Headlines

  • Predators Acquire Nicolas Hague, Sign Four-Year Extension
  • Bruins Agree To Terms On Extension With Morgan Geekie
  • Matthew Knies, Maple Leafs Agree To Six-Year Extension
  • Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season
  • Senators Sign Claude Giroux To One-Year Extension
  • Stars Expected To Hire Glen Gulutzan As Head Coach
  • 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

Jimmy Schuldt

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Oilers, Canucks

June 8, 2019 at 6:01 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 9 Comments

After two years of heavy turnover and maneuvering to get their franchise off to a hot start, it looks like the Vegas Golden Knights will be taking a back seat when free agency opens on July 1. While most people weren’t expecting Vegas to be active this offseason, with their cap room already used up, Ken Boehlke of SinBin.vegas writes that President of Hockey Operations George McPhee admitted the team will be inactive:

Well we’re in pretty good shape with our core group. We have basically everyone signed up and we are close on some other things. So I don’t imagine we’re going to be out looking at free agents this summer. We like the team the way it is and we like the young guys that we have coming along.

What McPhee meant when he said the team was close on some other things could be very interesting, although it could range anywhere from a potential long-term deal with restricted free agent William Karlsson, to potential deals for fellow RFA’s Nikita Gusev, Tomas Nosek, Jimmy Schuldt or veteran UFA Deryk Engelland, or even a trade to free up cap space to sign any of them.

  • The Athletic’s Jonathan Willis (subscription required) looks at the potential compatibility between the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets, wondering if the two teams might be a perfect match for solving each of their problems. The scribe suggests the Jets could use Edmonton to help unload some of their less-significant contracts, such as Mathieu Perreault or Dmitry Kulikov, or if the Jets are more motivated, they could consider sending winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who is coming off a disappointing season, to Edmonton for a package that could include a defenseman such as Darnell Nurse or Andrej Sekera and some of Edmonton’s youth that could help bolster the team’s depth.
  • Allan Mitchell of the Athletic (subscription required) writes that the Oilers are in need of an inexpensive third-line center option, one that can kill penalties, suggesting the team look via the trade market to find that player. He writes that the Oilers should consider trying to pry Montreal Canadiens’ center Phillip Danault, as well as look at Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry, Ottawa’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Detroit’s Luke Glendening, or Dallas’ Radek Faksa. The scribe adds that the most likely candidate that Edmonton would be able to steal away could be Pageau.
  • The Vancouver Sun’s Patrick Johnston writes that the Vancouver Canucks should seriously consider trying to convince Toronto Maple Leafs unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner to sign with them this offseason. While there have been rumors that Toronto wants to unload other contracts in hopes of keeping Gardiner in the fold, Johnston writes that Gardiner would be the perfect puck-carrying defenseman that the team hasn’t had since Alexander Edler was in his prime. However, he wonders whether the U.S.-born blue liner might prefer to avoid playing in Canada after a taking a lot of heat from Toronto fans over the years.

Edmonton Oilers| Free Agency| George McPhee| Montreal Canadiens| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Adam Lowry| Andrej Sekera| Darnell Nurse| Deryk Engelland| Dmitry Kulikov| Jake Gardiner| Jean-Gabriel Pageau| Jimmy Schuldt| Luke Glendening| Mathieu Perreault| Nikita Gusev| Nikolaj Ehlers| Phillip Danault| Radek Faksa| Tomas Nosek| William Karlsson

9 comments

Pacific Notes: Vancouver Defense, Edler, Marleau, Gusev

June 1, 2019 at 4:29 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks saw some improvement with their rebuilding project last season as the team, for a while there, was scratching the possibility of a playoff spot. While that inevitably didn’t happen, the team looks like it’s ready to take that next step and force their way into the postseason picture. To do that, the team will have to add more talent, either in the free agent market or via trade.

Speaking to TSN Radio Vancouver, TSN’s Jeff Patterson said he’s talked recently with Vancouver general manager Jim Benning and believes that Benning is very likely to be active on the trade market as the NHL Draft approaches and the GM is well aware that his job could be on the line if the team can’t take that next step this upcoming season.

