In today’s NHL rumors rundown, are the New York Islanders set to announce a few deals are done? Will the Toronto Maple Leafs keep both Calle Jarnkrok and Alex Kerfoot on their roster?
David Perron talks about his exit from the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild are looking for a forward via trade or free agency.
Islanders Getting Close on a Few Deals
As per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and The NHL Network, “multiple transactions are looking close” regarding the New York Islanders. He notes, “In addition to all the Nazem Kadri chatter, which I believe is valid, some internal house cleaning is also being taken care of. When will all the dominoes fall? That’s up to you-know-who.”
There are many insiders who believe the Kadri news is real, but Stefen Rosner of New York Islanders Hockey Now writes, “Until an official report is made, everything you see and hear about Nazem Kadri in a New York Islanders uniform is speculation.” He says he spoke to someone that suggests Kadri is signing there, but some salary needs to be shed first before the deal can be announced. So too, Noah Dobson’s and Alexander Romanov’s extensions have yet to be finalized, but it is believed that both RFA’s are signed.
Josh Bailey and his $5 million cap hit seem like the most logical move from a salary cap perspective.
Are the Maple Leafs Keeping Both Jarnkrok and Kerfoot?
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic asks if the Maple Leafs will move Alex Kerfoot now that they’ve signed Calle Jarnkrok. He thinks they might, but argues that it might not be the best of ideas. He explains that Kerfoot is younger and has been the better player, but that money may factor into this decision.
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He notes :
“But do the Leafs need him and Kerfoot? That may be the wrong question to ask. The better one — with Jarnkrok around, can the Leafs afford to deal Kerfoot and then pursue another forward with a slightly different skill set (more size, say, or offensive upside) for less money? The answer? In theory, yes — especially with how tight things appear cap-wise at the moment.
source- ‘Does new Maple Leaf Calle Jarnkrok make Alex Kerfoot expendable?’ – Jonas Siegel – The Athletic – 07/28-2022
Justin Holl would be the other likely trade option.
David Perron Still Upset About Blues Departure
Jeremy Rutherford wrote an interesting piece in The Athletic, citing quotes from David Perron who is still unhappy about the way his run in St. Louis ended. Perron said:
“I’m still in a little bit of shock that it didn’t work out, just kind of the way the years went. I guess if you see my performance declining or something, then you’re like, ‘Maybe there’s something there.’ That’s still like raw to me. I had to let some of the dust settle and I guess I still have to let that happen.”
source – ‘David Perron on his ‘hurtful’ Blues departure: ‘I’m still in a little bit of shock’’ – Jeremy Rutherford – The Athletic – 08/01/2022
The chatter is that the Blues chose to sign Nick Leddy over Perron to solidify their defense. Perron said he understands why the team would want Leddy back, but he doesn’t necessarily believe it had to be one or the other only. “That’s fine that it’s their perspective, I just don’t buy that perspective,” he said. He added that Leddy fit in great, “(But) I don’t think it was about me or Leddy, I really don’t. I just think at the end of the day, if you want to sign someone, you do.”
Perron still feels like he earned a bit more loyalty after the seasons he had there. He wasn’t asking for a lot, just enough to feel respected. He started taking calls from other teams and there were four to six with serious interest. Some of the offers were contingent upon whether those clubs could sign other players. Some were for more term and money than he signed for with Detroit.
Wild Shopping for a Forward
Michael Russo of The Athletic recently tweeted that Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin is still looking around the trade market for a forward. Should he not find what he’s looking for, he could turn to deals in free agency and Russo says that he will likely keep one spot open to promote the idea of internal competition in training camp.
He doesn’t want a young forward being the 12th or 13th forward so that could mean adding a couple of veterans who will be competing for a spot. Names like Sonny Milano, Evan Rodrigues, Tyler Motte or Zach Aston-Reese could make sense for the Wild.