In today’s rumor rundown, there is some belief Tyler Seguin will hold out on contract negotiations until next summer to maximize his earnings, Trevor Daley may be a trade candidate in Detroit, there aren’t as many rumblings about Torey Krug as there once were, and while one recent drafted rookie decides to join the NHL, one grizzled veteran might be ready to leave.
Tyler Seguin Holding Out Until Next Summer?
Tyler Seguin is poised to become the story of NHL free agency next summer. Dallas would love to get him signed right away and lock up their franchise center to a long-term deal but NBC Sports’ James O’Brien believes Seguin may choose to wait until next summer to sign. O’Brien argues Seguin will not only want to see how the Stars fare in terms of potential to go far in the playoffs — they’ve recently lacked playoff success — but he stands to make far more money if he waits to play the market.
The Stars have a new head coach in Jim Montgomery and without playing a season under him, Seguin can’t really know how things will be moving forward. There is also a huge draw in testing the open market after watching what some players, namely John Tavares, received. Should Seguin want to sign now, he’s unlikely to get the $11 million Tavares received, but if he waits until a bidding war becomes a sure thing, there’s no telling what Seguin might get if he has another strong season.
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Trevor Daley Trade Bait?
Mlive.com’s Ansar Khan suggests defenseman Trevor Daley could become a trade candidate if the Detroit Red Wings look to miss the playoff for another season. With this and next season still on his current deal with Detroit, Daley has a no-trade clause that expires 10 days prior to the Feb.25, 2019 trade deadline.
Detroit can’t move him now unless he agrees (something they may ask to help with their current cap situation) but more likely, Daley becomes a rental player for playoff contenders and that team would then need to decide what to do with the last year of his deal.
Torey Krug Trade Rumors Slowing
Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports was recently asked if there were any deals in the works by the Boston Bruins to add a winger for center David Krejci’s line or a second left defenseman. That led to questions about the current status of Torey Krug and how the Bruins have too many d-men on the roster.
Haggerty said that while Krug could still be traded, talk of him moving has quieted.
The Bruins will not move Krug unless a trade absolutely blows them out of the water. They aren’t ready to give up on their best offensive-defenseman. He said, “Among D-men, only guys named Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, Brent Burns and John Klingberg have scored more points than him over the last two seasons.”
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Brady Tkachuk To Join Senators
There were a number of reports newly drafted prospect Brady Tkachuk was wrestling with what decision to make when it came to going back to college or turning pro and playing with the Ottawa Senators this season. He set his own deadline of August 12th to make a decision and one day prior to it, has informed his college coach that he intends to turn pro and sign with Ottawa. This news is being reported by ESPN’s John Buccigross.
Tkachuk played last season with Boston University and had 31 points (8-23-31) in just 40 games. He was drafted fourth overall by the Senators in June. Because the Senators are seemingly in full sell mode, there is a good chance Tkachuk plays a lot for a rookie and if he can stand up to the physical stress of a full NHL season. He could do well this season based, in part, on sheer opportunity.
Should he falter, he is eligible to play at the AHL level with their affiliate in Belleville. The Sens will have nine games to decide what to do with him without burning the first year of his entry-level deal, or if they need more time, not burn a year of unrestricted free agency until he hits the 40-game mark.
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Brian Gionta May Retire: Has No Regrets
As per a report on NHL.com, if Brian Gionta isn’t signed this summer, he says he has no regrets and is ready to call it a career. For the second consecutive offseason, Gionta is without a contract and last season he played for the United States at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. He ended up playing 20 games down the stretch with the Boston Bruins.
Gionta seems to think this is it and while a formal announcement hasn’t be made, one about his retirement is likely coming.