It’s time for the Sunday edition of our NHL Rumours. Today is the start of a big holiday week in the United States and teams are tweaking their lineups. Injuries might be forcing the hand of some general managers and some are trying to stir things up. Today’s NHL Rumours will focus on the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
St. Louis Blues
Rumour: In Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada Headlines segment, Chris Johnston said the Blues senior staff was at the Leafs game vs. the Colorado Avalanche. General manager Doug Armstrong and Vice President of Hockey Operations Dave Taylor were on hand. It was the second Armstrong has seen Toronto and the senior staff has had a close eye on them.
Blues keeping an eye on the Leafs trade wise according to Sat Headlines
— Editor in J (@Account4hockey) November 24, 2019
Kevin McGran said in his Leafs’ mailbag in the Toronto Star that the Leafs may hold off on a move to see how Sheldon Keefe does with the team. Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas is going to wait and see, but Armstrong may try to force his hand.
Analysis: There’s still a mystery about what the Blues are looking for from the Leafs. Armstrong could be looking for a spare left-wing in case Sammy Blais and Alex Steen don’t recover quickly. The Blues did sign Troy Brouwer after a player tryout deal, but they could be preparing in case it doesn’t work out. Would someone like Andreas Johnsson be on the radar? The 25-year-old Swede carries a $3.4 million cap hit until the end of the 2022-23 season.
Could the Blues also be trying to pawn Jake Allen off on the Leafs? Toronto has been looking for a backup goalie for Frederik Andersen and many names come up. Allen’s cap hit is $4.35 million and wraps up at the end of the next season. The Blues would love to move Allen and get Ville Husso on the roster to back up Jordan Binnington.
Of course, there could be something else Armstrong may be seeking, but details have been murky so far.
Ottawa Senators
Rumour: Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun said that the club might be looking for defensive reinforcements due to a rash of injuries. The report said that Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion has been actively looking for the last month for a defenceman despite the Senators having a promising young group.
GARRIOCH GAME REPORT: Flourishing Senators keep foot on gas in win over Rangers https://t.co/1dPulqplKQ #Sens #ottsports #ottnews
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) November 23, 2019
Christian Wolanin has been out since training camp and Cody Goloubef got hurt on Friday against the New York Rangers. Nikita Zaitsev went back to Russia for personal reasons, Andreas Englund is out with a lower-body injury and Erik Brannstrom has been dealing with a hand injury.
Things got so bad that they called the last available defencemen, Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros were called up. However, Zaitsev and Englund could be back for Monday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Analysis: It may be a bit of an overreaction by Dorion, but there have been a lot of injuries that have the organization stretching their resources. The Senators defencemen had been playing well during the first six weeks of the season, but they need help if any of the injuries are long-term. Zaitsev’s and Englund’s return will be most welcome if they can be ready for Monday.
Ottawa does have $5 million in cap space if they need to make a move if they need to make one. However, it’s puzzling why the Senators feel the need to pull the trigger on a deal.
Vancouver Canucks
Rumour: Elliotte Friedman said during Hockey Night in Canada’s Headlines segment that contract talks between the team and Jacob Markstrom are going to intensify soon. The Swedish goalie believes he’s part of the team’s plans going forward.
The Canucks will begin contract talks with Jacob Markstrom soon.https://t.co/tohmaZqnza
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 24, 2019
Markstrom’s $3,666,667 contract runs out at the end of the season and he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The 29-year-old has posted a 7-6-3 record with a 2.72 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.
Analysis: Markstrom and Thatcher Demko have formed a decent partnership for the surprising Canucks, who sit third in the Pacific Division. Demko is 23 and is likely the long-term future in net for Vancouver.
However, the Canucks would love to keep a veteran netminder like Markstrom around. Lots of teams would love the luxury of having two solid goalies in the fold. He’s faced a lot of shots and bore a heavy workload as of late.
Vancouver is up against the salary cap and will have to make some decisions in the off-season.
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 7: Robby Fabbri #15 of the St. Louis Blues battles against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 7, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blues defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
