In today’s NHL rumors rundown, is Lane Hutson going to be making his way to the Montreal Canadiens before the season is over? Meanwhile, there is some injury news as Sean Walker might miss some time for the Colorado Avalanche and Marcus Foligno looks to be done for the season for the Minnesota Wild. Also with the Wild, Ryan Hartman could be in hot water. Finally, what are the chances the Edmonton Oilers can secure a contract with Warren Foegele this summer?
Canadiens Fans Hoping to See Lane Hutson in the NHL This Season
During the Saturday headlines report, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson and how impressive he’s looked for Boston University. If/when BU gets eliminated, many fans want Hutson to join the Canadiens’ roster and they may get their wish. However, the decision isn’t exactly simple.
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The Canadiens currently have seven healthy defensemen on the roster and if they bring in Hutson, they may have to send someone out. If the Canadiens don’t bring him in by signing him to a contract and then burning a season on his entry-level deal, he could potentially choose to stay in college and eventually become a UFA. The longer BU lasts in the tournament, the longer the delay for him to start practicing and potentially play games with the Canadiens.
Avalanche Injury Update
As per Ryan Boudling of NHL.com, “Upper-body injury for Sean Walker. No update yet. Valeri Nichushkin will not immediately travel with the team on this three-game road trip. He’ll start skating in Denver and join the team if ready.” It’s unclear how long Colorado expects Walker out of the lineup. He might not miss any time but it would not be ideal if he does.
Foligno to Have Season-Ending Surgery, Hartman Facing Suspension
Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno, sidelined with a lower-body injury since last weekend, is expected to undergo season-ending surgery, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. The news comes as the Wild’s playoff chances are essentially done. Specifics aren’t known, but it appears he’s had the issue for much of the latter half of the season.
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Still with the Wild, Russo writes in a separate tweet, “Not sure to what extent (fine or worse), but sounds like #mnwild’s Ryan Hartman will be hearing from the NHL for his misconduct at game’s end. I didn’t see it, but apparently, he chucked his stick in the refs’ direction.” Russo adds that Hartman was upset because he was on the receiving end of a high stick by Noah Hanifin in the final minute of a critical game and it wasn’t called. The league is debating giving him the automatic three-game suspension that comes with throwing a stick in the general direction of an official.
Warren Foegele and the Oilers: Offseason Deal Possible?
The Edmonton Oilers have a few key pending UFAs on their roster that they’ll need to start negotiating with. Warren Foegele is key among them but the forward is playing well beyond what was expected of him and he’s potentially pricing himself out of what the Oilers can afford. It’s not clear if he’ll take a team-friendly deal to stay with the organization, but it shouldn’t shock anyone if he wants to test the market.
According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic:
The Oilers are locked and loaded to win it all. Signing Foegele should be a priority and it’s likely management will attempt to get a contract done. The Foegele trade was a win for the organization, he’s young enough to provide value on the next contract and it will be affordable for a team not stuck in cap hell.
source – ‘Lowetide: Where do the Oilers and Warren Foegele go from here?’ – Allan Mitchell – The Athletic – 03/31/3024
If Foegele is allowed to explore other options, who do the Oilers look to as a replacement? Given that he’s currently in his prime, Mitchell suggests it could be difficult for the Oilers to find someone as useful for the same or lower money.