In today’s NHL rumors rundown, while some teams are going to be looking for full-time coaches this season and this summer, other teams are going to look to extend the contracts for coaches they currently employ. Meanwhile, there is a lot of talk surrounding Tuukka Rask and whether a contract with the Boston Bruins is imminent. There’s talk about Brock Boeser’s need to keep playing well to secure his future with the Vancouver Canucks, and what cost does getting Jack Campbell signed to an extension bring for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Blues Want to Keep Berube, Other Coaching Extensions
According to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, sources have told him that it would be a surprise if the St. Louis Blues don’t re-sign coach Craig Berube. He believes a contract extension is coming and it might be sooner than later because there’s a belief Berube may be wondering what is taking so long.
There’s also talk that the Anaheim Ducks would like to extend Dallas Eakins and that Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin would like to get a contract extension done for coach Dean Evanson.
Lots of Talk Surrounding Tuukka Rask
Goaltender Tuukka Rask has been seen a lot around Bruins’ practices of late and as per Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, “Current plan is for Tuukka Rask to play for Providence during next month’s three-game road trip.” This means a Rask contract could be on the horizon.
Multiple reports confirm now that “preliminary contract” discussions are taking place between the two sides and these game reps will be an important part of the contract process. It’s important to note that nothing has been set in stone as of yet.
Marchand Criticizes NHL for Olympic Decision
In other Bruins’ news, Brad Marchand is speaking out about the decision by the NHL to pull out of the Olympics and criticizing the fact the league has put taxi squads back in place for its own teams but couldn’t find a way to have taxi squads for the Olympics. He called it bulls— that the NHL can’t live up to the agreement they made with the players.
He suggests if the league can change the rules of the CBA to suit their needs, they should be able to let the players decide what they want to do. There are a few people believing these comments may result in a fine for Marchand.
Is Brock Boeser’s Spot on Canucks’ Roster in Jeopardy?
As per a report by Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, forward Brock Boeser could be the team’s most vulnerable core player. Citing his RFA status and early-season struggles, that Boeser has rebounded under new coach Bruce Boudreau is an important factor when it comes to his future.
McIntyre writes:
Boeser is an elite, offensive contributor. But while the $5.875-million salary on his bridge deal has been reasonable, the looming qualifying offer of $7.5-million for the restricted free agent is not. It doesn’t mean Boeser is getting traded, but the Canucks can’t afford that figure as a launch point on a new contract if they want to have enough money left to also sign [Bo] Horvat and [J.T.] Miller a year later, and [Elias] Pettersson the season after that.
Might Maple Leafs Have to Make Room For Campbell
Luke Fox made his three bold Maple Leafs predictions for 2022 and noted that the team will likely find a way to re-sign goaltender Jack Campbell but might have to buy out Petr Mrazek or trade someone like Jake Muzzin or Alex Kerfoot to do so.
Fox writes that the Detroit Red Wings might have been a team that was hoping Campbell would make it to free agency but the scribe doesn’t think that’s happening. He adds:
Whether it means adding sweetener to a Mrazek trade or buying him out, or shedding salary from the roster’s middle class (Jake Muzzin and Alexander Kerfoot might be vulnerable here), we’re betting Dubas finds a way to keep Campbell in the fold.
Golden Knights Banged Up, Multiple Players Game-Time Decisions
As per Jesse Granger of The Athletic, Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and goaltender Robin Lehner all missed practice today due to what’s being termed as bumps and bruises. All are listed as game-time decisions for tomorrow. It’s not clear how serious these injuries are, but Lehner missed last Tuesday’s contest with an undisclosed issue and that means the injury hasn’t gotten much better over the past week.
Nic Hague skated today, and is expected to be available to play tomorrow.
Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim is a daily must for readers who want to be “in the know.”
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