In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there’s talk about who stays and who goes this offseason for the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres have a tough decision to make when it comes to their goaltending for next season. Finally, who is likely to stay and who might be leaving the Detroit Red Wings this summer?
Miller Stays, Others Likely to Leave Canucks This Summer
Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance of The Athletic noted in a recent post that they believe there will be offseason roster changes for the Canucks, but don’t believe J.T. Miller will be traded just to move a contract. While Miller didn’t fall into the “staying for sure category” — reserved for players like Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Andrei Kuzmenk, and Thatcher Demko — he was among the list of “returning… we think” players.
They write:
“Allvin was asked on Monday about Miller’s future. He said that they’ll listen if teams call but went on to rave about the final 30 games he played and the rarity of his skill set and hardness… It doesn’t sound like the Canucks are looking to move Miller just to get off of the contract. Elliotte Friedman’s report that Vancouver’s ask for Miller at the trade deadline was two first-round picks and a good prospect affirms that as well.”
source – ‘The Canucks’ roster for the 2023-24 season: Who Stays, who goes? – Thomas Drance, Harman Dyal – The Athletic – 04/18/2023
Falling under the “cap relocation watch” category (players that could be traded), they listed Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, Anthony Beauvillier, and Tyler Myers. As for players they believe will be dealt, that category was limited to one name: Travis Dermott.
Sabres May Stick With Status Quo in Goal for Next Season
According to Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, the Sabres sound like they are content to stick with the inexperienced goaltending tandem of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. As for who the starter is, head coach Don Granato said it has to be earned, and then earned again.
Lysowski writes:
Based on their comments Wednesday, Adams and Granato are content with the status quo. They boasted about Levi’s performance, heaped praise on Luukkonen for his 17-win season and described Comrie as a valuable mentor who never got into a rhythm because of injuries. We won’t know for certain until closer to training camp, but Granato stated he would be “very comfortable” with an inexperienced tandem such as Levi and Luukkonen.
Craig Anderson won’t be back after announcing his retirement and Eric Comrie will likely stay with the team and finish out the final season on his current contract. The Sabres could choose to demote one of Comrie or Luukkonen, but both would have to pass through waivers if the club decides to send one to Rochester.
What Red Wings Might Be on the Move?
Noting that Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider are untouchable, Max Bultman of The Athletic also believes that Lucas Raymond, Jake Walman, Andrew Copp, David Perron, and a handful of others aren’t going anywhere this offseason as the Red Wings try to improve their roster.
However, he does believe four players are likely going to be moved or leave the organization: Robert Hagg, Adam Erne, Magnus Hellberg, and Alex Nedeljkovic. He also believes the Red Wings will have to make key decisions on a couple of names, the most notable being Filip Zadina.
When it comes to Zadina, Bultman writes:
Zadina still has two years left on a highly-manageable contract at $1.825 annually, so logic would say he’s back once again. Especially after Yzerman mentioned him among the young players Detroit is counting on for internal offensive improvement next season. But, the thought that Zadina could use a fresh start has been out there enough to land him in this tier, rather than the one above.
source – ‘Red Wings roster decisions entering the offseason: Who stays? Who goes?’ – Max Bultman – The Athletic – 04/20/2023
