In today’s NHL rumors rundown, there is news on a couple of injuries for the Edmonton Oilers, plus talk about a potential early extension for one of their young defensemen. Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken are expecting Shane Wright to be in the NHL to start the season and could stick around.
One insider predicts that Dylan Larkin will be traded by the Detroit Red Wings, and the same insider is reporting that the Vancouver Canucks are trying to trade the contract of Micheal Ferland. Finally, Kevin Weekes is reporting that the Ottawa Senators are making a strong push to try and sign Alex DeBrincat.
Oilers Lose Benson, Not Talking Extension With Bouchard
As per TSN’s Jason Gregor, the Oilers are dealing with a couple of injuries. He writes on Twitter, “I’m hearing Kailer Yamamoto is banged up, but nothing too serious. Might be ready to play in final exhibition game on Friday.” He then adds that the injury news surrounding Tyler Benson is not as positive. Gregor explains, “Not as good news for Tyler Benson. He will be out longer; they aren’t sure how long at this point. Will know more in next few days.”
Unfortunatley, the Benson injury doesn’t help the Oilers in terms of their salary cap. He was on the bubble of making the team and PuckPedia writes, “Benson was on roster for 50 games worth of days, so carries his full 750K cap hit while injured. If eligible for LTIR, no impact to #LetsGoOilers opening roster plans. If it’s short-term injury, changes their opening roster puzzle.” The Oilers had potentially planned to use Benson as a way to juggle their cap issues and him going down could affect their ability to set opening roster and maximize LTIR the way they wanted to.
Still with the Oilers, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff recently looked into whether the Oilers have had any conversations with Evan Bouchard or his camp about an extension. Arguing that it would be wise for the club to get good value before the cap really jumps, Seravalli notes that no conversations have taken place.
Shane Wright Likely to Stick With Kraken
Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he believes recently-drafted center Shane Wright will spend the full season in the NHL. Wright was projected to be a potential No. 1 pick but fell to fourth and the Kraken happily selected him. He’ll play a depth role if he sticks with the club all season because there a few centers ahead of him.
Francis said:
“I don’t want to draw a line in the sand, but I would think he’s with us for the year. It’s just a matter of how things go and managing it. … But I think he’ll be fine. He’s fit right in. He does a lot of good things.”
source – ‘LeBrun: Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, and the Kraken’s formula to contend for the playoffs in Year 2’ – Pierre LeBrun – The Athletic – 10/05/2022
Red Wings Likely to Trade Larkin
According to Seravalli, who made 32 predictions in a recent post for Daily Faceoff, Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings might be among the first big pre-NHL Trade Deadline deal during the 2022-23 season. He writes, “With all eyes on Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will be traded before the March 3 trade deadline. Larkin is quietly entering the final year of his deal and is a pending UFA. He holds a no-trade clause, but that could be a big change for a Michigan kid who has played almost exclusively in the Detroit area his entire life.”
The Red Wings and Larkin have spoken in the past about a contract extension. Both sides seem to want to work it out, so if a deal is made, it’s because there wasn’t a meeting of the minds where the numbers made sense. There is a chance that teams will show serious interest in Larkin this season and the return for the Red Wings will be worth exploring a potential trade.
Canucks Trying to Trade Ferland’s Contract
Finally, during the Daily Faceoff Show, Seravalli said the Vancouver Canucks are trying to trade the LTIR contract of Micheal Ferland. He has an uninsured salary of $2.75 million and the team doesn’t want to pay it. The Canucks also don’t want to be in LTIR so they’re trying to move him off the books.
Related: Canucks News & Rumors: Horvat, Boeser, Ferland & More
In order to get that done, Seravalli notes the Canucks may have to include a sweetner.
Senators Working to Get DeBrincat Deal Done
Kevin Weekes is reporting that his sources say the Ottawa Senators are trying to sign forward Alex DeBrincat to a contract extension. Earlier reports were that he wasn’t ready to sign an extension or commit long-term, but if Weekes is suggesting things are getting closer, there must have been a change in the thought process of the player.
One has to wonder if the Matthew Barzal deal in New York is playing a factor in DeBrincat’s contract talks. That could be a decent comparable and Barzal signed for eight years at $9.15 million per season. DeBrincat’s deal will likely come in higher if long-term.