In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news that the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are front-runners to land Chris Kreider, but who else might be in on the conversations? Will the New Jersey Devils deal Kyle Palmieri? Plus, there is a bit more information being revealed about Jake Muzzin’s deal in Toronto.
The Latest on Chris Kreider
The New York Rangers are still negotiating with pending UFA Chris Kreider, but at the same time, they’re drumming up interest from other teams. Boston, Colorado, New York Islanders and St. Louis plus more are likely interested.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Islanders are definitely among the suitors, but he’s not sure how the Rangers would make a deal with the Islanders unless the offer was much better than anyone else’s.
Friedman noted that “Washington GM Brian MacLellan made a stealth move to see if he could get in on Kreider, but the Dillon trade probably takes him out of it.”
As it stands now, most people believe the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins are the teams leading the charge to acquire Kreider.
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More on Maple Leafs Muzzin Deal
Further to the news that a Jake Muzzin extensionl is all but done in Toronto and worth $5.5 million per season over four years, the deal, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, will be “heavily front-loaded”.
So too, if completed will be announced later due to the “tagging” concerns. The official announcement on a deal might not come until later next month.
Devils to Trade Palmieri for Right Offer?
As per Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts article, the New Jersey Devils might be willing to move Kyle Palmieri after moving Andy Greene, Taylor Hall and Blake Coleman this season.
He writes:
“If the Coleman trade showed the rest of the NHL anything, it’s that the Devils may not really want to part with Kyle Palmieri — but, if you make the right offer, they will do so. You also have to think that trade didn’t hurt Tom Fitzgerald’s long-term position in Jersey.”
Who has the most interest in Palmieri is unclear but one thing of note is that after making the trades they have, the team has the most cap space in the NHL and they sit just $7.69 million above the cap floor. If New Jersey moves Palmieri and Sami Vatanen, they’ll need to take on salary.
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What Deals Will Colorado Avalanche Make Now?
After being dealt such a huge blow with injuries — Philipp Grubauer, Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen — Colorado is trying to make “hockey deals” to bolster their forward group and their blue line. That said, the Avalanche won’t add big-money in trade that lasts beyond this season.
The Avs still have big-term deals with extensions looming for Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, so for anyone suggesting Carey Price to the Avs, don’t hold your breath.
Friedman did note that he believes the Avs checked out Corey Crawford from Chicago but that Robin Lehner still hasn’t decided what he’s doing, thus, the Blackhawks moving Crawford seems unlikely.
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Florida’s Trocheck Generating Interest
If a team is looking for a top-six centre, they might want to call Florida. It appears Vincent Trocheck might be available. Here is a relatively young, but experienced player with two more years at under $5 million on his deal and that’s attractive for some teams.
He’s a player worth keeping an eye on over the next few days.
Catch up on all the latest NHL Rumors
Jim Parsons is a senior THW freelance writer, part-time journalist and audio/video host who lives, eats, sleeps and breathes NHL news and rumors, while also writing features on the Edmonton Oilers. He’s been a trusted source for five-plus years at The Hockey Writers, but more than that, he’s on a mission to keep readers up to date with the latest NHL rumors and trade talk. Jim is a daily must for readers who want to be “in the know.”
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