Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Ian Cole

Western Notes: Tanev, Anisimov, Boedker

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Vancouver Canucks may be ready to ship off several players such as Thomas Vanek and Erik Gudbranson, but one player whose name doesn’t come up as often is defenseman Chris Tanev. Of course, in the past Vancouver has been reluctant to trade their top defenseman, who is a club leader and one of the longest-tenured players in Vancouver.

However, The Athletic’s Mike Halford (subscription required) writes that this is the perfect time for the team to move the 28-year-old Tanev. While there are some solid defensemen likely to be available at the deadline, most are pending unrestricted free agents like Detroit’s Mike Green or Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole or are locked into long-term deals such as Ottawa’s Dion Phaneuf ($7MM AAV through 2021). The Canucks might get quite a return for someone like Tanev, who is locked up at a reasonable price at 4.45MM for another two years after this one. Tanev, who is known for making everyone better around him, could likely slide into more than half of any playoff team’s top four, making him quite valuable.

“He would get great value. There would be large demand for Chris Tanev and his services around the NHL, that’s for sure,” TSN’s Mike Johnson said in the article. “He’s a first-rounder [in return]. From a good team that’s going to pick 28th or 29th, at the bottom of the first round? I think so. Or maybe not the best prospect, but the third or fourth best prospect in an organization.”

  • Tracey Myers of NHL.com tweets that Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov, who has missed the last eight games with an upper-body injury attempted to practice today, but coach Joel Quenneville said he was “just OK” and might miss even more time. The 29-year-old Anisimov has 13 goals for Chicago this year.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes (subscription required) that the San Jose Sharks are hoping to get more production from winger Mikkel Boedker after he was a healthy scratch in the team’s last game before their bye-week started. The veteran who signed with the team two offseasons ago, is struggling even more in his second year with the team. He had 10 goals and 26 points last year and so far has only three goals and six assists. “We need some production out of him,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. “That’s the bottom line. If he’s not producing points, he’s got to at least be producing chances to score. When he’s not, he can’t help us.”

Metropolitan Notes: Islanders Injuries, Cole, Stempniak

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

To say Friday night was a tough one for the Islanders would be an understatement.  Not only did they get shut out by the Penguins, they also lost a trio of players to injuries in wingers Josh Bailey, Andrew Ladd, and defenseman Ryan Pulock.  Speaking with reporters postgame, including Kyle Schnitzer of the New York Post, head coach Doug Weight would only suggest that Bailey’s lower-body injury is likely to keep him out of Sunday’s game before they hit their bye week.  Losing Bailey, who is tied for the team lead in points with 50, for any extended period of time would be devastating for an Islanders team that has now slipped to seventh in the division.

Other notes from around the Metropolitan this morning:

  • With the Penguins having some injury concerns in recent weeks on the back end, Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette speculates that this could hold up trade talks involving defenseman Ian Cole. Back in late November, Pittsburgh was believed to be shopping the veteran although they weren’t able to agree on a trade.  However, with Brian Dumoulin now hurt, the Pens are back down to seven healthy blueliners and may not want to lessen their depth any further at this time.
  • Carolina winger Lee Stempniak has resumed skating as he continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury, notes Michael Smith of the Hurricanes’ team site (Twitter link). The veteran has yet to play this season as a result of injury issues; he was first dealing with hip trouble and while he recovered from that, he suffered the current upper-body injury while on a conditioning assignment in the minors.  With the ‘Canes in a tough battle for a playoff spot, they could certainly use the secondary production that the 34-year-old is capable of providing.

Snapshots: Penguins, Boeser, Maple Leafs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins made two trades today ahead of the holiday roster freeze, but might not be done this season. Josh Yohe of The Athletic spoke with Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford earlier, who told him that the presence of Jamie Oleksiak—a player Pittsburgh has been looking at for two years—could mean more trades down the line due to added depth on defense.

