In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is speculation on the extension for Elias Pettersson in Vancouver and there seems to be a consensus Taylor Hall will be on the move but where will he go? Finally, how secure is Caleb Jones on the Edmonton Oilers blue line?
What Will Pettersson Cost to Extend?
Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic is writing that if Elias Pettersson keeps racking up the points, there’s a pretty clear indication as to where he’ll fall in terms of salary moving forward.
Dhaliwal used Mitch Marner’s deal as a comparison but now believes that will only be a starting point if Pettersson continues to score like he has been. Dhaliwal writes:
Most agents I have talked to think Pettersson will get at least $10-12 million per season on a long-term deal.
Pettersson is not the type of player to worry about contracts during the season, but at some point he will have to, and if he keeps producing, forget about Marner: He could pass Connor McDavid’s salary.
source – ‘Dhaliwal’s Diary: Elias Pettersson’s big payday, Chris Tanev’s future and the latest word on Troy Stecher’- Rick Dhaliwal – The Athletic – 11/12/2019
The Canucks can sign Pettersson to a new deal starting this July 1, and speculation is they may try to get a deal done when they are first eligible to. What does Pettersson want to do? If he decides to wait another year he could really explode offensively and logically make himself worth another $1-$2 million per season more.
Related: NHL Players Are Planning for a Lockout
Consensus on Taylor Hall Trade
EJ Hradek of NHL Network speculates the Montreal Canadiens could be a suitor for Taylor Hall if the New Jersey Devils shop him at the trade deadline and there’s new buzz that Hall being traded is much more likely than Hall staying put.
How firm the rumors of a trade request from Hall is at this point is very much up in the air but Elliotte Friedman said on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer Friday, “I think more likely than not he gets dealt.”
For Montreal, they seem to have the room to add a player like Hall as they tried to scoop Sebastian Aho this summer and the Edmonton Oilers are another team rumored but seem less likely an option because they don’t have the salary space without first making big changes.
The consistent message here though is that both insiders believe Hall will be moved and that is starting to become the consensus around the league. When asked what he believes the return might be for Hall in trade, Matt Larkin of the Hockey News said, “Think first-round pick and elite-level prospect at minimum, plus maybe another decent depth prospect.”
That said, he admitted:
There’s almost no precedent for what Hall could be at the 2020 deadline: a 28-year-old star in the cap era, still close to his peak years, less than two years removed from winning the MVP, available as a rental piece for a contending team. Despite his early-season struggles with the Devils this season, he’d still be an extremely impactful first-line addition on almost any roster.
source – ‘ASK ME ANYTHING: WHAT COULD THE DEVILS GET IN A TAYLOR HALL TRADE?’ Matt Larkin – The Hockey News – 11/15/2019
Related: Worst Toronto Maple Leafs Trades
Is Caleb Jones Staying With Oilers?
Speaking of the Edmonton Oilers, they face off against the Dallas Stars Saturday afternoon and Caleb Jones will get another look on the blue line.
The Oilers have said they are not going to evaluate Jones as a call-up until he gets into a few games so they can talk to him about his performance as a whole versus over the course of one game.
Jones will lineup along side Oscar Klefbom.
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Jim Parsons is a freelance writer who covers the Edmonton Oilers and news and rumors posts here at The Hockey Writers.
You can also catch him writing at NHLtradetalk.com, The Sportster and hosting weekly video casts, THW News and Rumors Rundown, plus Oilers Overtime.
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