In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers have made a number of roster moves thanks to injuries. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames have let opposing GMs know they are open for business. The Toronto Maple Leafs met with Patrick Kane’s people on Tuesday and the Buffalo Sabres are hoping to remain in the mix, despite unfortunate news on Tage Thompson. Finally, the Nashville Predators have told Juuse Saros they have no intention on dealing him.
Oilers Lose Holloway and Janmark, Make Other Moves
The Edmonton Oilers have made several adjustments to their roster hours ahead of their game versus the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday evening. They’ve called up defenseman Philip Broberg and forwards Raphael Lavoie and Adam Erne from the Bakersfield Condors, their AHL affiliate. Concurrently, forwards Mattias Janmark and Dylan Holloway find themselves on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
Janmark’s LTIR designation is retroactive to October 26th. As per head coach Kris Knoblauch, Erne and Lavoie are in and Connor Brown and Broberg are out tonight. Brown was saying on Tuesday that he felt very close to ready, but would leave it up to the medical staff. It sounds like he might need one more game.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Reaves, Willie, Kane & Robertson
Stuart Skinner will make his fifth straight start as the Oilers try to win three in a row.
Flames “Open for Business”
On the latest TSN Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun has confirmed that at this week’s general managers’ meetings, Flames’ GM Craig Conroy conveyed to other managers that the Calgary Flames are receptive to trade offers for all of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). As revelations emerge about Nikita Zadorov seeking a move and Noah Hanifin delaying the signing of a presumed $60 million extension, LeBrun notes that the Flames are poised for a reset.
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Although LeBrun acknowledges that labeling the situation as a full “For Sale” might be somewhat of an overstatement, he emphasizes that the Flames are indeed open for business. The absence of a full-scale dump off is attributed to the Flames not feeling pressured to hastily move players. With the NHL Trade Deadline set for March 8th, they plan to take their time, aiming to secure the best possible deals for anyone they consider trading.
Transitioning to discussions about players currently under contract in Calgary, Dreger highlighted Nazem Kadri as a potential subject. Kadri expressed a desire to remain in Calgary, aiming for success with the team. However, he has communicated that if the organization opts for a rebuilding phase, he is not inclined to participate, a sentiment shared by others facing a similar situation to Kadri.
Maple Leafs Met with Patrick Kane
As per John Shannon, “Patrick Kane, who has been training in Oakville, Ontario…is beginning the process of meeting with teams…Hearing he met with the Toronto Maple Leafs today.” They are one of a few teams Kane is scheduled to meet with over the next few days. Shannon adds, “Florida, Tampa, Carolina, Dallas all appear to be on a list of interested teams…and oh yeah, Buffalo too.”
Apparently, there are about eight teams in the mix for Kane and Darren Dreger reports his camp is trying to narrow down that list. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes:
One club that hopes to remain part of the mix is Kane’s hometown Buffalo Sabres. “Yeah we are a team that checked in on him once he became a free agent, and we asked them to keep us posted and that’s what they’ve done,” Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said. “We’ll see where it goes from there.”
source – ‘LeBrun rumblings: Gambling rules, Flames trade talk, Patrick Kane’s list and more from the NHL GMs meeting’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 11/14/2023
Predators Not Trading Juuse Saros
LeBrun also notes that while Juuse Saros is a coveted asset for multiple teams — sparking interest even in hopeful contenders like Edmonton — he is not being traded. Saros is viewed as a crucial element in the team’s ongoing re-tooling process, and the management envisions him playing a central role when they’re prepared to compete again. Predators GM Barry Trotz knows the rumors are out there, but they aren’t true.
LeBrun writes:
They hope to extend him this summer, one year ahead of his contract expiry. Obviously, never say never in this business, because a team could make the kind of offer that is impossible to turn down, but the Predators don’t see that scenario right now.
The Predators rejected a significant offer for Saros last year and aim to extend his contract this summer, confident that he will continue with the team. Trotz identifies Saros, along with Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg, as foundational players around whom they are building their roster.
