Welcome to another edition of NHL rumours. Today, we will discuss more teams being in the hunt for Claude Giroux, the latest on the Anaheim Ducks’ unrestricted free agents and the Boston Bruins’ needs at the deadline. Let’s dive in!
NHL Rumours
Philadelphia Flyers
Rumour: On the Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Freidman said about the Claude Giroux sweepstakes, “I had a couple of people tell me in the past 24 to 48 hours do not sleep on the possibility of Florida here.”
Analysis: The Florida Panthers are one of the best teams in the league this year and appear to be going after just about anybody that can help them win a Stanley Cup. NHL rumours have linked them to left-handed defencemen like Jakob Chychrun and now forwards like Claude Giroux. Giroux is one of the best playmakers in the NHL, terrific on faceoffs and plays a good two-way game. Giroux on a line with Sam Bennett (21 goals and 9 assists) would be beneficial because Bennet’s a scoring centre so Giroux can be his playmaking right-winger. Aleksander Barkov is the only Panthers’ centre above 50 per cent on faceoffs, so Giroux (60.8) can help there.
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Claude Giroux’s salary cap hit is $8.275 million so adding him will be complicated. The Panthers are tight to the cap, so they have will have to move money out to make this work. The Panthers will need to move Patric Hornqvist‘s $5.3 million salary cap hit because bringing in Giroux means there is no financial or roster room for Hornqvist. They will still need to clear up $3 million to add him. That is about how much Anthony Duclair, Brandon Montour and Frank Vatrano make. Flordia can also have Philadelphia or another team retain salary for more assets.
Anaheim Ducks
Rumour: David Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein on the Fourth Period’s Market Rumblings provided updates on the Anaheim Ducks’ top unrestricted free agents. They say Hampus Lindholm will test the free-agent market, Josh Manson has declined a trade to Edmonton and the team is expected to move Rickard Rakell.
Analysis: Bernstein says it is his understanding that Hampus Lindholm will test free agency. If that is the case, he will be traded by the trade deadline. There is no reason for Anaheim to keep Lindholm as they aren’t a Stanley Cup contender. The assets retrieved in a Lindholm deal outweigh the possibility they might make the playoffs. The Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are all looking for a top-four defenceman.
Bernstein also mentioned the Edmonton Oilers would love to trade for fellow pending unrestricted free agent Josh Manson but Manson won’t waive his no-trade clause to go there. Elliotte Freidman on the 32 Thoughts ‘Succession’ podcast reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are also on Manson’s 12-team no-trade list. It appears that Manson doesn’t want to be traded to Canada. The Carolina Hurricanes are the best fit for Manson right now.
Pagnotta says that he expects Rickard Rakell to be moved. Rakell is reliable to be a secondary scorer with 21 points in 40 games this year. He can play any forward position and is good on faceoffs (49.1 percent). The Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers are possible fits.
Boston Bruins
Rumour: Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic writes that the Bruins can use a second-line centre and a left-shot two-way defenceman.
Analysis: Shinzawa writes that the second pairing of Mike Reilly and Brandon Carlo sometimes don’t work well together and that Carlo has looked better along the safe Jack Ahcan. The Bruins could look for an upgrade on a second pairing two-way left shooting defenceman. There are many players who can be fits in Boston. Look out for Jakob Chychrun, Hampus Lindholm, Mark Giordano and Calvin de Haan.
As for a centre, Erik Haula has been solid as the team’s second-line centre, but Shinzawa writes the Bruins are looking for someone more dynamic. Haula has 17 points in 44 games, so they can benefit from a more offensive centreman. Players that the Bruins can target are Tomas Hertl, Claude Giroux, J.T. Miller and maybe Joe Pavelski depending on if the Stars stay in the playoff hunt.
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