My main takeaway is that Benning seems open for business on the trade front. He repeatedly mentioned talking to other managers. He talked about the draft & the week leading up to the draft & how all the managers will be back together again.”

One area the team must focus on this off-season is improving their defense, which lacks significant talent. While the team does expect 2018 first-round pick Quinn Hughes to step right into the lineup, the team will need more ability on the back end and with a minimal amount of talented defenseman available on the free-agent market, the team might be best off making a trade for a defenseman.

Defense is not a position of strength for the Canucks. They can address the defense in free agency, but I got a sense talking to [Benning] and the vibe he was putting out, that he knows that he’s got to make a significant trade. And his trade record hasn’t been very good.

  • Sticking with Vancouver defensemen, Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal writes that with three weeks remaining until the UFA interview window is upon them, the Vancouver Canucks haven’t made much progress with veteran defenseman Alexander Edler, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. While there has been quite a bit of talk from both camps about a continued working relationship, the two sides are still far apart, according to Dhaliwal, with rumors that term is the key problem. The 33-year-old has appeared in 814 career games with Vancouver.
  • After rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings were discussing a potential Patrick Marleau trade on Friday, Los Angeles Times’ Helene Elliott reported today that Marleau will not be traded to Los Angeles. The scribe wrote that once the teams started discussions, it quickly became obvious that each teams’ needs and salary cap issues wouldn’t make a trade viable. Toronto is looking to unload the final year of Marleau’s deal at $6.25MM, but will have a challenging time as he has a no-movement clause as well.
  • With June 1 hitting the calendars, the Vegas Golden Knights can officially begin negotiations with restricted free agents Nikita Gusev and Jimmy Schuldt after both players signed entry-level deals late in the 2018-19 season, according to Ken Boehlke of SinBin.vegas. Both players are expected to be made qualifying offers, but both are expected to sign longer-term deals instead. Gusev, the 2018 KHL MVP, did not make an appearance in the playoffs when he came over a in April, but is expected to play a role in the team’s top-nine next season. Schuldt, one of the top undrafted college free agents this past year, played one game for Vegas after an impressive four-year career at St. Cloud State University. Schuldt will be given the opportunity to compete for a starting role with the Knights right away.

Free Agency| Jim Benning| KHL| Los Angeles Kings| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights Jimmy Schuldt| Nikita Gusev| Patrick Marleau

0 comments

Golden Knights Notes: Salary Cap, Gusev, Gambling

May 21, 2019 at 6:32 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Trusted salary cap database CapFriendly has rolled over their site to the 2019-20 season already and one of the most eye-grabbing results is just how much trouble the Vegas Golden Knights are already in. Using a projected salary cap ceiling of $83MM, up $3.5MM from this season, at the top of the projected salary list is Vegas, who are already $125K over the cap with more than $83MM committed to just 19 players. A further inspection reveals that the Knights have just one goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, and six defensemen signed as of now, with no room to make any further additions. GM Kelly McCrimmon and company will have no choice but to shed salary this summer, at the very least just to re-sign restricted free agents like William Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Jimmy Schuldt, and Malcolm Subban. Any free agent signings beyond that will require further sacrifice. Despite being just two years into their existence, Vegas has already accumulated an incredible amount of salary, mostly due to major contracts handed out to the likes of Mark Stone, Nate Schmidt, Alex Tuch, Shea Theodore, Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny, and Fleury, all signed since this time last year. Golden Knights fans should be prepared for some tough moves, as solving this problem won’t be as easy as simply placing David Clarkson on the injured reserve. Inaugural Knights like Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin, and Colin Miller are among the most likely casualties.

