In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Morgan Rielly to a long-term extension. How does this affect the rest of the roster? Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly closer to acquiring Jack Eichel than any team has been since the drama between the Buffalo Sabres and Eichel began. MacKenzie Blackwood talks about his decision to get vaccinated and are the Edmonton Oilers looking at upgrading their goaltending?
Does Rielly’s Deal Affect Jack Campbell?
With Morgan Rielly now signed to a long-term contract extension, the Leafs don’t have to worry about the defenseman testing the market this summer and taking off in free agency. Unfortunately, Rielly’s $60 million deal means signing pending UFA goaltender Jack Campbell just got a bit trickier, writes Josh Wegman of The Score.
Wegman notes, “While getting Rielly signed was rightly Toronto’s priority, it’s easy to overlook that goaltender Jack Campbell is set to become a UFA at season’s end. Getting him signed could now prove to be difficult.” He talks about how good Campbell has been and the Petr Mrazek contract being the floor for Campbell in his contract negotiations.
The question will be how much Campbell wants to stay in Toronto and whether or not he’s willing to take a teamf-friendly discount to stick around.
Golden Knights Close on Eichel Trade?
On Friday, talks picked up in a major way regarding the Golden Knights’ interest in Eichel. Darren Dreger reported things were serious and both Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek seemed to confirm there has been a great deal of conversation on that front. That said, Friedman did report on The Jeff Marek Show: “There’s real work being done to facilitate a trade.” Friedman added, “I do think Buffalo and Vegas are talking very seriously. I think they are trying to find ways to see if they can get something done and avoid the possibility of a grievance.”
Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff noted earlier in the week that Vegas was a favorite in these trade discussions but that the money situation would be a factor. He noted Mark Stone’s injury status would be the key and if Stone was headed to LTIR, it could up the chances the Golden Knights got involved.
Related: Golden Knights Have Plenty to Lose in an Eichel Trade
The Athletic’s Jesse Granger posted on Twitter that defenseman Shea Theodore might be one of the pieces going the other way in the Vegas trade if it happens. Granger notes that Theodore would be an attractive piece for the Sabres and the fact that Vegas re-signed blueliner Zach Whitecloud could be a telling clue.
When this is finally said and done, it won’t just be Vegas who is talked about. Vegas Hockey Now scribe Dan Kingerski reports: “Don’t sleep on Calgary or Colorado.”
Blackwood Wants a Shot at Team Canada
Goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood has acknowledged that it was important he finally get vaccinated because he didn’t want to let his teammates down, but he also admitted that one of the motivating reasons for getting the shot was because he wants a chance to represent Team Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Had he not been vaccinated, he wouldn’t have been able to do so.
The Devils’ goaltender said, “I don’t want to be the person that causes (New Jersey) to lose games when they rely on me.” He added, “Also, not being able to go to Canada is huge.” Saying it wasn’t just one thing that changed his mind, “There’s a whole list of things. I think it was an accumulation of them all.”
Oilers Will Keep an Eye on Goaltenders
As per Daniel-Nugent Bowman of The Athletic, Oilers’ GM Ken Holland says he believes in his goaltending, “but there’s no question an upgrade is something he’d strongly consider — and something that’s more likely than not to occur.”
Nugent Bowman writes that both Marc-Andre Fleury and John Gibson could be on the Oilers’ radar. Willis writes that Fleury might be open to moving again considering how bad the Chicago Blackhawks are playing, while Gibson could be traded by Anaheim, but only for a steep price. Willis writes:
He’s 28, much younger than Fleury, and under team control for much longer. What I’ve heard is the asking price could be as high as four assets for Gibson: Koskinen (as a positional/salary dump), a good roster player (someone like Kailer Yamamoto), a first-round pick and a top organizational prospect.
source – ‘Do the Oilers need to trade for a goalie? Is Tyson Barrie movable? Repercussions for Duncan Keith? Mailbag’ – Daniel Nugent Bowman – 10/30/2021
