In today’s rumor rundown, there are whispers things in San Jose are not going well and that the coach is on the hot seat while a star player may be questioning his long-term future with the team. There are also NHL insiders trying to connect the dots on the Alex Pietrangelo rumors and one insider believes that Colton Parayko may, in fact, be a better target. Will the Coyotes look for goaltending with Raanta on the shelf?
Things Not Going Well in San Jose
Despite expectations that the San Jose Sharks would have one of the better teams in the NHL and definitely one of the top defenses in the league with the addition of Erik Karlsson, things have not gone as well as they should be and they currently sit just a couple games above .500. While that might be ok for some teams, in San Jose where winning is an expectation, it’s also led to questions about Karlsson’s long-term future with the organization.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun is reporting:
The giant pressure spots in the NHL right now are San Jose, Minnesota and St. Louis. Peter DeBoer is on the clock with the Sharks and the vibe around the team seems so bad right now that Erik Karlsson is hinting he won’t sign to stay there next season.
source- ‘SIMMONS: Is a 50-goal season even possible for Leafs’ Matthews?’ – Steve Simmons – The Toronto Sun – 12/08/2018
To some, it is a bit surprising Sharks coach Pete DeBoer is still the man behind the bench and if the Sharks continue to struggle, he could be the next casualty in an already long line of coaching changes in the NHL this season.
Related: NHL Rumors: Pietrangelo, Duchene, Matthews, More
Making Sense of the Blues Rumor
Darren Dreger was on TSN 1050 and tried to connect the dots on the rumor that the Maple Leafs were interested in Alex Pietrangelo from the St. Louis Blues. While he doesn’t deny there could be something to that rumor, he noted his salary as an issue for Pietrangelo and wondered if the plan was to move Nylander, should Nylander not work out as well as expected in Toronto. There is word that as many as 15 teams have already called the Maple Leafs about the asking price for Nylander now that he’s signed.
If a potential deal does exist between the Maple Leafs and Blues, Dreger wonders if maybe Colton Parakyo is an option the Leafs might look at. Parayko has three years left on his deal at $5.5 million and is a younger piece the Leafs could use moving forward. Dreger said, “… it’s going to be one of the core guys that gets moved out. So you’re either talking about a stud-like forward, or you’re talking about one of the big boys on the back end.” Speculation is that teams have already started to call about Parayko’s availability.
Dreger says the team is prone for a shakeup but that they won’t be moving Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Bozak, or any of the pieces he just brought in last summer.
Related: NHL Rumors: Senators, Blues, Blackhawks, Flyers, More
Coyotes to Look for Goaltending in Wake of Raanta News?
The Arizona Coyotes announced that goaltender Antti Raanta could be out for the entire season after surgery. This has immediately sparked speculation about whether the team would go after another experienced starter to help them for the rest of the year.
Coyotes GM John Chayka told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic will look to their internal options instead of seeking any help on the trade market. That means the team will rely on Calvin Pickard and Adin Hill to carry the load for the remainder of the season. Once Darcy Kuemper returns from injury, they’ll throw him into the rotation as well.
