In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is an update on talks between the Nashville Predators and Filip Forsberg. Meanwhile, Artemi Panarin was fined $5K for throwing a glove at Brad Marchand, but was he justified in doing so? Finally, the Ottawa Senators are expected to waive goaltender Matt Murray. What’s the play here and who might be interested?
Predators and the Status of Filip Forsberg
Adam Vingan of The Athletic provided an update on where the Nashville Predators are at with pending unrestricted free agent forward Filip Forsberg. His report comes via comments from GM David Poile who said there is no timeline for a potential extension.
Poile said:
“There’s been some reporting that there hasn’t been much happening, but we’ve stayed in contact with his agents. It’s just a process. I think both sides would like to be together. We can’t wait until Filip comes back and see where it takes us. If it takes us to a new contract, that’s going to be a good place for both of us.”
source – ‘David Poile Q&A: Predators GM on Filip Forsberg’s contract, Matt Duchene’s hot start and more’ – Adam Bingan – The Athletic – 11/23/2021
Poile refused to comment on whether or not the Predators were comfortable with Forsberg entering the offseason without a contract, only noting that the team is still far away from having to make a decision and they’ll see where they are at in terms of playoffs.
Related: NHL Rumors: Wild, Blackhawks, Sabres, Oilers, Canadiens, More
One agent said that Forsberg might look at the contracts Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansson were given and ask for something similar. It’s not believed the Predators think he’s worth that. There’s also a feeling they won’t give him a full no-move clause and that he’ll want more than a four-year deal which is the ideal length for Nashville.
Panarin Fined for Throwing Glove at Marchand
On Friday night, late in a game between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, Ranger winger Artemi Panarin threw his glove from his bench (video link) at Boston winger Brad Marchand. Both players received misconduct penalties but Panarin was fined $5K for unsportsmanlike conduct which is the maximum allowable under the CBA.
In a troubling report that surfaced between the time of the penalties and the fine by the NHL DoPS is that reports surfaced Marchand made an inappropriate remark to Panarin that got him heated. Arthur Staple of The Athletic writes:
According to a source, Marchand made some Russian-centric comments toward Panarin — along the lines of “no one likes you there” while bringing up Russian President Vladimir Putin, of whom Panarin has been critical in the past. Panarin clearly had enough. Those don’t seem like fine-worthy comments, but they might not sit well with the league.
source – ‘An attempted ‘Michigan,’ an iffy chirp, a glove throw — and a Rangers win’ – 11/26/2021
For those that don’t recall the reference, back in February, Panarin announced he was taking a leave of absence when he was caught in some political crosshairs and had to go back home to deal with an accusation by his former coach that he struck an 18-year-old woman in a Latvian hotel bar 10 years ago.
In other potential Bruins news, Matt Porter cites ESPN’s Sean McDonagh who reports that goaltender Tuukka Rask will start skating five times a week beginning next week. Rask hopes to start playing in January, and hopes to sign with his former team.
Senators Expected to Waive Matt Murray
According to Elliotte Friedman, it is expected that the Ottawa Senators will put goaltender Matt Murray on waivers after he was scratched versus the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Murray has not lived up to expectations in Ottawa after being traded there by the Penguins and then signing a $6.25 million per season contract. It is likely the Senators have decided to send a wake-up call to the netminder.
It’s not clear if the Senators are actually hoping someone claims him, but the Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes are both rumored to be looking for goaltending help. It might be more likely both teams let him pass through waivers and then reach out to Ottawa about a potential trade where salary retention is involved.