In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Winnipeg Jets are still having trouble working out deals or trades for Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele. What is the latest? Meanwhile, could the Arizona Coyotes trade Nick Schmaltz, even though they added this summer in an attempt to be competitive? Finally, how are the Ottawa Senators going to fit Shane Pinto’s extension in under their salary cap concerns?
Not a Good Market Out There For Hellebuyck and Scheifele
John Lu from TSN reports that the Winnipeg Jets’ mid-summer priorities, as outlined since the start of July, remain unchanged. The foremost tasks involve determining the future courses of action for Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele, either via extensions or trades.
Lu points out that Winnipeg’s star goaltender, Hellebuyck, faces a lack of movement in the trade market due to financial constraints. Numerous potential contenders are grappling with salary cap limitations, compounded by Hellebuyck’s anticipated high contract demands when his current deal concludes next season. Consequently, there is a growing likelihood that Hellebuyck will return with the Jets for the upcoming season alongside Laurent Brossoit, his former partner, and recently acquired unrestricted free agent.
As for Scheifele, interest in securing the position of the Jets’ primary center is notably subdued. It was believed that the retirement of David Krejeci might spark interest by the Boston Bruins in Scheifele, but that hasn’t happened. The Bruins are looking at options but could enter the season with the centers they have.
This situation further raises the prospect of Scheifele initiating the final year of his contract as a member of the Jets’ roster.
Josh Morrissey is Ready to Return
Meanwhile, Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey, has confirmed his complete recovery and readiness for the upcoming training camp. His recuperation comes following a lower-body injury he sustained during the playoffs in April, which brought his season to an early close.
Related: Former Oiler Sheldon Souray Takes Scathing Shot at His Old Team
Morrissey’s injury occurred during Game 3 of the Jets’ initial playoff round against the Vegas Golden Knights, forcing him to sit out the remaining two games as Winnipeg faced elimination.
Might the Coyotes Consider Trading Nick Schmaltz?
In a recent trade post for The Athletic, Shayna Goldman foresees the budget-conscious Arizona Coyotes potentially making a move involving Nick Schmaltz and his contract with a backloaded structure. She writes:
In this back-loaded contract, Schmaltz’s actual salary will rise to $7.50 million this year, $6.95 million next and $8.5 million in the final year. A big market team can sweat the extra actual costs since his cap hit will be less at $5.85 million a year. That’s not going to be easy for any team to absorb, but his level of play makes him worth it.
source – ‘NHL’s biggest trade targets for 2023-24: William Nylander, Connor Hellebuyck, more’ – Shayna Goldman – The Athletic – 08/17/2023
With three years remaining on his agreement, there is no immediate pressure to expedite this process. There is also the fact that the Coyotes seemed to load up this summer more than in off-seasons past in an effort to be more competitive. Trading Schmaltz before the season starts or before the team is out of the running seems counterintuitive to what they’re trying to accomplish.
Senators’ Cap Situation Stalling a Pinto Extension
According to Ian Mendes, there isn’t much new to report when it comes to a Shane Pinto extension, but the scribe is saying that Ottawa’s bind when it comes to a deal that shouldn’t cost more than $1.8 million per season on a two-year deal is of their own doing. Noting that all the dead cap the Senators have on their books is in the way of this getting done, those decisions are coming back to bite the team.
Mendes writes:
So general manager Pierre Dorion will need to get creative in a hurry in order to shoehorn Pinto into the fold. Pinto is a very popular player inside the locker room and with the club hoping to get off to a fast start, I’m guessing the Senators will want the entire team available when training camp opens next month. There is still some time here and I really don’t think this is a complicated deal to work out. This should be a straightforward bridge contract.
source – ‘Shane Pinto’s contract, new arena and the return of Josh Norris: Senators mailbag, Part 1’ – Ian Mendes – The Athletic – 08/21/2023
