In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the St. Louis Blues and Vladimir Tarasenko might be saying all the right things, but there’s still the distinct possibility of a trade this season. What took the Brady Tkachuk deal in Ottawa so long to get done? What does the new deal for Charlie McAvoy mean for Adam Fox? Finally, what is the latest on Jack Eichel? After all, it’s been a couple of days since offering an update.
Tarasenko Still Wants a Trade
As per Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, although everyone is acting like they are on the same page and Tarasenko is back with the Blues and playing for the team, he would still like to be traded by the St. Louis Blues. As such, Seravalli notes that getting the season started with some strong production is key for the player.
Seravalli writes, “Keep an eye on Vladimir Tarasenko‘s start in St. Louis. To this point, everyone has done and said the right things, playing nice in the sandbox – but that doesn’t change the fact that Tarasenko still strongly desires a trade.”
Tkachuk’s Extension Wasn’t About Salary
Brady Tkachuk didn’t get a ton of signing bonuses and his annual average salary isn’t outrageous compared to what some might have expected considering the length of time it took to get the extension finalized. According to TSN’s Chris Johnson, it was the structure of the deal that was taking some time.
Johnson notes:
“And I think for Brady Tkachuk, he was able to maximize his take-home pay with the way this contract ultimately got completed. He didn’t get any signing bonus money which is something every player would want if you could, but he did manage to have, strategically, his three highest-earning years fall in the middle portion of this contract.”
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Johnson explained that in the years Tkachuk will earn the most, the NHL escrow will be capped at six percent. Not taking the $10.5 million payments early in his deal means he doesn’t have to pay an extra $1 million this year in escrow compared to what he’ll have to pay a few years down the road.
Possible Jack Eichel Trade Strategy?
According to a report by Emily Kaplan on ESPN’s The Point, the Jack Eichel trade watch is still in effect. She notes there are five teams still interested and that believe they can fit his $10 million salary into their cap situation. And, every one of those five teams have said they are on board with Eichel getting the disk replacement surgery he wants.
If a contender is interested in Eichel, one of the things they might be considering is trading for him and knowing he’ll be out the entire regular season, but potentially back for the playoffs where his cap hit won’t count towards the team’s totals. It would be like buying a player at the NHL trade deadline in October. The trick would be what assets they have to give up to acquire him.
Otherwise, expect any team that trades for him to understand they likely aren’t a contender this season. The teams believed to be looking at Eichel are the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, San Jose Sharks and
Adam Fox Is Going to Get Paid After McAvoy Deal
While he was set to make big money regardless, the new eight-year $9.5 million per season deal for Charlie McAvoy solidifies the fact that defenseman Adam Fox will be making a huge chunk of change from the Rangers. McAvoy’s new deal likely guarantees Fox’s next contract starts a $9.5 million and hints the Fox camp will ask for an eight-year term. Some are wondering if Fox will ask for close to $11 million if he has a similar season to 2020-21 but the Rangers are likely hoping $9.5-$10 million is the number.
As for the McAvoy deal, his new contract makes him the highest-value deal ever given out by the Bruins in franchise history.
Blackhawks Trying to Move Andrew Shaw Contract
Seravalli took to Twitter yesterday reporting the Chicago Blackhawks are trying to move Andrew Shaw’s contract. He’s on permanent LTIR with an annual average value of $3.9 million and if the team can move his deal, they’ll be cap compliant for when Caleb Jones returns from injury.