In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Radko Gudas confirmed that he received offers to sign with a few Canadian teams but wasn’t interested in playing north of the border. Why? Meanwhile, could the Montreal Canadiens pursue William Nylander? The Edmonton Oilers got Ryan McLeod signed to a new two-year deal, avoiding arbitration. What does that mean for Evan Bouchard?
Gudas Turned Down Offers From Canadian Teams
Before joining the Anaheim Ducks as an unrestricted free agent this summer, defenseman Radko Gudas was presented with multiple offers from several Canadian teams. In a recent interview with the Czech outlet DenikSport, Gudas disclosed that the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Toronto Maple Leafs all pursued him to secure a contract. However, despite the interest shown, the 33-year-old was not keen on playing hockey in Canada.
Gudas made it clear that he had no desire to play in Canada, particularly in Toronto, due to the intense media pressure he witnessed during the playoffs. This pressure was even palpable during his time with the Florida team, and he felt it would be magnified if he played for a team like Toronto. In the end, Gudas decided to ink a three-year, $12-million deal with the Ducks during this offseason.
Related: Flames News & Rumors: Lindholm, Backlund & Hanifin
There certainly won’t be a lot of pressure in Anaheim where the team is not only a smaller hockey market, but the roster is going through somewhat of a rebuild and isn’t expected to be a playoff team.
Could the Canadiens Target Nylander in 2024?
When asked about potential targets for the Montreal Canadiens in the 2024 class of free agents, Arpon Basu of The Athletic suggested that the team could set their sights on Maple Leafs’ forward William Nylander. Basu believes that the Canadiens might have enough cap space to pursue Nylander, especially considering that his ongoing contract extension negotiations with the Leafs seem to be facing challenges.
Basu writes:
Nylander will cost at least $10 million a year on a long-term deal, one that would take him into his mid-30s. There’s definite risk there, but players like him rarely make it to market. I’m not willing to predict the Canadiens will sign him, but if I were running things, I would do everything I could to make it happen.
source – ‘Canadiens mailbag: Juraj Slafkovský expectations should be measured, but not undervalued’ -Arpon Basu – The Athletic – 07/31/2023
As for this coming season, when talking about forwards that might or might not be in the lineup, he notes that he expects Joel Armia to be in the opening night lineup, but doesn’t feel nearly as confident about Mike Hoffman. Hoffman will likely be waived and assigned to Laval. He also doesn’t think Christian Dvorak will be in the opening night lineup because of injuries.
Oilers Get McLeod’s Deal Done, What About Bouchard?
The Edmonton Oilers and Ryan McLeod avoided salary arbitration by reaching a two-year agreement worth $2.1 million annually, a considerable raise from his previous one-year, $798k deal. This deal is seen as solid value for the team, considering McLeod’s versatility and contributions as a forward.
Now, the team’s attention turns to their last restricted free agent, Evan Bouchard. Although they have $4,282,500 in available cap space, they need to allocate at least $775k to accommodate an extra forward on the roster. Therefore, the Oilers aim to sign Bouchard for $3.5 million or less. Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer noted on his show Tuesday that the Oilers are Bouchard are nearing a deal and that he wouldn’t be surprised if the team had it sorted out before McLeod’s arbitration hearing. Obviously, that hearing never came, so a Bouchard deal could be announced any day.
While they would prefer a long-term deal for Bouchard but the Oilers would need to shed a significant contract to free up cap space. It’s unlikely they do that. The team will probably sign him to a long-term deal next summer when the salary cap is expected to experience a significant increase.