In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is speculation the Edmonton Oilers might have more cap space than people realize, the cap space coming from a very strange trade. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens could be in the mix for Pierre-Luc Dubois, and the Vancouver Canucks have options to move J.T. Miller, should they so choose. Finally, is there any way the Chicago Blackhawks trade Patrick Kane?
Canadiens Interested in Dubois?
Marco D’Amico of Montreal Hockey Now cities Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman’s report that Dubois has told the Winnipeg Jets that he plans on testing free agency in 2024. He then links the Canadiens to Dubois if the Jets decide to trade the forward.
There is debate about who the Canadiens will draft with the club already publicly acknowledging they haven’t decided yet on the top-overall pick. If the Canadiens don’t draft centers Shane Wright or Logan Cooley, trading for Dubois would make sense. If they draft Wright (the consensus top pick), it might not make much sense to give up a number of assets to land another center.
D’Amico says a trade for Dubois would likely cost the Canadiens a combination of prospect Kaiden Guhle, a first-round pick (Calgary), Christian Dvorak and maybe more. They would also then need to sign Dubois to a big contract.
Devils and Penguins an Option For Miller?
Rob Simpson of Vancouver Hockey Now reports the New Jersey Devils have been mentioned as a suitor for Canucks forward J.T. Miller. It is believed the Devils are willing to part with their 2022 first-round pick (second overall) for the right price and they have the money to sign Miller to a lucrative contract. The Canucks have another year before they’d “need” to trade Miller, but the organization has said they’d like to have his situation sorted before this year’s NHL Entry Draft.
Related: NHL Rumors: Jets, Rangers, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Canucks, Wild
Simpson also mentioned the Pittsburgh Penguins could be interested if Evgeni Malkin can’t come to terms with the team as a free agent. If there’s a trade there, the Canucks might be interested in defenseman John Marino or winger Kasperi Kapanen.
Could Patrick Kane Be Traded?
Friedman was a guest on the NHL Network broadcast this past week and was asked about the odds Patrick Kane winds up on a different team next season. It’s already been reported that the Blackhawks are taking calls on everyone not named Kane, Jonathan Toews or Seth Jones, but there’s a wonder if the right package comes along, would the Blackhawks try to move Kane?
Friedman says the organization would prefer they not be known as the team that drove Kane out of town. They’d rather let him get used to the idea that this is not going to be a very strong team for some time and hope he comes to them and says, ‘Hey, maybe it is the best for everyone if we explore a trade.’ At that point, they’ll move him to a team that offers up the most in return. When asked if there’s a chance he goes back home to Buffalo, Friedman suggested the timeline of the Sabres development and the contracts they’ll be paying out in a few seasons suggests things don’t line up.
Oilers to Have Extra Cap Space
As per an article by David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, he’s trying to wrap his head around comments made by Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer (who is very plugged in to what the Oilers are thinking) when he said the team might have extra cap space this summer and we’ll see what avenues they choose to free up room. Stauffer said again this week, “At the end of the day you could see Edmonton with more cap space than they appear to have at this time.”
One theory is that the Oilers might actually trade a player or two to San Jose for Evander Kane, using a settlement of his active grievance case as the catalyst for the Oilers to make that move. Staples writes:
Kane has enough leverage in where he knows that San Jose’s options are limited in any trade scenario. Its leverage is limited, so Edmonton might well be able to move out a contract or two or three. Would San Jose take on Kassian, Foegele AND Puljujarvi for Kane?
source – ‘Stranger Thing: Will the Edmonton Oilers end up trading Jesse Puljujarvi for Evander Kane?’ – David Staples – Edmonton Journal – 06/24/2022