  • Even in the midst of his new team’s cap crunch, Nikita Gusev is expecting and hoping to re-sign with Vegas. Gusev, whose rights were acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, finally jumped to the NHL late this season after a decorated career in the KHL. The 26-year-old forward burned his one-year entry-level contract, despite not playing, and is now a restricted free agent. He tells Russian hockey source Sport-Express, as translated by The Sin Bin, that he likes Las Vegas and feels he owes it to the team to re-sign with them if made a reasonable offer. Gusev acknowledges that he will likely receive other offers, either from KHL clubs overseas or in the form of an NHL offer sheet, but he will wait for Vegas’ initial offer before making any decisions. What might it cost the Knights to retain their newfound weapon? The interviewer suggested to Gusev that a $4MM AAV could be the ballpark price and he did not disagree. He would only confirm that he expects a one-way deal, but did not talk specific finances. Overall, Gusev sounded very flexible about getting a deal done and even acknowledged that he would be open to playing in the AHL if that is what is asked of him. That seems like an unlikely route for Vegas to take, but Gusev’s attitude at least implies that this negotiation process and first full year in North America should go smoother than it did for Vadim Shipachyov. If (when) the Golden Knights are forced to sell off scoring this off-season, Gusev could be an ideal candidate to take on a major role next season.
  • Speaking at a conference today, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the successful growth of betting on hockey by using the Golden Knights as an example, per TSN’s Rick Westhead. In Nevada, where sports gambling is legalized, hockey bets grew by 60% in Vegas’ inaugural season and again by 40% this season. While Nevada, and Las Vegas in particular, is the unofficial gambling capital of the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. NCAA last summer allows all states to decide for themselves whether or not to allow for legalized gambling. Many states already have sports books up and running and many more will soon follow. If the growth exhibited in Nevada in regards to betting on hockey is replicated by other states, it will be a key growth factor for the game and the NHL and one that Bettman will surely try to take advantage of as best he can.

AHL| Expansion| KHL| Kelly McCrimmon| Legal| NCAA| NHL| Players| Tampa Bay Lightning| Vegas Golden Knights Alex Tuch| Cody Eakin| Colin Miller| David Clarkson| Gary Bettman| Jimmy Schuldt| Jonathan Marchessault| Las Vegas| Malcolm Subban| Marc-Andre Fleury| Mark Stone| Max Pacioretty| Nate Schmidt| Nikita Gusev| Paul Stastny| Salary Cap

5 comments

NCAA All-American Selections Announced

April 12, 2019 at 6:14 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The college hockey season is wrapping up, beginning with Thursday night’s Frozen Four semifinal games, tonight’s end of the year awards banquet, and finally tomorrow’s National Championship game. Many awards were handed out tonight, including the Hobey Baker Award, but the NCAA also announced this year’s All-American rosters, as voted on by the American Hockey Coaches Association. The teams are as follows:

First-Team All-Americans – East

G Cayden Primeau, Northeastern University (MTL)
D Adam Fox, Harvard University (CAR)
D Cale Makar, University of Massachusetts (COL)
F Mitchell Chaffee, University of Massachusetts
F Ryan Kuffner, Princeton University (DET)
F Nico Sturm, Clarkson University (MIN)

First-Team All-Americans – West

G Hunter Shepard, University of Minnesota – Duluth
D Quinn Hughes, University of Michigan (VAN)
D Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University (VGK)
F Taro Hirose, Michigan State University (DET)
F Patrick Newell, St. Cloud State University (NYR)
F Rem Pitlick, University of Minnesota (NSH)

Second-Team All-Americans – East

G Andrew Shortridge, Quinnipiac University (SJS)
D Jeremy Davies, Northeastern University (NJD)
D Joseph Duszak, Mercyhurst University (TOR)
F Blake Christensen, American International College
F David Cotton, Boston College (CAR)
F Josh Wilkins, Providence College

Second-Team All-Americans – West

G Joey Daccord, Arizona State University (OTT)
D Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State University
D Bobby Nardella, University of Notre Dame (WAS)
D Scott Perunovich, University of Minnesota – Duluth (STL)
F Mason Jobst, Ohio State University (NYI)
F Blake Lizotte, St. Cloud State University (LAK)
F Troy Loggins, Northern Michigan University

The St. Cloud Huskies led the way with four All-American selections, which is little surprise from a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country for much of the year. Yet, St. Cloud won’t be playing in the National Championship game this year. Instead, it will be the UMass Minutemen and UMD Bulldogs. UMass, the only other team with two first-team selections, features the Hobey Baker winner Makar, while Duluth includes two All-Americans as well. Northeastern goalie Primeau was also named the Mike Richter Award winner as the best goalie in the country and was one of two selections from the Huskies. While not included among the All-Americans, Boston University forward Joel Farabee (PHI) was named the Tim Taylor Award recipient as rookie of the year.

