do you think the top rental target is?

Note: For the purposes of this poll, a rental player will be defined as an impending unrestricted free agent whose current team holds a points percentage below .550.

F Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild

2019-20: 28 games – 2 goals, 10 assists, 12 points, +2, 17:34 ATOI
2018-19: 48 games – 8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points, -2, 18:18 ATOI
Cap Hit: $5.5MM

Could this be the end for Koivu in Minnesota? The long-time Wild captain is arguably the biggest name on the rental market with Hall gone, but his best years are behind him. Last season was marked by injury for Koivu, but this year he has seen his production slip along with his ice time and has not looked the same. Even in decline though, Koivu is a good two-way center who can benefit a team on the penalty kill and at the face-off dot if not on the score sheet. His price may be hard to swallow and the Wild may be reluctant to move him, but teams will undoubtedly make calls on Koivu regardless.

D Mike Green, Detroit Red Wings

2019-20: 30 games – 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, -22, 21:23 ATOI
2018-19: 43 games – 5 goals, 21 assists, 26 points, -1, 21:41 ATOI
Cap Hit: $5.375MM

Like Koivu, Green’s value is more in name than production at this point in his career, especially given his injury concerns over the past couple of years. Yet, Green has quietly played in 30 games with Detroit already this season and is maintaining high ice time numbers. You can pin that jarring plus/minus on the overall struggles of the team too. His scoring isn’t what it once was, but a healthy Green could be a real asset to a playoff team, if they can afford to take on his cap hit. Fortunately, that may be all that is expensive about Green, as the already-dead Red Wings will be selling any and all rentals for whatever they can get in this throwaway season.

G Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks

2019-20: 21 games – 9 wins, .924 save percentage, 2.86 goals against average
2018-19: 46 games – 25 wins, .930 save percentage, 2.13 goals against average
Cap Hit: $5MM

The name with most recent history of elite play on the rental market is also the one shrouded in the most mystery. Are the Blackhawks willing to move Lehner? Is he in their long-term plans? And is there a market for a goalie of his price? The reigning Jennings Trophy winner was one of the league’s best goalies last season with the Islanders and his strong play has continued with his new team. That fact alone could entice a team with needs in net to make a play for Lehner.

D Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils

2019-20: 32 games – 5 goals, 11 assists, 16 points, -4, 21:29 ATOI
2018-19: 50 games – 4 goals, 13 assists, 17 points, -17, 21:44 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.875MM

Vatanen is another veteran defenseman who has dealt with recent injury issues. Yet, this season he has returned to form, even in the midst of a poor campaign by any measure for the Devils. Vatanen has already topped his goals mark from last season and will soon do the same in assists and points. Vatanen is the most productive rental defenseman available and the Devils have established themselves as sellers and will definitely be looking to move him. With a lesser cap hit and more points than Green and others, Vatanen should be a highly sought-after blue line piece, if teams feel they can trust his defense and overlook his inconsistency.

F Chris Kreider, New York Rangers

2019-20: 36 games – 10 goals, 11 assists, 21 points, +4, 17:35 ATOI
2018-19: 48 games – 28 goals, 24 assists, 52 points, +4, 17:24 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.625MM

Kreider may be the closest thing to a Taylor Hall left on the rental market, although admittedly not that close. An established power forward with several 20-goal seasons under his belt, Kreider is a true 200-foot player who could play a top-nine role for any team in the league, if not top-six. The real question is whether Kreider will be worth the cost to acquire him? His track record as a scoring threat boosts his trade value, but his numbers so far this year suggest that he may be declining. Kreider is on pace to fall well below his goal total from last year, as well as his overall point total, despite logging more ice time and playing on a more talented Rangers roster. Kreider certainly has value, but it may be difficult for teams to determine just how much relative to a high asking price.

F Tyler Toffoli, Los Angeles Kings

2019-20: 38 games – 9 goals, 12 assists, 21 points, -4, 15:45 ATOI
2018-19: 82 games – 13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points, -16, 17:13 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4.6MM

Toffoli is somewhat of the opposite case of Kreider. He struggled last year but has shown some resurgence of late and could wind up as a great value addition at the deadline. Despite limited ice time and special teams responsibilities this year, Toffoli is already more than halfway to besting his offensive totals from last year, which had represented a major dip in his production. Toffoli, who has multiple 20-goal seasons to his credit and has been a deft penalty killer in the past, has the potential to continue his upward trajectory this season by joining a more talented team than the lowly Kings. At the right price and with the right fit, Toffoli could be a game-changer.

