In today’s NHL rumors rundown, a rough translation of recent comments by David Pastrnak hints that the forward might not be leaning towards a long-term extension with the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, did Nazem Kadri’s deal make it easy for J.T. Miller to understand his value as a pending unrestricted free agent? Speaking of Kadri, how is it that the New York Islanders missed out on the forward in free agency? Finally, what is the latest on trade speculation surrounding defenseman Jakob Chychrun?
Pastrnak Hesitant to Sign Long-Term Deal With Bruins?
A rough translation of recent comments by David Pastrnak seems to suggest he’s not sure he’s up for another year of not winning the Stanley Cup if this season with the Bruins doesn’t amount to something more than an early playoff exit. When asked about his future entering contract year, he responded, “Now I’m going into my ninth season and I haven’t won anything yet. Time flies and I regret it every year.”
Some are hearing these comments and taking it to mean nothing more than Pastrnak wants to win. Others wonder if he’s going to hold off on an extension and wait to see how the team performs this season before committing. If the Bruins aren’t competitive, will he tell the organization that he’s likely to test the free agent waters and sign with a contender?
Kadri Deal Will Affect Miller’s Insistence on Long-Term Deal
As per Rick Dhaliwal who was a guest on the Sekeres and Price show, “Kadri’s agent did J.T. Miller’s agent a favour…there is no way Miller will accept anything under seven or eight years.” His comments came after the 31-year-old Kadri signed a seven-year deal with the Calgary Flames this past week. This will take Kadri into his late 30’s and because J.T. Miller is 29 years old, he’ll want at least the same length or longer than Kadri got.
Dhaliwal doesn’t think there’s a chance that Miller accepts $7 million times seven years and notes that if he gets another 99 points this coming season, he’ll launch himself into another contract stratosphere. Needless to say, this is not good news for the Canucks who already seem torn about what to do with Miller and aren’t sure that giving him big money and big term at his age is the right decision for their franchise.
How Did Islanders Miss Out on Kadri?
Elliotte Friedman notes that rumors of the Islanders being interested in signing Kadri were likely accurate, but that GM Lou Lamoriello struggled to move the necessary cap space to find the room to add Kadri’s contract. Friedman told NHL Network that the fact Calgary moved Sean Monahan’s deal allowed the Flames to get this done.
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Some will look at the over $11 million the Islanders have in cap space and ask why they couldn’t make the Kadri deal work, but Friedman believes Lamoriello already has deals signed with Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson. He thinks Romanov will come in around $3 million and Dobson’s deal will be a big one after a breakout season.
Coyotes Not Rushing Chychrun Trade
According to Craig Morgan, the Arizona Coyotes and GM Bill Armstrong are not rushing a move to send Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators or any other team. The Sens are rumored to be keenly interested but the asking price is high and that has delayed a trade being completed. Reports are that Armstrong intends to stick to his prices and this could be a deal that happens well into the season and not this summer.
Ottawa will continue to talk with the Coyotes but things are likely to slow down on the Chychrun front. Other teams are still talking with Armstrong but if he’s not budging on the ask, there are a lot of moving parts for a number of teams.
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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