In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Seattle Kraken intentionally scratched Shane Wright to send him down on a conditioning stint. What next? Meanwhile, expect the Buffalo Sabres and pending UFA Kyle Okposo to push conversations about a contract extension toward the end of the season.
The Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks talked trade and are the Arizona Coyotes looking to trade more than just Jakob Chychrun from their group of defensemen?
Kraken Have a Plan with Wright
Whether it’s the right plan, the Seattle Kraken intentionally scratched Shane Wright for five-straight games in order to send him down on a conditioning stint in the AHL. Jeff Marek discussed what Seattle’s long-term plan is and said, that he’ll play a handful of games in the AHL before potentially returning around December 4th to play against the Montreal Canadiens. From there, he may or may not be loaned out to play for the World Juniors team.
Marek said the Kraken wanted to do this conditioning stint weeks ago but because Jared McCann got hurt, Wright drew into a game so the clock reset. This is why he’s been scratched so many times.
Okposo and Sabres Not Talking New Deal
Marek also noted that the Sabres and forward Kyle Okposo haven’t really talked a contract extension. The pending UFA is in no rush to focus on his expiring contract and Marek suggested neither side is in any kind of hurry to get something done. “Look for this one to get punted towards the end of the season,” he noted.
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The Sabres recently picked up Tyson Jost from the Minnesota Wild off of the waiver wire. He’s got a $2 million cap hit and is a pending RFA.
Senators Discussed Blue Line Trade With Canucks
Elliotte Friedman reports that the Ottawa Senators did talk to the Vancouver Canucks about a trade that would see Tyler Myers join the Senators and Nikita Zaitsev join the Canucks. Friedman isn’t sure how far things got and doesn’t believe it ever got as far as Myers himself — he has a modified no-trade clause in his contract. He does think the two sides did discuss this deal and isn’t sure if they will resume talks again in the future. He noted, “I don’t know where it stands right now or if it can be revived but it was at some level discussed.”
The reason was that this would give the Senators an upgrade on defense and give the Canucks some cap relief. Speaking of the Senators, Friedman also said that Erik Karlsson has not been approached in San Jose about waiving his no-trade clause for a potential future deal, including to Ottawa where there are rumors the Senators might be interested.
Could the Canucks Move Demko?
As far as other trades go with Vancouver, there is chatter that goaltender Thatcher Demko might not be on Vancouver’s untouchables list when it comes to players the team might make available. That’s incredible considering where he was at last season and the expectations people had for him to be a top-tier NHL goalie. That said, he’s struggled this season and there’s worry he may not rebound. During a recent 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman suggested that only Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are off-limits when it comes to trade discussions. He noted the Canucks will listen on everyone else.
The Canucks are maintaining their confidence in him. Head coach Bruce Boudreau said, “He’s working through some things.” He added, “A lot of it is confidence, but the confidence in us of him getting back to normal is high. That’s why we keep putting him in all the time.” There is some concern Demko might be feeling the effects of off-season surgery.
Could the Coyotes Move Timmins?
Friedman also notes that the trade watch on defenseman Jakub Chychrun is still on, but to also watch for the Coyotes to see if there’s a market for blueliner Conor Timmins, who is currently in the AHL on a conditioning stint. Timmins has been unlucky when it comes to injuries and he could be a trade piece out of Arizona.
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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