In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Auston Matthews. It is believed the reports of an illness are no longer telling the whole story about what’s going on with the superstar. Meanwhile, what kind of turnover will there be in Los Angeles after the Kings were eliminated in five games? The Edmonton Oilers are moving on, but why did a lot of chatter surround a false rumor suggesting Leon Draisaitl was planning to leave Edmonton and join the Boston Bruins?
No Auston Matthews in Game 6
Auston Matthews will not be in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6. Initially reportedly out because of an illness, insiders are now under the impression there is more going on than just Matthews being sick. He skated before the team on Thursday for about 30 minutes but did not participate in the regular practice.
Elliotte Friedman tweeted on April 30, “Something else at play but, being the playoffs, we probably won’t know until after they are over.” He wasn’t the only one to think this as Emily Kaplan noted that it is believed something occurred in the final game he did play. The belief is he’s now dealing with an injury that is keeping him sidelined.
Kings Could Be Looking at Serious Turnover
Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton of ESPN write that the Kings’ disappointing elimination from the first round in five games means the franchise might have to go back to the drawing board. There would be significant changes to the roster as Viktor Arvidsson, Trevor Lewis, and Matt Roy are all pending UFAs. In goal, there are serious question marks.
Related: 3 Keys to Series as Oilers Eliminate Kings in 5 Games
They write:
There could be massive turnover in goal however, as Pheonix Copley, Aaron Dell, David Rittich and Cam Talbot are all pending UFAs. The Kings have 23-year-old Erik Portillo in the system, but they will likely be in the mix for veterans via free agency and/or trade.
One of the big question marks surrounding the Kings was their decision to trade for and sign Pierre-Luc Dubois to a massive deal. That move was considered questionable then and has shown that it might have put the organization back a couple of years. The Kings may be left with insufficient salary-cap space to improve their roster without first making sacrifices.
False Rumor Suggests Draisaitl Eyeing the Bruins
Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy claimed he was citing former Oilers’ tough guy Georges Laraque when the now Montreal sports radio show host claimed sources told him that Leon Draisaitl was interested in joining the Boston Bruins. The idea was that if Draisaitl didn’t re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers, Boston would be his first choice.
While the Bruins might be Draisaitl’s preferred backup plan, the report was not accurate. Yes, Draisaitl is slated to become a UFA next July, but Laraque claims he never said that a “well-placed within the Oilers organization” claimed Draisaitl could leave the Oilers next summer if they don’t go deep in the playoffs. Nor did he say that Draisaitl would “prefer to be a first-line center in Boston.” In fact, when asked, Laraque said, “Yes, this made up!”
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All of this doesn’t even factor in the Bruins’ current situation. Draisaitl is likely to command a massive raise and could be worth more than $13 -$15 million per season on his next deal. The Bruins would need to get that money from somewhere while needing to sign Brad Marchand, Jeremy Swayman, and others. And, if Draisaitl is going to bail on a winning team with his best friend Connor McDavid still on it, it will take a massive offer that the Oilers can’t or won’t match.