In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Boston Bruins are looking at bolstering their center ice position and Cam Neely teased making a big move in order the accomplish that goal. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues could head into the season with eight defensemen. Is there a trade coming? Did the Ottawa Senators make a better offer to Vladimir Tarasenko earlier in free agency? And, were other teams making competitive bids before Tarasenko chose the Senators on a one-year deal?
Can Bruins Land the Center They Need?
Team President Cam Neely’s recent statements indicate a significant shift in focus for the Boston Bruins. With Patrice Bergeron’s confirmed departure and David Krejci’s uncertain return, the team’s center position has emerged as a pressing concern. Neely expressed the team’s determination to rectify the situation, stating, “We’re doing whatever we can to bolster that position.
Joe Haggerty writes:
That begs the question whether the Boston Bruins will be in the market for an outside trade to bring in a true No. 1 center with names like Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele and Calgary’s Elias Lindholm commonly brought up as lead candidates in hockey trades. Both would require significant salary cap upheaval for the Boston Bruins along with valued assets required to get a frontline center for next season, but Lindholm’s $4.85 million cap hit in the final year of his deal makes him an attractive two-way center option.
source – ‘What Will The Boston Bruins Look Like At The Center Position After Bergeron’s Retirement?’ – Joe Haggerty – Substack.com – 07/28/2023
Considering the Boston Bruins’ limited draft picks and player/prospect assets, the chances of making significant changes to their center position seem slim. As a result, it’s entirely plausible that the Bruins may opt to maintain the status quo heading into the upcoming season. Haggerty notes, should the center position pose challenges during the regular season, the Bruins can shift their focus towards strengthening the position in anticipation of the NHL trade deadline, an area where General Manager Don Sweeney has consistently excelled in the past.
Who Might the Bruins Trade If a Deal Is There?
Bruins possess trade assets that could aid them in securing a center for their roster. One such asset is goaltender Linus Ullmark, who has two years remaining on his contract at a salary of $5 million. However, it’s worth noting that Ullmark also holds a 16-team no-trade clause, which could potentially impact trade negotiations.
Related: Today in Hockey History: July 29
In addition to Ullmark, the Bruins have another valuable asset in the form of goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Swayman is currently a restricted free agent (RFA) and is scheduled for arbitration on Sunday. Based on comparable contracts, it’s anticipated that Swayman’s new deal could be in the range of Ilya Samsonov’s $3.55 million contract.
Names like Jake DeBrusk, Derek Forbort, and Matt Grzelcyk could be dangled as well.
Could Blues Try to Pull Off a Big Blue Line Deal?
In a recent discussion on The Athletic, a reader inquired about the St. Louis Blues’ plans to address their surplus of defensemen. Jeremy Rutherford writes that General Manager Doug Armstrong has indicated his intention to begin the season with eight defensemen on the roster, which could result in Scott Perunovich being sent to the minors, given his waiver-exempt status.
That said, to eventually alleviate the logjam on the blue line, it is speculated that Armstrong might explore potential trades before the start of training camp. What that looks like is unclear as he’s already failed to trade Torey Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers when Krug blocked the move. A number of his other players also have no-trade clauses. Only Marco Scandella has a modified no-trade and it might require a sweetener to move him.
Rutherford writes:
If those options don’t materialize — and everyone stays healthy — it seems like it will eventually come down to how badly the Blues want Perunovich playing in the NHL and how worried they are about losing Rosen.
source – ‘Is the Blues’ forceful fourth line back? Fixing the D with a Torey Krug trade? Mailbag, Part 1’ – Jeremy Rutherford – 07/26/2023
Senators Offered Tarasenko More Money Earlier in Free Agency
Andy Strickland tweeted a few interesting tidbits about Vladimir Tarasenko’s journey through free agency before he ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. Strickland wrote, “Told Vlad Tarasenko had a four-year offer at $5.5 m per season from Ottawa early in free agency. Had 1-year offers from Carolina at $5.25 m and San Jose, 1 yr at $6 million.” He later wrote a correction on the offer from the Hurricanes, saying, “Correction….Offer from Carolina was significantly less than what I was originally told. According to the source, the highest offer from the #letsgocanes was less than $4 million.”
Strickland also noted that the Florida Panthers showed interest but weren’t in a position to make a competitive. offer.
The takeaway here is that Tarasenko had offers early and his (or his agent’s) desire to play the market backfired.
