In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Toronto Maple Leafs inquiring about the availability of a Los Angeles Kings goaltender, speculation that the Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien’s situation may be coming to a conclusion and there are two teams rumored to be interested in Blue Jackets’ forward Josh Anderson.
Maple Leafs Asked About Jack Campbell
Luke Fox of Sportsnet took a look at several potential trade options for the Maple Leafs who are still trying to find a goaltending solution, especially with the question marks surrounding Frederik Andersen. Among the potential players GM Kyle Dubas might try to acquire is Jack Campbell of the Los Angeles Kings.
With 20 NHL games under his belt this season and a .900 save percentage, Fox reports that the Maple Leafs have “kicked tires” on Campbell and while it’s not the most exciting prospect for their goaltending issues, his numbers could be skewed a bit based on how poorly the Kings have performed in front of him.
For now, theLeafs have recalled goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and head coach Sheldon Keefe said Michael Hutchinson will start tomorrow in New York. Andersen still being evaluated to determine the timeline for a return.
Related: Ranking the NHL’s 31 Starting Goalies – 2019-20 Midseason Update
Byfuglien and Jets Looking to Mututally Terminate Contract
The Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien story shifted gears on Monday when TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that the two sides were working together in an attempt to mutually terminate his contract with the team.
Seravalli writes that over the next several days we’ll learn more about how that process is going and whether or not the Jets can clear their organization of his $7.6 million dollar deal. If so, he would become an unrestricted free agent and while that typically would be a big deal, because he’s not skated this season, there’s not really a sense he would join another team before the playoffs.
Sportsnet reports Byfuglien could be placed on waivers as early as today. If he clears, this is the first major hurdle to getting his contract off the books. From there, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would go shopping around the NHL for a top-four defenseman, not that there’s a ton of them available. Matt Dumba may be among the names the Jets pursue if given the opportunity.
Related: NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Coyotes, Kings, Wild, Rangers, More
Bruins and Canadiens Looking at Josh Anderson?
TVA SPORTS is citing a story from BostonHockeyNow’s Jimmy Murphy that the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are two of many teams potentially interested in Columbus’ Josh Anderson. This comes after news that Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has said he would consider moving the gritty and skilled forward.
Anderson’s season has been hampered by injuries and lower production so his trade value is not incredibly high. The speculated asking price is a prospect and a second-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft.
If the Canadiens are interested, it’s not for a playoff push. Anderson’s status as a restricted free agent gives the Canadiens some control over his future contract and it might be worth moving their extra second-round pick to get a player they can lock up longer-term.
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Jim Parsons is a freelance writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers and news and rumors posts here at The Hockey Writers.
You can also catch him writing at NHLtradetalk.com, The Sportster and hosting weekly video casts, THW News and Rumors Rundown, plus Oilers Overtime.
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