In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is talk the Montreal Canadiens might be interested in Sonny Milano, who was just signed by the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, are the Edmonton Oilers already looking to the trade market after two slow starts this season?
There is more talk about a Patrick Kane trade, this time from his agent and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun offers updates on a few teams, including the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Canadiens Interested in Milano?
Marco D’Amico of Montreal Hockey Now wonders if the Canadiens might attempt to claim Sonny Milano off waivers. Milano just signed a $750K contract with the Washington Capitals but was placed on waivers yesterday for the purpose of sending him to their AHL affiliate in Hershey.
D’Amico suggests the Canadiens might look at Milano because it seems like prospect Juraj Slafkovsky could use some seasoning in the AHL. And, because veterans Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov haven’t been productive thus far, the Habs might want to explore inexpensive options.
Oilers to Call up Niemlainen
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic writes, “In the short term, the Oilers plan to call up Markus Niemelainen next week and have an active roster with 12 forwards and seven defensemen. In the long term, they’ll need more than that.” He then argues that the team should already be looking for someone like Jakob Chychrun to join their top four because the blue line might not be good enough.
Nugent-Bowman notes:
The Arizona Coyotes have been shopping Chychrun, their top player, for months. He wants out. The Oilers have checked in on the price, which they consider too steep. So, maybe he won’t be the target in the end… Though the Coyotes’ asking price has come down since it was astronomical in March, it’s not like they’re prepared to give him away. Nor should they. Chychrun is 24 and in the third-last year of his reasonable $4.6 million AAV contract. They should be asking for a sizable package even with Chychrun’s injury history.
source – ‘Oilers need Jakob Chychrun or another top-4 defender, as loss to Flames shows’ – Daniel Nugent-Bowman – The Athletic – 10/16/2022
Nugent-Bowman says that Philip Broberg won’t be involved in any trade unless the organization has an abrupt change of heart about him.
Kane’s Agent Talks Trade Process Out of Chicago
If Patrick Kane ultimately decides to leave the Chicago Blackhawks, his agent Pat Brisson has given some insight into how that process will go. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes:
“It’s a very similar approach that we had with Claude [Giroux]. We’ll see how things go in Chicago. We’ll see how Patrick feels. We’ll probably explore things at the appropriate time later this season. I don’t want to put too much of a timeline on it. But it’s clear the Hawks won’t push him to make a decision one way or another.”
source – ‘LeBrun rumblings: Potential timing on a Patrick Kane trade, plus could Bunting get 8 years?’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 10/17/2022
Related: Canadiens News & Rumors: Price, Drouin, Mesar, and More
LeBrun is reporting that the current plan in place for Kane, his agent, and GM Kyle Davidson is to circle back to each other sometime in December or January and take stock of where each is at. He adds that a promise was made to Kane that the organization will not pressure the player toward a trade or waive his no-move. If Kane goes, it will be on his terms.
One thing LeBrun cautions fans in Chicago of is that they should downgrade their expectations when it comes to the return because of a limited market.
Blues and O’Reilly to Talk Again in January
LeBrun is also reporting that it sounds like the plan is for the St. Louis Blues and Ryan O’Reilly’s camp to talk again in January about a contract extension. Veteran agent Pat Morris of Newport Sports is handling negotiations on behalf of O’Reilly and the pending UFA turns 32 in February and has a $7.5 million cap hit on his expiring deal.
Doubling Down on 8 Years for Bunting
Finally, LeBrun has doubled down on his comments that the Maple Leafs and Michael Bunting might consider an eight-year extension even though he took a lot of criticism for that take. He believes Toronto will be looking at all options to try and lower Bunting’s AAV, but he’s not sure they’ll be able to absorb whatever his cap hit is if he has another strong season.
LeBrun writes:
“My understanding of the situation is that eight years would appeal to Bunting because, at 27, this is his UFA moment. He wants to stay in Toronto, and the total dollars over eight years might be a draw even if the AAV offered is lower than what he could get on the open market in the short-term.”