We’re back with another round of NHL rumours for the weekend. The off-season has started in earnest and that means the NHL rumours have gone into overdrive. The Vegas Golden Knights did win the Stanley Cup, but there is plenty of work to be done. There are plenty of decisions to be made about a roster that will have some deserved pay raises. The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated by Vegas and want to get their hands on the Cup. It’s a Pacific Division edition of NHL rumours.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Edmonton Oilers
Rumour: The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading had the Oilers seeking a top-four defenceman.
INSIDER TRADING with @DarrenDreger, @PierreVLeBrun & @reporterchris…
– Sharks, Karlsson on same page seeking trade
– Sens/DeBrincat
– Goalie market
– Canes/Pesce
– Oilers focused on D, Top 6 bargain F
– Pending UFA Barbashev
– Treliving/DraftWATCH: https://t.co/SI7JdCK27y
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 15, 2023
Analysis: TSN’s Darren Dreger said the Oilers are eyeing Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes for a possible trade. Pesce is hoping to get a new contract done this summer, but Carolina said it would trade the blueliner if they can’t reach a deal. Edmonton has had its struggles on defence and Pesce would be a big boost to that group. However, Oilers general manager Ken Holland would have to overcome some hurdles in order to the Tarrytown, N.Y. native to Alberta.
Edmonton is pressed up against the salary cap and would have to clear out some space in order to make a deal happen. Holland is probably likely to part with Kailer Yamamoto, Warren Foegele and Cody Ceci this off-season to make the move possible. The Oilers have plenty of talent with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. However, there’s been shaky play from the defence in recent years. Adding Pesce would be a big boost to the club. However, Carolina GM Don Waddell will make sure he gets good value before trading the 28-year-old defender.
The Buffalo Sabres also might have a say about Pesce as well. There is a load of young talent on that roster and they might be in a good position to fork over some of that to get Pesce. Carolina will likely get a good return if they have to offload the defenceman if a deal isn’t done.
Vegas Golden Knights
Rumour: We stick with Insider Trading and Chris Johnston discusses the fate of impending unrestricted free agent forward Ivan Barbashev.
Analysis: Barbashev was a big part of the Knights’ Stanley Cup victory. The 27-year-old made himself a hot commodity after seven goals and 18 points during the Cup run. Barbashev said he’s enjoyed his time in Vegas, but agent Dan Milstein wants to score his client a good payday. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun speculated that the asking price would probably be $5.5 to $5.75 million for the Moscow native. Milstein is also likely hoping for a multi-year of decent length according to LeBrun.
However, there’s a concern that a team may overpay after one solid post-season. Barbashev was part of the team’s most effective line during the playoffs, but sometimes Cup winners get a bit of a markup. The centre is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and a big cog in the Golden Knights’ victory. However, he’ll likely score a big money deal elsewhere. There’s a lot of moving parts with Vegas and general manager Kelly McCrimmon can’t pay everyone.
Main photo by: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
