In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Vancouver Canucks have lost the services of Brock Boeser who will be out of action for the rest of the season. What are the odds that Mitch Marner is back with the Toronto Maple Leafs next season? There are some updates out of Ottawa where the team has been busy trying to make moves. Jonathan Drouin wants to return to the Colorado Avalanche next season.
The Canucks take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight in Game 7 of their series and head coach Rick Tocchet also confirmed that Thatcher Demko will not be back in time to start that game. The Edmonton Oilers also confirmed that Adam Henrique will not be in the lineup.
Boeser Dealing With Blood Clotting Issue
Sounds like Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser will be out for Game 7 and the rest of the season if the Canucks can defeat the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night. As per reports, including from Frank Seravalli, “a blood clot developed in his leg, something team medical staff found after Game 6.” He has been placed on blood thinning medication. The good news is, the issue is said to be not life-threatening.
This is obviously a huge loss for the Canucks, who will now be trying to win Game 7 without their leading scorer in Boeser and their top goalie in Thatcher Demko. In 12 playoff games, Boeser has recorded an impressive 7 goals and 19 points. He’s also had a career year this regular season as in 81 games, he notched 40 goals and 73 points.
Less Than 5% Chance Marner Back With Maple Leafs Next Season
Seravalli was speaking on the DFO Rundown podcast and got into a discussion about Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs. He noted, “I think there’s a five percent chance or maybe even less that he’ll be a Leaf next season.” Steve Kouleas was interviewed on NHL Network and said that he’s hearing insiders talk and noted that Marner is “not against a move.”
Kouleas noted that Marner said he wants to sign in Toronto long-term, but that there’s also a sense he understands that maybe it’s time. “It wasn’t an emphatic no way!” He’s not saying no. “Where this leads, I do not know,” he added.
Related: Maple Leafs Linked To Two Key Bruins’ Impact Players
Marner is going to be looking for big-time money, and it probably pays for Marner to be more open to moving so that he can help in the process of getting him to a team where he can be traded, wants to be, and then signs the eight years on the extension. It also avoids Marner being somewhere for a year that he’s not wanted.
Latest Senators Buzz
Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch recently reported that Senators’ GM Steve Staios has been looking to move goaltender Joonas Korpisalo without much luck. He tried before the March trade deadline and unless the Senators retain some of his $5 million AAV and include a sweetener in any trade, he doesn’t expect there will be a ton of interest. If Korpisalo can’t be moved, Ottawa could try to trade backup Anton Forsberg, who makes a more affordable $2.75 million per season.
The Senators have been looking for an upgrade in goalie and inquired about Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark. He writes:
The Senators kicked tires on Boston goalie Linus Ullmark in March and the expectation is they’ll back to those discussions around the draft. The issue is there will be a lot of competition, especially after he was relegated to No. 2 during the playoffs and may be more open to a move.
source – ‘Everything on Senators GM Steve Staios’ to-do list as off-season shifts into high gear’ – Bruce Garrioch – Ottawa Sun – 05/17/2024
Drouin Hoping to Re-Sign in Colorado
Jonathan Drouin told reporters at the end of the season: “I’d love to come back here and sign here… I loved my time here, my family loved their time.” He noted that it was nice being somewhere after having a rough go of things in Montreal. Drouin scored 19 goals and a career-best 56 points in 79 games this year.
Drouin, 29, is a pending unrestricted free agent and is in line for a notable raise from his sub-$1-million cap hit.
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