In today’s NHL rumors rundown, one writer looks at what the New York Rangers might have planned after moving Ryan Reaves’ salary off the books. Meanwhile, have the Los Angeles Kings and Jonathan Quick began talking about a new contract?
Are the Chicago Blackhawks starting to make preparations for discussions with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews about a trade? Finally, don’t expect the Florida Panthers to deal Patric Hornqvist as part of a salary-cutting deal.
Rangers Ready to Be Buyers
Vincent Mercogliano of Lohud.com writes that the Rangers moving out Reaves’ salary positions them to be spenders at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. He notes the team will be targeting a big-name player and could potentially swoop in and try to steal a defenseman from a team that badly needs one.
Mercogliano writes:
In an instant, the once-cap-strapped Blueshirts went from roughly $200,000 in cap space to just under $2 million. More importantly, this puts them on pace to accrue over $6.6 million in cap space by the time the March 3 trade deadline arrives, according to PuckPedia, assuming they can maintain a 22-man roster, rather than stretching to the maximum 23.
source – ‘NY Rangers trade Ryan Reaves to Minnesota: What it means for salary cap, trade deadline’ – Vincent Mercogliano – Lohud.com – 11/23/2022
He also writes, “Expect them to attack their areas of weakness with the added cap space.” He adds, “At least one top-nine forward will be at the top of their wish list, with speculation sure to run rampant surrounding Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, whom multiple sources have indicated would be a player of interest.”
Mercogliano reports that Reaves requested the trade while the team was in Los Angeles earlier this week. It was because he’d been a healthy scratch seven times in eight games.
Trade Talk Heating Up on Toews and Kane?
Speaking of Patrick Kane, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff suggests that talks between the Blackhawks and their two veteran stars will pick up regarding their future. He writes that as the calendar turns to December, “expect the Blackhawks to begin an initial conversation with Kane to gauge his interest in a trade.” December is when the Blackhawks had it in their mind in place to begin some of those exploratory conservations with both Kane and Toews.
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Seravalli explained that the process of trading either or both players could get complicated. It will take making sure to look after the player’s wants, find a team that can take on salary, and possibly get another team involved in a salary retention move. All the while, the Blackhawks want the best return they can get.
No Extension Talks Between Kings and Quick
Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that there have been no discussions between the Kings and goaltender Jonathan Quick. He’s coming up on the end of a 10-year, $58 million contract that he signed back in 2012 and while his numbers have dipped this season, the Kings know that a young defense prone to making some mistakes is partially to blame.
The Kings don’t have a ready goaltender to take over for Quick should he leave, retire, or not come to an agreement with the Kings on a new and short-term deal.
Panthers Won’t Trade Patric Hornqvist
Despite speculation that the Florida Panthers are on the verge of making a cost-cutting trade to find room for Anthony Duclair to rejoin the roster when he’s healthy, don’t expect the team to trade Patric Hornqvist. Elliotte Friedman points out in his latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, they aren’t going to be able to move the forward because they promised they wouldn’t when they acquired him.
Friedman noted that he’d considered Hornqvist as an option but a source relayed that the Panthers promised as part of his waiving to come to Florida from the Penguins that they wouldn’t trade him again and while GM Bill Zito could technically go back on that promise, he doesn’t intend to. It would take Hornqvist to let the Panthers know he is agreeable to a move.
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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