F Vladislav Namestnikov, Ottawa Senators

2019-20: 35 games – 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points, -6, 15:37 ATOI
2018-19: 78 games – 11 goals, 20 assists, 31 points, -7, 15:48 ATOI
Cap Hit: $4MM

Namestnikov has already been traded once this season and it worked out nicely that time. Many speculated right away that the Senators were acquiring the UFA forward on the cheap only to flip him later for a profit, and judging by Namestnikov’s production since his arrival in Ottawa, that could very well be the case. A complimentary player whose production improves exponentially with the more talent he plays with and the greater role he is given, Namestnikov is the perfect hired gun. A dynamic asset in the right situation, Namestnikov could also flop if not placed in an ideal scenario. He could continue his 20-goal pace on one team, or completely disappear on another, as he did at times with the Rangers. How much a team is willing to pay to take a chance on Namestnikov will determine his market value.

F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ottawa Senators

2019-20: 38 games – 18 goals, 10 assists, 28 points, +21, 18:51 ATOI
2018-19: 39 games – 4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points, -12, 17:51 ATOI
Cap Hit: $3.1MM

On one hand, Pageau has the best production this season, total and per-game, of anyone on this list. On the other hand, he has no history of producing remotely near these levels in years past. His breakout could really be a product of his role in Ottawa, leading a club with few play-makers up front. Pageau has always been a good two-way forward, but he has more than doubled his scoring output from last year’s injury-shortened season. Much of that can be attributed to an increase in ice time and responsibility, but how much? Are interested teams acquiring a player on pace for nearly 40 goals this season or will Pageau revert to a role player on a new team? The other key questions is whether or not the Senators are willing to move the 27-year-old center. Given the exodus of core players from Ottawa in recent years, they may not make this season’s breakout star available.

D Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks

2019-20: 37 games – 4 goals, 11 assists, 15 points, -4, 20:57 ATOI
2018-19: 79 games – 17 goals, 43 assists, 60 points, -6, 22:35 ATOI
Cap Hit: $1.2MM

The only player on this list whose cap hit can be considered a true “value” based on cap hit, it can safely be assumed that the 27-year-old Gustafsson will be made available by the Blackhawks, whose hopes of playoff contention have been sunk by inconsistency and injury. Gustafsson’s numbers from last season jump off the page, especially at his price point. While he will likely finish far from 60 points this year, that can be attributed to a sizeable drop-off in ice time due to a remodel of the Chicago back end this off-season. The offensive ability is there though, and as an affordable rental addition, Gustafsson has the chance to do some serious damage on another team’s blue line. Of course, he won’t come cheap and there is not a lot of NHL experience to look back on to see how he may perform with a change of scenery, especially making the transition to playoff pace.

What do you think? Who is the top target on the post-Taylor Hall rental market?

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Chicago Blackhawks| Detroit Red Wings| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators Chris Kreider| Erik Gustafsson| Jean-Gabriel Pageau| Mike Green| Mikko Koivu

6 comments

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

December 26, 2019 at 12:45 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Florida Panthers| IIHF| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| NHL| NLA| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| San Jose Sharks| St. Louis Blues| Tampa Bay Lightning| Toronto Maple Leafs| Utah Mammoth| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals| Winnipeg Jets Barrett Hayton| Bowen Byram| Cole Caufield| Connor McMichael| Dylan Cozens| Jan Jenik| Jared McIsaac| Joseph Veleno| Kirill Marchenko| Lassi Thomson| Liam Foudy| Matej Pekar| Mattias Samuelsson| Oliver Wahlstrom| Olivier Rodrigue| Philip Broberg| Rasmus Sandin| Spencer Knight| Tobias Bjornfot| Ville Heinola

0 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Jeff Skinner Signs With Sharks

    Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Henry Thrun

    Avalanche Sign Josh Manson To Two-Year Extension

    Stars Trade Matt Dumba To Penguins

    Panthers Sign Mackie Samoskevich To One-Year Deal

    Golden Knights Beginning To Work Out Jack Eichel Extension

    Lightning Acquire Sam O’Reilly From Oilers For Isaac Howard

    NHL, NHLPA Ratify Four-Year CBA Extension

    Gavin McKenna To Commit To Penn State

    Tyler Johnson Announces Retirement

    Recent

    Five Key Stories: 7/7/25 – 7/13/25

    Daniel Sprong Receiving KHL Interest

    Lightning Sign Scott Sabourin

    Alex Ovechkin Could Play Beyond 2025-26

    Hurricanes Expressed Interest In Retaining Burns, But With Reduced Role

    Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs From Canucks For Chase Stillman, Fourth-Round Pick

    Kieffer Bellows Signs One-Year Deal With SHL’s Brynas IF

    Tristan Luneau Poised To Make Big Impact For Ducks

    Sharks Notes: Offseason Plans, Thrun, Dickinson, Leddy

    Russia Notes: Babcock, Gallant, Tortorella, Kuznetsov, Obvintsev

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    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

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version