In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we have a look at why Lane Hutson may have been left off of the USA Hockey Olympic Orientation Camp invite list. Elsewhere, William Nylander spoke about Mitch Marner’s departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs and his decision to join the Vegas Golden Knights. Finally, a former NHL goaltender spoke about the pressure that Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner is facing.
Hutson Skipped World Championship
At the end of the regular season, the World Hockey Championship tournament begins, and many players go to that tournament either when it starts or when they are eliminated from the playoffs. When it comes to Hutson, he, like many others, opted to focus on the offseason and not join his nation for the World Championship.
According to Marco D’Amico of RG.org, an NHL source told him that the decision to pass on the World Championship may have something to do with Hutson being omitted from the USA Hockey Olympic Orientation Camp.
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He then went on to say that while he wasn’t invited to the camp, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a chance he makes the team. The source went on to add that when you look at the 4 Nations Face-Off, smaller defensemen were not what the USA was looking for; rather, defensemen with size and physicality were more appealing for this level of international play.
Nylander Speaks on Marner’s Departure
As a part of the NHL media tour in Europe, Nylander spoke with NHL.com about the departure of Marner and whether he saw it coming or not.
Nylander dealt with his own contract discrepancies with the Maple Leafs, where he held out until a few months into the 2018 season. When asked about Marner, Nylander stated that Marner’s focus was fully on bringing success to the Maple Leafs in 2024-25, and not as focused on the future.
Marner and Nylander joined the Maple Leafs together as youngsters and have played together since 2016. Nylander gave NHL.com the following statement:
“Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don’t think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time. I actually asked him during the season and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn’t want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us. Then I asked him after the season and he wasn’t sure. It’s tough seeing him go but I’m so happy for him and his family. He got to pick where he went so, in that aspect, I’m happy for him. We’re going to miss him a lot but that’s just the business of the sport. That’s the way it is. So we’ve got to regroup as a team and figure out a way to keep winning games.”.
People often forget that there is a business side to the game as well, and that despite players being friends and wanting to stick with a group, moving on often makes sense financially and for the sake of their future on the ice.
Dubnyk Speaks on Skinner’s Pressure
After spending 12 seasons in the NHL, Devan Dubnyk has the pedigree to speak about goaltenders around the league. On the latest episode of The Big Show, Dubnyk talked about Skinner and the criticism he faces.
Dubnyk reminded everyone that Skinner is only 26 years old, and the 52 playoff games played is more playoff experience than most goalies get. Skinner has backed the Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Final visits, and while he has lost the crease at times, he is just hitting the prime of his career.
“We forget that he’s a young goalie…It feels like he’s been there a long time. But he’s only 26 years old and should be entering the peak years of his career right now.”
There have been talks all throughout the offseason about whether or not the Oilers are going to look for an upgrade in goal, and while bringing in a star goalie that the team can have full confidence in makes sense, keeping Skinner and letting him continue to grow, especially at $2.6 million, makes a lot of sense, too.
