The latest in Jetstars Conor HellbwickAnd Mark Shevell And Pierre Luc Dubois As well as updates on the Ducks goaltender John GibsonDevils Defender Damon SeversonFlyers, Blueliner Ivan Provorov Canadians Pavilion Cole Cofield In Sunday’s gossip report on the National Hockey League.
The latest in HELLEBUYCK, SCHEIFELE, and DUBOIS
SPORTSNET: Elliott Friedman mentioned that Winnipeg Jets Will listen to offers Conor HellbwickAnd Mark Shevell And Pierre Luc Dubois. All three are one year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.
Friedman claims that the Jets don’t throw in the towel at being competitive. He said they made it clear this wouldn’t be a rebuild this summer. They can get some futures (draft picks, projections) as part of the payout if any of those players are traded. However, they also have many good players on long-term contracts that they want to support.
SPECTATOR NOTE: Frank Serravalle of the Daily Faceoff has Hellebuyck as a close second An updated list of foreign trade objectives with Chevelle fourth and Dubois seventh.
Serravalle suggested that Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto, Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Vegas all have opportunities for a goalkeeper “based on playing or contractual status.” Of those, I suggest Los Angeles, New Jersey, Carolina, and Pittsburgh as more viable destinations for Hellebuyck.
Hellebuyck lacks non-commercial protection, so the planes could send him anywhere. However, I think Ottawa wants assurances that it will agree to a contract extension before trading in valuable assets to get it.
The limitations of the Toronto roof make it difficult to get hold of unless they drop one of the expensive “core four” forwards to make room for him. They could instead stick to the promising (and affordable) tandem. Ilya Samsonov And Joseph Wall.
Vegas also lacks cover space as well as they do well with goalkeepers Logan ThompsonAnd Laurent Brossuyt and current playoff champion (and potential contender for the Conn Smith Cup) Aden Hill. They’ve also sidelined Robin Lehner’s $5 million cap on their books.
As for DuBois, Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Bellick pointed to persistent rumors linking the 24-year-old center to his hometown. Montreal Canadiens. However, it has also been suggested Colorado AvalancheAnd New York RangersAnd Los Angeles Kings And Boston Bruins as possible destinations.
Billick indicated that the Kings might need a new No. 1 center if Anzi Copitar Comes out of their books next summer. However, I expect Kopitar to sign a contract extension to end his career in Los Angeles.
Rangers need a scoring right winger. Dubois does not address this issue unless they convert the second line position Vincent Troshek to the right wing.
Watch the Avalanche and the Bruins. Both have limited space but I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of those clubs find a way to land Dubois. I wouldn’t rule out the Canadians either, but that may depend on how much he wants to extend the contract as well as the asking price for the jets.
Gibson could have joined the Ducks
Orange County Register: Lisa Dillman reported recently John Gibson ready to move on from Anaheim Ducks. The 29-year-old guard is believed to have met last month with Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek to express those sentiments.
Gibson has four seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6.4 million plus a 10-team no-trade clause. He wants to play for a winning club, but that won’t be possible for the next several years with the Ducks involved in rebuilding their roster.
Dillman noted that the Kings and Penguins could use an assist between the tubes but both clubs could find it difficult to absorb his salary or meet Verbeek’s potential asking price.
Bystander’s note: Serravalle put Gibson 10th on his list of commercial hits. He also wrote that the Ducks goaltender was available last summer but the asking price was high.
Serravalle wondered if the Ducks would be willing to keep a portion of his cap to cut it down to about $5 million to make the move more palatable. Four years is a long time to keep $1.4 million annually, but that may have to be done unless Verbeek can find a way to secure a three-team deal.
PROVOROV’s trade is not certain
Athlete: Charlie O’Connor wonders if Ivan Provorov He still has a place on Philadelphia Flyers blue line It has waned since his stellar performance in 2019-20.
Provorov remains a strong skater and good puck mover, who shines with a high level of skill, but his offensive game hasn’t progressed and he doesn’t drive the play as aggressively. The Flyers have tried various defense partners with him to no avail.
O’Connor wondered if Provorov would remain fit with a rebuilding Flyers team under a head coach such as John Tortorella. The trade seems likely if General Manager Daniel Breyer can find a competing GM that Provorov believes could improve with a change of scenery. However, it is difficult to predict what it might bring in a trade.
Bystander note: Provorov ranks 18th on Serravalle’s commercial list. He expects the Flyers to get calls about the 26-year-old defenseman. However, like O’Connor, he is not sure they will transfer him or what Provorov’s standing will be among general managers across the league.
Update on Cavfield contract talks
Montreal hockey now: Marco D’Amico cited Montreal broadcaster Tony Marinaro’s recent report on the status of Cole Caufield’s contract talks with the Canadiens. The 22-year-old winger completes his basic contract.
According to Marinaro, he had heard that the average annual value of Cofield’s next contract would not exceed the value of the Linemate contract Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens captain’s AAV has an estimated net worth of $7.875 million.
Marinaro followed up by reporting that contract talks are progressing with all signs pointing to a seven or eight year deal.
Spectator note: Some Canadian fans and analysts are concerned that a rival club could swoop in on July 1 and sign Caufield to an expensive bid sheet that they may struggle to match.
TSN’s Darren Dreger recently dismissed the notion that the word around the league is that the Canadiens will match any show. Caufield’s offer sheet is completely unlikely this summer. Nineteen teams have less than $15 million in cap space for 2023-24. Many others lack enough draft picks to pay the high compensation rate to successfully sign him. This is assuming Caufield will sign one in the first place.
I haven’t ruled out the possibility that Caufield’s cap is a bit higher than Suzuki’s as the latter signed his contract two years ago. It would be a huge win for the Canadians to acquire him for less than Suzuki’s AAV on a long-term deal.
Devils can shop in Severson Rights
SPORTSNET: Elliott Friedman reports New Jersey Devils He could be open to trading the rights to the suspended UFA defenseman Damon Severson If they can not sign him an extension before July 1.
Bystander note: They won’t get much from Severson because of his UFA status but better than losing him on the free agent market for nothing. This is assuming he signs with whatever club acquires him.