That’s the same idea that Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had when he suggested Oleksiak could potentially be “insurance against a future Ian Cole trade.” Cole has been rumored to be available since ending up a healthy scratch earlier this season, and has reportedly clashed with head coach Mike Sullivan multiple times. You’d expect Oleksiak would need to prove his worth for a while before they sent any defenseman out of town.

Penguins Notes: Centers, Cole, Kuhnhackl, Murray

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Despite acquiring Riley Sheahan earlier in the season, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests in a reader chat that the Penguins are still likely to pursue another third line center.  However, instead of looking towards the rental market, he notes that they would prefer a younger player that has years of team control left beyond this one.  Mackey singles out Vegas as a team that GM Jim Rutherford could be intrigued by.  They have several pivots (Cody Eakin, Erik Haula, and Oscar Lindberg) that are 26 and are signed for one more year beyond this one although Eakin’s $3.85MM cap hit is probably too much for them to take on.

More from Pittsburgh:

  • In the same chat, Mackey reports that the Sabres were one of the teams to express interest last month in defenseman Ian Cole. Buffalo joins Vegas, Toronto, and Colorado as teams that have at least inquired about Cole’s availability.  However, with blueliner Justin Schultz on the shelf for a little while, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Penguins aren’t as willing to deal him now as they were not too long ago.
  • Winger Tom Kuhnhackl is dealing with an upper-body injury, the team announced via Twitter. He’ll be evaluated by team doctors before they give a timeline for how long he might be out.  The injury was sustained on Thursday night in a collision with teammate Ryan Reaves in the third period and he did not return to the game afterwards.
  • While he isn’t ready to return to the lineup just yet, goaltender Matt Murray has taken to the ice in full equipment and the next step for him is to return to practice with the team in the coming days, notes Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that they are pleased with Murray’s progress as he recovers from his lower-body injury sustained back on November 23rd.

Penguins Shifting Focus On Defense

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Just last week, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in the enviable position of having enough depth on defense to be a seller, despite their position as a clear-cut buyer in terms of contending for a third straight Stanley Cup title. However, the Penguins know too well from their experiences over the past few years just how quickly that feeling of comfort on the blue line can change with injury. In placing Justin Schultz on injured reserve this morning, with the expectation being that he will be out “weeks” at the very least, Pittsburgh’s opinion on their blue line has changed in an instant.

Ian Cole was the man on the block last week, with many teams having immediate interest in obtaining the services on the solid stay-at-home defender. An impending free agent who has been devalued in Pittsburgh following the signing of a similar player in Matt Hunwick and the re-emergence of Olli Maatta this season, Cole had become expendable for the Penguins. However, as beat writer Jason Mackey indicates, any talk of moving Cole is completely off the table for now with Schultz out of the lineup.

In fact, the health of Schultz going forward could turn the Pens from sellers to buyers on the blue line. Frank Corrado, who was called up to take Schultz’s spot on the roster, has not worked out so far. If that continues, Pittsburgh will at least need to add another depth option. Chad Ruhwedel, while remarkably reliable for Pittsburgh over the past year plus, is best suited for that #7 depth option role. Hunwick and Cole, while both experienced, successful defenders, are very similar and similarly one-dimensional. Beyond a healthy grouping of (the also injury-prone) Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Maatta, there are serious questions without Schultz to round out the top four. If “weeks” turn to “months” for Schultz to return to action, GM Jim Rutherford could end up on the opposite side of the defensive trade market.

Trade Rumors: Canadiens, Canucks, Maple Leafs

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens are not even 12 hours into their latest trade and the team is already thinking about their next move. A report from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels states that defenseman Brandon Davidson could soon be on his way out of town. Habs GM Marc Bergevin is not just listening to offers for Davidson; he emailed the entire league informing the other 30 general managers of the blue liner’s availability. While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Ian Cole is also known to be on the block right now, Davidson should come at a much lesser price and be much easier (and more timely) to move. The 26-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season and has just one point in 13 games. It wasn’t long ago that Davidson was thought to be an up-and-coming rearguard, playing major minutes for the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers after a long stretch of solid AHL play. However, when he was shipped to Montreal for a rental in David Desharnais at last year’s trade deadline, it was clear his stock had dropped. Davidson could still be a valued depth addition for many teams, though. The Canadiens likely won’t have to shop him for very long.

