As we approach the NHL Expansion Draft June 21st and the NHL Entry Draft on the 23rd and 24th June, we can expect a lot of movements. Some of them (trades) may have already been completed by the teams involved but are keeping a lid prior to the unveiling of the protected lists by NHL teams and the player selected by the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
Let’s have a quick run through of some of the trade rumors surfacing today.
Panthers in discussions with the Jagr clan
Panthers, general manager Dale Tallon stated yesterday, that he’s been in contact with Jaromir Jagr’s agent on a weekly basis since the season ended on the idea of returning to the Panthers. In this statement, Tallon also said, he wants to wait after the NHL Expansion Draft and the NHL Entry Draft in Chicago to make the final call on Jagr’s future with the Panthers.
This is a case that is seen as normal, based on all the upcoming player movements. Trades and free agency could change the Panthers’ roster in a hurry. Although Jagr can bring a certain contribution on and off the ice, Tallon’s priority is to see if he can fill the needed and pressing gaping holes in his team.
Jagr, 45, is an unrestricted free agent. In 2016-2017, he scored 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points in all 82 games.
Offer on the table by the Montreal Canadiens
According to analyst Pierre McGuire, from NBC Sports, the Montreal Canadiens could be shopping center/left wing Alex Galchenyuk. McGuire who was guest speaking at the the TSN690 radio show declared that the Montreal Canadiens had made an offer of Galchenyuk plus a first round pick for a undisclosed player. He didn’t want to speculate more stating it involves families and friends too and announcing it would create issues for those involved.
Galchenyuk’s last season was a up and down season coupled with injuries. His usage at center didn’t work as expected and Marc Bergevin reiterated that Galchenyuk is not ready at center and would be playing on the wing next season. Galchenyuk has also been known to enjoy his parties off the ice, which could also be a reason the conservative Habs are looking elsewhere to add offense.
In this particular segment, McGuire mentioned the Canadiens would be nuts to offer such a high price for the player they are coveting.
Now Montreal has been linked to players such as Jordan Eberle (cap Hit: 6M), Matt Duchesne (Cap Hit: 6M), Jonathan Drouin (RFA with a Cap Hit: 894,167K). We’ve talked to the possibility of a trade involving Drouin for Galchenyuk one-for-one but Galchenyuk and a 1st round would be too high paying.
UPDATE: According to Connor McKenna from TSN690, he is also reporting as initially brought up here, the possible Alex Galchenyuk trade to Tampa Bay in exchange for Jonathan Drouin. The only difference in his statement, is the Canadiens adding a first round pick. This would make the deal uneven and Yzerman is probably not going to take more salary when he is already trying to shed some.
Teams told not leak trades prior to expansion
According to TSN Insider Pierre Lebrun, the NHL has advised all 31 teams not to leak any trades made involving the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The aim is to keep the Golden Knight’s roster secret until the official unveiling of ther selections. Main reasons reside with advantage of knowing who is traded and how it culminates in other trades that would the Golden Knights in an awkward position as well as the players involved in those trades.
The notification came NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly at a conference call with all 31 general mangers. The call was also to clear up any last minute doubt and clear any confusion during the whole process.
New York Rangers Movements
In major news, the New York Rangers have announced they have decided to buy out Dan Girardi’s remaining three seasons of his contract. The Rangers did not ask Girardi to waive his No-movement-clause prior to the expansion draft.
OFFICIAL: #NYR will buy out the contract of defenseman Dan Girardi. pic.twitter.com/pZIkuiGGKL
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 14, 2017
Girardi who’s been with the Rangers 11 seasons recorded 4 goals and 11 assists in 63 games played. Native of Welland, ON, Girardi played his entire career with the Rangers. His current cap hit is $5.5 million. With the buyout, the Rangers will retain cap hit for the next six years. The cap hit retainment is broken down as such: 2.6 million against the cap next season, $3.6 million in the next two years and $1.1 million for the following three seasons starting with 2020-21.
In buying out Dan Girardi, the new York Rangers have an additional spot where they can protect a defenceman prior to the expansion draft. One of these players is expected to be either Kevin Klein or Nick Holden. The other two spots will be occupied by captain Ryan McDonough and veteran Marc Staal.
In a statement to the media and the public through the team’s website, Girardi wrote this: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the New York Rangers organization for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League.” “I would also like to thank James Dolan, Glen Sather, Jim Schoenfeld, Jeff Gorton, John Rosasco, Jason Vogel, all of the coaches and front office staff, Jim Ramsay and his amazing training staff, the equipment staff, and all the Madison Square Garden employees for making my past 11 years so special.”
Stepan on the trade market
One other longtime New York Ranger who could be heading somewhere else in the near future is forward Derek Stepan. According to TSN Insider, the rangers would like to trade Stepan prior to the 1 July deadline, where his no-trade-clause kicks in for two seasons. Stepan has been with the Rangers for seven seasons.
He has 26M remaining on his contract with four years still to go. It is uncertain who would be willing to take on that much salary unless a deal was reached with the Golden Knights this week or in the next coming days.
Stepan was selected 51st overall by the new York Rangers at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. This season, he scored 17 goals and assisted on 38 others, in 81 games. In his seven-year career, Stepan recorded 128 goals and 232 assists in 515 games played.
In 2015, Stepan signed a six-year 39 million deal with New York. he has four years remaining on his contract. He signed a six-year, $39 million contract with the Rangers in 2015.
Puempel signed with the Rangers
Finally with the Blueshirts, they signed forward Matt Puempel on Wednesday meeting the NHL expansion protection
requirements. The deal is a one-year deal at 725,000 for the season. In 2016-2017, Puempel played in 40 games (minimum amount of games to be exposed) and recorded six goals and 3 assists. Claimed off waivers from Ottawa, last November, Puempel participated in only thirteen games with the Senators.
Prior to Puempel’s signing, the Rangers had one forward under contract for 2017-18 to expose. According to the NHL rules on expansion, if a player wasn’t signed in the expansion they would need to sign a second or face punishment from the league.
Ducks have a deal in place with the Golden Knights
Yesterday the Ducks and the Golden Knights have seemed to agree on a deal that would avoid the Ducks from lifting his no-movement-clause. According to TSN Insider, Bob Mckenzie the deal is completed and a pre-arranged deal is already in place with the Golden Knights so Anaheim won’t have to ask Kevin Bieksa to waive his NMC.
