In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Alex DeBrincat sits atop one insider’s trade board and says it’s a matter of time before the winger is moved. Meanwhile. there is an update on the status of talks between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks.
Will the Vancouver Canucks have worked things out with J.T. Miller by this year’s NHL draft? Is Paul Stastny going to test free agency? Finally, how many teams will be interested in Edmonton Oilers’ winger Jesse Puljujarvi?
Blackhawks Likely to Trade DeBrincat
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, it’s a matter of “when and not if” the Chicago Blackhawks trade dynamic winger Alex DeBrincat. A team that could be going through a rebuild isn’t going to be very good and the return the Blackhawks could get if they move him might be too tempting to pass up.
Seravalli writes:
If it seems odd that the rebuilding Blackhawks would want to move a sniper just hitting his prime with more goals than Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand over the last four seasons, consider these three points: 1) DeBrincat is Chicago’s best trade chip to begin stockpiling future assets; 2) By the time Chicago gets to where they want, he will be middle-aged by NHL standards; 3) With a $9 million qualifying offer due at the end of next season, they’d need to pay big to keep him on what should be a struggling squad.
Red Wings and Dylan Larkin Update
As per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Red Wings and Dylan Larkin could come to terms on a short extension, just to see how things play out for both sides.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman met last week with the new CAA reps for Dylan Larkin, who has one year remaining on his deal and is eligible to sign an extension as early as July 13. My sense is that the conversation was very much preliminary in nature given the player’s recent change in representation, but I also think both sides expressed a desire to explore a one-year out an extension this summer.
source – ‘LeBrun: Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Mikheyev and other pending UFA updates’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 06/07/2022
Canucks Will Have J.T. Miller Situation Sorted by NHL Draft
There is a lot of talk about what the Vancouver Canucks will do with J.T. Miller. The big question everyone is asking is will they re-sign him or trade him? The belief is that the team wants to get a deal done and the player wants to stay, but the price might be too high.
Related: Canucks Need Slafkovsky, But Need a Draft Day Trade to Get Him
As per Seravalli, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said recently on the DFO Rundown that the team will “know by the Draft” which way this is heading. In other words, if Miller isn’t committed to Vancouver by the time the draft rolls around, he’s likely to be traded in a huge deal.
Stastny to Explore the Market
As per LeBrun, it sounds like Paul Stastny will explore the UFA market instead of immediately re-signing with the Winnipeg Jets. While he’s open to returning, he put up 45 points (21-24) in 71 games this past season and there’s a chance he could get one more solid deal with a team that could use his versatility.
Stastny can play different roles on a roster and is highly regarded as a team-first guy who is extremely low-maintenance. Stanley Cup contenders might be interested.
Teams Already Interested in Jesse Puljujarvi
Ken Holland said in his media avail that he needs to “sort out Jesse”. In saying that, he meant that he wasn’t sure if Puljujarvi was part of the long-term solution in Edmonton and if the winger would be re-signed or trade this offseason. Holland admitted that he can’t keep this past season’s team together but is going ot talk with Puljujarvi’s agent this coming week.
If he shakes loose, there are already teams that are rumored to be closely watching this situation. Montreal Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy suggested Puljujarvi could be a fit with the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens. Sammi Silber of Washington Hockey Now thinks the Capitals might have an interest as well.
Allan Mitchell (Lowetide) of The Athletic writes: “If the Oilers do trade Jesse Puljujarvi, I’ll bet you a 2-4 he lands on a team that values all the numbers, not just the boxcars. I’m hopeful he lands in a place where he’ll belong. Weight of the world shouldn’t land on you when you’re 24.”