In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Mitch Marner on retroactive LTIR. Meanwhile, there is more talk about how much the Vancouver Canucks are willing to pay Filip Hronek for an extension. Will the Chicago Blackhawks make big moves this offseason, and how did Kyle Dubas respond to Jake Guentzel’s comments about being traded at the NHL Trade Deadline?
Maple Leafs Placed Marner on LTIR
On Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs retroactively shifted forward Mitch Marner to LTIR. This maneuver was done to generate the necessary cap space for the recall of Marshall Rifai and his $775,000 cap hit. With injuries plaguing the blue line, the team is in dire need of defensive support, with Morgan Rielly, Joel Edmundson, and Timothy Liljegren all sidelined.
Marner’s injury status remains unchanged. This adjustment primarily facilitates the support needed for tonight’s matchup in Buffalo. Marner will be absent for his 10th consecutive game tonight. He did look good in practice, so he shouldn’t be out much longer.
Canucks Willing to Pay Hronek $8M Per Season?
During a recent appearance on the Sekeres and Price podcast, Frank Seravalli discussed the likelihood that the Vancouver Canucks re-sign both Filip Hronek and Nikita Zadorov. Hronek, a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer, has been pivotal in the team’s success this season, according to Seravalli. He suggests management shouldn’t hesitate to offer the 26-year-old blueliner an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $8 million.
The concern for the Canucks is that this would see Hronek making more money per season than Quinn Hughes. The organization doesn’t want to go above his current annual salary of $7.85 million, extending through 2026-27. However, Seravalli doesn’t anticipate Hughes being displeased with Hronek’s potentially higher earnings, as he predicts Hughes could command around $14 million annually on his next contract.
Meanwhile, the belief is that Zadorov could get $5 million or more per season, which is why the Calgary Flames were open to moving him. They knew he would be expensive to retain. It’s not believed they are as keen to keep Zadorov and could let him walk if his ask is beyond their means.
Dubas Responds to Guentzel’s Frustration Over Trade
As per a post by Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was on 105.9 The X on Mark Madden’s show and responded to comments by Jake Guentzel that he was planning to stay with the team and that they felt moving in a different direction was the way to go. It made the Penguins look like they didn’t want the forward.
Dubas responded, saying:
“He’s entitled to his opinion, especially in this market, to give his opinion. What I would say is that going into this year, I hoped that everything would go to the most optimistic viewpoint, we would be a contending team, and that would dictate decision-making differently than it did. I’m sorry that it ended up being Jake as the one whose contract was up at that time … that’s how he feels about it.
Dubas said that competitors like Jake are emotional. “He’s entitled to feel how he feels, and I don’t take umbrage at all.”
Blackhawks To Make Some Big Offseason Moves?
According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks, amid their rebuilding phase, are anticipated to add to their roster with additional forwards and defensemen during the offseason. He’s not sure they’ll go after huge names with hefty, long-term contract demands, but there are plenty of other options available.
Related: NHL Projected Lineups, Starting Goalies, Injuries, Updates
Among the potential candidates fitting this profile are Alex Carrier from Nashville, Brenden Dillon from the Winnipeg Jets, Alec Martinez from the Golden Knights, Justin Schultz from the Seattle Kraken, Ian Cole from the Vancouver Canucks, and Chris Tanev from the Dallas Stars.
He writes:
What the Blackhawks will likely be looking for this offseason is someone who can better assist the team’s young defensemen. Jones was good for Vlasic this season… The Blackhawks will likely seek to bring a veteran upgrade.
source – ‘Blackhawks free agent targets: 7 defensemen Chicago could sign this offseason’ – Scott Powers – The Athletic – 03/25/2024