Coaches| NCAA Adam Fox| Bobby Nardella| Cale Makar| Jeremy Davies| Jimmy Schuldt| Joel Farabee| Nico Sturm| Quinn Hughes| Ryan Kuffner

0 comments

Cale Makar Named 2019 Hobey Baker Award Winner

April 12, 2019 at 5:27 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

On Friday night, the top player in all of college hockey was announced as University of Massachusetts sophomore defenseman Cale Makar. Makar was named this year’s recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, the highest honor in NCAA Men’s Hockey, at a special event held in Buffalo, New York, the site of this year’s Frozen Four Championship. However, Makar is in Buffalo for more than just an awards banquet, as he and UMass defeated the University of Denver in overtime on Thursday and will play for the National Championship tomorrow night. Makar, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is then expected to join the Colorado Avalanche in their first-round postseason series as early as Monday. Talk about a wild week.

Makar edged out two other talented defensemen for the Hobey Baker this year; his fellow “Hat Trick Finalists” were Harvard University’s Adam Fox and St. Cloud State University’s Jimmy Schuldt. This was the first time that all three finalists were defensemen, as voting has begun to favor defensemen more in recent years than it had in the past. University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher won the award in 2017, but prior to that it had not gone to a blue liner since Boston University’s Matt Gilroy in 2009. Like Butcher, now with the New Jersey Devils, Makar, Fox, and Schuldt are all expected to step into immediate NHL roles once turning pro. Schuldt, an undrafted senior, has already signed with the Vegas Golden Knights, while Makar will soon do the same with the Avalanche. Fox, a junior, has been the subject of controversy with not one, but two different NHL teams already, as he has been reluctant to sign with the team that drafted him, the Calgary Flames, and his current rights holder, the Carolina Hurricanes. As a result, the speculation is that Fox will return to Harvard for his senior season and could be a Hobey Baker candidate again next season.

As for the man of the hour, it’s hard to argue that Makar was not deserving of this recognition. Considered by many to be the top prospect in hockey, Makar is a generational talent in terms of his skating and ability to move the puck. Makar is an elite play-maker with vision and creativity, but is far from just an offensive specialist. He is not afraid to play physical, breaks up plays with consistency, and is a smart positional player. Makar holds a team-high 49 points in 40 games this year, but also leads UMass with a +33 rating. Nationally, Makar is second among all defensemen in both goals and assists and is third in scoring among all players, but still has one game remaining with the National Championship still to come.

The next step for Makar will be to sign his standard three-year entry-level contract, but the 20-year-old is likely to burn his first year immediately by suiting up for Colorado as soon as possible. He will then challenge for and likely succeed in landing a starting role for the Avalanche next season and should wind up as a top-four if not top-pair defensemen for the team by the end of the 2019-20 season. The dynamic defender will undoubtedly be one of the favorites to win the Calder Trophy next season as the best rookie in the NHL. Despite the unbelievable streak that Makar is on right now, the best is yet to come for the promising prospect.

Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Colorado Avalanche| Minnesota Wild| NCAA| New Jersey Devils| Players| Vegas Golden Knights Adam Fox| Cale Makar| Jimmy Schuldt

2 comments

2019 Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists Announced

April 4, 2019 at 11:13 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The second round of voting has closed, and the Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalists have been announced. 83 players were nominated for the award this year, and a fan vote was added to the opinions of NCAA head coaches to determine the final ten names, which has now been reduced to just three.

