In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Corey Perry spoke with the media about his decision to sign with the Edmonton Oilers. What other teams did he turn down to join Connor McDavid and company? Meanwhile, Casey Mittelstadt is surprised to hear his name in trade rumors. Patrice Bergeron sets the record straight about a rumored comeback, and finally, is Pierre-Luc Dubois already in the dog house of the Los Angeles Kings?
Perry and Holland Talk to Oilers Media About Signing
Corey Perry and Ken Holland met with Edmonton-based media on Monday and made his signing official. The expectation is that he’ll play on Saturday, but the team wants to give him a bit of time to get up to speed. Perry says he’d been skating and keeping in shape with the hope that the time would come to play again. He noted that the Oilers are moving in the right direction, which is what was so appealing. He also noted that there were other teams in the mix, but didn’t reveal how many or who he spoke to.
Frank Seravalli noted that a bunch of teams had been in on Perry, including the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and to a lesser extent, Toronto Maple Leafs. He said there were some initial conversations that didn’t go anywhere, but the Edmonton fit made too much sense.
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Seravalli also believes that the Perry signing and return of Dylan Holloway could open up the potential for the Oilers to make a move using their first-round pick to dump the contract of Jack Campbell. They might even use their 2025 first-rounder to go out and make a big splash at the trade deadline.
More Sources Saying Bergeron Comeback Just a Rumor
There was some talk this past week that Patrice Bergeron skating might be signaling an interest to return to the NHL. That’s not accurate according to insiders that have looked into things and have a direct feed to Bergeron himself. Joshua Clipperton of the Canadian Press tweeted, “Spoke to Patrice Bergeron about the comeback chatter after he was spotted skating in the Boston area. Says it’s just a weekly gathering of friends and ex-NHLers. “Come to our skates … the rumours would go away pretty quickly. “It’s a slow pace.””
Mittelstadt Shocked to Hear His Name In Trade Rumors
Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News writes that Buffalo Sabres’ forward Casey Mittelstadt has been surprised to hear his name in the rumor mill as the trade deadline approaches. The Sabres have most of their young core locked up to long-term deals, but Mittelstadt has not been inked to an extension.
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“It’s actually kind of weird,” Mittelstadt told The Buffalo News following practice Monday. He added, “I was just sitting at home watching NHL Network and all of a sudden, my name is getting thrown around. So, that was surprising to me, to be honest with you. It’s obviously something I’ve never experienced before.”
Lysowski writes:
The speculation was inevitable and won’t stop anytime soon. Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has not approached Mittelstadt or his agent, Neil Sheehy, to express interest in signing the 2017 first-round draft pick to a long-term contract. Mittelstadt would be a logical candidate. He’s been Buffalo’s most consistent player, a Swiss Army knife that can skate at center or wing in the top six. His impact defensively is also among the best on the team.
source – ‘As rumor mill turns, Casey Mittelstadt expresses desire to remain with Sabres’ – Lance Lysowski – Buffalo News – 01/22/2024
Kings Growing Impatient with Pierre-Luc Dubois?
As per Russel Morgan of the Hockey Royalty podcast, he asked Kings’ head coach Todd McLellan what he’s seeing from Dubois without the puck. The response was blunt and demonstrates that there’s some frustration in LA already. McLellan said, “At the end of the day whether PL gets four minutes or gets 24 minutes he has to be a difference maker. And with or without the puck we’ve gone through this long enough it’s time.”
This is not a good sign considering what the Kings gave up to acquire Dubois and then what they paid him to stick around on a long-term deal.