In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is a bit of back and forth going on between Dougie Hamiltion of the Carolina Hurricanes and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Lightning’s salary cap during the playoffs. Sam Reinhart is getting plenty of interest and there’s a theory the Edmonton Oilers might try to target defenseman Tony DeAngelo. Finally, what offseason targets might the Toronto Maple Leafs be keying in on?
Hamilton and Kucherov Exchange Words Over Salary Cap
There’s an interesting back and forth going on between Hamilton and Kucherov when it comes to the Lightning eliminating the Hurricanes from the postseason. Hamilton said in his post-series media avail, “We had a great season and lost to a team that’s $18 million over the cap or whatever they are.” While he later said he wasn’t trying to knock the salary cap rules, it was clear he wasn’t happy that the Lightning got Kucherov back just in time for the postseason and their team was stacked.
Kucherov was asked about Hamilton’s comments and said, “I didn’t make the rules with the cap. It’s not me. I didn’t do anything on purpose. I had to do the surgery. I had to go through the whole five months of rehabilitation and when the time came and I was ready to play, I was playing.”
This debate will certainly go on as long as the Lightning are still in the playoffs and certainly if Kucherov finishes as the leading scorer in the postseason. For many, it’s a hard pill to swallow that the player and the team were somehow able to have the forward miss all season but miraculously see him be ready for the playoffs when the cap hit didn’t count.
Related: Today in Hockey History: June 12
Sabres Getting Calls about Sam Reinhart
Elliotte Friedman was on WGR 550 and discussed the latest trade buzz surrounding Sabres’ forward Sam Reinhart. He noted, “I’ll tell you this. I’ve heard there is a lot of interest in Reinhart. I’ve heard there is a lot.” He added, “The thing that makes Reinhart a little trickier is that you’ve got to do a contract with him. So that’s not to say it’s impossible but I think it makes it a little trickier but I’ve hear there is a lot of interest.”
Friedman noted that the process will include teams calling the Sabres and asking to talk to Reinhart’s agent about an extension before talking the Sabres about the cost of acquiring the forward. If Reinhart isn’t interested in extending, the teams aren’t likely going further. While he can’t actually sign an extension with the new team, any trade suitor wants to know what the future holds. Friedman noted that some teams might actually be reaching out to Reinhart’s agent anyway.
Oilers and Tony DeAngelo Talk
A strange rumor picked up some legs this week after Kevin Allen of HockeyBuzz, write a column called: “15 NHL moves that should be made this season offseason”. In it, he suggested the Edmonton Oilers “should re-sign Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Larsson and then call the Rangers about Anthony DeAngelo.”
The DeAngelo thing picked up a little steam as a couple of radio hosts discussed the idea of the Oilers trading for him and targeting him much like they targeted Tyson Barrie last season.
*Author’s Note: I don’t imagine there’s much to this and Allen’s comments are purely a suggestion. DeAngelo is a lightning rod for controversy and the Oilers have bigger needs. They also have Evan Bouchard who needs playing time and if GM Ken Holland was really focused on adding a right-hand shot defenseman for the power play that isn’t Bouchard, he should simply talk to Barrie again.
Maple Leafs Potential Offseason Targets
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox noted in his latest Toronto Maple Leafs mailbag that if the Maple Leafs want to target a killer instinct during this year’s offseason, team president Brendan Shanahan and GM Kyle Dubas might look at Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf or Winnipeg’s Paul Stastny. He also notes that if the Leafs lose Zach Hyman, they might turn around and target Colorado’s Brandon Saad.
Other potential team targets could include Minnesota’s Nick Bonino, Vegas’ Mattias Janmark and Dallas’ Jamie Oleksiak.
Jim Parsons is a freelance writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers and news and rumors posts here at The Hockey Writers.
You can also catch him writing at NHLtradetalk.com, The Sportster and hosting weekly video casts, THW News and Rumors Rundown, plus Oilers Overtime.
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