The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country, and has an impressive line of winners over the past few years. In 2013-14, Johnny Gaudreau took home the award as a junior for Boston College, followed by Jack Eichel in his only year for Boston University in 2015-16. Jimmy Vesey, Will Butcher and 2017-18 winner Adam Gaudette don’t bring quite the same impact, but look like they’ll each have long NHL careers.

The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.

The finalists are as follows:

Cale Makar – University of Massachusetts-Amherst (unsigned, Colorado Avalanche)

Makar, 20, was the fourth overall pick in 2017 and is expected to sign with the Avalanche as soon as his college season ends. That may not be for a little while though, as the talented defenseman has led his team to the Frozen Four with back to back 4-0 victories over Harvard and Notre Dame. Makar is arguably the best drafted prospect outside of the NHL and could be a difference maker as soon as he arrives in Colorado. His offensive game has been there since he played junior hockey in the AJHL, but the mobile defender has polished his defensive game and increased his physicality in two years at UMass-Amherst.

Adam Fox – Harvard University (unsigned, Carolina Hurricanes)

Fox, 21, wasn’t drafted quite as high as Makar but is an exciting prospect in his own right. A third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2016 he was traded to Carolina last summer and has already indicated he won’t be signing with the Hurricanes. Armed with incredible vision and playmaking ability Fox is considered one of the best powerplay quarterbacks in the nation and recorded 48 points in 33 games this season for Harvard. While his skating isn’t as dynamic as Makar’s, his huge offensive upside will make him highly sought after if he reaches free agency next summer.

Jimmy Schuldt – St. Cloud State University (Vegas Golden Knights)

Schuldt, 23, is the most experienced of the group having played four seasons at St. Cloud State. The team was arguably the best in the country for almost his entire time there, and the two-way defenseman was a big part of it. Captaining the team for three seasons, Schuldt has an excellent offensive game but really stands out in his own end. An accomplished defender, he can quickly shut down offensive chances and send his team the other way without having to be overly physical. Recently signing as a free agent with the Golden Knights, he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer and able to ink a bigger contract.

Carolina Hurricanes| Colorado Avalanche| NCAA| Vegas Golden Knights Adam Fox| Cale Makar| Jimmy Schuldt

3 comments

Jimmy Schuldt Signs With Vegas Golden Knights

April 3, 2019 at 11:09 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The decision is in, and top college free agent Jimmy Schuldt has picked a destination. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have signed Schuldt to a one-year entry-level contract. That contract will expire on July 1st, at which point Schuldt will become a restricted free agent and can sign a longer deal with the Golden Knights.

The 24-year old Schuldt is not eligible to join the Golden Knights in the playoffs, but will provide the team with another relatively young defenseman moving forward. The team has a core group locked up for the next several seasons, but may need some reinforcements as names like Deryk Engelland, Jon Merrill and Nick Holden approach free agency. The team recently traded away their top defensive prospect in Erik Brannstrom, and while Schuldt certainly doesn’t replace that kind of talent he can offer the team a more polished product right away.

That polished product is thanks to four excellent seasons at St. Cloud State, where Schuldt captained the Huskies for the last three years. Winning almost everything possible across his college seasons including “Best Defensive Defenseman” this year, he is a Hobey Baker Finalist for the second time. Offering some offensive upside—118 points in 156 college games explains just how effective he can be—Schuldt is at his best when shutting down cycles in his own end and moving the puck quickly out of danger.

The young defenseman has been on NHL radars for some time, and previously attended several development camps including one with Vegas. The Minnesota native apparently reduced his group of potential suitors to five in recent days, and had included the Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers on that short list. The Montreal Canadiens, who were also interested in bringing him in, weren’t able to convince him despite a sales pitch from teammate Ryan Poehling. Poehling recently turned pro with the Candiens, along with other St. Cloud State teammates Patrick Newell (NYR) and Blake Lizotte (LAK).

