In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs still haven’t held any serious talks with goaltender Jack Campbell. Have they soured on the player? The Maple Leafs might also be letting forward Ilya Mikheyev walk. What is his rumored ask? Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have become a destination for pending UFAs and if the team can’t re-sign Evander Kane, there will be players looking to play with the Oilers. The Winnipeg Jets have an option on head coach Rick Bowness, the Arizona Coyotes are looking at multiple trade scenarios and the Seattle Kraken look to be aggressive over the next few weeks.
Have the Maple Leafs Soured on Jack Campbell?
According to Nick Kypreos, “Still no serious @NHL contract talks between Jack Campbell and the @MapleLeafs. Are they even interested in resigning Jack at any price? #surprised?. He had Elliotte Friedman on to talk about the impasse between the goalie and the organization and Friedman said, “It’s been really slow on the Jack Campbell front.” He said that Filip Forsberg is grinding with the Predators towards a result. Kris Letang is the same in Pittsburgh. “This Campbell one hasn’t seemed like it’s moved very far.”
Kypreos says he’s hearing not even one offer has been made to the goaltender. Both insiders aren’t sure why and Kypreos believes the club has soured on him. Friedman says New Jersey and Edmonton will be in the mix if free agency hits and Campbell isn’t signed.
Mikheyev Wants Big Deal in Free Agency
According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, “On pending UFA winger Ilya Mikheyev, my understanding is that if he hits the open market, his agent Dan Milstein would be looking for a multi-year deal in the $4.75 M AAV to $5.5 M AAV range…”
Chris Johnston of Sports Insights and TSN notes:
“Dubas sent a note to rival GMs on Thursday making it known that he was willing to trade Mikheyev’s rights to “jumpstart the process” before free agency opens July 13. That confirmed suspicions the Russian winger had priced himself out of Toronto’s plans with his first 20-goal season and an asking price of $4-million plus.
Players Looking at Oilers
Friedman noted, “One player said last week that the Leon Draisaitl/Connor McDavid playoff explosions changed the way people see the organization.” Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now is reporting the same thing and says that he’s hearing that multiple pending UFA’s are watching the Evander Kane situation. In other words, if Evander Kane doesn’t re-sign with the Oilers (they are interested in re-signing him) UFAs and their agents will be reaching out to the Oilers about a possible deal.
Related: Oilers Quickly Becoming Top Free Agent Destination
Both Friedman and Stauffer are suggesting Edmonton is now higher on the list of places people think you can win.
Jets Have Option on Bowness
LeBrun is also reporting that the Winnipeg Jets have a third-year option on Rick Bowness’ new coaching contract worth $2.5 million per season. LeBrun writes, “Rick Bowness’s two-year deal also includes a club option for a third season. So it’s two years guaranteed plus the option. Salary for the third option year closer to $3M.”
Seattle Kraken Going to Be Aggressive
Friedman also believes the Kraken are going to be a busy team over the next few weeks. He says they took a long look at Kevin Fiala before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings and that there will rumors surrounding the team. Among them, Seattle could chase Johnny Gaudreau, Nazem Kadri, and John Klingberg.
Friedman believes it’s a near-lock the Kraken take Slovak defender Simon Nemec with their fourth-overall selection.
Coyotes Looking at Multiple Draft Trade Scenarios
As per Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong, when asked if the organization could trade down from No. 3 or if they could package their other first-round picks or second-round picks to move up in the draft on the 7th, he responded, “I think both.” He added, “We’re gonna look at every scenario when we get in there. We’re gonna go through them all. We’re thrilled to be where we are. We’ve taken the pain and now it’s time to go make some hay and let’s see what we can get done.”
Armstrong also said that not much has changed when it comes to the trade status of defenseman Jakob Chychrun. The team is listening to offers.
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.”
Other content contributions include: NHLtradetalk.com, The Sportster and hosting weekly video casts, THW News and Rumors Rundown, plus Oilers Overtime.
For interview requests or to provide content info, follow Jim on Twitter or his social media accounts. They appear under his photo on articles like this one.