We’re mere days away from the start of the 2023-24 season. However, we’ve got plenty of NHL rumours to talk about. Teams are thinking about more than one season at a time. There are some tough decisions to be made about current lineups. However, some executives are already thinking about a few seasons down the road. Today’s NHL rumours focus on the Minnesota Wild and the Carolina Hurricanes.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Minnesota Wild
Rumour: Michael Russo and Joe Smith of the The Athletic talked to Wild owner Craig Leipold. The next contract of superstar Kirill Kaprizov is already on the owner’s mind.
The next two years for #mnwild will be important in showing Kirill Kaprizov they can build a contender. He’s a UFA in 2026. “I would be lying to you if it’s not on our minds,” owner Craig Leipold said. Leipold on Kaprizov future, Bally TV, WJC bid + more https://t.co/v9yOyQuBj8
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) September 29, 2023
Analysis: Kaprizov is already making $9 million per season and won’t be eligible for a contract extension until July 1, 2025. However, Leipold wants to get a deal out of the way when the time comes. The Wild owner raved about how great of a player that young Russian is and that he’s a big piece of the puzzle.
Minnesota has been proactive in signing players this off-season. The deals for Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno prove that. General manager Bill Guerin is also likely trying to lock down Ryan Hartman as we mentioned in our last NHL rumours.
The Wild will have more cap space once the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts go down from over $7 million to a much more manageable $833,333 after 2024-25. The cap number and the reduction of the buyout pain should give the Wild plenty of flexibility when locking down the dynamic Kaprizov.
Carolina Hurricanes
Rumour: NHL.com’s Dan Rosen discussed the future of Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce with the club.
Analysis: One thing the Hurricanes have in spades is defencemen. Carolina acquired Anthony DeAngelo in the off-season to add to an already crowded room. The Canes also landed Dmitry Orlov in the off-season and have arguably eight NHL-ready defencemen.
Both Skjei and Pesce are unrestricted free agents and general manager Don Waddell may have the temptation to trade one or both of them. Each defender is making over $4 million per season and both could be used as trade pieces. The Hurricanes could use either blueliner to get themselves a scoring forward.
However, Rosen thinks that Waddell would be better served by keeping both players. The duo along with DeAngelo, Jalen Chatfield and Caleb Jones are all UFAs. They can play the season and see if the Hurricanes do win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Things can sort themselves out at the end of the season.
There’s always a worry about letting the two walk away for nothing. However, Carolina is one of the favourites for the Stanley Cup. Going all-in and not worrying about the future might be the current play for the Canes. However, the right deal for either player might change everything.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