  • Following the difficult news about Derek Dorsett, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was very clear with the media today that he won’t be looking to trade for a replacement for the veteran grinder. Instead, Benning said that the situation “gives guys a chance to play more and step up.” The Canucks plan to fill Dorsett’s void internally, with the recently-promoted Nikolay Goldobin getting the first shot. After a hot start, Vancouver has been slipping of late and more than anything needs to put the puck in the net more often. Goldobin should be an offensive upgrade over Dorsett, but can he handle a big role?
  • Following the Anaheim Ducks-New Jersey Devils blockbuster today, many in the hockey media are asking a predictable question: Why weren’t the Toronto Maple Leafs in on Sami Vatanen? It feels like the Leafs have been searching for a top-pair right-shot defenseman to play alongside Morgan Rielly for years now, yet couldn’t top an offer of Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi to get an elite righty puck-mover in Vatanen? Nazem Kadri is perhaps the closest comparable in the NHL to Henrique and, although three years older, Tyler Bozak compares favorably to Henrique as well. With a wealth of young talent in the AHL to boot, it seems unlikely that Lou Lamoriello and company couldn’t have outbid the Devils if they wanted to, so perhaps the better question is why didn’t they want to? In a relatively weak Atlantic Division, no one will be surprised if Toronto makes a run to the Eastern Conference Finals this year and maybe farther. If they don’t reach that goal, they may find themselves regretting missing the chance to strengthen the defense both this season and beyond.

Snapshots: Team USA, Fines, Murray

at CDT | by 7 Comments

With rosters for the upcoming World Junior tournament released in the next few weeks, Bob McKenzie of TSN took a look at the potential names for Team USA. The club is expected to be one of the favorites after taking home the gold medal last season at both the U20 and U18 events. McKenzie figures the top line to be a trio of Casey Mittelstadt–Logan Brown–Kailer Yamamoto, a group that would likely hold their own in the NHL let alone a junior tournament. Brown and Yamamoto both played in the NHL this season, while Mittelstadt is starring at the University of Minnesota.

One player McKenzie doesn’t mention is Sean Dhooghe, the 5’2″ forward that earned the respect of his teammates at San Jose prospect camp this summer. Dhooghe isn’t one to overlook because of his size though, as he has eight points in 17 games as an undrafted freshman for the University of Wisconsin, and led the U18 team in scoring at last year’s tournament. Dhooghe, 18, could also attend next year if he’s not selected this time around, as there is plenty of talent to choose from for this year’s tournament. It will be held in Buffalo starting December 26th.

Morning Notes: Cole, Keenan, Weber, McDonagh

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Even though trade rumors out of Pittsburgh continue to come out about Ian Cole, Bob McKenzie of TSN doesn’t believe the defenseman’s eventual departure is guaranteed. McKenzie took to Twitter to explain how he views the situation, underscoring that Pittsburgh will only make a deal if it improves their chances at the Stanley Cup this season. As he points out, the team hasn’t worried about losing potential free agents before and why should they? The Penguins are going after their third straight Stanley Cup this season and after a tough start are still in the Metropolitan Division mix.

Cole certainly should command a fairly high trade value even with his recent healthy scratches, as he’s cheap and relatively young (he doesn’t turn 29 until February. McKenzie also feels that a “quality center” is likely what the team is after in any potential deal.

  • Mike Keenan has been removed from the GM role of Kunlun Red Star in the KHL, according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The infamous NHL coach will remain behind the bench for the Chinese club, despite losing their last seven games. Kunlun stands at 12-14-8 so far this season and find themselves out of the playoffs. Keenan won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994, but has been coaching in the KHL now for 2013.
  • The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers watched their star defensemen skate this morning, as both Shea Weber and Ryan McDonagh got back on the ice. Neither player is ready to return for their respective teams, but are getting closer with every passing day. McDonagh in particular is expected to return to the Rangers lineup on Friday if all goes well this week. Weber is still working out on his own and has no clear return date.

