In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Vancouver Canucks are in no hurry to get a deal done with Bo Horvat. Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are having ongoing discussions with David Pastrnak. The Arizona Coyotes made a waiver claim and questions about whether that speeds up a possible trade are out there.
Finally, are the Philadelphia Flyers going to shake things up if they got off to a bad start, and is Jonathan Drouin on his way out of Montreal?
Canucks Want Horvat to Make Concession
As per Darren Dreger, who appeared on Sekeres and Price, the Canucks would like to keep Bo Horvat, but they aren’t rushing a deal. With the J.T. Miller extension already done, the organization feels as though they have a bit more flexibility to wait this negotiation out.
Dreger notes, “They’d like to keep Bo Horvat, they would, but it feels like there’s a concession required, it’s going to have to come from the player’s side and I don’t know what that looks like. Either in term or in money.” He adds, “But the messaging I continue to get is that there is no hurry. I’m sure that, that frustrates Bo Horvat and his agent but that’s the position of the Vancouver Canucks and I don’t suspect that’s going to change.”
Bruins and Pastrnak Having On-Going Conversations
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic writes: “Dialogue ongoing between Bruins and Pastrnak’s camp. Both sides still discussing the player’s place in this evolving NHL marketplace. He’s a Panarin-level player on the open market, but what makes sense in terms of re-signing within the Bruins’ framework is another thing…”
Related: NHL Rumors: Maple Leafs, Sabres, Flames, Bruins, Oilers
Pastrnak started the season with a goal and three assists against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. David Krejci said of Pastrnak’s play, “It’s crazy. … It’s like he has no ceiling. He just keeps getting better.” That’s not necessarily good news for the Bruins if they want to get him signed to a reasonable number.
Coyotes Waiver Claim Speeding Up Potential Trade?
Jeff Marek asked Elliotte Friedman during his show for Sportsnet if the waiver claim by the Arizona Coyotes on Jusso Valimaki might speed up a trade that would send either Jakob Chychrun or Shayne Gostsbehere out of town. He asked, “Would you put those two and two together? Juuso Valimaki gets claimed, that opens up the potential for more of a trade.”
Friedman responded that he didn’t necessarily think so because a Chychrun trade is still just a matter of when and not if. The same could go for Gostisbehere. He notes:
So, I don’t think you’re going to see players get moved. And the other thing too is Jeff, first of all, nobody stays healthy, and when you’re in the West, you need to travel. Like Arizona’s got, cause there now in the Central Division, their travel is a bit tougher. That can warp you up too.
Trade Candidates in Philadelphia
Gustav Elvin of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at potential trade options out of Philadelphia if the Flyers struggle. The thought is that this season could quickly turn into a rebuilding year and if that happens, the Flyers will likely make major changes. Elvin writes:
Van Riemsdyk, who is in the final year of his contract, is one player who is likely to be moved before the deadline, while Konecny and Ivan Provorov are two others who have had their names appear in potential trade scenarios over the last few years. Trading defenseman Travis Sanheim would be far more unlikely, but given that he is in the final year of his contract, it is not completely out of the question if negotiations between the two sides reach an impasse.
source – ‘Countdown to Flyers opener: 15 things to watch’ – Gustav Elvin – Philadelphia Inquirer – 10/11/2022
Canadiens Likely to Trade Drouin
Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette writes that Jonathan Drouin being a healthy scratch in the opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs is telling and that the 27-year-old forward is likely to be traded at some point this season. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent and carries a $5.5 million cap hit. It’s not clear which teams would like to take that on, but his future is not in Montreal.
He writes:
At this point, it seems obvious that Drouin doesn’t have a future in Montreal beyond this season and that GM Kent Hughes will likely be looking to trade him if he can.
source -‘Jonathan Drouin a healthy scratch for Canadiens’ season opener’ – Stu Cowan – Montreal Gazette – 10/12/2022
GM Kent Hughes will likely look to trade Drouin if he can. Head coach Martin St. Louis said, “I want to see him play with more pace, play more free.” It could be that Drouin won’t be able to get back to where he was with the Habs and a fresh start would be best.