Vegas Golden Knights Jimmy Schuldt

2 comments

Jimmy Schuldt Narrowing List Of Potential Destinations

April 2, 2019 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

Tuesday: Along with the Wild and Golden Knights are the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders according to Russo’s new article on The Athletic (subscription required). Colleague Marc Antoine Godin tweets that Montreal is not among the finalists, despite Poehling’s attempts to convince Schuldt to join the Canadiens.

Monday: One of the biggest college free agents decided to head to the Minnesota Wild today when Nico Sturm signed his entry-level deal, and he may not be the only top name headed to the Wild. Jimmy Schuldt has narrowed his list of teams from more than twenty to just five according to Bob McKenzie of TSN, who lists Minnesota and the Vegas Golden Knights as part of that final group. Michael Russo of The Athletic has heard the same, and expected the list to be reduced even further at some point today.

Schuldt, 23, finished his four year career at St. Cloud State recently with another outstanding season and is a Hobey Baker finalist. The undrafted free agent defenseman recorded 35 points in 39 games while serving as captain for the third consecutive season. He has previously had ties with various NHL clubs including attending development camp with the Montreal Canadiens, who recently signed teammate Ryan Poehling.

There is obviously a strong connection between Schuldt and the Wild, but almost every team in the league has expressed interest in him at some point. He’ll almost certainly be able to leverage that widespread interest into a contract that starts this season, burning his entry-level deal right away and allowing him to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Minnesota Wild| Vegas Golden Knights Bob McKenzie| Jimmy Schuldt

3 comments

Wild Notes: Parise, Sturm, Schuldt

March 31, 2019 at 5:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

As we speak, the Minnesota Wild are playing what amounts to a must-win game against the Arizona Coyotes. Neither team is in a playoff position as of now, but it still represents a potential four-point shift in the Western Conference wild card race. The Coyotes currently sit in ninth place, three points back of the Colorado Avalanche for the final postseason berth. The Wild are in tenth place, just one point behind the ’Yotes. A Minnesota regulation win would see them leapfrog Arizona to pull within two points of Colorado, but an Arizona regulation win would put Minnesota three points back of the nine seed and still four points back of the eight seed, which might be insurmountable with only three games remaining after today.

Hurting the chances of a much-needed Wild win today is the continued absence of star forward Zach Parise. Unfortunately, he may not be returning at all this season. Just prior to puck drop, beat writer Sarah McLellan reported that Parise would not be active for the game, which was not a great surprise, but added that head coach Bruce Boudreau has qualified Parise’s lower-body ailment as “significant”. While she writes that the team “hopes” he might play again this season, it seems far from certain. Parise has now missed four games in a row and with three games left his chances to return are running out. A loss today would substantially lower the odds of Parise being rushed back to action as well. The 34-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence this season, leading the team with 26 goals and 59 points, but this is a disappointing end to an otherwise encouraging season for the veteran.

  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo believes that the Wild are “pushing hard” for college free agent forward Nico Sturm. The Clarkson University captain is considered the top defensive forward in the NCAA and has improved offensively in each of his four collegiate seasons as well. The concern with Sturm is that the 23-year-old may have already peaked in his development and could project as nothing more than a fourth-liner at the NHL level. However, with good size and a mature game, Sturm does have the added benefit of being able to contribute right away, even if not on the score sheet. In fact, Russo writes that if Sturm lands in Minnesota, he is likely to join the Wild right away and burn a year off his entry-level contract.
  • There has been plenty of speculation as to where St. Cloud State University defenseman Jimmy Schuldt might end up and the rumor mill has only heated up since the Huskies were unceremoniously upset for the second straight year in their first game of the NCAA Tournament. At one point, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Schuldt would follow teammate Ryan Poehling to the Montreal Canadiens, but those whispers have subsided and many other contenders have entered the fray. Count the Wild as one such interested club. The Athletic’s Jake Jensen writes that Minnesota is at least “in the race” for Schuldt, alongside the L.A. Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Potentially the best undrafted defender in college hockey this season, Schuldt will be a nice prize for whichever team he decides to join.