Vegas, Toronto, Colorado Pursuing Ian Cole

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Late last night a report from Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette broke that the Penguins were shopping Ian Cole. The 28-year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent after this season, and hadn’t gotten anywhere in extension talks with Pittsburgh. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet added that Cole’s agent had been given permission to talk to other teams.

Ian ColeNow, Mackey has even more information on a potential Cole swap. In a piece from this morning, the Post-Gazette writer reports that the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs are the leading suitors for Cole’s services, and that he won’t be traded to anyone in the Metropolitan Division. With the standings so tight this season, it’s understandable that Pittsburgh wouldn’t want to hand over a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

It’s that playoff success that makes Cole’s availability so surprising. With Kris Letang and others injured in last year’s Stanley Cup run, Cole was a huge part of the Penguins success, playing in all 25 games and registering nine points. This season though he’s seen his role diminished to the point where he plays fewer than 17 minutes a night.

Toronto has been clear in their pursuit of defense since last season, and even added another Penguins Stanley Cup champion in Ron Hainsey this offseason. Cole’s $2.1MM cap hit is a very palatable number for teams in their situation, pressed up close to the cap ceiling.

Colorado has been a surprising team this season even after trading Matt Duchene away, and find themselves at 11-9-2 through the early part of the year. Though they’ve added several young defensemen to the organization in the past few months, a player like Cole could add some stability if he came with a long-term extension.

For Vegas, it does seem like a poor match. Though they do have some of the assets that Pittsburgh would be after, they already have too many defensemen on the roster and in the organization and would need to move some out before taking on a player like Cole. The fact that he’s a free agent at the end of the season works with their salary structure, but buying at the deadline doesn’t make sense for their long-term health.

Pittsburgh has been scratching Cole recently because of the trade talks, and Mackey believes that the deal will be completed quickly. Whether it is with one of those three teams or someone else is unclear, and what the Penguins are looking for in return is still anyone’s guess. They have been looking for help at center all season, and players like Tyler Bozak, Carl Soderberg or Jon Marchessault could be potential options from the above trio. Obviously those three examples come with different trade values, but help down the middle seems like the most likely result of the deal for the Penguins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Eastern Notes: Cole, Vrana, Djoos, Lightning

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Tight up against the salary cap for the next few years, Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required) answers a number of mailbag questions about the Pittsburgh Penguins present and future. Among the tidbits of information is the scribe’s opinion that the team is likely to allow defenseman Ian Cole to depart via free agency this offseason.

Yohe writes that Cole, who is one of the team’s better defenseman is more likely of all their unrestricted free agents next year to be wearing a different sweater in the 2018-19 season. As Pittsburgh is already loaded with four defensemen making at least $4MM per year next season, Cole would likely be the odd man out for the Penguins, especially since there will likely be many teams offering big money to the blueliner. The  27-year-old has been a solid defender and likely could play a major position on another team’s top-four if given the opportunity.

  • NBC Sports Tarik El-Bashir writes that Washington Capitals wing Jakub Vrana, who was a healthy scratch for the first time this year on Thursday, will return to the lineup today against the Minnesota Wild on the Capitals third line. He had just two points (both goals) in his previous 13 games. “I’m putting him back where he was … and I want to see him play really well tonight,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said.
  • El-Bashir adds that Washington Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos, who suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday against the Nashville Predators and missed Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, did not skate today. “I don’t know exactly when he’s going to skate yet,” Trotz said. “He’s still day-to-day with the trainers. Once they tell me he can skate, he’ll be out there.”
  • Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times writes that with the Tampa Bay Lightning off to their best start in team history as they lead the league with a 15-2-2 record and 32 points, the team has a number of players who are also leading the NHL, including Nikita Kucherov, who leads the NHL in goals scored with 17; Steven Stamkos, who leads the league in assists with 25 and points with 35; and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins with 14.

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