In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Vancouver Canucks are in a situation where they might need to trade a winger. Meanwhile, if there’s any offbeat chance the Toronto Maple Leafs are in discussions about Erik Karlsson, William Nylander is said to be involved in the deal. Could the New York Islanders refocus after missing out on Alex DeBrincat and try to land a scoring winger from elsewhere? Could the Boston Bruins be an option?
Winger Overload: Canucks Face Tough Choices
According to Patrick Johnston of The Province, the Vancouver Canucks currently have an excess of wingers following the re-signing of Nils Hoglander. Before the start of the regular season on Oct. 11, Johnston believes that the team will need to part ways with two or three of these wingers.
He writes:
A trade could also relieve the roster glut, but the only true trade candidates are Brock Boeser, Conor Garland and Hoglander. But the Canucks seem disinclined to trade any of them at this point. They may not have a choice, though.
source – ‘Canucks: Nils Hoglander signing gives team too many wingers. So what happens next?’ – Patrick Johnston – 07/11/2023
Johnston mentioned that Tanner Pearson, who has been out due to injury, is expected to recover in time for training camp. If he’s back and healthy, it could lead to the demotion of one or two players or the management exploring trade options.
Karlsson Deal to Maple Leafs Would Need to Include Nylander
According to Maple Leafs’ journalist Howard Berger, “I’m told that William Nylander is paramount in trade dialogue with San Jose for Erik Karlsson. Other parts to be included, strategically and financially. Landing Karlsson might end the 56-year Stanley Cup drought.” Berger didn’t specify who was dictating the fact that Nylander had to be in the conversation — the Leafs wanting to move him or the Sharks wanting to acquire him — but the trade is not likely anyway.
There was a point that the Maple Leafs were believed to be in discussions for Karlsson and GM Brad Treliving is the kind of manager that looks into everything, but the Maple Leafs aren’t said to be in the mix for Karlsson at this point. It’s down to the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Assuming there was a deal there for Karlsson to go to Toronto, one would assume that Treliving is thinking about moving Nylander, but also dumping Matt Murray‘s contract in the process. Still, a Karlsson for Nylander and Murray type of trade with the Sharks retaining a good chunk of the salary seems like a long shot at best.
Could Islanders Shop Pageau to the Bruins?
New York Islanders’ General Manager Lou Lamoriello recently hinted at the possibility of more “hockey trades” during a press conference on July 1st, as reported by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. He proved he was trying to make one with his pursuit of Alex DeBrincat, but the forward was ultimately traded to the Detroit Red Wings. Now, there is speculation that the Islanders are exploring alternative options to address their need for additional scoring.
Related: Islanders Must Focus On Nylander After Missing Out on DeBrincat
To make room for DeBrincat’s salary, it was rumored that the Islanders offered center Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the Ottawa Senators. Interestingly, an Islanders beat reporter suggests that Lamoriello might consider including Pageau in a different trade, possibly involving the Boston Bruins and mentioned Jake DeBrusk’s name.
Andrew Fantucchio of NYIHockeyNow highlights the Bruins’ urgent requirement for centers, particularly with the potential retirement of veteran Patrice Bergeron. Given Pageau’s exceptional penalty-killing and faceoff skills, he could emerge as an appealing option for Bruins GM Don Sweeney. The Islanders’ pursuit of scoring solutions and potential trade scenarios add an intriguing twist to their offseason plans.
Kurz writes:
The 2024 NHL trade deadline is still eight months away. There will be other opportunities for the Islanders to alter their forward group if need be, and scoring wingers are often easier to acquire than centers or defensemen. Perhaps a DeBrincat acquisition this week would have led to another surprising move or two with a player not named Pageau, which would render all of this moot, anyway.
source – ‘Kurz: Islanders sacrificing Jean-Gabriel Pageau for Alex DeBrincat never made much sense’ – Kevin Kurz – The Athletic – 07/10/2023