Bruce Boudreau| Colorado Avalanche| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| NCAA| Utah Mammoth| Vegas Golden Knights Jimmy Schuldt| Zach Parise

1 comment

Central Notes: DeBrincat, Strome, Hamhuis, Bishop, Schuldt

March 30, 2019 at 4:41 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With the signing earlier today of former Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Schmaltz to a seven-year, $40.95MM contract extension, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) wonders what kind of extensions might forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome earn, as both will be eligible to sign new deals on July 1.

DeBrincat, who is in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, has already tallied 68 goals in two years, including a 40-goal campaign this season. With those numbers, Powers writes that the Blackhawks are most likely going to get DeBrincat to eventually sign a six-year deal, likely heading into the $8MM AAV-range, pointing out that a seven or eight-year deal is unlikely since a six-year deal will leave him looking for a third contract at age 27, the perfect age for a long-term extension. If he can continue posting 30-to-40 goal seasons, DeBrincat could be in line for double digit cap hits in the future.

As for Strome, the team may be better off waiting for another year to lock up the young forward. Strome has played well in Chicago with 14 goals and 45 points in 53 games, but both sides would be better off to wait another year for more proof that he deserves a big contract extension. Plus, it would be wise if Chicago doesn’t have two big contracts handed out in the same year, which could get expensive, possibly between $13-15MM combined.

  • The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that the Nashville Predators have activated defenseman Dan Hamhuis from injured reserve. The veteran blue liner has been out with a leg injury since February 23rd, but it finally ready to return. The team’s third-pair defender has played 53 games this season for the Predators and will now partner up with rookie Dante Fabbro, who is expected to make his debut Saturday against Columbus. The Predators also announced they have assigned Troy Grosenick to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
  • SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks reports that the Dallas Stars will be without goaltender Ben Bishop on Saturday and likely longer, as he is considered to be day-to-day. The 32-year-old Bishop has been a key reason why Dallas has been playing so well as they fight to hold onto their wildcard spot. Bishop has a 2.03 GAA and a .933 save percentage so far this year and may even be a Vezina Trophy finalist at this rate. NHL.com’s Mike Heika writes that he suffered a lower-body injury while going down into the butterfly in the Stars’ last game. DeFranks also adds that Mats Zuccarello and Justin Dowling are about three days away from returning to the lineup.
  • The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild are expected to be one of the most active teams in trying to sign St. Cloud State defenseman Jimmy Schuldt in the next few days. Schuldt finished his four-year college career Friday night, posting 38 career goals. Russo reports that the Wild hope to sign the four-year blue liner by burning the first year of his deal this season and allowing him to play in the NHL for the team’s final few games.

Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Injury| Minnesota Wild| Nashville Predators Alex DeBrincat| Ben Bishop| Dan Hamhuis| Dante Fabbro| Dylan Strome| Jimmy Schuldt| Mats Zuccarello| Nick Schmaltz| Troy Grosenick

1 comment
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Predators Acquire Nicolas Hague, Sign Four-Year Extension

    Bruins Agree To Terms On Extension With Morgan Geekie

    Matthew Knies, Maple Leafs Agree To Six-Year Extension

    Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

    Senators Sign Claude Giroux To One-Year Extension

    Stars Expected To Hire Glen Gulutzan As Head Coach

    Blue Jackets Sign Dante Fabbro To Four-Year Extension

    Lightning, Conor Sheary To Mutually Terminate Contract

    Kraken To Buy Out Joe Veleno

    Maple Leafs Could File For Tampering If Mitch Marner Signs With Golden Knights

    Recent

    Predators Acquire Nicolas Hague, Sign Four-Year Extension

    Five Key Stories: 6/23/25 – 6/29/25

    Bruins Agree To Terms On Extension With Morgan Geekie

    College Notes: Howard, Hughes, Sumpf, Medvedev

    Sabres Re-Sign Jack Rathbone

    Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers

    East Notes: Islanders RFAs, Penguins, Lauko

    Matthew Knies, Maple Leafs Agree To Six-Year Extension

    Flyers, Cam York Closing In On Extension

    Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

    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

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version