In today’s NHL rumors rundown, could the Edmonton Oilers be a team that looks at Brandon Saad? He’s now an unrestricted free agent, and there might be a connection. Meanwhile, one Sportsnet analyst threw out the idea of a blockbuster trade between the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. Finally, Miro Heiskanen has been ruled out week-to-week with an injury. What does this mean for the Dallas Stars and for Team Finland at the Four Nations Face-Off tournament?
Are the Oilers and Brandon Saad a Fit?
Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer sometimes gets the fan base in Edmonton stirring. He did so on Wednesday when he threw out comments about free agents wanting to come to Edmonton, including one “who was waived today.” He was hinting at Brandon Saad and made the connection between Saad and GM Stan Bowman from their days in Chicago.
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Stauffer added, “And my guess is he’s going to target a team that’s cap strapped, that’s got a chance to win. Who is his general manager in Chicago? Who would know him better than Stan?”
Frank Seravalli shot down the idea suggesting Saad is the last thing the Oilers need right now. He also suggested that if everyone on the Oilers’ roster is healthy, Saad wouldn’t have a guarantee of playing time or being a regular. Why would he want to sign up for that? Seravalli believed several teams might be interested but pointed to the Vegas Golden Knights as a team to watch.
Morgan Rielly For J.T. Miller Trade?
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos tossed out the idea of the Canucks and Maple Leafs making a blockbuster trade. Speculation continues to surround J.T. Miller and Kypreos suggested defenseman Morgan Rielly going back to Vancouver in the deal.
Kypreos justified the idea by saying:
“…Would you not now knock on the door of Jimmy Rutherford and you flip Morgan for J.T. Miller, who are roughly, I think, half a million dollars each off the salary cap? So that’s looked after. They’re both, I think, relatively the same age, and I think they both have relatively the same amount of years left on their contract, which is 5 years. Does that make the Leafs better?”
He added, “Morgan’s going to say no to a lot of teams. Going home to British Columbia, maybe, is the one team that Morgan would say yes too.” Rielly has a full no-move clause, as does Miller. While the Canucks might address their blue line issues with this trade, it doesn’t bring them back a center. And, as Justin Bourne pointed out, Rielly is having a down year. Is he the kind of player, who when put on the second pair, is the best return for Miller?
Miro Heiskanen Ruled Week-to-Week with Lower-Body Injury
The Dallas Stars could be without star defenseman Miro Heiskanen for the foreseeable future, as head coach Pete DeBoer confirmed he is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The injury occurred after a collision with Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, forcing Heiskanen to leave the game and head down the tunnel.
According to Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News, Heiskanen underwent an MRI on Tuesday and is set to see a specialist for further evaluation. While an exact timeline for his return remains uncertain, his availability for the upcoming Four Nations Tournament is in serious doubt, though no official decision has been made.
Losing Heiskanen is a significant blow to the Stars, as the 24-year-old plays a crucial role in both their defensive structure and offensive transition game. So far this season, he has been among the team’s top-minute-loggers and a key piece on special teams.
With Heiskanen sidelined, the Stars will have to rely on players like Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell to take on bigger roles.