In today’s NHL rumors rundown, one Philadelphia Flyers insider reports that Nolan Patrick is preparing to request a trade from the Philadelphia Flyers. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues plan to gauge trade interest around the NHL in Vladimir Tarasenko and there is trade talk surrounding Vince Dunn. Are the Edmonton Oilers getting calls about Zack Kassian? Finally, is Pekka Rinne going to return to the Nashville Predators?
Nolan Patrick to Request Trade from Flyers?
Via TheFourthPeriod.com, Flyers’ insider Anthony SanFilippo of Crossing Broad reported last week on the “Snow The Goalie” podcast that the belief is that Patrick wants out of Philadelphia. He explains: “The reason Nolan Patrick switched agents is because he is going to request a trade,” said SanFilippo.
SanFilippo goes on to say, “Nolan Patrick does not want to be here anymore; he doesn’t like the criticism that he’s facing, he doesn’t like the spotlight that’s on him, he doesn’t like the coach, at all. I don’t think Nolan Patrick wants to be here.”
This will be an interesting situation to watch. Patrick hasn’t reached his potential thanks to migraine issues that have plagued his career. The Flyers have been patient with him and it’s not clear if another team will want to take a chance unless the asking price is quite low.
It will also be interesting to see if the Flyers use Patrick as part of any trade that could be worked out with the Columbus Blue Jackets. There are reports the team might be interested in defenseman Seth Jones and it would take a package of players to acquire him.
Blues to Shop Tarasenko, Dunn Trade News
According to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, Blues’ GM Doug Armstrong will gauge Tarasenko’s trade value this summer. The 29-year-old winger has two years remaining on his current contract and is making $7.5 million per season. He’s a high-end player, but the Blues are looking for more production and aren’t sure he’s a long-term fit.
Rutherford writes:
Some might say that Tarasenko will be OK when he gets more games under his belt following his third shoulder surgery, and they may be right. But from a team-dynamic perspective — the desire to suit up a blue-collar, hardworking lineup — the Blues may feel the need to go in a different direction, and Tarasenko may want that, too.
source – ‘Trade Vladimir Tarasenko? Latest thoughts on Kraken protections? Steve Ott’s future? Blues mailbag’ – Jeremy Rutherford – The Athletic – 06/01/2021
Rutherford adds that Tarasenko’s trade value may be declining, but that doesn’t really matter if the Blues determine he’s not going to be helpful to their overall team goals. If the organization can free up his cap space, they should consider making a move.
In other Blues news, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet indicated that Vince Dunn’s name is once again out there in trade talks. Friedman noted during the Saturday Headlines report:
One of the players I think some teams are beginning to ask about is Vince Dunn of the St. Louis Blues.
There was a time during the year where the Blues were thinking about maybe moving him, they were asking for a first-round pick in return. I’m hearing some chatter around him right now, we’ll see what his future is.
Related: Predators 2020-21 Report Cards: Johansen, Duchene, Arvidsson, Ekholm
Two Teams With Interest in Oilers’ Zack Kassian?
Oilers Now host and team insider Bob Stauffer suggests that Kassian is a player to watch this offseason. It seems odd to think the Oilers would look to move a physical forward as the team tries to add a bit more grit, but Stauffer believes there will be interest in his services and at least two organizations, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers, may ask about a potential trade.
As per David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, Stauffer says:
“Zack Kassian, there will be teams interested in him. I could see Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers, but in fairness to Zack, I didn’t mind what we saw of Zack in the third and fourth game of the (Winnipeg) series.”
source – ‘Oilers insider: “Zack Kassian, there will be teams interested in him.” But should Edmonton move him?’ David Staples – Edmonton Journal – 06/03,/2021
Kassian has three more years on a deal with a $3.2 million per year cap hit and that could be why the Oilers consider a trade, even if it’s not terribly likely.
Rinne Needs Time Before Deciding on Future
There have been reports that goaltender Pekka Rinne might opt to return to Finland and finish up his playing career. Rinne seemed to dismiss that idea and said he’ll “want to retire at the highest level.” That led to questions about whether or not he’d be back with the Predators next season.
“I want to give it some time, I want to take a little step (back) after this season and think about things with my family,” Rinne told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s a thing that I’m thinking about a lot. But, again, I’m not ready to make a decision yet.”
