In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Los Angeles Kings have apparently been given permission to speak with Pierre-Luc Dubois about a contract extension in the event that the Kings and Winnipeg Jets can finalize a trade. Does this rule the Montreal Canadiens out when it comes to the forward? Meanwhile, Erik Karlsson was fairly straightforward about how he feels having not yet been traded to a Stanley Cup contender. What is holding up a Tony DeAngelo trade back to Carolina? Finally, will Torey Krug want out of St. Louis now that he knows the Blues are trying to trade him?
Are Kings and Dubois Talking Contract?
Saying that reports that the Kings and Dubois are talking about contract extensions are premature, Pierre LeBrun notes that there is a lot of work to be done before a trade between the Jets and Kings can be finalized. The Kings appear to be the leading contenders for Dubois but trade talks were delayed as both teams traveled to Nashville for the draft.
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The Canadiens have made efforts in pursuing Dubois, but it seems they are not as suitable of a trade partner for the Jets. Still, according to Apron Basu of The Athletic: “Further to Pierre’s reporting here that Dubois is leaning to the Kings, I’m told the Canadiens are still open to finding a way to make this work should those talks go off the rails. A source close to Dubois said it’s too soon to rule them out, as unlikely as it seems right now.”
Karlsson Wants To Be Traded ASAP
Erik Karlsson spoke with media ahead of Monday’s NHL Awards and said it was nice to be nominated for an award but he wants to win a championship. Luke Fox of Sportsnet tweeted, “Karlsson wants a trade as soon as possible but will not put a timeline on it. Plenty of interest. Says his choice will be based entirely on which team gives him the best chance to lift a Stanley Cup.”
As per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now quoted Karlsson who said, “Time is running out. I played with too many guys throughout my career, amazing players and should be winners and should have won, that never did. I don’t want to be that guy. I want to win.”
Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets writes:
As a result, the Sharks are taking another run at moving the 100-point defenceman with the biggest sticking point being how much of his $11.5-million annual salary they retain. Edmonton was among those that expressed interest in him during the season and could revisit those talks. There’s believed to be a handful of other teams sizing up the fit here, too.
Is Krug Going to Eventually Leave the Blues?
After reports he declined to waive his no-trade clause to join the Philadelphia Flyers in a blockbuster trade on Sunday, questions in St. Louis now surround defenseman Torey Krug. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wonders if there’s any going back now that Krug is aware the Blues are trying to move him.
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He writes:
Players negotiate the right to have a no-trade clause and nobody should begrudge them if they choose to use it. Good on agent Lewis Gross for making sure his client had that in his deal when he left Boston for St. Louis in free agency three years ago. What I wonder, though, is if now that the cat is out of the bag and Krug knows the Blues tried to move him, over time he wonders about still wanting to play in St. Louis. That would be human nature. That’s why I’d leave the door open for Krug to change his mind over the next few days.
source – ‘LeBrun: Rumblings on Johansen, Krug, DeAngelo, Dubois and more as the NHL kicks off draft week’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 06/26/2023
Cap Circumvention on DeAngelo Trade?
LeBrun also reports that the reason the Tony DeAngelo trade between the Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes fell through is that the NHL raised concerns regarding DeAngelo’s return to Carolina less than a year after his trade from the Hurricanes. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) contains provisions addressing a player’s reacquisition within a 12-month period, particularly when retaining salary, to prevent potential circumvention.
The two teams are fighting the ruling on this but the NHL might want both parties to wait until July 9th to complete the trade. It’s not clear if other moves around the draft or free agency will see either club in a position to still want to do the deal.
