In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is an odd narrative out there, with strange timing, that Leon Draisaitl might be looking toward the San Jose Sharks when his contract in Edmonton expires. Meanwhile, the Oilers are in the midst of a playoff battle where Draisaitl has been key. Is a former GM of the Montreal Canadiens in the running to land the GM job in Columbus? Finally, despite all the rumors of offseason change, which players will not be traded out of Pittsburgh?
Draisaitl and the San Jose Sharks?
With the San Jose Sharks not in the playoff picture, the focus turns to the future and how the team might rebuild. San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng cited a conversation between ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski and Jeff Marek. Both were discussing the Sharks and an intriguing connection to the Oilers Leon Draisaitl.
Related: 5 Takeaways From Oilers’ Thrilling Game 4 Victory Over Canucks
During a recent appearance on The Jeff Marek Show, it was mentioned that both had heard sources linking Draisaitl to the Sharks in free agency, even though the Oilers are in the midst of a playoff series and Draisaitl is trying to win a Stanley Cup in the city where his NHL career started.
Marek and Wyshynski were chatting about possible roster upheavals for teams that failed to advance to this year’s Conference Finals. Discussion about what happens if the Oilers don’t defeat the Canucks, and they suggested the Oilers superstar might be interested in signing with San Jose because team owner Hasso Plattner is German.
Wyshynski also listed other factors about the Sharks that might entice Draisaitl. “Emerging market, great young players. They will obviously compensate him.”
It’s a reach considering the Sharks are not contenders and if Draisailt leaves, it will be for two reasons: the money or chasing a Cup. The Oilers are likely to match any free-agent offer.
Will the Oilers Play Calvin Pickard in Game 5?
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch wouldn’t confirm if Calvin Pickard was going to get the start in Game 5 after picking up the win in Game 4 for Edmonton. Pickard was great, making 19 saves on 21 shots. Neither of the goals were his fault. He picked up his first-ever playoff win and the series is now tied.
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Knoblauch described Pickard as someone who looked like they “had played 100 playoff games.” If he wanted to go back to Pickard, he wouldn’t decide until game day, “But his body of work allows us a lot of confidence if we did do that.”
Bergevin on Blue Jackets Radar for GM Role
According to Dennis Berstein, “Marc Bergevin, hired as senior advisor to GM Rob Blake in January 2022 is in consideration for the open Blue Jackets GM role.” Bergevin is currently with the Kings and has not been a GM since being relieved of his duties with the Canadiens in November of 2021.
Known as a GM who wasn’t afraid to take risks, he was behind some of the franchise’s biggest trades. That included landing Jeff Petry, trading PK Subban for Shea Weber, and dealing Max Pacioretty to the Golden Knights in a package that included Nick Suzuki.
Penguins Likely Won’t Trade Seven Key Names
Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin are probably untouchables on the Penguins roster when it comes to trades. One would have to ask the team for a trade for the organization to consider a deal involving these cornerstones of the franchise. That said, are there any other players safe as the Penguins consider some serious offseason retooling?
As per Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Michael Bunting, and Tristan Jarry are also likely safe.
The one “maybe” in the group is Jarry. Kingerski writes:
Sure, anything is possible, and Jarry’s new contract lacks a full NMC. Instead, Jarry has a 12-team no-trade list. However, he’s also the Penguins starting goalie. His late-season benching does not add good vibes to the situation, but Dubas’s end-of-season presser made it pretty clear that Jarry was the guy who was sticking around.
It is unlikely teams make tempting offers for Jarry due to his late-season struggles. NHL GMs can act irrationally, but with his long contract, chances are slim.