In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs have moved on from one of their assistant coaches, while speculation continues about who they might target in free agency. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues could make veteran forward Brandon Saad available in trade. Would the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes swapping Nikolaj Ehlers for Martin Necas make sense? Finally, will the Montreal Canadiens try to move Carey Price’s contract?
Maple Leafs Eyeing Montour and Tanev
Previous reports note that the Maple Leafs will be going after two notable defensemen this summer. Brandon Montour and Chris Tanev appear to be the two top names the Leafs will target. “It’s no secret the Leafs will be targeting Florida’s Brandon Montour if the pending free agent remains unsigned after this Cup final, Chris Tanev is another name that never left Treliving’s radar.”
In other news related to the Maple Leafs, Guy Boucher’s time behind the bench in Toronto is over. The team announced on Saturday that the assistant coach will not return to the team next season. After head coach Sheldon Keefe was fired, then assistant Guy Boucher saw himself as a candidate for the head coach position. “I don’t know how seriously Toronto considered it or if he was a candidate”, said Elliotte Friedman.
Blues Making Brandon Saad Available
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the St. Louis have made veteran Brandon Saad available. The Blues have been mostly linked to moves involving their blue line, but GM Doug Armstrong is checking market prices as “part of his due diligence in a quest to make the Blues better.”
Seravalli adds:
It’s a bit surprising considering Saad is coming off the second-best goal-scoring season of his career, netting 26 last year to finish tied for fourth on the team with Robert Thomas. However, if you think about it from Armstrong’s perspective, this might be the exact time to cash in on Saad with strong value on the market considering the two years remaining on his deal. It’s also the same old, same old in St. Louis: Saad has a full ‘no-trade’ clause for one more year, and he also happens to have the same agent as Krug, who blocked a trade last summer with that very clause.”
Saad, 31, inked a five-year, $22.5 million deal in 2021. In 2022-23 the Blues considered a trade but his down season made him difficult to move.
Could Jets and Hurricanes Make a One-for-One Trade?
Chris Johnston reported on the Chris Johnston Show that the Carolina Hurricanes are seeking like-value players for a potential Martin Necas trade. He mentioned Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers as a potential match.
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Both Necas and Ehlers are in similar situations, being on the trade block after successful seasons and capable of top-six roles. Necas, a pending restricted free agent, is due for a significant pay raise, while Ehlers earns $6 million annually and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Although a trade isn’t certain, it could benefit both teams considering their current trajectories.
Canadiens to Try and Move Carey Price’s Contract?
Marc Dumont of Montreal Hockey Now suggested that the Canadiens should consider moving Carey Price’s contract to free up cap space instead of relying on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). Price, sidelined with a knee injury since 2022, has two years left on his contract with a $10.5 million AAV.
Teams using LTIR often cannot accrue cap space during the season, impacting their ability to add players via waivers, trades, or free agency before the trade deadline. Dumont writes: “The Habs don’t necessarily have to trade Price, but freeing up the funds currently tied to the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) would give general manager Kent Hughes more financial flexibility in trades and free agent negotiations.”
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