In today’s NHL rumors rundown, projections about what Connor McDavid will do in his next contract reportedly hinge on what Leon Draisaitl does with his extension over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, where will Tyson Barrie land as an unrestricted free agent? He’s yet to sign a deal somewhere but some teams could use him. Are the Boston Bruins starting to worry about the Jeremy Swayman deal? Finally, Kent Hughes talked about his contract strategy with the core players on the Montreal Canadiens.
McDavid’s Contract Talks Will Shadow Draisaitl’s
NHL.com journalist Derek van Diest was a guest on NHL Tonight and was asked about Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid’s contract talks in Edmonton. Noting that he had a conversation with GM Stan Bowman at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and Bowman said he’s looking to get things finalized sooner than later, he also noted the Oilers expect McDavid will be the “highest paid player in hockey history.” Saying he deserves to be, the domino will fall after they pay Draisaitl.
McDavid can sign as early as July 1 of 2025 and if Leon signs a long-term deal, McDavid will sign a long-term deal. “A lot will depend on where Leon signs, how long his term is, when you come to the negotiations next year for Connor McDavid…”
From there, it’s how the Oilers build a team around these two that will show was Bowman is worth as a GM and Jeff Jackson as a CEO.
Teams That Might Be Interest in Tyson Barrie
Brian La Rose writes that defenseman Tyson Barrie is running out of options for the upcoming NHL season, with his best chances of securing a spot likely requiring a Professional Tryout Offer (PTO) with a weaker team if he wants a top-six role. However, if he’s willing to accept a seventh defenseman position, similar to his role last year, he could be a valuable addition to a team in need of a secondary power-play option.
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In the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers, having lost Erik Gustafsson to free agency, might consider Barrie as competition for their sixth defenseman spot. The Boston Bruins have to wait until Jeremy Swayman’s contract is resolved, but Barrie could be a fit due to their lack of power play threats. In the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues could view Barrie as a potential replacement for Torey Krug.
Bruins Starting to Feel Pressure With Swayman’s Contract?
The pressure is mounting to secure a deal with Swayman that keeps him in Boston long-term. The netminder has proven his worth and deserves a significant raise, but one has to wonder if the Bruins have started to realize that trading Linus Ullmark before having the Swayman deal locked in was a mistake. They only compounded it by agreeing not to go to arbitration again.
Now, it’s up to Don Sweeney to finalize the agreement and it doesn’t sound like Swayman is in a big hurry to do so, perhaps happy enough to wait until that big offer comes rolling in. The Bruins have around $8.6 million in cap space and they can’t make any other additions until Swayman’s situation is handled.
Kent Hughes Hoping He Bet on the Right Horses in Montreal
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke with van Diest and talked about the contracts for Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle and noted that he’s locking up his core now on long-term deals, hoping each contract is considered a value deal in the final seasons. “I think to have Juraj and Kaiden signed, along with Nick and Cole, it’s important for us,” Hughes said. “We can’t give everybody long-term deals, but the young players that we’ve chosen to do and are willing to commit on their end, I think it’s great.”
Kirby Dach is also considered a big part of the Canadiens progression in the next couple of seasons but was hampered by a serious injury. Hughes noted, “By all accounts, medically speaking, he’s doing great and he feels great.”
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