In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the St. Louis Blues fired head coach Craig Berube late Tuesday evening. GM Doug Armstrong has spoken about his decision and one has to wonder if more moves are coming. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames got good news about the injury status of Chris Tanev. But, does it change their stance on trading the defenseman? So too, are the Toronto Maple Leafs likely to up their offer in an attempt to acquire Tanev sooner than later? Finally, could the Pittsburgh Penguins make a sizeable shift around the All-Star break?
Blues Fire Craig Berube, Blues Could Make Changes
The St. Louis Blues have undergone a notable and somewhat surprising coaching adjustment, announcing the departure of Craig Berube from his coaching role. In his place, Drew Bannister, the current coach of the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield, has been appointed as the interim head coach. As of now, Bannister will only be an interim coach and Armstrong is actively seeking a new full-time head coach.
GM Doug Armstrong said he feels terrible that the team isn’t in a better place today than where he found it and Elliotte Friedman reports, that the team hired Brad Richards as a consultant to look at the team’s powerplay and send suggestions. No player “is safe” and Armstrong has talked to other teams to get a sense of the market.
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Armstrong specifically called out Jordan Kyrou, saying he’s not “scoring at the level he’s paid to score at.”
Flames Tanev Injury Not Long-Term
According to TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun, the Flames are lucky that Chris Tanev avoided a more severe outcome than an injury that is being labeled as day-to-day. He says that it serves as a reminder of the delicate position the Flames find themselves in. As a pending unrestricted free agent, the team is likely to trade Tanev before the March 8 deadline, but with the inherent risk of injury, particularly given Tanev’s playing style, there might be a new urgency to trade him.
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As of now, the Flames have communicated to other teams that they are not immediately ready to part with him. Their approach is one of patience, allowing the market dynamics to unfold. The current asking price might be a second-round pick for Tanev, but there is optimism that, with growing interest from various teams, the Flames could secure a first-round pick. This hope is fueled by the precedent set when the Montreal Canadiens received a first-round pick for rental defenseman Ben Chiarot two years ago from the Florida Panthers.
Should the Maple Leafs Step Up And Get This Done?
If the Flames are holding out for a first-round pick and also concerned about a more severe injury, would Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving be wise to step up and make that offer now? He needs the help and if he can get ahead of the rest of the pack, perhaps he can land the player right away.
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LeBrun writes in The Athletic:
“I think if the Leafs were willing to move their June first-rounder, they could potentially entice the Flames into getting this done sooner rather than later. Too rich a price? Maybe. …so I don’t think it’s completely greedy for the Flames to be thinking first, even if they end up settling for a second and/or a prospect instead.”
source -‘LeBrun rumblings: Chris Tanev’s trade cost, more Blues decisions coming, and the Penguins’ timeline’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 12/13/2023
Could the Penguins Overhaul Their Roster After the All-Star Break?
Pierre LeBrun talked about the short and long-term future of the Pittsburgh Penguins in a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading. He noted that Kyle Dubas’ recent comments about giving the Penguins until the All-Star break before re-evaluating wasn’t mean to be cryptic, but it kind of was. The underlying suggestion is that changes could be coming to the roster if they don’t start making improvements. Moreover, Dubas might start shifting towards his long-term retooling plans.
LeBrun said the following:
But he still said what he said, which is that if this team is still out of the playoffs come the All-Star break some hard decisions are coming. And Kyle Dubas signed a seven-year deal. Not a three-year deal, not a five-year deal: a seven-year deal. Because eventually, the long-term thinking is going to take over in Pittsburgh, they’re going to need a retool or a rebuild, but it’s just not going to be right now. They want to give Sidney Crosby and that core one last shot at it but they have to get on track here pretty soon.
How bad do things have to get or how long will Dubas wait before he considers making some drastic changes?