In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers are waiting on a decision from Jake Virtanen. Is he a shoo-in to join the team or is there more going on there? Meanwhile, the St. Louis Blues have signed Jordan Kyrou to an eight-year extension.
Jake Allen has confirmed that he is talking with the Montreal Canadiens about a new deal and, finally, where do things stand between the Boston Bruins and David Pastrnak?
Oilers Waiting to Hear on PTO Invite to Virtanen
According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers are not out of the mix regarding potentially bringing in Jake Virtanen on a PTO. He writes on Twitter, “my sense is Oilers are waiting on an answer from Virtanen about a PTO offer. Several other teams in the mix as well. Could see an additional PTO extended to another F as well.”
Rishaug adds that the Oilers are continuing to pursue all trade options for forward Jesse Puljujarvi, a player he says makes the most sense when it comes to the team trying to clear out cap space. He writes, “If it doesn’t happen they can still start with what they’ve got but it’ll be razor-thin margin budget-wise and could cause issues later in season.” Rishaug also notes that, at this point, he doesn’t think Barrie is a likely trade option. He states, “they’ll start the year with what they have on the blue-line, see how it goes” but he did say Philip Broberg has been playing a lot on the right side in on-ice sessions. He noted, “Don’t sense a PTO coming on D.”
Blues Get Jordan Kyrou Locked Up
Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday morning that was hearing a Jordan Kyrou extension was close in St. Louis. He reported, “Not sure of exact terms, but sounds somewhat similar to extension Robert Thomas signed earlier in summer (8x$8.125M).” It turned out to be the same deal.
Kyrou said of the extension, “I’m so thankful to the Blues organization for putting their trust in me and giving me the opportunity to wear the Blue Note for the foreseeable future.” He added, “Being able to call St. Louis my home is amazing. I can’t say enough about how much I love the city. And to the best fans in the League, I can’t thank you enough for always showing me love and support.”
Allen Confirms He’s Talking to Canadiens About an Extension
John Lu reports on Twitter that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen confirmed that “we’ve had communication” with management about a contract extension. Allen wouldn’t go into further detail on the subject.
Related: Canucks News & Rumors: DeKeyser, Hughes, Horvat & More
This update comes after news that the two sides were talking but conversations were really only in the preliminary stages.
Contract Updates for Pastrnak and Swayman
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe is reporting that David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman are eligible for contract extensions. The Bruins have reportedly opened up discussions with both players but a report by Joe Haggerty said on NHL Network is that he’s hearing “I think David Pastrňák wants to wait into the season to see the direction that this Bruins team is going.” He doesn’t want to commit to the team until he makes sure the team is competitive year in and year out.
Dupont writes:
Now two months gone by into the negotiation window, 2023 free agents David Pastrnak (UFA) and Jeremy Swayman (RFA) have yet to come to terms on contract extensions. Keep in mind: Pastrnak agreed to his current deal (six years, $40 million) on Sept. 14, 2017, which will be six years ago as of Wednesday. The longer he waits, the bigger the figure.
source – ‘What will it take for a youngster to crack the Bruins lineup this season?’ – Kevin Dupon – Boston Globe – 09/10/2022
Pastrnak is looking for around $9.5 million on a long-term deal and Haggerty says a situation could present itself like it did with Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames where the Bruins feel like they have to trade the player instead of losing him for nothing.
There are also reports that Swayman could be looking at a three or four-year deal at $3.5 to $4 million.
