In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Elliotte Friedman responded to a report from Larry Brooks and said he believes the New York Rangers aren’t done making changes. Is head coach Peter Laviolette on the way out or are more roster changes coming? Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers made Jeff Skinner a healthy scratch versus the Anaheim Ducks and Skinner was not in the group of forwards at practice on Monday. What does that mean for his future? Friedman doesn’t believe the Vancouver Canucks are looking to trade either of Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller.
Rangers Far from Finished Making Moves
Speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Eliotte Friedman commented on a column by Larry Brooks of the New York Post and took from it that the New York Rangers aren’t done making changes. Head coach Peter Laviolette could be on the hot seat as Brooks contends the team has quit on him, but Friedman speculated more roster moves could be imminent.
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Friedman said, “There’s nobody that has better sources in the Rangers than Larry Brooks.” He believes Brooks is getting that information from someone whose opinion carries weight and added, “Either we haven’t seen anything yet, or more of that is coming.”
Friedman mentioned Mika Zibanejad‘s name and also said teams would line up if Vincent Trochek were made available. He could see Zibanejad being discussed but didn’t think the Rangers would be ready to move on from Trochek.
Is Time Running Out for Jeff Skinner in Edmonton?
The Oilers lost an ugly game to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, and the team chose to make Jeff Skinner a healthy scratch. This is the first time the Oilers have chosen to sit the veteran forward, and speculation is everywhere that their patience with him is running out.
Skinner has a no-move clause, so if the Oilers want to move on, the only option would be to convince him to accept a trade. Would sitting him repeatedly do that? Or, was this less about sending a message and more about a wake-up call during a mom’s trip where the Oilers wanted everyone to play at least once?
Different scribes are suggesting different approaches when it comes to Skinner’s future. Mark Spector agreed with Buffalo Sabres beat writer Mike Harrington when he tweeted, “From 4th line to press box, this free agent signing — as predicted by @ByMHarrington — is a disaster.”
Skinner commented on Monday, “As a player you focus on working hard & doing your job and getting better every day, trying to contribute to the team the best way you can.”
The Canucks Will Try to Keep Both Pettersson and Miller
Friedman said last week that he doesn’t think the Canucks should or will trade either of Elias Pettersson or J.T. Miller. Despite all the drama surrounding the team, there seems to be a belief the organization can get everything sorted out.
He explained:
“You know, I think that when you, when you take a look at it, and you see that team, they are better with both of those guys on their roster. And I believe that that is their goal. Is to play, is to continue long term. Like they signed J.T. Miller long-term. They signed Pettersson long-term. Like they, they want to have those players on their team.”
Friedman said that now that everything is out there in the open the team and two players can deal with the issues and move forward in a contstructive manner.