In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Ottawa Senators might be willing to run with three goaltenders next season. Meanwhile, could the Vancouver Canucks be working on a big NHL Draft trade, one that would move them up into the top five of the first round? Evander Kane laid in a nasty boarding hit on Nazem Kadri during Game 3. Will Kane be suspended and how long will Kadri be out? Finally, are the Chicago Blackhawks making almost everyone available via trade if the offer is right?
Senators to Go With Three Goaltenders?
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that there is a “strong possibility” that the Ottawa Senators will carry three goaltenders on their active roster next season. It certainly isn’t ideal and most clubs who do so find that it doesn’t work very well, but the Senators perhaps feel it’s their best course of action as they have Anton Forsberg, Matt Murray, and the young Filip Gustavsson on their roster.
Forsberg had a strong season and earned himself an extension, and Murray had a strong start to 2022, he hasn’t offered the Senators what they’d hope when they signed him. Gustavsson is only 23 years old and waiver-eligible next season.
Canucks Talking Big Trade for NHL Draft?
During Saturday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Jeff Marek said that there were teams asking high-end prospect Juraj Slafkovsky if he could play center. Among the teams he knows asked about positioning were the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks. Friedman found that interesting because the Canucks draft at #15 and there’s no way Slafkovsky will fall to them.
Slafkovsky is a winger who is ranked #1 for European skaters by NHL Central Scouting and is in the top five by almost every other scouting service. If the Canucks are digging into what he can do, Friedman wonders if that means they are actively trying to get into the top five at this year’s draft. That would mean a big trade and while Friedman didn’t throw names out there from the Canucks, there are plenty of options they could move.
Blackhawks Taking Calls on All But Three Players
As per Friedman, don’t expect the Blackhawks to be talking much to other teams about Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Seth Jones — all of whom have no-trade clauses. He says they aren’t on the market. But, he notes that almost everyone else on the Blackhawks roster is.
Related: Oilers Could Lose Kane Back to Sharks Unless a Side Deal is Worked Out
Friedman explains:
“But other than that the Blackhawks are testing the value of anyone that other teams want to ask about. They’re willing to listen. They’re willing to hear. As another GM said, ‘it’s like Brandon Hagel. Can you make them an offer that makes them want to seriously think about.’”
Kadri Out Remainder of Series vs. Oilers
It was announced by NHL Player Safety that Evander Kane will have a hearing today for his hit on Nazem Kadri of the Colorado Avalanche. Given a five-minute boarding penalty during Game 3, Kane is facing a fine or a possible suspension. There was a similar hit from Brandon Hagel that only earned him a fine in May for boarding Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen, but Kane has a history, and Kadri is ruled out for the rest of the series. That could play a factor.
Kadri has seen leaving the building with a cast on his arm and head Jared Bednar said the forward is out for the series “at least, if not longer.” That’s a huge loss for the Avs, especially if he’s unable to play in the Stanley Cup Final (should the Avalanche finish off the Oilers) and it’s certainly a loss for the Oilers as they try to hold off being ousted from the postseason and potentially without Kane in an elimination game.