Well, hockey fans the NHL rumours are still coming in even with training camps opening in the last couple of days. Teams are still looking to improve their rosters or sign their RFAs to contracts. With Mitch Marner finally signing, we have seen some activity since then, most notably, Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins signing. Will other players still not signed be next? Or will teams attempt to fortify their rosters via the trade route?
Today, we will discuss the NHL rumours concerning the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, and the Colorado Avalanche. Follow with us here on Last Word on Hockey to stay up to date with all the news around the NHL.
All NHL Rumours are taken from their original sources and subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Montreal Canadiens
Rumour: As reported by Eric Engels of sportsnet.com the Montreal Canadiens are among the teams interested in a trade for Dallas Stars defenceman Julius Honka.
Pursuant to @MikeHeika report that Julius Honka has requested a trade from DAL, I’m told #Habs are among a couple of teams interested. Belief is that they’d be willing to make a player-for-player swap rather than give up a pick. Believe another East team in the mix.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) September 14, 2019
Analysis: The Canadiens are still looking to help their defence and adding Honka could very well be a good solution. As Engels indicated, the Montreal club would prefer a player-for-player trade rather than a player-for-draft pick deal.
The 23-year-old Honka who is a native of Jyvaskyla, Finland played only 87 games over the last three seasons. During his tenure with the Stars, he has tallied just two goals and 11 assists. He has requested a trade as Stars general manager Jim Nill told the local media on Friday. Apparently Honka is not too thrilled to have been a healthy scratch for much of the latter part of last season. Consequently, he wants to move on to get a fresh start. He refused to sign a qualifying offer presented to him by the Stars, and thus the impasse began.
While the Canadiens have shown some interest there is no indication of what player they would offer in a proposed deal with the Stars.
Another team has indicated they may be interested in Honka besides Montreal is Carolina. That according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.com.
Depending on other things they are considering, CAR around this too https://t.co/FsPJ32ueEs
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 14, 2019
The Carolina Hurricanes may also be interested in Honka. Why would that be when they have a good supply of talented defencemen on their present roster? Per some recent NHL ruumors reported here, the ‘Canes may be trading Justin Faulk to the Anaheim Ducks for Ondrej Kase. So, Honka could be an insurance policy if that were to come to fruition.
Anaheim Ducks
Rumour: Speaking of the Ducks, Elliott Teaford of the ocregister.com discussed the displeasure the Ducks general Bob Murray felt towards the manner in which the Ondrej Kase trade rurmours were handled by the ‘Canes owner Tom Dundon.
Analysis: Dundon leaked the name of winger Ondrej Kase as the player his club wanted in exchange for defenseman Justin Faulk. Murray admitted he’s in the market for a right-shot defenceman. He didn’t say who he might be going after or who he’d be willing to part with. So Dundon mentioning Kase’s name didn’t seem too ethical in Murray’s view.
Teaford mentioned that Faulk didn’t get the seven-year contract offer from the Ducks that would’ve permitted him to waive his no-trade clause. Kase, meanwhile, claims to be unfazed by the rumour. He’s putting his concentration on returning to form following off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum.
It appears that things have cooled significantly from last week when the Hurricanes and Ducks reportedly had a deal in principle that merely required Faulk’s approval. If the Ducks aren’t willing to give the blueliner the contract he wants, this proposed trade is probably dead on arrival. And, at this point, it seems to be something which probably won’t happen.
Colorado Avalanche
Rumour: Adrian Dater of coloradohockeynow.com states that Mitch Marner’s signing doesn’t matter in the talks the Colorado Avalanche are conducting to get Mikko Rantanen signed.
Analysis: Most hockey experts felt once that Marner was signed the other remaining big-name RFA’s would follow suit. It would theoretically create a template to use for contract values. The Avalanche do not feel the same way.
Marner signing doesn’t matter to Avalanche in Rantanen talks https://t.co/tFRHLie3f8
— Adrian Dater (@adater) September 14, 2019
It seems that most general managers were concerned that Marner may get close to what he wanted… and he did. So now, a quality star player like Rantanen can perhaps be able to make Marner money, but will he? It goes without saying that the Avs would miss the excellent play of the winger. He has accumulated 80 goals, 129 assists in 239 games thus far. That is a 0.87 points-per-game clip. He’s very accurate with his shot too with a 15.6 shooting percentage.
The Avalanche don’t seem to be in a huge hurry to empty the team’s coiffures the way the Toronto Maple Leafs did. There is no real doubt that Rantanen is worth close to the contract value which Marner received. This may start as a trend to pay players a higher salary. That, in turn, can really burden them in years to come. The Maple Leafs now have four players who they are paying just over $40 million and that will strap them for some time.
Av’s general manager Joe Sakic does have the salary cap space according to capfriendly.com with $15.6 million to help offer Rantanen a reasonable contract for his exemplary play.
The question is… will he?
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