In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is more speculation surrounding the Washington Capitals and a couple of trades they’d like to make. Meanwhile, are talks between the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks for Tyler Myers going to start up again? Finally, what teams did Milan Lucic talk to about signing this summer before he chose to return to the Boston Bruins?
Capitals Still Looking for Kuznetsov and Mantha Trades
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff noted, “I don’t think there’s a huge likelihood or probability to it, but do think the Caps would like to find a way to move Evgeny Kuznetsov, still.” He also added, “We know they’d like to move (Anthony) Mantha. Their D was influx. They basically re-signed a bunch of them. They added Joel Edmundson by a trade.”
These comments came as Seravalli and co-host Jason Gregor were talking about what the gameplan is for the Capitals, who are a bit hard to read based on their recent moves. They signed Tom Wilson to a seven-year deal, and they’d like to stay competitive to help Alex Ovechkin break the goal-scoring record, but they haven’t done much else.
Canucks Need to Dump Salary After Signing Suter
The Vancouver Canucks find themselves facing a salary cap predicament with their recent signing of Pius Suter, pushing them over the $83.5 million threshold by approximately $1 million. This has prompted Patrick Johnston of The Province to suggest a necessary cost-cutting trade for the team.
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He points out that the surplus of wingers leaves them limited space. He writes:
As has been well-noted, the Canucks have a glut of wingers, a glut that could get even larger if Tanner Pearson really has recovered from his hand injury.But even if Pearson is a healthy scratch, there doesn’t look to be space in the roster for all of Nils Hoglander, Conor Garland, Brock Boeser and Vasily Podkolzin. One is almost certainly going to have to go.
source – ‘Canucks: Three things you need to know about the Pius Suter signing’ – Patrick Johnston – The Province – 08/11/2023
To address this, Johnston identifies Tyler Myers as a prime candidate for trade due to his expiring contract and the financial dynamics. Myers, a 33-year-old defenseman, has a $6 million cap hit, but with only a $1 million salary after the Canucks pay his $5 million signing bonus.
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The San Jose Sharks, having recently traded Erik Karlsson, may be interested in Myers as a short-term defensive solution, provided the Canucks agree to retain half of Myers’ cap hit, assuming he isn’t protected by his 10-team no-trade list. It was believed a tabled trade between the Sharks and Canucks was tabled because of the Karlsson trade delay. With that done now, it will be intriguing to see if discussions start up again.
Sharks Need a Defenseman
According to Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now, the Sharks are actively seeking offensive contributions from their defensive lineup. Peng referenced Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports, who reported the Sharks’ interest in Matt Dumba before he signed with the Arizona Coyotes as a free agent. Peng notes that the available options in the free-agent market are limited; Ethan Bear remains an option, but his return to action is anticipated in December due to shoulder surgery recovery.
Among the unrestricted free agents, choices like Simon Benoit, Nick Holden, and Scott Harrington exist. Peng also acknowledges that the trade market doesn’t offer significantly better options, with the above Myers rumor being among the more popular among insiders. General Manager Mike Grier is reportedly evaluating potential internal candidates during training camp.
Maple Leafs Did Ask Lucic About Signing This Summer
During a recent ‘Spittin Chiclets’ podcast, Milan Lucic mentioned that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving showed interest in signing him due to their connection from Calgary. However, Lucic found the idea of donning a Leafs’ jersey challenging due to his strong ties to Boston, as he stated, “I talked to ‘Tre’ a little bit…it would be tough for me to be a Leafer just because of the Boston connection.”
He also noted that he talked to the Chicago Blackhawks, and then said that he had the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers on his preferred list as he wanted to play for an Original 6 team again.
