In today’s NHL rumors rundown, is there any truth to the rumor that the Winnipeg Jets offer Cole Perfetti to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a trade? Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames AHL team has signed four new players. Toronto Maple Leafs newest goalie talks about why he signed with the team. Finally, do the Edmonton Oilers and Evander Kane share the same perspective on his injury?
Jets Insider Refutes Rumors of Perfetti-Necas Trade Proposal
In a recent social media update, Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun addressed ongoing rumors about the Winnipeg Jets’ alleged offer of Cole Perfetti to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas. Billeck clarified that there is no truth to these claims, stating that while Carolina expressed interest in acquiring Perfetti, the Jets were unwilling to part with their promising young forward.
Billeck writes:
Still seeing that the #NHLJets offered Perfetti to Carolina. This didn’t happen. Carolina wanted Perfetti in a possible trade. The Jets didn’t want to trade him. And ultimately, any deal for Martin Necas wasn’t going to happen as he wasn’t going to sign long-term in Winnipeg.
Any potential trade involving Necas was a non-starter, and the Jets weren’t about to trade for a player who didn’t want to be there. Necas signed a two-year extension with the Hurricanes that will take him to unrestricted free agency in 2026. At that point, he can choose any team that shows interest.
Calgary Wranglers Sign Four
The AHL’s Calgary Wranglers have announced the signings of forwards Connor Mylymok and Deni Goure, defenseman Charles Martin, and goaltender Connor Murphy. Mylymok and Martin have secured two-year AHL/ECHL contracts, while Murphy has re-signed on a one-way AHL deal. Goure signs his first professional hockey contract after spending five seasons with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. He finished with 96 points tying for sixth in league scoring with Flames prospect Zayne Parekh.
Related: Chris Tanev’s Iffy Contract Sparks Debate About NHL LTIR Rules
With Dustin Wolf expected to be promoted to the NHL, Murphy will compete with Devin Cooley and Waltteri Ignatjew for a prominent AHL role. He posted a .922 save percentage over 15 games.
Stolarz Reveals Decision Behind Signing in Toronto
Anthony Stolarz spoke with the hosts of Leafs Morning Take and noted Toronto offered the best fit in “terms of an opportunity and a strong contender”. Stolarz already had connections within the organization, knowing players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, and Jani Hakanpaa. Additionally, he had previously played with Max Domi and Mitch Marner on the London Knights, providing a sense of familiarity and support.
He said that a couple of Maple Leafs players reached out to welcome him as soon as he signed, helping him feel at home. “I’m definitely looking forward to getting to camp and kind of reconnecting with those guys.”
When asked about the idea of playing in a crazy hockey market, Stolarz said is excited about playing in Toronto. “At the end of the day, I know I just have to go out and do my job.” He noted that getting the two points is the most important thing.
Oilers and Evander Kane Not On the Same Page Regarding Injury Status?
The Edmonton Oilers are currently over the salary cap by $350,000, with restricted free agents Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg still unsigned. Allan Mitchell of The Athletic writes that assuming both sign for slightly over $1 million AAV, the Oilers will need to free up approximately $2.5 million in cap space by opening night.
He notes that one solution is to place a player on LTIR, with Evander Kane being a potential candidate due to his injury history. It’s not clear yet if he’ll be ready for opening night. Kane called it a sports hernia, but CEO Jeff Jackson labeled the injury as something else. Mitchell writes:
There may be some disconnect between player and organization, and that story could unfold as we get closer to training camp in September. The injury was described by Kane as a sports hernia, but by CEO Jeff Jackson as an “issue with his hip” during his year-end media avail. That’s a gap between player and organization in identifying the issue and possible solutions.
source – ‘Four key storylines for Edmonton Oilers fans to follow the rest of this summer- ‘ Allan Mitchell – The Athletic – 08/02/2024
If Kane attends camp, the Oilers must find cap space to accommodate him. Potential trade candidates to create cap space include defensemen Cody Ceci and Brett Kulak.